I had seen hundreds of videos online and the graphics from the outside, and driven past it once about two years ago, but still, nothing had prepared me for what I saw the second the attendant handed back my ticket and I stepped into the amphitheater.
About a month ago, I decided that I was going to pull off the best birthday surprise for someone special in my life — arguably one of the hardest people to get a gift for. They once saw a video of the Sphere in Las Vegas and mentioned how seeing a concert there would be “one of the coolest things ever.”
I searched for who would be playing at that venue within the next year, and the Eagles, their favorite band of all time, happened to be playing the weekend before their birthday. This is where the dream came alive.
I scoured the internet for weeks, trying to find a good price, until I finally went all in. Still, the price was steep, meaning that the concert had some high expectations to live up to.
As we walked into the venue, it was clear that this place was unlike any other. Each wall was lined with lights, painting the walls with hues of pink and orange. As you reached an escalator, the attendant would personally greet and welcome you to the Sphere as if they had just stamped your passport to enter a new country. Looking back, it’s almost as if they sensed that we would be transported into a different world.
The Sphere’s shape is what the designers call an “exosphere,” measuring up to 580,000 square feet of LED panels, comprising 64,000 LED tiles — making it the largest LED screen to date. The audio system uses 3D audio beamforming technology and wave-field synthesis, so in the wise words of Eagles band member Don Henley, “[They] don’t have to shout as loud.”
Beyond these logistics, the creators of the Sphere credit a very short list of formulas and mathematical laws to describe the science behind the orb: geodesic math, law of sines, pi, stereographic projection, visual acuity, Snell’s law, lens projection formulas, Fanger’s equation, linear stress constitutive equation and the list continues for about 15 more.
It’s no wonder I felt like I was on another planet.
We walked around the lobby area until we found our section and entered a short hall with nothing but a concession stand and one attendant to check tickets. I would take the phrase “concession stand” lightly, as it was more of a high-end bar cart lit with classy LED strips to match the dim lighting — the cheapest thing would cost you around $15. We skipped the cart, handed over our tickets and prepared for that unpreparable moment.
We passed the threshold and immediately couldn’t help but laugh. It was impossible to comprehend what we were seeing. An LED screen stretched as far down and above as we could see. A meticulous visual filled the screen, representing major themes of Eagles songs and the band’s history. Each graphic looked more realistic than the next.
After blocking the walkways for about two minutes, we made our way to our seats in Row 10. These seats were arguably some of the best — center stage, about halfway up the Sphere, far enough to see up the screen but close enough to still catch the faces of the band on stage.
Once we sat, the waiting process was foreign. Like any concert, I was antsy for it to start, eager to see the band perform and watch any other visuals that would appear. On the other hand, I was so captivated by the current display that I couldn’t look away or imagine it getting any better.
But eventually it did begin, and the captivation only grew.
Beyond the enigma that is the Sphere itself, the Eagles carried their own. With the oldest member being 77 years old, the band still played their guitars like it was their first show and sang the memorable lyrics in a tune that everyone recognized. For an aging band, I was impressed.
The visuals on the screen continued to entertain the crowd, spanning from a floating city in the sky to a painted sky of stars, and each band member appeared inside floating planets.
After two-and-a-half hours, we left the domed building unable to put exactly what we had just seen into words, but knowing it was one of the best experiences we would ever have.
Adee Tulcan 
Zoey Peters