NEXT STOP, EAU CLAIRE. On Saturday, May 30, Phoebe Bridgers (pictured at the 2018 Eaux Claires music festival) performed a one night pop-up performance at the Pablo Center at the Confluence (128 Graham Ave., Eau Claire). Shows in Bridgers' "secret tour" have been announced in one way: flyers hung at area coffee shops, record stores and other locations that very same morning. (Photo by Branden Nall)

If you happened to come across a poster hung near the Pablo Center at the Confluence (128 Graham Ave.) on the morning of May 30, you may have snagged one of 400 spots to Phoebe Bridgers’ completely analog “secret tour” show in Eau Claire.

After rumors of a potential 2026 solo release surfaced earlier this May, Bridgers – the Grammy Award-winning multi-instrumentalist behind Punisher and Stranger in the Alps – announced their first show after a few years off the road.

This announcement – first seen in Roswell, New Mexico on May 8 – was unveiled through physical flyers, indicating day-of event details. As the month continued, Bridgers played over a dozen shows in states across the country: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Mississippi, among others.

Each show has been announced in this same way, with flyers hung at area coffee shops, record stores and other locations near that day’s venue, in the morning.

Here in the Midwest, Bridgers performed in Ohio, Illinois and Iowa before reaching America’s dairyland for a show in Eau Claire.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of a typical Saturday in downtown Eau Claire, locals had the surprise opportunity to find black-and-white flyers advertising a pop-up Phoebe Bridgers concert that very same night.

“The opportunity to get to see someone so close and intimate – and also the aspect of, like, the unplugged part – is such a cool experience.”

hannah divin

attendee of phoebe bridgers' show in eau claire

The morning of May 30, flyers were pinned around downtown Eau Claire – including at SHIFT, pictured – announcing that evening's show. As noted on the posters, each of Bridgers' pop-up tour shows are analog; no cellphones, smart watches, cameras, etc. are allowed. 

Compiled and shared by @bridgersupdates, the Eau Claire show included 14 total tracks from Bridgers, including eight new, unreleased songs.

The morning of the show, members of Bridgers’ team were seen pinning posters in strategic areas around downtown Eau Claire, including SHIFT (615 Graham Ave.), The Local Store (205 N Dewey St., Eau Claire), Revival Records (128 S. Barstow St.) and Riverflow Refillery (207 N. Barstow St.), among other locations.

“I’m in town visiting my wife, and we happened to be close enough to make it in time – my wife went to school in Eau Claire,” Autumn Kennedy, the creator behind @bridgersupdates on Instagram, said. “As these pop-up shows have begun, I’ve been able to provide tour updates for that. ... It’s my hope to do this for the proper tour, whenever that gets announced.”

At SHIFT, staffers from the Pablo Center were seen hanging up flyers which would detail the outcomes for the rest of the day: "box office opens at 12pm noon; first come, first served; doors at 6pm."

Monica Frederick, executive director of the Pablo Center, shared equal excitement with local fans for the “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity as she passed around flyers with the JAMF Theatre venue announcement.

As hundreds of fans pooled together in front of the Pablo Center to secure wristbands on a first-come, first-served basis – which guaranteed the option to purchase tickets ($50+/person) later that night – organizers shared the requirements for Bridgers’ completely analog adventure.

No phones, smartwatches, cameras, pens and paper or recording devices of any kind were allowed into the JAMF Theatre; locals were able to use Yondr pouches to lock and store mobile devices that night.

The intent, as many fans shared in person and online, is to create an intimate experience for local audiences in each community across the tour.

“I am a big concert goer, a big music festival goer and I feel like in those gigantic venues, (the music) is not as intimate,” Hannah Divin, an Eau Claire resident, said while waiting in line for wristbands on Saturday morning. “The opportunity to get to see someone so close and intimate – and also the aspect of, like, the unplugged part – is such a cool experience.”

Heavier-duty wristbands – rubber, not paper – were fitted to each individual's wrist, staving off chances of giving acquired wristbands to others who did not wait in line, in person.

Eventually, those waiting for the evening show were welcomed inside the Pablo Center. A portion of those in line, pictured.

Yondr pouch users would later discover photo cards placed in each one following the show, which staff across the secret tour have shared as yet another teaser to Bridgers’ forthcoming music releases.

On the stage itself, inside JAMF Theatre, were a series of microphones and mellotrons positioned alongside a striped loveseat, where Bridgers and accompanying band members would sit for the rest of the performance.

Visual art with nods to astronomy, E.T. movies on VHS and other motifs became the backdrop for Bridgers’ band – featuring Nick White (keyboard) and Christian Lee Hutson (guitar, harmonics) – with tube televisions and taper candles.

“Every single light on the stage, including the lava lamps, was responsive to the music at times,” online users shared of previous Bridgers pop-up shows. “The stage hummed alongside the audience in a way.”

“The concept of having these intimate, last minute shows across the country is so fun. It’s not something you typically see with major artists and I think it’s a really clever way to help promote an upcoming record. I honestly wish more artists did things like this.”

AUTUMN KENNEDY

ATTENDEE OF PHOEBE BRIDGERS' EAU CLAIRE SHOW, CREATOR OF @BRIDGERSUPDATES

The Eau Claire performance marked Bridgers’ first return to the city in several years, following her previous appearance at the Eaux Claires music festival in 2018. During this past Saturday’s performance, Bridgers shared stories of performing in town back then – plus a shout-out to The Good Wives restaurant (2161 Eastridge Center, Eau Claire), were she went for dinner after the show’s end. 

Bridgers, White and Hutson played acoustic and intimate versions of songs from her two previous studio records – from “Kyoto” to “Graceland, Too” and “I Know The End.” Local listeners received a firsthand glimpse into the future of Bridgers’ discography, as the show included an eight-track run of unreleased songs – rumored to be part of her third studio album.

“The concept of having these intimate, last minute shows across the country is so fun. It’s not something you typically see with major artists and I think it’s a really clever way to help promote an upcoming record,” Kennedy said. “I honestly wish more artists did things like this.”

Attendees in Eau Claire, similar to the 16 previous pop-up shows, had the opportunity to secure merchandise before and after the performance itself – including an Eau Claire specific t-shirt.

Leaning into the deliberately analog feel of these “comeback gigs,” Bridgers offered locals the opportunity to become part of the experience. She took time to interact with any and all fans following the show, as she signed merchandise and other personal belongings in the pockets of guests.

The secret show in Eau Claire served not only as fertile ground for Bridgers’ alleged forthcoming material, but also spotlighted the magic which unfolds when mobile devices are sidelined – allowing listeners and the artist to truly connect in the present moment.

To learn more about Phoebe Bridgers’ discography, visit her Bandcamp online. Follow along with @bridgersupdates on Instagram to learn more about forthcoming performances on Bridgers’ ongoing pop-up tour.