World-famous jam band Phish finally performed the first two of their four-night residency at Sphere in Las Vegas! The April 18 and 19 concerts have wrapped, with two left for tonight and tomorrow, April 21.
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Phish have always been known to invest some time and energy into their live shows’ visuals, but the Sphere shows are like nothing they’ve ever done before. And that’s saying a lot, considering they’ve performed live over 2,000 times in their career; all without repeating the same setlist.
In a way, Sphere is the perfect place to hold a Phish concert. For those who don’t know, Sphere is a giant entertainment arena located near the Las Vegas Strip that is, for lack of better wording, a giant rounded screen.
Sphere has hosted bands like U2 and is already changing the way we view live music and visuals. It’s a very new thing, and Phish have successfully taken advantage of the technology presented to them.
What Happened at Phish’s First Shows at Sphere?
Phish took the 250-foot high LED screen that wraps around the arena and ran with it. They didn’t change much; they were aloof with their setlist as always, and the sound was incredible. With over 160,000 speakers at their disposal, this is a given.
The band’s creative director Abigail Rosen Holmes noted that the visuals used at the two Phish performances were able to be “executed, modified, and manipulated in real time” and followed the band’s performance instead of just playing against it.
The concerts featured huge psychedelic animations, graphics, and images. Guests enjoyed a wide range of visual effects and scenes, including a like-you-are-there depiction of nature and layers of abstract animated art.
If you plan on seeing Phish tonight or tomorrow, you’re in for a treat. No two performances will be the same!
Photo by Alive Coverage, courtesy of Phish’s official Facebook page
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