Easier to continue your crime spree in secret with no phones around, eh Garth?
Garth Brooks is firing up his Las Vegas residency on May 18th at Caesars Palace. There will undoubtedly be a lot of cowboy hat wearing and “Friends in Low Places” singing during the residency – but there won’t be any video of it online.
Garth’s “Plus ONE” residency in Las Vegas sent out a message via Ticketmaster to let fans know that the event will indeed be a “phone free experience.”
Those attending the concert will be required to give up their phones upon arrival so that they can be locked in secure “Yondr” cases.
The fans will obviously be able to retrieve their phones from the lock boxes after the concert is over, and there will also be “phone-use” areas within the venue that will allow for fans to use them while they are there.
Once done using the device, the guest would be required to lock the phone up once again before returning to the concert.
Making concerts and other shows “phone free” has been increasing in popularity for a lot of musicians and artists. Rock musician Jack White (formerly with The White Stripes) and legendary comedian Dave Chappelle are a few examples of artists who have fully taken advantage of the “locked up phones” method.
And it makes sense that Garth would be the first in the country music world to implement this policy. The superstar is notoriously strict about his music being posted online, often flagging videos on YouTube or social media that contain recordings of his music, which is only available to stream on Amazon Music.
For those fans that like to take pictures during their concert experience, professional photos from the show are set to be released to fans via a QR code that will be given to fans as they exit the building.
But for those (annoying) fans that like to record the whole entire concert on their phones, you are s**t out of luck and it’s about time someone stopped you from your reign of terror. No one wants to see a low resolution, way-too-long video of your view on your Instagram story from the 400 level seats, Karen.
Yondr, the company who has stepped in to provide the phone locking service at concerts, posted on their website as to why locking up your phone at events can be beneficial:
“Yondr creates phone-free spaces for artists, educators, organizations and individuals.
In our hyperconnected world, we provide a haven to engage with what you’re doing and who you’re doing it with. In physical space and real time.”
So if you plan on going to see the 2-time Grammy winner at his Las Vegas residency, it might be best to go ahead and prepare yourself for living it up at the concert while putting your phone down.
And finally… where are the bodies, G?
