"The orbicular theater, uncanny and monolithic, is parked like a spaceship on the northern reaches of the Las Vegas Strip with technical specifications that boggle the mind. The Sphere, fashioned by MSG Entertainment, contains a 160,000-square-foot wraparound LED screen, equivalent to about three football fields, that pumps out crystalline images so bright, clear, and rich with detail that they threaten to melt the skin off your bones."
"When the Sphere opened to the public in 2023 with a U2 residency, I watched as clips circulated through social media of Bono-a man who has thought longer and harder about the subtleties of being a compelling rock musician than almost anyone who has ever lived-dwarfed by a hypersaturated vista of mountains, and deserts, and sunlight, glowing on the monstrous Titantron behind him."
The Sphere is an orbicular, monolithic theater on the northern Las Vegas Strip with a 160,000-square-foot wraparound LED screen, equivalent to about three football fields, producing extremely bright, detailed images. The technology is remarkable, yet the visual dominance raises philosophical concerns about live performance as massive screens can dwarf performers and shift audience focus toward spectacle rather than musical intimacy. U2's 2023 residency highlighted this tension when Bono appeared framed by hypersaturated landscapes while thousands sang along yet stared at the massive display. Despite such concerns, the venue has become a commercial success, attracting acts like the Backstreet Boys and frequent Eagles performances.
Read at Slate Magazine
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