The first string of U2’s Achtung Baby tour in Las Vegas’s Sphere has come to an end, and I was lucky enough to attend the final show of November. The Sphere is a recent build, originally opening on September 29. The infamous Irish-rockish-rock band U2 is the first band to play in the Sphere, with a 36-show residency called U2:UV Achtung Baby premiering one of their past albums.
The most notable thing about the Sphere is its uniqueness, it can easily be spotted from anywhere in The Strip. The exterior is enormous and brightly lit with the ability to display any sort of image.
The interior, however, is set up similar to a shopping mall. There are many levels where merchandise, refreshments, and food are for sale. When entering the half of the Sphere that houses the actual concert, it’s almost like stepping into another dimension. The vast walls that illuminate a screen in a fully covered dome create an environment no other concert has produced before. U2’s opening scene appeared to represent a metal-screwed cave, eventually to be cracked open.
Visually, U2 utilized the Sphere to its fullest extent. The visuals of this show were insane. No amount of devising could’ve prepared me for the optics of the venue, every single song blew me away more and more. The experience was so subversive for the reason that everything projected was surrounding the audience. A few optical illusions were used as well, adding a trippy effect. Each set was completely unique to the one prior, and I heavily applaud U2 for the experience they created, it was certainly a night to remember. Hopefully, more artists can reproduce the same magic in the future.
