If there has been one common thread that connects all of the venues that have appeared so far in this series it is one of history. From the Cavern Club in Liverpool, to the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, to the Sydney Opera House in Australia, this series has featured venues in which memorable concerts have taken place, famous artists and bands have performed and, overall, history has been made within those walls in one form or another. Today’s featured venue is one that is thoroughly modern and, as such, is writing its own history as you read these words. The venue of which I speak is the much hyped MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. So what exactly is it about this facility that has captured the imagination of so many people? Is it turning out to be a good venue for live music performances or is it actually something else beyond that? Finally, is it the sort of place that is destined to become a bucket list destination for music fans? Let’s find that out and more as we journey to Vegas, baby! MSG Sphere….here we come! Let us begin.
First of all, let’s talk a bit about what the MSG Sphere actually is and why people think that it is special. The MSG Sphere was built and financed by the same people who brought you Madison Square Garden in New York City. If you have ever seen that building then you will know that it is also round in design, except that the design is more cylindrical in nature. The MSG Sphere is as close to an actual sphere as one can get when it comes to architecture. The Sphere rises 31 stories above the ground. The outer and inner walls of the spherical shaped roof are designed to act as state of the art video screens. Each section or panel of the roof, both interior and exterior, has thousands of video screens embedded within them. The images shown on these screens can be absolutely anything at all. The idea is to create artificial but thoroughly realistic environments that will allow audiences to experience events that they may not be able to in real life. Word is that the MSG Sphere was first proposed to be built in London, England near the gigantic London Eye ferris wheel. However, there were concerns expressed about “light pollution” coming from the Sphere and how that would impact the surrounding area. So, the London project was rejected. But in Las Vegas, with its array of flashing lights and colourful signs, there were no such worries about the amount of light emanating from the exterior of the Sphere nor was anyone worried about that light flashing or being composed of constantly moving imagery. So Las Vegas became home to the MSG Sphere.
The interior of the MSG Sphere consists of a multi-level concourse area and, of course, the actual 18,000 seat concert/movie performance space. Regardless of where you happen to be once you enter the Sphere, you are entering a world in which technology is being showcased. In some ways, seeing videos of the interior spaces reminded me of how there used to be World’s Fairs which served to showcase technological innovations as a measure of our progress as a society. The interior concourses of the Sphere are bathed in soft blue, pink and purple hues. There are three dimensional robots that give talks on various aspects of technology and are even able to take questions from interested audience members thus initiating a form of conversation between human and machine. There are interactive stations set up where you can pay to have a complete holographic image created of yourself. Needless to say, there are many interactive and constantly changing video-laden displays all throughout the concourse environment. If the impression that the owners of the MSG Sphere wish to give is that you are entering a whole new world once you step inside then, they have succeeded in their mission. And that is just the concourse area. Let’s enter the concert hall.
Once inside the concert space, you are entering a space that is designed specifically to give you as immersive an experience as is possible while you sit in your seat. First of all, the interior concert space is shaped like a giant bowl. The seating area has space for 18,000 people which equates to a standard NHL hockey arena in size. The rows of seats are steeply banked. Those in the upper “nosebleed” sections are actually quite far from any performers who would be standing on the small stage far below on the floor of the venue. However, no need to worry about not being able to see your favourite stars because facing you on all sides are walls made up of thousands of embedded video screens. Most of the time, these screens are used to show IMAX style visual imagery and/or to create environments that allow you to feel like you are in outer space or under the ocean or flying through the air. But, at various times the wall of screens will broadcast the action going on down on the stage thus allowing you clear shots of the people whose show you paid money to see. But the video capability of the interior walls is not the only technological marvel at play here. The designers of the MSG Sphere wanted to build a concert space that offered crystal clear acoustics. In order to accomplish this they also embedded directional speakers into each panel of the walls facing the audience seats. So, regardless of where your seat happens to be, somewhere across from you or from behind you or beside you, will be speakers trained directly at your seat. In this way, sound waves will be broadcast directly to you without fear of there being echos or reverberations. Each seat also possesses the ability to vibrate, move about and have air puffed upon you in ways that are synced to the onscreen content thus giving you the sensory experience of actually being in the world being depicted on screen. Sooooooooo, is the hype justified? Is the MSG Sphere a must-see destination for music fans? For what it is worth, here are my thoughts on the matter.
I think that the world is a beautiful place that is filled with all manner of people. As such, I believe that there are many people for whom the technological wonderland that is the MSG Sphere will flock there and be astounded at what they end up experiencing. Our real world is filled with people who live for their gaming world experiences. These sorts of folks are already primed to accept the message that, not only is technology an ever growing aspect of our lives, it is, in fact, becoming the primary element that drives how we live and co-exist and interact with the world around us now. For folks who think this way, the MSG Sphere will serve as Mecca to the faithful and, as such, it will be a big success. For me, personally, I am a bit more skeptical. I have seen an IMAX movie before and was suitably impressed by having the ability to watch imagery of scale (such as the universe, for example) displayed on a screen built to showcase the grandeur of it all. But I am also someone who believes in the authentic over the artificial. Given a choice, I would prefer to gaze into the heavens while sitting on a mountain top or a secluded beach than crowd into a performance venue and watch it artificially recreated for me on a screen while my seat vibrates, speakers rumble and a breeze is directed into my face. But that may just be me.
