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U2 at the Sphere: An Emergency Concert Review with Alex Michael
78 Plays1 year ago
Graeme sits down with "hot-shot investment banker" Alex Michael to recap their experience watching U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, including a full setlist review. But first, Alex provides his bona fides around musical critique, and how flying business class has more perks than just the bottomless peanuts. He also shares how being forced to listen to Counting Crows on repeat can have a lifelong impact--good or bad is a matter of taste. Graeme and Alex close out the pod by discussing the bands they would like to see perform at the Sphere next.
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Transcript
Introduction and Thanksgiving Shoutout
00:00:35
Speaker
And welcome to the Calling Around My Brain podcast. I'm your host, Graham Brown. Really excited to have you back with us here today. I know it's been a minute, as they say, since our last pod, but really appreciate all the support. Again, a monstrous shout out to my Australian fans. Just really bring it home for me.
00:00:54
Speaker
Down Under. And also for all my stateside friends, a happy belated Thanksgiving. Obviously a lot to be thankful for this year. And we are bearing down on Christmas. And for those of us that are lucky enough to have a birthday around that time of the year, we're also just getting warmed up for our gifts that count as Christmas and birthday combined. So really looking forward to that.
Emergency Episode Announcement: U2 Show Review
00:01:18
Speaker
This podcast has been in the works for about a month. It is an emergency pod, a review of the U2 show at the Sphere, which I had the pleasure of seeing at the beginning of November. And unfortunately, it's taken me about a month to recover from that experience, which is why you're now just getting this podcast here at the beginning of December. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode of Crawling Around My Brain with Graham Brown.
Guest Introduction: Alex Michael
00:01:52
Speaker
I am here with my good friend and a man that Vanity Fair itself described as hotshot co-head of growth at Lion Tree Capital.
00:02:01
Speaker
He's also the frequent host of the Kindredcast podcast. My guest today, Mr. Alex Michael. Welcome to the program. Thank you, Graeme. Wow. So great to be here. This has been a long time for me. This has been a long time in the making. It has. It really has. It really has. I know that we've had some discussion before about maybe getting on earlier. We're really waiting for the right moment. You can speak to a lot of different things. Yes, I can speak to a lot of things.
00:02:28
Speaker
for the audience at home. Yes, please. Wide, big, expensive audience. Australia, particularly. Australia is a big, okay, I didn't realize that, okay? I like you down under. And Graeme and I hosted a show, we were college roommates, and we hosted a show at Brown University called Primetime, which was so clever as because it was
00:02:50
Speaker
On it like five in the afternoon. Yeah, it was I think 730. Oh, is that about right? Yeah, it seems too close to prime day It was a little on the nose as a name. Yeah, not a lot of competition. No On the cruise it was closed circuit. Yeah, just for brown dorms. Yes, it was but and frankly great show really really far ahead of its time. I thought so
00:03:12
Speaker
It was hard to get people to record it, which might be a good thing in retrospect. Yeah, we don't need those tapes. Don't go. Audience member at home. Yeah, please. Don't bother looking. We had a couple of hit songs. We had some good bits that I think were ahead of their time. This is the mid-90s. It is. And then you continued on once I left to play baseball, actually. You continued to show on. Some people said it was better. Some said it was...
00:03:37
Speaker
You know, Hagar, Hagar, Van Halen, Sammy Hagar. This is Harry Potter? Hagrid? What are you talking about? Some people like David Lee Roth. Some people like both of them. You were quite bitter that we continued the show. I was. But it just brought a different element. It just felt like you shouldn't be playing hot for teacher when I was no longer the lead singer of the band. You're still going with the Van Halen. Yeah, yeah, sorry. Who is Hermione?
00:04:03
Speaker
Okay, hold on. This is a great dovetail into what we're here to talk about today, okay?
Recap: U2 Show Experience at the Sphere
00:04:09
Speaker
And like I said, you could speak to a lot of things. You work in the entertainment world, so there's a lot of fun events you're going to, a lot of really interesting social media posts that you have. You've got celebrities. There's a lot of fun things that you've done. But one thing that we did together recently, which we're here to discuss today,
00:04:26
Speaker
is attend the U2 show at the Sphere in Las Vegas as part of their octung baby residency. So that's going to be what we talk about today, all that we might go down over. You're forcing the topic. You can talk about a lot of things, but we're staying on this very strict, strict path. I think people want to hear it, frankly. I think people do want to hear it.
00:04:45
Speaker
So and I think honestly with only a few shows left this should be a I'm trying to think of the right term this should be The impetus for people to book their tickets to go see the show because I'm just gonna give it away here But we both had an amazing time at the concert. That is certainly one significant takeaway. Yeah, it was an incredible show incredible show Yeah, and so
00:05:08
Speaker
It felt like we needed an emergency pod.
Alex's Encounter with The Edge
00:05:11
Speaker
Unfortunately, the emergency was that I was sick for 23 days for getting back from Las Vegas. The emergency is that we needed an emergency to help our code symptoms. Las Vegas is known to do that for folks. But anyway.
