--- title: "Phish Fan Takes Historic First Bong Rip at Vegas Sphere, Gets Permanently Banned" description: "To celebrate an April 20 Phish concert, a fan took what is being hailed as the historic, first bong rip at Las Vegas' Sphere." date: "2024-06-08" modified: "2024-06-08" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/phish-fan-first-bong-rip-sphere" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "facial recognition" - "las vegas" - "marijuana" - "the digest" --- # Phish Fan Takes Historic First Bong Rip at Vegas Sphere, Gets Permanently Banned ![To celebrate an April 20 Phish concert, a fan took what is being hailed as the historic, first bong rip at Las Vegas' Sphere.]() *\Image: acid\_farts via Instagram\* ## Blaze It To celebrate an April 20 Phish concert, a fan took what is being hailed as the historic first bong rip at Las Vegas' Sphere, a gigantic globular display — inside and out — that's arguably the [trippiest of venues](). "First bong hit to ever be ripped in the Sphere," Instagram user acid\_farts [wrote]() in the caption of his video. His epic 420 rip garnered plenty of applause and "USA!" chants from the surrounding crowd. But unfortunately for him, the stunt had some not-so-righteous consequences. As [*Rolling Stone* reports](), the fan — who preferred to stay pseudonymous for obvious reasons — was banned from the Sphere, alongside all other MSG venues, including Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden, for breaking its strict no-smoking rule. The company went as far as to threaten to send law enforcement after him if he ever tried to step foot in one of its venues again. However, in true stoner fashion, the Phish veteran, who had already seen the jam band live a whopping 187 times, took the notice in stride. "The Sphere sent me a plaque to commemorate what is now officially the first bong hit ever taken in the Sphere," he quipped in an [Instagram update]() of a letter he received from MSG. ## Fatty Rips The letter raises the specter of something more ominous than an innocent bong rip. The entertainment conglomerate has already been criticized for [infamously rolling out facial recognition technology]() at its venues in 2022 to identify multiple attorneys whose firms had sued the company. Last year, a number of high-profile musicians [pledged to boycott]() any music venues that use facial-recognition tech, highlighting concerns over personal privacy in public spaces. While it's still unclear how MSG is hoping to enforce acid\_farts' lifetime ban specifically, it seems likely that its facial recognition tech could play a role. Needless to say, the whole thing is harshing his mellow. The Phish fan told *Rolling Stone* that snitching on rule breakers is a "bad business model" and like "lions going after flies." Besides, he noted that he got a "weird vibe" at the last MSG-hosted Phish concert he went to. Nonetheless, acid\_farts says he's largely unfazed by the whole thing. "I’m really wearing it as a badge of honor," he told *Rolling Stone*, adding that he's preparing to sell T-shirts related to the stunt for a good cause. **More on the Sphere:** *["Pro Life Spider Man" Tries to Climb the Sphere in Las Vegas, Gets Immediately Arrested]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()