I went to a concert without my phone

I didn’t know how I would handle it. Now, I can’t help but laugh at myself, a little embarrassed.

It’s no secret – and truthfully, old news at this point – that Swedish rock band Ghost’s recently concluded Skeletour was an entirely phones-free event. All attendees were required to lock their phones inside a small Yondr pouch, only accessible in designated areas throughout the venue.

I’ll admit, like many others, I’ve probably grown more attached to the device in my pocket than I’d care to admit.

Text messages and emails. Instagram. A fair few games I play with varying regularity.

So, as I prepared for my first ritual on Saturday, Feb 21, at the Honda Center, my phone and its impending absence for two plus hours of my life was a concern.

“What if there’s an emergency and someone needs to get ahold of me?” 

“Won’t I be bored in the meantime?”

“How will I remember how great the show was if I can’t record some of the best moments?”

In hindsight, I can’t believe how silly I sounded.

In all actuality, I came out of the show thankful, knowing that the amazing experience I had just had would not have been nearly as good with my phone in my hand.

Instead of checking Instagram or playing games on my phone before the show, I enjoyed a nice conversation with the friend that I attended with. We talked about work, our interests and hobbies, our love lives, what we were looking forward to, and hoping to witness at the show. When I wasn’t talking to her, I was talking to other fans around me, all reveling in our excitement.

When the show began, it wasn’t absorbed second-handedly through a screen. The phone in my pocket buzzed off and on with notifications, screaming for my attention; but Papa was louder.

This isn’t to say that I think the phone-free experience is perfect. Entering the venue was a little more chaotic than other shows I’ve attended, and I do believe that the need to secure a Yondr pouch with the added flurry of typical security procedures was part of that hassle. In addition, if there was any moment I truly wished I had my phone, it was just to check the time before the show to determine if I wanted to jump in the lengthy merch line and risk being late for the opening song.

Still, frontman Tobias Forge’s decision to remove us all from our phones during the performance paid dividends in the overall quality of the evening. Ghost put on a phenomenal concert, exceeding all my expectations and becoming an instant favorite on my resume of bands I’ve seen live; I can’t help but wonder if I would be riding the same high that I am now if I hadn’t been forcefully made to be – momentarily - digitally detached. 

As luck would have it, I was unexpectedly able to attend my second ritual on Monday at the Intuit Dome; the last show of the Skeletour.

I told everyone I’d be away from my phone for a bit, and with gusto.