00:05:23
Speaker
of all these interests would it be fair to say that if i was going to talk to someone to do deep dev on music i wouldn't necessarily think of you right away definitely not i think that is a fair characterization as i mentioned we were college roommates and i believe at the time which was the height of cd meaning oh yeah case logic
00:05:42
Speaker
everything people have binders on binders and you know Sam Goody and HMB Virgin these were all this was a thing and I was not part of that thing no I got my first CD for my bar mitzvah wow I think it was the bodyguard soundtrack
00:06:00
Speaker
And that informed a lot of your musical tastes. And I burned a hole in that one. And it was Billy Joel's Greatest Hits. I think it may have been Nevermind. I was going to say, you're a big Stormfront guy for Billy Joel. Love the Stormfront. Elton John. Elton John's Greatest Hits. Phantom of the Opera, you knew a lot of those songs as well. Well, from your collection. You made me a fan. Fair. As you serenaded me to go to sleep.
00:06:28
Speaker
We did share a musical taste, though, in all seriousness, while you might not be a huge music aficionado at the time. I can appreciate it. I know it works. I'll belt out 80 songs any time you want. Counting crows, you like? Counting crows, I will say, in all honesty, credit or discredit, you're my time in that room with you.
00:06:49
Speaker
Why do you make it sound like a cell? But I wasn't in prison or when I was in prison. Your music imprint on me was life-changing.
00:07:02
Speaker
Wow. I say that not as good or bad, but as profound because it was a very gestational moment for me in my music dome. I think I ended up drafting off so many of your interests. I think of Counting Crows, I think of Dave Matthews Band, other 90s relics, Wallflowers. Wallflowers, big one.
00:07:25
Speaker
Those were some of the big names in the late 90s. Yeah. Well, it was a 3 CD. It was a 3 CD player. So those are probably the three that I didn't scratch because they weren't being taken in and out of the case logic. We never figured out how to put them properly back into the case. You were very upset about that. I was. But one of those groups, interestingly, that we didn't play a ton, but did have a little bit of a moment while we were in college,
00:07:47
Speaker
was U2. But it's not like you and I were on chats talking about U2's hits all the time and all the stuff. So when you came to me and said, hey, U2 at the sphere, I had read the headline that they were going to play there. And my first inclination was not necessarily to go.
00:08:04
Speaker
How about you were you like? Oh, I was like where where how yes, okay So it was it was sort of accomplished. Well, first of all back to the affinity towards you, too I've always liked you too, but in the last let's say really decade For some reason it's just really resonated with me. I liked their last album I had I think get out of your own way and you're the best thing about me a couple of the bigger songs there you had no idea but I like them and
00:08:29
Speaker
I thought they were great stories about what was going on in America, and I just appreciated their artistry there. And obviously, they've been going since 1980. I mean, incredible story. In the late 70s, I don't even know their original. And I have a very close Irish friend, Andrew Heffernan, who knew the band early on, and it introduced me more. And we went to a concert in business school, and it really blossomed from there. And I am a huge YouTube fan. So I've been to the last couple of tours. I would actually go see them wherever I can.
00:08:58
Speaker
Wow. Okay. So you were all in on it. I was all in. And then when you marry that to what I had heard about the sphere, which obviously for people in Australia who may have not heard of this, this is these $2.3 billion edifice to live performance built by Jim Dolan and Madison Square Garden Entertainment that is ambitious to say the least in terms of
00:09:20
Speaker
bringing the live event experience to the next generation or the next century in terms of sounds, sights, smells even and just it's this huge, I don't know how, 10 story, 15 story orb that has lights and it's just an incredible edifice and I heard so much and then you marry that with you two.
00:09:40
Speaker
Now are you a tongue baby fan? So I have a very so as part of my musical journey, right? I was very influenced by my mother growing up in terms of and my father who was really into light and easy favorites and my mother would play like Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson and Paul Abdul so like when other kids dads were you know, Taking down Marlboro lights and listening to Led Zeppelin. I was listening to like the best of Paul Abdul and
00:10:02
Speaker
So when I was given the Octung BBC, that was a real turn for you too at the time, right? They moved on from like their Rattle and Hum and from the Wither Without You and all their kind of more acoustically led rock and roll into this more kind of artistic take on, I wouldn't say like computer driven rock, but like it's definitely a different sound for them at the time. And at first I like didn't like it, but then as years went on, I was like, wow, this album is awesome.
00:10:29
Speaker
So were you a big Oktong baby fan or are you just like, it doesn't matter. I know they're going to play some hits. Yeah, I really didn't even think about the labeling of the albums. As you know, I didn't own many albums. It felt that way when I said, do you know this is the Oktong baby residency and you're like, whatever. It's Sunday on that. Like I have no idea. But I know the songs that I like and I hope there's some of them on there. And two, two asides here. Not that I need to kind of push my bona fides, but I worked at Ticketmaster.
