A Quick Trip for a Concert in Las Vegas

Flew into Las Vegas for a couple of nights in early July. The view from the room was classic Strip, looking down at the Bellagio fountains and the Paris casino's Eiffel Tower. During the day, under the bright desert sun, you could watch the fountains go off on their cycle, with a faint rainbow sometimes visible in the mist.

The real reason for the trip was a show. The venue was enormous, a huge spherical structure with a ceiling that was just a grid of lights and scaffolding before everything started. We found our seats as the place filled up, a massive crowd gathering in front of a stage that seemed small by comparison to the room itself. The lights eventually went down, then came up in a wash of purple over the stage.

Then the band came on. From our seats, they were small figures on a brightly lit stage, surrounded by darkness. The show was simple in that way—just the musicians, their instruments, and beams of white light cutting through the dark. It was all about the performance.

At times, the entire ceiling lit up, and everyone's attention went upwards. It was one of those experiences where you feel like you're part of a huge, shared moment, just watching the lights and listening to the music.