What it's prefer to see a concert on the Sphere in Las Vegas

When I first saw it on the Las Vegas Strip last 12 months, I almost wrecked my automobile. What was that big glowing ball that looked prefer it had been dropped by aliens?

It turned out that it was built by entrepreneurs and top engineers who “Bullet“” as a unique venue that attracts attention even in the glamorous world of Las Vegas.

From the outside, the outer shell of this giant sphere – called the exosphere – is visible to anyone driving down the Strip and even from airplanes overhead, making it a Las Vegas landmark.

This giant sphere is covered in LED lights. Sphere officials say it is the world's largest LED screen, covering 53,000 square meters with 1.2 million LED pucks and capable of displaying a billion colors. It is also the world's largest spherical building.

In May I was there for the first time to attend the “Dead forever” show by Dead & Companywhich incorporates former members of the Grateful Dead, in addition to guest artists similar to Singer-songwriter John Mayer. The Dead has at all times been known for its leading edge technology and great graphics, so I used to be excited to see what they might do with such an unusual venue.

I had trouble getting tickets because there have been hordes of other Dead fans fighting over them, but I finally got three for my birthday in May.

I paid $1,100 for the three tickets, which I used to be embarrassed about. It was essentially the most money I've ever paid for a concert in my long, long life. Afterwards, I deeply regretted spending a lot money on only one show, but I invited a couple of friends to come back and have a good time my 68th birthday.

I used to be still complaining about how much I had spent after we arrived Bulletwhich is positioned next to the Venetian Hotel and Resort. I’m paralyzed and use a cane, so I used to be glad to see a smiling wheelchair user on the Uber exit lane helping anyone who needed it.

My friends and I needed to stop for a couple of minutes to take photos of ourselves in front of the remarkable glowing orb that displayed famous Grateful Dead graphics.

I used to be then quickly wheeled inside and into the bowels of the constructing, where there was a freight elevator that took wheelchair users to the extent of their seats.

I saw a person wearing an apron with Grateful Dead graphics and told him I liked it. We chatted for a minute, he discovered it was my birthday and insisted on buying us drinks. He escorted us up the elevator to our floor, which was conveniently positioned right next to a lovely cocktail lounge. I can't fault seating that near a bar.

I ordered a special Mai Tai drink they called “Tai Dye” and it was delicious. It was nice to have another person pay since the drinks were expensive – as they at all times are at concert events.

Our host, Martin Valenzuela, told us that he was the top chef at Sphere and positively won us over together with his friendly gesture.

Then we entered the actual concert hall and were momentarily overwhelmed by its size and layout. The 17,385-seat auditorium seemed tiny in comparison with the massive dome that surrounded us. We couldn't resist taking photos before the show even began.

I ended complaining in regards to the high price of the tickets. According to the corporate's website, the whole Statue of Liberty would fit inside.

We were early, so we sat down and enjoyed watching the world refill. Seating was orderly and simple. There was a wheelchair area near me, but I didn't need it.

The show began on time, which is at all times very necessary to me. I'm old – don't waste the time I actually have left.

We could see the band below, but they seemed tiny against the massive graphic projections that appeared throughout us. I don't know if the people around us were intoxicated – Dead concert events have at all times been known for the usage of psychedelics by their fans – but you actually didn't need drugs to benefit from the experience.

The graphics – you can almost call them “visions” – became a view of the earth that kept happening until it finally became a close-up of a certain white Victorian constructing in Haight Ashbury, San Francisco. This drew cheers from the group as people recognized the home where the Grateful Dead lived early of their profession.

Then the camera panned out and showed us San Francisco Bay. It panned out further and further until we saw the Milky Way. During the four-hour show, the glowing dome surrounded us with animations to accompany certain songs, sometimes eliciting gasps from the whole crowd.

At times, our seats would rumble and shake to the rhythm of the music. Apparently, technicians can even manipulate the air, similar to making a breeze and even adding scents. I'm glad to say that the air was less smoky than at indoor Dead concert events, which I appreciated. I assume the venue has some kind of wonderful ventilation system.

It was so wonderful and overwhelming that I turned to my friends and said, “We should come back and see it again!”, not caring how much the tickets cost.

Was it the easiest Dead show I've seen in 45 years? Musically, probably not, even though it was rattling good. John Mayer took over the role of the late Jerry Garcia within the band, and other younger musicians were also involved.

But was it essentially the most mind-blowing concert experience I've ever had, with or without mind-altering substances? Yes. Absolutely. We all talked in regards to the show after we left the concert and the euphoria lasted for hours.

If no concert is planned, the venue offers “The Spherical Experience”, It's a multimedia show that runs most days. According to the web site, tickets start at $94.

For combat sports fans, the Riyadh season NOCHE UFC is scheduled for September 14th.

The next concert for Sphere is The Eagles, in residence from September to January and I actually don't know if the visuals match what I just saw. After all, they're known for country rock, not psychedelics.

At the time of this writing, ticket prices reportedly start at $325, but I could only find seats for $1,100 and up, which is beyond my budget unless I win the lottery.

But I’d definitely return to see one other show on the Sphere, and the owners – Sphere Entertainment Co. – are apparently considering repeating the show in other cities.

I'm curious what happens.

The sphere

Where: 255 Sands Avenue Las Vegas

Information: www.thesphere.com

Learn more in regards to the science behind the constructing: thesphere.com/science

Originally published: July 24, 2024 at 1:11 p.m.