The Hollywood Reporter:

Attendees at any of Chappelle’s 13 sold-out Thalia Hall performances will be greeted by staffers handing out gray smartphone sleeves, available in three sizes. They are then instructed to place their phones inside the sleeves and fasten them, at which point they are welcome to carry them inside the venue.

As soon as they enter the “no-phone zone,” however, the pouches will have locked shut, preventing anyone from firing off so much as a winking emoji. Need to make a call or send an email? No problem. Simply leave the designated zone (and head, say, to the lobby bar), and, as you move past several strategically placed stations, the pouches can now magically be unlocked.

This is an interesting use of technology to defeat technology. In a broad sense, I’m all for it and can see this being extended to many other events. I was at a concert a few months ago and could barely see the artist because of all the smartphone screens being held up, recording the music. It’s incredibly annoying. I get the idea that attendees want to “capture the moment” but people have taken it way beyond that impulse.