00:10:56
Speaker
You did. You've seen a ton of concerts. I've seen a ton of concerts. I worked at Madison Square Garden. So it's not completely lost on me on the industry side, but as a fan, again, not too many albums, but appreciate the music. You've actually interacted many times, I think, with you two.
00:11:12
Speaker
Management or? I would like to touch on that for a second just to bring this closer home to the listener. Sure. I have been on a business conference call with Bono. Amazing. Very insightful man. Okay. Very interesting. Yeah. Clearly.
Best Seating Opinions at the Sphere
00:11:27
Speaker
Didn't really know how to dress him. Yeah. Wow. That doesn't happen to a lot. Yeah. What do you say? Mr. Houston? Right. Yeah. In the know that's his real name or is it? Bono. Mr. Bono? Yeah.
00:11:39
Speaker
What did you land on? So that was the first run-in with the band. The second run-in with the band was about five years ago, and I think I've told you this story, and maybe as a bonus to your listeners, I'll put up this picture. Please. Let me get to it. But essentially, I'm flying business class, which I don't always do, but in this case I was, from JFK to LAX.
00:12:05
Speaker
I'm a little late for the plane. I go take my seat. There's probably four rows, obviously, or not obviously, but two seats on each side. And I'm on the aisle. And every seat is taken on that flight except for the one next to me. And so we're getting close to the closing of the doors and I see sort of a grouper, like three people kind of coming out the door and one sort of emerges.
00:12:27
Speaker
and now is walking towards me. And I don't have my glasses on, but I'm like, that guy, there's something, like he's really done up. There's some leather, there's a hat on, like a skull cap. And I'm like, I think, no. And so we're saying, I think that's the edge. Like I'd just seen a 60 Minutes about them and I had become a really big fan.
00:12:48
Speaker
is sort of whispering to myself, I think that's the edge. And it keeps coming closer and closer and closer. And I'm like, well, where there's only one open seat, and now he's on me. And I go.
00:12:59
Speaker
Oh my gosh. And I go, I hate, and I kind of comment, I'm sorry. I just, I have to, like, are you? How early are you doing that? Like right when he's about to need to pass me to get onto the scene because I stand up. So are you the edge? And goes, yes, I am.
00:13:19
Speaker
That's out of the Western. I am. We need some AI to edit that. He's from deep Texas. Texas, apparently. And he sits down next to me.
00:13:30
Speaker
And I'm like, holy crap. It's incredible. The edge. Right. And now this poor man is stuck next to me for six hours. Yeah. So, Graham, what would you do in that circumstance? How would you take that? Well, that's why I asked how early you went to the who
U2 Show Highlights and Visuals
00:13:47
Speaker
are you kind of question. Because in his mind now, he knows, you know, for the next six hours. Yeah. So you have to really be restrained, I would imagine.
00:13:57
Speaker
Is that what you said, that's your forte to just hold back? Restraint is not my forte. Close your laptop. And this is how, yeah, no work for you, Mr. Edge. That's funny. And I said to myself, this is a public trust that I have now. And this is how I try not to get philosophical, I try to squeeze everything out of time and relationships and endeavors. And I'm like, a lot of people,
00:14:27
Speaker
would pay enormous amounts. It's not about a money value, but it's true that you could win a charity thing to sit with the edge for an hour, half an hour, let alone six. What this man has seen over his lifetime as a preeminent guitarist in a preeminent band for four decades, it is beholden
00:14:49
Speaker
to me as a gift to plumb the depths of this guy, no matter what it takes. And so I did, and he was lovely. We talked about everything from biochemistry to his favorite arena to play, which I think was MSG, to his travels, to his diet, to his investments, to Malibu, where he's had some fights over real estate there with the community, on and on. So eventually, after about four hours, he tires. Shocker.
00:15:16
Speaker
Does he give you the cuff? It's just wave on wave of conversation coming at him. You're telling the steward, we're good. Yeah, I'm like cancel it, cancel it. And he says I'm going to take a nap. Totally makes sense. So the guy goes in full recline. You may ask, does he keep the headgear on? Yeah, does he? The whole time? 100%. Never leaves his head. Wow.
00:15:40
Speaker
Let's be warm. So he's now fully prone, pulls up the thing, and I'm like sitting to myself. I'm sitting to myself. I am sitting, but I'm sitting to myself. How are people going to realize that I had this conversation? Right. You could just make it up. I could have made it up. And by the way, I got to be kind of cool. I can't say, hey, let's take a picture. Like now we're talking like business people, like friends. So I'm like, I'm going to take a picture of him while he sleeps. Nice.
00:16:10
Speaker
Yeah, maybe illegal incredibly weird. Yeah. And so I like hold up my ginger ale, and I kind of turn it around. So I had plausible deniability. And I start snapping away at a sleeping edge. And I'm like, oh my god, if this guy wakes up or even peaks with an eye when I open, and I am filming him sleeping for two more hours, this is really going to be uncomfortable.
