It’s hard to tell what is causing greater anticipation on Sept. 29: The arrival of U2 to Sphere to begin an extended engagement until the end of the year; or the unveiling of Sphere itself. You can’t even sniff social media these days without seeing the latest example of what video marvels the structure is capable of. Plenty of tourists (and locals) have gone out of their way to drive to Sands Avenue for a glimpse of the next generation of entertainment venue.
In a way, the combo of band and destination makes perfect sense: U2 is a band famous not only for its music and political stances but its larger-than-life, ever-evolving live performances, while Sphere, at least from the outside, has a chameleon-like ability to be almost anything you can think of. One has to assume it has the same capabilities inside. So, as big as U2’s shows have been up until now, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that this latest venture will take the band’s live shows into uncharted territory.
One element that certainly points to that possibility is the technology contained within. The sound system, Sphere Immersive Sound powered by HOLOPLOT, is the world’s most advanced to date, providing amazing sound to every individual seat (and, at 18,600 seats, that’s quite a feat).
In promoting U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere, U2’s The Edge said as much in a news release: “The beauty of Sphere is not only the ground-breaking technology that will make it so unique, with the world’s most advanced audio system integrated into a structure which is designed with sound quality as a priority; it’s also the possibilities around immersive experiences in real and imaginary landscapes. “In short, it’s a canvas of an unparalleled scale and image resolution, and a once-in-a-generation opportunity. We all thought about it and decided we’d be mad not to accept the invitation.”
For such an iconic occasion, Las Vegas could hardly have scored a more iconic band to commemorate it. Since releasing Boy in 1980, the band has been an institution, and while Bono and crew aren’t known for chart-topping hits (only two of their songs, “With Or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” have gone to No. 1 in the United States), their discography contains some of the genre’s most recognized, beloved music.
In the process, the band’s members have found their way into every part of pop culture, from movies (music for GoldenEye and Mission: Impossible) and Broadway (music for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark) to collaborations with everyone from Green Day and Robbie Robertson to Roy Orbison and DJ Martin Garrix.
In U2, Las Vegas has found the perfect band for this occasion. And in Sphere, perhaps U2 has finally found what it’s been looking for all these years: The perfect live venue.
Sphere, Sept. 29-30, Oct. 5 & 7-8, ticketmaster.com
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