Why Musicians Are Turning to Planetariums for Immersive Album Experiences
Phoebe Bridgers Transforms Planetariums Into Intimate Music Venues
Phoebe Bridgers’ Lost Weekend album launch leveraged planetariums as immersive venues, blending astrophotography with visuals. Over 44 global locations hosted the event, with Bridgers performing in Jersey City’s Liberty Science Center planetarium. According to the Liberty Science Center, the planetarium is an intimate setting for 400 people.
Reimagining Live Music
Bridgers’ planetarium strategy involved merging auditory and visual elements. “It’s like making a music video,” says Andrew Bundas, Liberty Science Center’s planetarium educator. “There’s no one way to do it.” This approach aligns with broader trends in experiential entertainment, where venues like the Sphere in Las Vegas prioritize technological immersion.
How the Planetarium Experience Was Crafted
Bridgers collaborated with National Geographic photographer Babak Tafreshi to create original astrophotography for Lost Weekend, which was projected onto the dome of the Liberty Science Center’s planetarium. The venue’s 8K resolution and 88 million pixels allowed for a screen more than 90 feet across, as Liberty Science Center president and CEO Paul Hoffman described.
Industry Impact
Hoffman and Bundas have worked with many cover bands, not just well-known stars. Bundas noted that for anyone on the East Coast, the center would love to work with artists to bring their creative vision to life.
Expert Insights: A New Frontier for Artists
Hoffman and Bundas spoke about what it took to put on the shows and why more artists should see their local planetariums as an ideal music venue. Bundas encourages artists to reach out to a local planetarium, noting that planetariums love working with as many people as possible who want to show their work or create new work.
Cultural Significance and Audience Reactions
Paul Hoffman, the Liberty Science Center’s CEO, noted, “It was just a beautiful experience to be there among 400 people, most of whom were her most hardcore fans. It had a gentleness to it.” Bridgers performed three tracks in the planetarium space. Feedback from fans after shows included, “How are we gonna go back to life now after experiencing that?” It was described as transcendent.
The Future of Music Venues: A Blueprint for Innovation
Bridgers’ approach involved partnerships with Spotify. As far as the experiences working with the artists and their teams, it was clear that they cared deeply about making it an experience well-crafted for the planetarium.
Editorial Kicker: A New Era of Sonic Storytelling
By transforming planetariums into venues, she’s exploring a medium for musicians to promote their new music.