00:16:33
Speaker
And maybe the big cops waiting for me in the other. Long story short, he doesn't catch me. I have this picture to this day. Amazing. And then, of course, at the end of it, I'm like, yeah, maybe we'll take him. He's like, let's do it. I love it. And like, get my info. And like, so I have an actual selfie with him, which is lovely. Great. Did you keep the sleeping ones? 100%. So except for your fans. Yeah.
00:16:51
Speaker
Email Graham, give out your email, and I will send the Sleeping Edge. Wow, incredible. Sorry, that was a long detour. We should do a raffle of some kind to get the Sleeping Edge photo. I love that. That would be incredible. A slimed one by me. A follow-up question, excuse me, on that. When Edge is going to sleep, are you like, hey, I just want to let you know, if you have to use the restroom, feel free to let me know. I'm happy to move out of the way. Interesting. Is there any seat decor where you're like, hey, Edge,
00:17:17
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, whatever you need you let me know or you're too much on my could you put your bag a little bit further under on your side? You know, I mean there's a little more room up there. I don't know if you got the full divider or not, but no we didn't know what I'm imagining business class is I just wonder if you have to go through any of those protocols like I normally do. Yeah, no, we don't have to pay for drinks
00:17:40
Speaker
Just let him know, like, hey, if I go to sleep edge, just wake me up. Not at all. Yeah, no, if I'm snoring, none of that small talk. Got it. Because you were already deep into other stuff. I was so, like, literally just amped up on trying to think of the next thing to mention, even while I was sleeping. It's so great because a lot of people in that situation would have been like, this guy talks to a lot of people. He's got a long flight, presumably a show at the end of this flight, maybe. Yeah, I hope not. We can let this guy sleep.
00:18:03
Speaker
But they would have missed out on this great opportunity, and I'm sure that he also has a lot of people just avoid him because they think he's famous and he can sort of shock us up, but turns out he has a lot of interest. So very, very interesting. I'd forgotten about that. Was not on my notes of things you're talking about. Sorry, I hijacked it from my edge story, but I thought it was interesting. I think skipping three or four of them bullet points that I have here for that story was very good. Thank you. Thank you very much. Very good. All right. Well, let's start. So anyhow, those are my credentials for this YouTube conversation, because I feel you have a lot of
00:18:33
Speaker
luster of guests on this well I've had experience with the music I'm just trying to say I could I can I can hang and you're a huge fan of the pod as I know and also were the first podcast that we had was a review of the Troubadour Counting Crows show which you were also at so right there's there's a lot going on I did take some offense to be honest called in an outside expert to critique the show that that said expert who I love by the way big fan of his as well
00:19:03
Speaker
I was not at the show, and I was at the show, but that's okay. I think that it might have been a little too inside baseball if you and I were talking about some show that no one else besides 250 people had seen. He did just play the same songs. Exactly. Well, we're going to get to that. Okay, let's go. I want to get to some of the similarities actually, but the differences as well.
00:19:27
Speaker
We got a lot to cover, so we're going to kind of go through some of these. But I just want to ask you, we get there and we are now in Las Vegas. I don't know if we don't necessarily want to get into ticket procurement or any of those things unless you'd like to. We can touch on that in a second. I call on some favors. Call on some favors. And this is this is helpful because I think your podcast is to entertain, but also inform. Thank you. That's what I've gotten from your show. Yes.
00:19:50
Speaker
And people ask, I think, as it pertains to the sphere, and by the way, sphere, sphere, like a sort of sphere. Sphere, I believe. Yeah. Where should one sit? Yes. Right? Yes. Now hold on about that. So, hold on. We want to get to that. Sorry. But we've been in Las Vegas telling people we're going to see the show, right? And that question is coming up. And people are like, oh,
00:20:14
Speaker
You've got to be way up near the top because then you see the whole screen or you know what people have a lot of opinions Yes, and they don't seem that impressed About the tickets that you have gotten right? I mean, they're not me They don't know exactly where we're sitting but that has never come up as like a great place to sit or anything. So I guess Thank you
00:20:37
Speaker
No, but, you know, people were not. Yes, we were saying, oh, so we were sitting for the audience at home. We were, we had procured, I had procured tickets from Madison Square Garden at level 100, Section 105. Yes. Row 17, to be precise. Yes.
00:20:56
Speaker
And which is not the floor but is the first so the way the sphere set up right is there is a floor ge floor then a riser of seats on the first section then second floor balcony third floor balcony maybe even a fourth floor balcony two and three.
