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Is the Las Vegas Sphere the future of concerts?
The Sphere in Las Vegas
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The Las Vegas Sphere’s immersive experience
Guests: Glen Nowak, associate professor of architecture at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and Joel Veenstra, chair of the department of drama and head of stage management at UC Irvine
The Las Vegas Sphere has become the highest grossing arena in the world since opening three years ago. It's featured residencies by legendary bands like U2 and Phish.
And now the Sphere is expanding — and reshaping what a live entertainment venue can be.
“All of that which is around you is being controlled and created by the artists and the people that are involved in the production,” said Joel Veenstra, chair of the Department of Drama and head of stage management at UC Irvine, who joined AirTalk, LAist’s daily news program.
The screen and the tech behind it
Phish perform during night three of their nine-night run at Sphere in April
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The creative outlet the Sphere provides artists is thanks to cutting-edge technology. The curved dome houses a 366-foot-tall and 516-foot-wide screen that resembles that of a planetarium, making it the largest high-resolution LED screen on earth.
Glen Nowak, professor of architecture at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, says Las Vegas is the pioneer of integrated resorts — mega buildings that blend concepts of casinos, restaurants, stores, and other amenities.
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"Typically, a stage is framed, and your attention is focused straight ahead.."
— Glen Nowak, professor of architecture
He says the Sphere is doing the same thing in the performing arts venue space.
“Typically, a stage is framed, and your attention is focused straight ahead, but the Sphere really inverts that,” he said.
Training the next generation
UC Irvine offers a themed entertainment and immersive entertainment class every three years as part of a graduate program. Some alumni of the program actually worked on the Sphere’s development.
“We look at the world and space with our design faculty and look at how we can prepare people for this field,” Veenstra said.
Experiences at the Sphere
LAist listeners shared what they experienced at the venue.
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“One word: amazing. You’re looking up, you’re looking down, and the stage is just a minuscule part of the experience. It can be really fun.” –Aram in Glendale
Phish perform during night three of their nine-night run at Sphere in April.
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“ You wanna sit two-thirds of the way up in the center. There's a block there, which is actually the sound booth. The closer you are to that, the better…” –Esquire in Venice Beach
The Sphere during UFC 306: Riyadh Season Noche
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“It was extremely psychedelic. The visuals are so subversive.” –Cameron in West Hollywood, who saw Dead and Co’s residency and said he thinks the space could also be used for educational purposes.
The Grateful Dead logo, Steal Your Face Skull, is displayed on the Sphere, promoting the residency.
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“I saw the Eagles, and it was phenomenal. Being up higher is actually more advantageous than being down on the floor, which is kind of the opposite of what our normal thought pattern is.” –Randy in Santa Ana
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Taking the Sphere beyond Vegas
Sphere Entertainment Co., owned by business and sports mogul James Dolan, who most notably owns the New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden, plans to bring the Sphere concept to Washington, D.C. and Abu Dhabi, the company announced on its website.
“There's a lot of opportunity because people want an experience that's lived and feel something different than just staying at home on their screen,” Veenstra said. “It's kind of like what the theater has historically been, but now enhanced.”
To see a list of what events are coming up, here's the Sphere schedule.
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