What do Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa have in common? Perhaps they get mistaken for the same “middle of nowhere” flyover state, or is it because they are the latest tour stops for indie star Phoebe Bridgers?
The Grammy-award-winning musician has been playing secret pop-up shows across the country to promote her forthcoming album. The shows aren’t announced until the morning of, in theory, to prevent scalpers and surge pricing, making concerts more affordable and accessible to locals.
Briders’ Iowa concert at Raccoon Motel in Davenport was announced at 9:30 a.m. Friday, May 29, with the show set for 6 p.m.
The box office opened at noon and sold out in nearly 15 minutes, quickly reaching capacity for the 200-person venue.
The intense demand did not stop crowds from trying to nab a ticket for the exclusive show, including California native and current Iowa City resident Samantha Tuttle. Tuttle, a long-time fan of the indie-folk star, was closely following the secret pop-up shows, but gave up on Bridgers appearing in Iowa.
Bridgers, known for solo songs like “Motion Sickness” and “Kyoto” as well as her Grammy-winning supergroup boygenius, announced the first pop-up show in Roswell, New Mexico, on May 8. She’s since worked her way east to Georgia and the Carolinas and started boomeranging back west before she shot up north, the latest stops landing in Champaign, IL and Bloomington, IN.
Tuttle couldn’t snag a ticket despite the roller-coaster ride.
“There were a few days ago that we did think that she was going to be in Davenport, and we were spinning out because we were all working, and we didn’t think we would get to be here, and then she went to Indiana instead,” Tuttle said. “There doesn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason to the shows, which is kind of fun. It seems like she is going to kitschy college towns, but then she’ll do something like this, and it breaks the pattern.”
Josh Kidman, also from Iowa City, immediately hopped in the car and drove to Davenport after the show was announced. Though he didn’t snag a ticket, the unique experience was worth it, calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
“[Not getting tickets doesn’t change much], maybe I have a nice lunch in Davenport, have some beers,” Kidson. “It is just fun to be around here.”
Tuttle and Kidman are hopeful Bridgers makes a stop in Iowa City.
“I think that the market fits the previous shows, and Iowa City has the venues and arts and culture scene, and matches the rest of the tour,” Kidman said. “Bridgers has never played a headline show in Iowa City; the reception would be remarkable, and I think she’d love Iowa City, as it is also similar to Kyoto.”
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa City residents head to Davenport for secret Phoebe Bridgers show
Reporting by Jessica Rish, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
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