This Sunday, Samara Cyn is hosting a “Digital Detox” event that invites fans to spend a day offline—no phones, no shoes, and no exceptions. The gathering will include snacks, tea, light activities, and a vinyl-only playlist celebrating the anniversary of her Drive Home EP. In a short announcement video, Cyn describes it as “a day we can choose to connect—or just be alone in the same room.”
The event reflects a growing shift among artists reestablishing presence as part of the creative experience. Comedians like Dave Chappelle and Kevin Hart have been doing it for years, locking away phones to protect both performance and focus. But earlier this year, Erykah Badu and The Alchemist brought the concept to a larger stage with their Abi & Alan tour—a 10-date run across North America and Japan that banned phones entirely.
The tour doubled as the live debut of their collaborative album Abi & Alan, performed with Badu’s band, The Cannabinoids. Before the album’s official release on August 29, only those who attended the shows had heard it in full. Each night became a one-time experience—something that existed only in that room, at that moment.
That decision didn’t just limit access; it reframed it. In a culture built around sharing, Badu made attention itself the premium. Without the reflex to film or post, audiences were forced to listen. For many, the absence of screens shifted the energy back toward sound, movement, and connection—the essence of live performance.
Cyn’s upcoming event channels that same principle, scaled down to an intimate community level. It’s not a concert but a pause—a chance to be together without the constant pull of the feed. The emphasis isn’t on what’s happening online afterward, but what happens in the room.
Phone-free experiences aren’t new, but they’re becoming more prominent. Whether it’s Badu, Chappelle, or emerging artists like Cyn, the message is consistent: not every moment needs to be captured. Some are meant to be felt once—and remembered.