Admittedly, I have never been to the MSG Sphere. But watching videos of those who have gone there themselves has reminded me of two separate but related things. First of all, I remember when my family and I first went to visit New York City. On that first trip, we stayed at a hotel near Times Square because we wanted that stereotypical tourist experience. While I am glad to have done that, I am in no hurry to go back to that part of the city. For us, Times Square was crowded, it was noisy, it was hot, it was overpriced for the value we received, it was filled with hustlers and scam artists and overall, it seemed very artificial and superficial and plastic-like. The next time we went to NYC, we stayed on the Upper West Side. While the distance between our two hotels was only a kilometre or two as the crow flies, the two areas were really worlds apart. During our second trip, the noise level was greatly reduced and the volume of people decreased dramatically, too. We were able to sit at sidewalk cafes and patios for our meals. We were never bothered by anyone trying to sell us anything or con us into taking photos or bracelets that we didn’t ask for. Everything was calmer. It seemed like there were real breezes to be felt. The brownstones were majestic. The tree-lined streets were a pleasure to walk down. All in all, our second experience seemed more realistic, if that is a term I can use? Nothing was artificially created in order to separate us from our money. It felt as though we got to experience the city a bit more as it actually is that second time around.
The second impression that immediately came to mind with regard to the MSG Sphere and whether it would be a place I would like to visit is that of being on a cruise ship. There are many people I know who absolutely love cruising on large ships. Traveling on a cruise ship is one way to see beautiful parts of the world in a more relaxed fashion than if you were to fly, for example. Many cruise ships are designed to function like floating hotels and, as such, they have a fantasyland element to the services they offer and the environment they are attempting to create. Consequently, many people who like cruising do so because of the onboard amenities such as casinos, concert halls, shops, restaurants, swimming pools and so on. For me, I grew up next to the sea. I love the smell of the salt air and the scenic vistas that unfold as you look across a seemingly endless body of water as the sun sets or the moon rises. On a cruise ship, there are those people who flock to the railsides to soak in the beauty that exists all around them.Then there are passengers who immediately head toward the interior of the ship to enjoy the amenities. In a world where both types of people exist at the same time, I believe that the MSG Sphere would probably appeal to those cruisers drawn to the interior of the ship. For those of us gazing at the stars while feeling the wind in our hair, I am sure that the technologically-created wonderland that is the MSG Sphere is probably not going to do it for us. That is ok, I suppose. The world is big enough for those who wish to vacation each year at Disney World just as it is for those who live for camping getaways in the woods.
At the time that I am writing these words, there have only been three acts who have performed at the MSG Sphere: U2, Phish and the Grateful Dead. Each band has been booked there in the form of a residency. That means that they are the only act booked there for a month or two at a time. What this means for you and for me is that there is not a lot of live video for me to share with you. I have to admit that I was a little underwhelmed by all that I have seen so far. Those who recorded the videos all state that the experience of being there was worth it but I am not sure that the videos reflect that for me. You may feel differently. In any case, I will link to videos from all three bands and you can judge for yourselves. Additionally, I will link to a video or two made by people who are wandering around the concourse so that you can see what is there with your own eyes. Finally, I will link to the MSG Sphere’s actual website so that you can get a sense for the dollar costs involved in going there.
Overall, I believe that the MSG Sphere will be a huge hit with those who are drawn like moths to flashing lights and cool gizmos and environments where the decisions are all made for them and all they have to do is sit back and let the experience wash over them. I don’t mean any of that in as disparaging a way as it might sound. The world is filled with people whose boats all float differently. It is ok. Go and enjoy the show if that is your thing. Let me know what you think when it is all said and done. I would be sincerely interested in finding out what you thought of it all. Was it worth it for you to have gone to the MSG Sphere? As for me, I am not ready to plug myself into the matrix just yet. I like my tech toys but I like the real world very much, too. Nature is my wonderland. No need to spray me with a water misting machine while I watch waves lapping up on a sandy beach on a giant screen. I prefer the real thing. I will dip my own toes in the real water, thank you very much.
The link to the official website for the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada can be found here.
The link to two videos made by people who were visiting the MSG Sphere can be found here and here. These videos give a good overview of what you will find there should you opt to visit.
The link to the video for the song “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2 as recorded live in concert at the MSG Sphere can be found here. ***The lyrics version can be found here.
The link to the video for the song “Row, Jimmy” by The Grateful Dead as recorded live at the MSG Sphere can be found here. ***There appears to not be a lyrics version of this song. Sorry.
The link to the song “Carini” by Phish as recorded live at the MSG Sphere can be found here. ***There appears to not be a lyrics version available for this song, either. Sorry.
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Looks like an amazing place to visit, but I’ve never liked human-made amazing places. Sound on the U2 video was really good.