00:21:12
Speaker
And the stage is obviously down by the floor and the pit, and it's sort of the bottom of then the soaring sort of arc of screen slash kind of planetarium thing. Right. And so when I had asked the MSG person who was kind enough to help me procure the tickets, and I paid for them, they set the best seat for them, and which is where they sat when they did the demo, was the 100 section. Got it. So I took that at face value. It was the most expensive, and it was called by the actual creators
00:21:40
Speaker
the best seats. But to your point, on the Friday, we went and saw it's Saturday in early November. Yes. And fourth, I believe. Yeah. When we're like, oh, we're there, they'd be like, oh, well, we were 101, five section, one something. Or no, we were section. 200, 300. 200 in the middle, 300 in the middle, near the balcony. It's one of these things. I don't know what's another phenomenon like this where
00:22:04
Speaker
It's a testament to the building that everyone thinks their seat was the best. But everyone's like, that's the best. And it's all they know. And you're like, oh, we're in 105. And they'll be like, well, really, you're not getting the height of the sphere or whatever. Yeah, it's true. So we're just going off that thinking, maybe we're off.
00:22:21
Speaker
Shouldn't be, couldn't be. How could the best seats that the people who created the product basically you buy from them, how could they not be the best? But to your point, I never looked at it as a positive. That is interesting. All these other people we ran into and we mentioned, you know, that we were going to see this concert said, oh, well, you got to sit up higher maybe because of the big screen and all the stuff. And I was thinking to your point, is this like Epcot Center or like a planetarium? Like how cool is this going to be?
00:22:46
Speaker
Yeah. So you and I and a couple of our associates are making our way, what feels like miles of Venetian marble and carpet to get to the sphere. That's right. But I will just share power notes here. Thank you. Because I think for, again, for our Australian listeners. Yes, please. This is connected to the Venetian. Yes.
00:23:10
Speaker
uh towards the back of it because it's off the strip and we had a lovely dinner at mod 32 very nice chinese meal we had a nice private room in the back very nice and that's a stone's throw from the entrance of where you start your marathon yes yes so just know this is connected to the venetian
00:23:28
Speaker
Yes. And there are restaurant options there. Yes. Also hard reservations to get. Hard reservations. And if it's an eight o'clock show, you really should be eating at like five. Agreed. So just power tips there. That's great. For folks that are interested, and that's part of the reason we're doing this because they're not going to play here forever as there's been an announcement. No. And it turns out the early March will be the end of their run. Right. So anyhow, we have the dinner and we do to your point, there's football fields of carpeting. I don't know where they procure enough alpaca wherever they get there.
00:23:58
Speaker
plastic probably that's weaved. Yeah. And you're just walking for miles to get this other thing. Yeah. Did you feel like there's an animal or airport or not neither? Kind of in between. I agree. It wasn't so like, oh, we're in this push of a crash. No, but it was a long. But it was a long. And the anticipation, the good part is everyone's pumped, right? This is a highlight for pretty much every single person that's going.
00:24:21
Speaker
So that's great. So you get there, you go through a layer of security, and then you enter inside. Which by the way was pretty smooth. I didn't find any of that to be debilitating. I thought that the excitement stayed. Yeah, I'm not trying to say there's anything wrong with it. It's quite a walk. It gives you enough time to really think about your life. Exactly.
00:24:42
Speaker
and keep guzzling beers at a cheaper level than what you'll pay for at the sphere. Okay. So, but you would get in and then it's like a spaceship. Spaceship vibe, kind of like... Tron. Yeah, like glow. If music could be glowing, it would be glowing. It would be sort of orbiting something and planetarium-esque actually, right? Almost like you're on a space station or something like that. But to me, that was nicely done because it's sort of like you're checking out of what you know into a different stratosphere.
00:25:11
Speaker
I totally agree. It felt like you were somewhere else and very cool vibe and they got the bars and everything like you'd have at a normal event, you know, again, to your point not super cheap, but they've got what you want. And then you go into the actual sphere area. And I think
00:25:26
Speaker
I'll just say for me personally, that's really when it hit. I was like, at first, I was like, you know, whatever, it's a big screen. I've been to a drive in before, like, you know, how cool is this going to be? And then when you get in there, like, oh, my God, this thing is massive, massive. And I didn't even know what the I hadn't watched any videos. I don't know if you did that before. Did you try to talk about this, which is, yes, I tried to abstain from really, because it must be annoying to this point in terms of people on social media, like,
00:25:53
Speaker
I was like here's my pictures right a I wanted to be completely surprised be it clearly now in hindsight does no justice to the experience none So like you want to stamp like everything else cool that you're there and that's right You do that and you promote it, but it doesn't do justice to your experience or really the experience
00:26:13
Speaker
doesn't matter how many cameras they put in an iPhone. You cannot capture iPhone 90. You know, it is nothing. You cannot capture how surreal, how gargantuan the experience is. And so any other words, like big, the enormity, yeah, massive, the excessive, excessive is pejorative. I just like the the enormous
00:26:35
Speaker
Yeah, you're really surrounded by the screen. I think that's something I did not quite realize. The screen doesn't just go up straight. It envelops you. Thank you. We'll leave it at that. It's really womb-like. It is. Maybe that was too far. We're going into therapy, psychotherapy now.
