(note that the band seen, U2, are not actually present, but being projected onto the screen to look like they are there.) Last summer, I visited the worst place on earth, Las Vegas, to go to the best and maybe biggest concert venue and theater in the world, The Sphere.
So what’s cool about this? If you don’t know, the Sphere is an anomalously sized orb placed down in Nevada. The Sphere houses a huge lobby, 20,000 seats, and the largest screen on the surface of the planet. 160,000 square feet for the interior’s screen, 580,000 square feet on the outside.
Inside the dome, in the lobby, there are holograms, flashy lights, and a bunch of humanoid robots with very limited movement, but they have access to an AI that allows them to speak and see. It’s an odd and surreal experience, but it’s a cool technological “advancement” (I say with quotes because it is also another step towards AI takeover. Just saying.). It’s a really futuristic and almost sci-fi atmosphere, matching some of the technologies required to make it a reality.
When I was there, a lot of U2 advertising was in the lobby because their pre-recorded concert was happening. Yes, that’s right. It was a recording of the band playing a live show, but now it was just that recording playing. You could still see the band at the bottom of the stage, but they weren’t there. It was an odd experience, knowing it wasn’t a live show yet really feeling like it was. The giant screen showed a ton of cool graphics based on the songs they played.
I also saw a show called “Postcards From Earth”, and if you’ve ever been to the “Flyover America” thing at the MOA, it was basically that with an even bigger screen.
I would give it a high score for a concert venue, but its location and AI aspect bring it down quite a bit. 7/10; if a band you like is playing there, definitely go, but it’s not worth a whole trip to only watch a few shows, especially since it’s Vegas.
