• Dave Chappelle in Chicago: Chappelle is having a 13-night run at Thalia Hall in Chicago and has sold out all shows. He has teamed up with Yondr to prevent non-ticket holders from seeing his material by locking smartphones in cloth “socks” with a smart lock.
• Yondr's Past Experience: In October 2014, Ars tried Yondr with mixed results. Some liked the freedom from phones, while others resented not being able to take photos. The sock design hasn't changed much. The Hollywood Reporter said a wireless perimeter locks and unlocks the phone pouches, but The Chicago Tribune noted a “check-in process” similar to what Ars experienced a year ago. Yondr didn't respond to Ars' request for clarification.
• Chappelle's Reason for Partnering: Chappelle's main reason for partnering with Yondr is to keep his live material off the Internet. He follows comedian Hannibal Buress who had a similar experience in Napa.
• Other Artists' Use: Other artists and venue managers are attracted to Yondr for its distraction-free performances. Award-winning performer Patti LuPone grabbed a phone from a texting woman during her performance.
• Yondr's Imperfections: Yondr isn't perfect as people can still smuggle phones in easily. A woman was escorted out of Chappelle's Tuesday night show for phone use.