- The Dead @ The Sphere -

The greatest song book in the history of American music brought to life inside the wonderous Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Now, while my idea of a perfect Dead show almost always takes place outdoors (preferably in a wooded area with a multi-night stand in an Amphitheatre) there can be exceptions...

The Sphere is an amazing place. I was fortune enough to see "Post Cards from Earth" at The Sphere a few months ago when I was in Vegas for work, so I knew of it's wonders. As I left, I couldn't help but think how great live music would sound in the venue and what band I'd like to see most... It didn't take long to settle on the Dead & Company... It wasn't but a few weeks after I got home, the rumors of a Dead residency started to swirl. Before I knew it, we were staring at 24 dates and booking flights to Sin City.

The excitement I felt right there and for the months leading up to this show, was already worth the cost of going. That band, at that venue, in that city, at that time of year... Paradise. The expectations were damn near unrealistic to meet...but they did. I was afraid the dead community might not be as present and the whole experienced would be commercialized, but that was far from the case. It was our typical city, involved in our typical daydreams...

Before getting to the grades, I'll just say again, The Sphere is a must see... and if you're a Grateful Dead fan and you can somehow make it out there for this run... You should find a way to do so at all costs. I've been to over 200+ concerts and I promise you, these shows were special and felt different in almost every way.

Parking/Tailgating: No Grade

Parking wise, I don't have a strong take on how quick/efficient it was to get via car because I walked or took an Uber to the show each day. However, I did not notice a large line of cars waiting to get in. There isn't much tailgating in the lots, the whole city if basically one big tailgate or you can head over to Tuscany Suites Casino (a few blocks from The Sphere) where they have (one of the best) Shakedown Street tailgates set up every show day from 11am - 7pm. Tailgating in the lot, if even allowed, would not be ideal. You're literally frying in a desert parking lot, don't do it.

Entry into the Venue: A-

The venue itself is great in terms of efficiency. If there were any lines to get in, they were moving quickly. Security was a breeze and allowed almost anything ya needed (you know what I mean) inside the doors.

Concessions: B+

Getting a drink or merch didn't seem to take very long, but the prices are steep. They are much crazier than your typical summer concert venue prices, but a beer will still run you $17-22 each. If you have GA Floor tickets, they actually have a wait staff that comes around and take orders (which seemed like a job I'd never want considering they were squeezing between people who were packed in shoulder to shoulder). But that was a nice perk if you didn't want to leave your spot for a drink.

The Views: A+

We attended all 3 of opening weekend Dead & Company shows and sat GA Floor, 210, and 406. Honestly, I'd hard for me to say which I prefer... In a way, I semes like the middle sections in the 300's would be the ideal view.

GA Floor: A (Night 1 Seats)

PROS: The floor was great because you can dance freely, move around, be close to the band and still get a great experience from the screens. Even though a lot of the screen was above your head and you had to turn your head and look up/around often, there was an element to that that I enjoyed. It felt like I was truly in a digital world that extender all around me. They didn't oversell the floor so you aren't packed in like sardine, which I appreciated very much. The wait staff taking drink orders was a nice touch, and they were surprisingly pretty fast.

100 Level: No Grade (I did not sit here)

I did not sit in any of the 100 sections, but they appeared to be very similar to the floor in terms of your view of the screen. So at that point, I'd rather be on the floor and be close to the band. *Seats in the 100 sections that are rows 23 and higher have the balcony overhang limiting their views. There are the only seats in the venue I don't recommend. The view of the band and the screen immediately behind them are fine, but the balcony over hang limits your view of the screen so much that it's not worth siting in for this experience.

200 Level (210): B (Night 2 Seats)

The 200 level is probably the best seats in the house. These sections rest right on top of where the VIP Suites are, so obviously, the closer you are to those, the better life typically is... However, I think it's worth more to you overall to be in the center and higher up, than in the 200 level and on the last (2) end sections. I just prefer to be more center in this venue than off to the side. All that being said, the show was still very good from the 210 section we sat in.

400 Level (406): A- (Night 3 Seats)

One might think the 400 levels are the "cheap seats" but you can make an argument that they are the best place in the venue to watch a show. From this vantage point, the band appear the size of ants, but you have basically the whole screen in your view at all times. Since the venue/show is designed to be heavily based on the screen, these seats were a wonderful place to watch the show from.

Overall Grade: A

All in all, the venue is everything you'd hoped it would be. The sound is amazing, the visual are breathtaking, and the staff are friendly and efficient. The prices are a little steep, but nothing much crazier than your standard concert venue pricing. Consider, it's 2024 and in Las Vegas, I'd consider the prices a win.

When I go back: If I was only attending 1 show, I'd probably aim for the 200 or 300 sections in the middle. However, I was going back for a 2-3 night run, I'd mix up my seating and sit in different levels each night again. Some are better than others, but there truly is not a "bad" seat in the house here (except rows 23 and higher in the 100's ... Do not sit there).