00:26:52
Speaker
Okay. Listen, I know that we have a few more things to get to and not a ton of time with you. You're a very busy man. Okay. Just quickly, shout out to the opening DJ. There's an opening DJ before and this guy is pumping out banger after banger. Dude, this guy was rocking. Rocky. I mean, the whole place, obviously we wanted you two to come out, but yeah, they've been five minutes late.
00:27:15
Speaker
I don't think anyone could have had an hour and a half of this guy and been very happy because we're popping the Topo Chico hard cell servers. Some people are popping them, some are spilling them on the floor. Yeah, like our buddy who just doused the ground with it. He seeded the ground with Topo Chico.
00:27:33
Speaker
There's going to be a Toba Chika tree. Luckily, there's only 56 ounces for those. No wonder there's a brand new venue that's going to survive. But anyway, we're having some cocktails. It dawns on us that these are the perfect seats. Yes. Well, the screen's not on yet. The screen's not on yet. But they're perfect because you're only about 100 yards to the stage. Get on to the middle mic. And the DJ's doing his thing. And the vibe of the crowd is so great. But what's interesting, though, it's not universal in the sense that you have some
00:28:04
Speaker
It's just kind of sitting older people because of it. It's not it's a real range of oh 100% somewhere like okay arms crossed try to impress me right and some are just really into the vibe So it wasn't universal in that sense, but generally a very strong vibe
00:28:18
Speaker
I agree. I agree. I think the difference of having something in Vegas is that you're not just going to get hardcore U2 fans. You're going to get people that are in Vegas and just want to go to some amazing show. But I feel like the people that were into it, once the band hits the stage, they're going nuts. They're going nuts.
00:28:34
Speaker
And so we're so again to where we're sitting, I just thought it was incredible then location because you have eyesight directly on level with the stage, which is obviously elevated off the floor, but is now at your level at row 17. And then you have the soaring pitch.
00:28:50
Speaker
of the sphere screen that is up and over you. So it's kind of the best of both worlds. I think you have better sphere footage from the balconies, but you lose that there's a band actually happening. So for your power notes portion forever, what we're trying to say is if it's 100 more, even 200 more, I know times are tight, we all get that, but if you can spend a little extra and you go see the show getting into this section, like the 105s, 106s, whatever,
00:29:15
Speaker
you're going to get the band and the screen. And I don't think we lost anything with the screen. You still see the whole thing as my... And I also think some of the optics of once it goes on are where they give the visual effect of the ceiling sort of compressing down on you. There's actually, I thought, more impact and obviously didn't sit in the balcony. But in the balconies, it's never truly quite on top of you because you're up to the side or the back. Whereas if you're literally kind of in the middle, which you are in our section,
00:29:43
Speaker
it's as if that box that's the top is kind of coming right down on your head yes i agree which creates a very cool effect with the band in front of you i agree and so and just to uh mention this because i'm sure there's some people out there being like yeah if you said go fly first class it makes the flight much better i would do it
00:30:00
Speaker
What we're trying to say is if you look at the tickets, even on the resale market, there's not a huge discrepancy between the sections. What we're trying to say is if you're going to go to the show, it's worth showing a lot a little more because this does actually appear. It's our recommendation. There's plenty of corroborative beyond just our experience. Not that anyone needs more. No one needs more. We're the authorities in Australia. Let's get into the show. Thank you.
00:30:29
Speaker
They come out now just give people some high-level overview here YouTube YouTube does about 22 songs total Okay, I believe I
Concert Structure and Song Choices
00:30:39
Speaker
didn't count. I have the set list from our show in front of me. They come out and
00:30:44
Speaker
they bang through a big chunk of Octon Baby. Now, obviously they have to do this because there's video accompaniment to a lot of these songs, right? So the way that their sets in general goes, you get the Octon Baby section, then they break it out for like an acoustic set where they can change the songs in and out, and then they go back into their encore at the end of the show.
00:31:03
Speaker
So, I'm just gonna give folks a couple songs. I'll say start with Zoo Station, they go into the fly, even better than the real thing, mysterious ways, one, until the end of the world, who's gonna ride your wild horses, trying to throw your arms around the world, and then all I want is you. That's the first block. So what are your thoughts when the first block is happening?
00:31:24
Speaker
I am just blown away by this experience, and I think you shared that. We were looking at each other, tears in our eyes. Like this is insane. They've hit some splatter of Tobit Chico. It was insane. It was a $19 candy spill. It was. So much Tobit Chico.
00:31:41
Speaker
but it really was a nice bill to know and jokes aside I just I'm like wow these are the songs I know first of all they're great the accompanying and now you're getting what this thing is about 100% the different images the the stills the action the ups the downs the stage is moving normally again nothing we'll say here we'll do it justice nor will the videos you see on social media you just have to experience it yeah
00:32:06
Speaker
But married to their creative art, married to their song, their impact, the way they perform, those sounds, those strings,
00:32:15
Speaker
It's surreal. It was incredible. And the energy was just building, building, building, building. Yes. So a couple of things that are also of note here. There's nothing on the stage, which you pointed out originally. It's very simple. It's like the drum set. Sparted. There's not like you have a bunch of amps and monitors and all this stuff. It's just the edge with this guitar, Bono with a microphone, and the drummer who's not there. Yes. But there's another drummer then, Adam Clayton Powell, the bassist, right? Hopefully I didn't mess his name up. I think that's right. OK, thank you. I was confused with Colin Powell.
