No bags, no show: Why ‘SNL’ star Pete Davidson walked out on a planned Columbia show

Pete Davidson didn’t go on as scheduled in Columbia Thursday night. But he will perform instead Friday, May 3. At midnight.

That’s what folks who showed up for the performance by the former “Saturday Night Live” cast member and star of the 2020 film “The King of Staten Island” at the The Senate rock club eventually found out after they were turned away at the door. Staff was out front at the club, which was supposed to open at 6 p.m. for the show to start at 7 p.m., to relay the message that the show was off.

The reason had to do with keeping Davidson’s jokes from making their way onto the internet.

Ticket holders were emailed shortly after that the show would occur at 11:55 p.m. Friday, following a previously scheduled concert by Gavin Degraw.

Nicole Moore, the venue’s general manager, was among the folks out front breaking the news, and she explained that the postponement was forced by there not being bags on hand to secure attendees’ phones. This has become a fairly standard practice for comedians working on new material to keep it from showing up in videos online before being released in proper comedy specials, such as the one Senate staff said Davidson is workshopping for Netflix.

The comedian has released three previous specials on the streaming service.

Staff at the 1,200-capacity venue in the Vista indicated that the comedian showed up to the club and left when it became clear he couldn’t perform Thursday.

People with tickets for the show, which was announced April 18, have until the end of Friday to request a refund if they’re unable to attend the rescheduled show. Tickets to the new date are available to purchase.

The Senate didn’t immediately respond to requests for additional comment.

People attending the show weren’t thrilled about the news.

“Pete Davidson cancelled his show tonight because they forgot the phone bag that puts your phone in jail?” popular Columbia X (previously Twitter) presence Clair Hollingsworth posted.

A couple sitting on the wall in front of the venue said they came to town from Savannah for the show and were left puzzling on what to do for the night in a town they didn’t know.

Requiring attendees to secure their phones during comedy shows is common at larger venues and has been seen in Columbia previously — such as at performances by comedian John Mulaney and rocker Jack White at the Township Auditorium. But it’s less common at smaller venues.

Carlin Thompson, the talent buyer, marketing coordinator and production manager at the smaller Columbia rock club New Brookland Tavern, said he’s never received a request to have phone bags on hand — not even when the venue hosted popular comedian Hannibal Burress.

“Never paid much attention to it ‘til now, but I think it’s a great thing because phones/social media have kinda ruined a part of the show atmosphere,” Thompson said, “whether it’s people just nose deep in their phones, overly concerned with taking content on their phones from the show, or first-person energy of them doing dumb s--- during the show for their own content, which then distracts people from the actual show.”