A new concept for Wilmington: Pete Davidson's shows will be 'phone-free experiences'

When the actor and comedian Pete Davidson comes to Cape Fear Community College's Wilson Center for two Wilmington shows March 9, you're sure to see lots of people laughing. What you won't see is any of those people using a cell phone.

That's because the two sold-out performances by Davidson, best known as a cast member of "Saturday Night Live" and for dating such celebrities as Kim Kardashian, are being billed as "phone-free experiences."

It's not on the honor system, either.

When patrons arrive, "All phones, smart watches and accessories will be secured in individual Yondr pouches that will be opened at the end of the event," according to a Wilson Center news release. (Yondr is the company that makes the locking phone pouches.) "Anyone seen using a device during the performance will be escorted out of the venue by security."

The phone-free experience/concert has been around for a while now, and while it's relatively new to Wilmington — comedian Wanda Sykes' Wilson Center show last year was no-phones — it could become more common.

"I wouldn't be surprised, because it has worked so well, if more artists started utilizing it," said Tammy Daniels, senior managing director of the Wilson Center. "We have seen more national acts requiring it, especially comedians."

We've all been distracted by someone's phone going off during a performance, or wondered what kind of person would buy an expensive concert ticket just to be on their phone the whole show. Even so, it's not audience members — many of whom like to take pics or videos of performances to post to social media as a way sharing or memorializing the experience — who are clamoring for venues to lock away their phones.

Rather, the phone-free experience is being driven almost entirely by performers, generally comedians who don't want their new material online before their specials hit streaming.

How it works is pretty simple. When patrons arrive, they will be given a locking bag — the "Yondr pouch," named for the company, Yondr, founded in 2014, that provides the service — in which to put any devices. Bagged phones and other devices stay with patrons during the show.

After the show, patrons can use "unlocking stations" to get their phones out of the bags.

"If you need to call your babysitter in the middle of the show, there's an unlocking station set up during the lobby," Daniels said.

Daniels said that Yondr staffers travel to the venue to help set up and run the phone-bagging process, which is new to many patrons.

"The process is extremely streamlined," Daniels said. At the Wanda Sykes show last year, "I was surprised at how fast it all went."

Of course, you could just avoid the whole Yondr pouch situation by leaving your phone at home or in your car.

Daniels said the Wilson Center has gotten lots of questions about the phone-free experience.

"We are tyring to over-inform people about it," she said. "We sent at least four emails, we have extra signage," and patrons are informed that it's a phone-free show when they buy their tickets.

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Shane Fernando, the new chief executive office of Thalian Hall downtown, was previously the executive director of the Wilson Center. He's also a board member for the Association of Performing Arts Professionals.

"We are seeing these types of requirements more and more in the industry," Fernando said. "Comedians in particular are trying to protect their work from being disseminated without their permission … I personally am not aware of any venue itself that has such requirements, but it is instituted when performers require this as part of their performance agreement."

Aimee Elfers, general manager of Wilmington's Dead Crow Comedy Room, said the club has had "several" no-phone experiences, including for the comic Tig Notaro. A smaller venue that holds about 200 people, Dead Crow has never worked with Yondr, but Elfers said her staff was able to make sure patrons stayed off their phones during the show.

"We communicated the no-phone policy with audiences prior to the show while also monitoring throughout the show," she said. "We don't allow audiences to record our shows as it is, and we are able to monitor phone use closely thanks to the size and layout of our showroom."

Wilmington patrons can likely look forward to seeing more phone-free experiences.

"This may be something that we may see more of in our community and at Thalian Hall in the future," Fernando said. "I have no anticipation that this would be a Thalian Hall requirement, but we could comply with performer requests in the future if warranted."

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Will more Wilmington concerts be phone-free experiences?