The Sphere Las Vegas: A Contender for the Ninth Wonder
It is July 5th at 6 PM and 118 degrees Fahrenheit in Las Vegas. My wife and I traverse the land bridge across Las Vegas Blvd. into the air-conditioned confines of the Venetian Hotel. Once inside this luxury resort, we follow the signs to the bridge connecting this glamorous hotel to the Sphere. We join a small crowd along the air-conditioned path into the most amazing concert venue I have seen in my 53 years of attending shows. The Sphere was celebrating its one-year anniversary, and stepping inside felt like entering a realm that could truly be considered The Ninth Wonder Of The World.
The interior color scheme is a variety of blue, black, and green. Above our heads, amazing shapes hung from the rafters, twirling and dancing independently of any background music, hinting at the visual spectacle to come. Escalators rose to each new level, transporting fans, many like me, getting their first look at this venue. What first struck me was the width of the concourse that wraps around each level. It afforded hundreds of people the opportunity to move freely around without a hint of claustrophobia. There were plenty of opportunities to purchase food, beverages, and merchandise. I quickly assessed the situation, finding myself in need of a beer. In front of me was a bank of refrigerators with swinging doors, like those found in most convenience stores. Inside these coolers were rows of domestic, imported, and craft beers, offering a great variety. Above the coolers, signs promoted the beverages and their cost. I grabbed my choice and followed the fast-moving line to an attendant who instructed me to place my drink on a metal apparatus which read the beer’s code and automatically priced my selection on a screen. I was guided to tap my card, and in seconds I was off with my beverage, having completed the transaction with minimal time and effort. I followed the signs to my section and entered a short tunnel that turns left and then right into the main venue space. Here’s where the magic began, revealing why this structure is being hailed as a marvel of modern engineering and design.
Exterior view of the Sphere at night showing its curved LED screen display in Las Vegas.
Promptly at 7:35 PM, Dead and Company took the stage far below. Although they appeared initially to be the size of scurrying ants from my vantage point, they were in fact larger than life tonight, magnified by the immersive environment. The show began, as has become customary for their Sphere residency, when the wall façade broke into two along a jagged edge, revealing the Dead’s trademark lightning bolt. The separating façade unveiled a smooth, circular canvas which would transform this place into a truly unforgettable experience, solidifying its claim as a potentially new wonder of the world. The visuals began by zooming in with a view from outer space towards Earth, focusing down to California, then closer to San Francisco, and ultimately the Haight-Ashbury section of San Francisco in the mid-sixties. Then the music began, and the familiar guitar licks of Cold Rain and Snow got the crowd cheering and on their feet.
Psychedelic lava lamp style visuals projected onto the massive interior LED screen at the Sphere during a concert.
Throughout the evening, the sound was impeccably balanced. I have worn hi-fidelity ear plugs to shows for nearly ten years and had planned to bring them with me, but forgot them back at the hotel. After over 800 shows, it is a necessity for me to keep my tinnitus ringing to a manageable level. I am happy to report that I was able to manage the sound level comfortably due to the 167,000 individually amplified loudspeakers strategically spaced throughout this magnificent theatre. Unlike venues where sound can be overwhelming, the audio never overpowered the senses here, making for a most comfortable and enjoyable show, a testament to the venue’s advanced spatial audio design. For those interested in the complete set list from this or any other show from their residency, you can find it by searching Dead and Company at setlistfm.com.
The first set of seven classic Dead tunes lasted a little more than an hour. The video performance was totally captivating. A steady stream of still and moving art paraded across the ceiling and walls of the arena, enveloping the audience. There were many close-ups of the band members performing, displayed both within the artwork and on their own. There were times where the images grew to the size of the building and then came right at you, creating an overwhelming sense of immersion, where it felt like you were being absorbed by what you saw. This level of visual storytelling is a key part of the Sphere’s appeal as an entertainment powerhouse.
Dead and Company band members Bobby Weir and John Mayer displayed on the giant interior screen at the Sphere with Wall of Sound backdrop.
Intermission was slightly quicker than the norm for their outdoor shows. The band returned to the stage slightly after Nine PM for an eleven-song performance, including the encore. The second half started with the classic combination of China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider and included a classic Dark Star. The spacey tune was accompanied by a flowing Star Wars themed display of the cosmos, captivating the audience. Perhaps the most interesting portion of the show was the standard Drums > Space, a staple of Dead shows for decades. What used to be a signal for many to run to the restrooms has become an integral part of the show at the Sphere. This is not your father’s drum solo but a percussive assault of the senses, amplified and enhanced by the venue’s capabilities. If you were lucky enough to be seated during this performance, you felt your seat rumble, lean, and punctuate every thundering beat from the percussion section. It was a multi-sensory experience unlike anything I have ever attended in any other concert setting.
Collage of graphics and close-ups of Dead and Company musicians on the immersive Sphere screen during a performance.
Coming out of the Drums > Space performance, the band started slow with Looks Like Rain and then picked up the pace on Brown Eyed Women before falling back to a danceable Fire on the Mountain, complete with drummer Micky Hart rapping his own verses, and then Throwing Stones. All throughout the performance, the screen changed with the songs, at one time projecting the 1974 Wall of Sound with screens on the left and right showcasing various members of the band in performance.
The band then featured news clips regarding their early days, confirming the lasting impression they made on the culture of the time. This led to their encore of Not Fade Away, a fan favorite. The performance concluded around 11:15 PM, and then the fans began their descent to the concourses via escalators and stairs. The crowd was euphoric and well-behaved as they congregated together in their descent to the bridge leading to the Venetian hotel or the superheated streets below.
Bobby Weir of Dead and Company shown on the Sphere's visual display with a graphic resembling the Radio City Music Hall marquee.
A nice sampling of what you can expect at this kind of show, particularly the visual presentation unique to this venue, can be seen in a performance of Shakedown Street here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SMnGgyJOLo.
Dead and Company is now the third major act to perform at this multimedia wonder. It all kicked off last fall when the Irish band U2 took up residency at the Sphere for forty performances. This was followed in April by Phish’s four-night stay. The Sphere also hosted the two-day NHL Draft in the middle of the Dead and Company string of weekends. When they conclude on August 10, Dead and Company will have given thirty performances, second only to U2’s initial run.
When you hear that your favorite band is coming to the Sphere (sphere.com), don’t think twice; get the tickets! This venue delivers an entertainment experience on a scale rarely seen, pushing the boundaries of concerts and visual arts. It’s an experience that leads many, myself included, to wonder if we have just witnessed something truly groundbreaking, perhaps even a modern candidate for The Ninth Wonder Of The World. You will not regret this, and you WILL thank me!
