TL;DR:
- Phish played a 4-night residency at the new high-tech Sphere venue in Las Vegas from April 18-21, 2024.
- They were only the second band to play the new $2.3 billion venue after U2 christened it.
- The Phish Sphere shows featured elaborate immersive visuals on the venue’s 160,000 sq ft wraparound LED screen along with spatial audio to create a unique concert experience.
When Phish took the stage at the Sphere in Las Vegas for a sold-out four-night run on April 18, they became just the second band to grace the high-tech venue. But while U2‘s first-of-its-kind residency focused on a polished, scripted mega-production, Phish aimed to use the Sphere’s cutting-edge tech to enhance what they already do best — playing wildly inventive and exploratory live music that’s never the same twice.
Unique Phish Sphere Setlists
Across the four Phish Sphere shows, the band weaved their way through a staggering 68 songs with no repeats. Visuals custom-designed for each song transformed the Sphere’s 160,000-square-foot wrap-around LED screen into trippy dreamscapes, hyper-realistic nature scenes, and mind-bending abstract animations. But rather than being pre-programmed, the visuals were built to respond to the music in real-time, just as the band’s lighting designer Chris Kuroda “jams” along with them.
Stage Setup & Visuals
Kuroda scaled back his typical rig to better integrate with the Sphere’s screen, with the lights acting as more of a supporting player this time around. But other stage elements, like giant balloon lanterns floating above the audience during “Leaves,” added to the immersive environment. One of the most memorable moments came during a rendition of Phish classic “You Enjoy Myself” that was accompanied by visuals simulating a journey through a car wash, culminating in comical footage of a huge dog licking the “windshield.”
The Audio Experience
The Sphere’s groundbreaking audio, which allows sounds to be finely positioned anywhere in the venue, also played a starring role. Band leader Trey Anastasio and each member of his band came through with stunning clarity as their instruments seemed to dance from speaker to speaker overhead. While there were a few mix issues early on, the sonics improved throughout the run as Phish’s sound team got the hang of the system.
Nightly Themes
Some of the Phish Sphere shows even had subtle themes that unified the music and visuals. Night two, for example, focused on a “liquid” motif, with underwater creatures flitting across the screen and a giant inflatable jellyfish floating above the stage during “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing.” But the theming always took a backseat to the band’s typically loose and improvisational flow.
The jams themselves proved Phish is still one of the most amazing live acts around, 40 years into their career. An extended 34-minute roller-coaster ride through “Down with Disease” on the final night set a new record for the song. Other highlights of the run included a funky 29-minute “Fuego,” a rare standalone “I Am Hydrogen,” and bust-outs of fan favorites like “Fluffhead.”
Fan Reaction
The fan reaction to Phish’s Sphere shows was overwhelmingly positive, with many hailing it as a triumphant evolution of the band’s live experience. Diehards who have seen Phish dozens or even hundreds of times raved that the Sphere’s tech enhanced the shows in ways they’d never encountered before.
Social media lit up each night with fans excitedly sharing their favorite musical and visual moments, from the underwater-themed theatrics of night two to the “You Enjoy Myself” car wash spectacle. For the lucky ones who secured tickets to all four sold-out shows, the no-repeats song selection made each night feel like an essential piece of a special limited-edition box set.
And while logistical hiccups and a few audio mix issues cropped up, particularly on opening night as the band and crew adapted to the new digs, the overall vibe was one of awe – both at the Sphere’s cutting-edge tech and Phish’s undiminished ability to wow their audience. “Never miss a Sunday show” is a popular adage among the Phish faithful, and the final night delivered with a barrage of fan favorites and arguably the run’s finest jams.
Reception and fan reaction highlights:
- Fans and critics praised the run as a memorable, unique experience that represented an evolution of the Phish live experience.
- The band sounded fantastic and played with inspiration, delivering several standout jams each night.
- While opinions varied on favorite visual moments, the overall integration of sight and sound was very impressive.
- Logistical aspects of the new venue like long bathroom lines and crowded hallways were downsides, but didn’t detract from the musical experience.
Final Notes of the Phish Sphere Vegas Shows
When the lights finally went up after the last notes of “Slave to the Traffic Light” on night four, it was clear Phish had set a high bar for future Sphere performances.
Overall, it seems Phish and their creative team took full advantage of the Sphere’s cutting-edge technology to present an innovative, immersive concert experience that thrilled their passionate fanbase while still keeping the focus on the band’s musical improvisation.
They managed to harness the venue’s immense technological capabilities in service of their music, not in place of it. For their passionate fanbase, many of whom traveled across the country for these shows, the end result felt like Phish 5.0 – an evolution of the live experience from a band that’s never content to repeat themselves. While a few fans grumbled about long lines and steep ticket prices, most left dazzled and craving more. Here’s hoping Phish’s first trip in the Sphere isn’t their last.
Mind blown. @phish reinvented the concert experience at the @spherevegas. Stunning visuals, crystal-clear audio, and supernatural jamming over 4 nights. Phish 5.0 is here, and it's spherical. #phishsphere Share on X
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