00:32:45
Speaker
He was not on stage? No, he was not. He was in section 300. So anyway, I would just say, I mean, obviously, like, all the Octongue Baby songs are great. The synchronization with the screens are great. But when you get to songs like one, I mean, you just realize, like, how big of a band we're talking about here. Huge.
00:33:00
Speaker
So I think there's like 15,000 seats in this place. So I mean, that's not a lot. They can fill huge football stadiums, which I saw them last time. And frankly, last time I saw them on their Joshua Tree tour, I actually didn't think Bono sounded that great. And I was really
00:33:18
Speaker
much happier and more impressed with the way that the acoustics were in this place. Because sometimes you could trade off acoustics for this big show, but in this case it was really a nice blend. So okay, so they're crushing, they're humming along, then they go into the section where they kind of have some flexibility with their songs. We get
00:33:34
Speaker
They're essentially turning off the screen. They turn off the screens. And now they're doing a variety of songs that I guess change from show to show. Right. Kind of like a zoo TV vibe where there's like four screens, one on bond and one on it. And you're really not getting the full sphere experience on purpose because that lets them interchange and they're not choreographed like the other ones. Exactly. And it's kind of more of an intimate feel. So we get desire.
00:33:58
Speaker
when love comes to town, love rescue me, acrobat, so cruel, ultraviolet light my way, and then love is blindness. So desire blows me away. I'll be honest with you, the rest of those, that's when I went and got another Tobozhiki. Well, that's what I was going to say. I'm going to say that section brought to you by Tobozhiki.
00:34:17
Speaker
That's the time you go get another tall boy and had I paid enough attention to know that string was coming Yeah, I would have been out of there by the second song of that stanza boredom
00:34:32
Speaker
But it pained me a lot there, and I know we were looking at each other, like kind of cross-eyed, like how you have this energy, how you have the people on the tip of your, like the whole thing. And then you're like, here's seven songs. And you're like, we're gonna let you, we're gonna let this go away. Right, so it's nine songs is where all I wanna do, it's a 10 songs desire. So for 10 songs in a row, you're getting basically fastballs, right? It's crushing, the place is peaking, and then all of a sudden, people are getting up to go,
00:34:59
Speaker
It's getting restless. The people with the arms crossed have come back. They're seated. They're like, show me what you got. You're one trick on some of these things. And it's really, the energy has taken a big toll. It has. Now I will say, to bring it back to the Counting Crow Show, we saw not to the degree that it did when we got the Butter Miracle Suite. But I think it was interesting because people know how many hits you two have, and they're like, there's no real reason for this detour.
00:35:27
Speaker
You could go end to end if you wanted to. Hit, hit, hit, hit. I would have understood trying to press a creative thing with one or two, but the seven? Seven is a long one. I felt like you're kind of taking money out of my pocket. Okay, so then to bring this back, that happens. We get more Topo Chico going. We're having a good time because someone cleans up the floor finally.
00:35:49
Speaker
And now the band comes back for their encore, right? And just to give people an idea. So now we're pumped because we're like, okay, they got that out of the way. And we're struggling, like the buzz is fading. Two nights in Las Vegas at this point. The buzz is fading hard. Right, right. The dinner is not blending well with the double chin.
00:36:09
Speaker
Also, Power Note, you have to order that like three weeks in advance. Great point. I'd like our listeners to know that Peking Duck cannot be ordered on demand at Mach 32. They're hanging in windows, up and down, upper west side. But also with that said, you can either go to the show and have the best ticket or Peking Duck. That's true. Same price. That's true. That's true. So I mean, but people love to duck. Maybe he's traded off.
00:36:34
Speaker
Okay, so we get to our encore, they come back out, we know they've got a couple, at least we're guaranteed a couple more good songs. Let's hope so. We're like, please. We're staggering. So Elevation, huge hit, Atomic City, I think newer song, Vertigo, Where the Streets Have No Name, Where They're Without You, and then Beautiful Day. So there were tears on Beautiful Day. I know one of my friends was chiding me. I actually had tears.
