‘Phoebe Bridgers: The Lost Tour’ Review: The Beauty of Being Present

I attended the first of the two Chicago stops of Phoebe Bridgers: The Lost Tour supported by Alex G at the United Center. Not only was I given an amazing show, but my perspective on what a concert should be changed forever. When the tour was announced it also was revealed that there would be a strict no phones and no recording devices policy, forcing all attendees to place their phones in a Yondr Pouch upon arrival. I am not gonna lie to you, initially I was irritated. I was left with the vapid, modern question of “How will people know I was there, if I do not have a picture?” Well it turns out it does not matter. With my phone locked away in my purse I was given the ability to fully immerse myself in the experience. My eyes never left the stage. It felt like the entire crowd was zeroed in on this one moment, which is such a rare feeling in today’s phone obsessed world. 

It seems like every time you see a video of a crowd at a concert these days you see a sea of phones. Everyone is more focused on getting the perfect photo or video, rather than experience what they are trying to capture. I am guilty of this as well. After attending a concert I usually have over a hundred photos added to my camera roll, but I usually don’t revisit them. So why do I feel the need to take these pictures, to let my phone take up so much time. Now that I have seen what it is like to not have access to my phone, I can see my concert going experience changing for the better. Every emotion felt more heightened, the communal experience felt more special, and Phoebe Bridgers herself expressed how much she loves seeing the faces in the crowd rather than a screen. 

Though these no phone concerts will never be set as the standard, I truly hope to see them more in the future. It sounds annoying and you might think you won’t get your money’s worth, but it genuinely made The Lost Tour one of my favorite concert going experiences ever. Once the lights begin to dim and the first chord is played, your phone will become an obsolete object that you don’t need. 

Beyond the no phones rule, the concert itself was exceptional. Especially the set list. This immersive twenty six song set has the perfect blend of the new material and her past work. Though the entire set was electric, the moments that stuck out the most to me were Garden Song, As Above, Bobby, and I Know the End. The last song specifically will forever go down as one of the greatest closing tracks in history. There was a palatable catharsis felt throughout the room as everyone in the crowd erupted in blood curdling screams. Since Phoebe Bridgers is such an emotional songwriter, you felt that rawness everywhere. There was not a dry eye in the crowd and the setlist oscillated between the slower tear jerkers and the more upbeat cathartic moment seamlessly. 

Every moment from start to finish was near perfect. Along with the solid set of songs, the show’s staging and technical aspects also blew me away. During the show Bridgers expressed that she was grateful to us for putting our phones away, because of the planetarium-like light show that accompanies the concert. In the center of the stadium there was a multi lensed spot light, shaped like a satellite that illuminated the entire room with a beautiful barrage of colors. I found myself looking into the crowd and watching the lights, letting the music and visuals take me away. It was breathtaking and the perfect touch to an already beautiful experience. 

This concert was already very special to me as a long time fan of Bridgers seeing her for the first time, but everything on a technical level elevated The Lost Tour beyond what I was expecting. I am fully on board with this new no phones concert movement and recommend giving it a chance even if you are trepidatious. I can not overstate how freeing this experience felt, like I was transported to a simpler time when we all just lived in the moment and put the phones away. 

Phoebe Bridgers is an American recording artist known for her critically acclaimed album Punisher.  Her latest album Lost Weekend is available to purchase anywhere you buy your music. Chicago was the third of this forty three stop tour spanning across North America and Europe. 

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