A representative for the Sphere in Las Vegas said Saturday that the ban on a man who posted a video bragging about smoking a bong at a Phish concert has been lifted and that the order banning him from MSG Entertainment properties was a mistake due to “processing flaws.” At the same time, the venue reiterated that lighting such a large device on fire during a concert violates both venue policy and local law.
A statement from a Sphere Entertainment spokesperson released on Saturday afternoon read, “A personnel change caused a glitch in our process which resulted in the letter being sent in error. While this customer has not been banned from our premises, smoking, bringing glassware into the venue and disrupting other fans' enjoyment of the event are against our company policies in accordance with local law.”
While the name of the previously banned patron has not been released, a social media post he made under the name Acid Farts garnered a lot of attention: first, he posted a video of what he called his “first time smoking a bong at the Sphere” (tagging the venue in the process), and then he posted a letter he had received from Sphere's lawyers, which stated that the concert-goer would be “banned indefinitely” not only from the Sphere, but from all MSG venues in other cities, including New York's Madison Square Garden and the Beacon.
MSG Entertainment is well known for using facial recognition technology to identify its customers, and has posted signs to that effect at the Sphere's entrances, so the ban is something the company could have easily enforced.
In the original video, filmed on the opening night of Phish's sold-out weekend show at the venue in April, a user stands in the center aisle and takes a deep drag from a giant bong, then puffs out a thick plume of smoke toward the few rows of patrons seated behind him. A few people laugh and applaud, but the video makes it impossible to determine whether everyone within range of the cloud appreciated the gesture.
Reactions to the video were largely along the lines of, “How did he get that huge device past security?” (he swore not to reveal the secret) and, “How can we be so sure that no one smoked a bong at the U2 shows that followed in the months before the Phish show?” (a question he couldn't answer).
Posting the letter he received from Sphere's lawyers, Acid Fartz said he was proud to be recognised by the venue's representatives and described the legal notice as a “monument” acknowledging his achievements.
Previously, Sphere representatives had confirmed the authenticity of a letter sent to users by MSG's general counsel Christopher Schimpf. “Sphere Entertainment, Inc. will not tolerate any behavior that threatens the safety and security of our customers and employees,” the letter read. “In consideration of your actions, you are banned indefinitely from Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Beacon Theatre, Chicago Theatre, Sphere and any other MSG venues… If you enter any of these venues or outdoor gathering locations, law enforcement will be contacted to ensure your removal and you will be subject to penalties,” the letter continued.
An unrepentant Acid Farts told Rolling Stone he had “no regrets” about being banned for publicly revealing his marijuana possession, and said there were other places to see Phish, though he (apparently) joked that he was “never going to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.”
The Sphere's two most recent shows featured Phish and Dead & Company, groups that attract at least some fans who prefer a full concert experience. So the short-lived Acid Farts ban risked alienating parts of the fan community who worry that the crackdown goes against the spirit of those shows. That said, many fans on message boards debating what is and isn't allowed agree that blatant smoking inside the new $2 billion dome is not a wise policy, and those groups' concerts are largely smoke-free. The Sphere's security guards' previous policy for dealing with people smoking outdoors was, for the most part, to politely approach them and ask them to put out anything burning, then remind the violator that the law legalizing marijuana in Nevada doesn't apply to indoor concert venues.