Donald Gloverβs long-awaited PHAROS shows officially kick off this Labor Day weekend from Sept. 2 to Sept. 4 at Joshua Tree, Calif.
According to Glover, these PHAROS shows are the only live performances he plans on doing in 2016. The outdoor experienceβcamping, concerts, and a screening of Atlantaβis all for the live debut of his third studio album, which follows 2013βs Because the Internetand the combined release of STN MTN / Kauai in 2014.
The PHAROS event is an unprecedented way of sharing a full album to an audience. Glover spoke about it during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. βI just wanted to do something different,β he told the host. βI had all these songs and I was like I wanted people to feel like it felt to be in them. βOh, I should just invite everybody camping.β And everybody was like, βYeah, you should.ββ
He continued, βIt really is just a way for people to hear the album, but also experience the world that itβs in.β
Glover shared a link to a mysterious countdown at the domain pharos.earth in June, and made an announcement about his new album and shows a few days later. After the initial Friday and Saturday shows sold out, Glover added late-night events for those days as well as Sunday.
For the opening performance, there were some surprisingly strict rules. Attendees had to give up their using their phones for the duration of the event.
That decision set off mixed reactions amongst the crowd.
But several people were able to get pictures of the stage setup and surrounding area before turning over their devices.
As per Glover's promise, his new FX seriesΒ AtlantaΒ was screening.
And he was even giving out cool promotional swag for the show.
Atlanta airs on September 6.Β So not only do Glover fans get more music, but they'll have a chance to watch the inaugural episode of a show heβs executive produced, co-wrote, and stars in. Glover SeasonΒ is upon us.
