To all those with tickets to any indie music artist Mitski’s upcoming concerts, she has a request. Put away your phones, and capture the magic of the moment.
In a statement on Twitter, Mitski urged her fans to hold the moment for themselves and not spend the night recording everything on their phones, according to The Rolling Stone.
“I wanted to speak with you about phones at shows,” she began, “They’re part of our reality, I have mine on me all the time, and I’m not against taking photos at shows (though please no flash lol). But sometimes when I see people filming entire songs or whole sets, it makes me feel as though we are not here together. This goes for both when I’m on stage, and when I’m an audience member at shows.”
The artist’s empathy towards those who record shows isn’t displaced. She recognizes that many concertgoers record so that they can show their friends and relive memories later on, but wants to connect with her audience in an authentic way. “I feel I’m part of something bigger. When I’m on stage and look to you but you are gazing into a screen, it makes me feel as though those of us on stage are being taken from and consumed as content, instead of getting to share a moment with you,” she continued.
The musician recognizes that fans listen to music on their own terms, and hopes that fans will enjoy the concerts in the way they prefer.
Her latest album, Laurel Hell, came out on February 4th. It quickly reached America’s top-selling album of the week of February 14th. “This album has been punk record at some point, and a country record. Then, after a while, it was like, ‘I need to dance.’ Even though the lyrics might be depressing, I need something peppy to get me through this.” the artist said in an interview with The Rolling Stone.
Her tour, which was announced on February 17th, sold out rapidly. Mitski fans love her for her rich lyrical style that often probes the sadder and more uncomfortable aspects of human existence, but not always. Laurel Hell has quite a few upbeat tracks, which are reflected in the dance-heavy live shows she’s been putting on lately.
You can check out Mitski’s “The Only Heartbreaker” featured on Laurel Hell below.
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