00:36:58
Speaker
You did have tears and you were saying, and I don't want to hold you to this, now it's been a few weeks or months really that we've had to retrospect, but you had said top five things in your life, not obviously including the birth of your children or anything else, right? But the top five maybe event that you had been to and you were crying, which I wanted to say, first of all, testament
00:37:16
Speaker
to youtube because as we just described we're coming off a seven song yeah down yeah like a car accident and now it's so good at the end that you're like we've got this is the greatest thing that happiness yes yeah you know it just was uh you know to break it down graham it was um
00:37:35
Speaker
Please do. It was just one of these poignant moments. The other events I put in that bucket were the Giant Super Bowls, 07. Great. Love it. I took my dad for 60th, 11, where I took my brother. Those two victories also evoked tears because they were journeys and they were special people. And I thought this U2 event in this setting with that music, with you and a few other of our closest friends,
00:37:59
Speaker
It was just so soaring, so beautiful, so powerful. The topo Chico was really blowing was flowing. And I just was overwhelmed in a beautiful way. Because there are so many times in this life where you don't have you're just little numb to it all. And to have something that just show that just shook you to the core in a great way.
00:38:23
Speaker
that kind of elevated all your senses and tied it with, you know, that you two saw a beautiful day was even though I'm not a Patriots fan was what really was big in that Super Bowl after 9-11 and Bono goes on stage and pulls out the American flag
Emotional Impact of U2's Performance
00:38:37
Speaker
on his jacket. And that was such an incredible, beautiful month. It's when the Patriots were under underdogs and kind of lovable. And just through so many you two things in a soundtrack, let alone experiences and journeys with such close friends like yourself. It just was a beautiful thing.
00:38:53
Speaker
And it was a beautiful day. I almost don't want to say anything. I can't help myself, though. Sorry. Please do. Please do. I don't want to say anything, because I think you're totally right. What I would say is that for someone like me, who had, I'll be honest, had stopped listening to U2 as much. I wasn't angry that they put the album on the iPhone, but I did stop buying albums for some reason after that. I think it just, I got busy, right? U2 kind of went away. But they've always taken big swings.
00:39:19
Speaker
And in retrospect, they are the perfect band to open this place up because they are just on the cutting edge of music and technology. And they're always trying to find a new way to wow us and provide that experience. And they just absolutely nailed it. And to your point, I have the videos of us crying and singing. Those won't be shared as any part of the raffle. That's part of it. Email us for this.
00:39:48
Speaker
I don't think we sound as good as I thought we did in the moment, but with all those people singing every single lyric to those songs at the end, just couldn't be better. So I strong recommend for people to go see this show. Strong. And really, more quibbles, but really the biggest punchline is incredible. Drop whatever you think is more important. Scrounge together the money if you can. Go experience this. This has transformed the live event experience.
00:40:18
Speaker
And with that band in particular, I don't know how fish will be. We can talk about the other bands we'd like to see are performers, but there was something just so magical, unexpected, novel, beautiful, creative, artistic. And I really, you know, if I was quibbling that seven song stanza.
00:40:36
Speaker
the Topo Chico break was brought to you by Topo Chico was really a tough one because there was so excitement and it was so cool that like what if they had played pride in the name of love or Sunday Bloody Sunday or some of these other hits. You might get it though on some of the they have played those things.
00:40:55
Speaker
that just I want to see that venue with that band. Fastball, fastball, fastball. Yeah. And so anything short of that feels like a miss. And they may say, well, this song we love and what I don't know what they're doing, but they're doing the album, which is fine. But that seems like their choice. It does. No one's saying I'm going there to hear the Octongue album. They're going to hear you too and play me your best songs. Anyhow.
00:41:16
Speaker
incredible experience. It was easy enough to get out football football fields and just left you. But I'll tell you this, I don't want to go back to see you two not because if someone offered me to take it I'd go but it was just so magical the first time of doing it with the people you go with. I think that's incredible. If you went with a work group, I don't think you're having the experience we had. No, I think if being with loved ones being in that environment where you feel comfortable, I think was important.
00:41:42
Speaker
I totally agree. And I would just leave it with this. First of all, I appreciate your insight around this. Had I know that you'd be such a great guest on the podcast, I would have had you come on earlier. We needed the right thing to talk about. And maybe now we can revisit that kind of crows concert on a different podcast. I would I'd love to be back.
00:42:03
Speaker
We just go song by song through that set list. That one always comes back to me when he says Mr. Jones and he points at Cindy Crawford. In the U2 show, you did not have any need to pull out your cell phone to text anyone or write any updates on Instagram or anything because you were that locked in.
00:42:21
Speaker
That's true. I was taking pictures to capture for myself. You were in 100%. I was dialed in. That's the type of show that this is. That's what this is bringing. And that's where in this life as well. So, Graham, just as we're kind of post-mortem thoughts about this whole experience.
00:42:38
Speaker
Top three other acts you'd like to see in this venue. Wait, I just mentioned fish has been announced for four dates at least. Yeah, you're right. Great, great question. Um, who can really, you know, you could say kind of girls, but like they wouldn't carry this venue. Really. It doesn't really work the same way.
00:42:55
Speaker
I think at the time we had talked about Coldplay, which again, for people listening, they'd be like, with these two guys. Like, who's next? You know, like James Taylor. But like, it'd be great. But I mean, I do think that you need a band that's big enough to fill an arena, but that also, you know, is willing to take some chances and like integrate the screens. Otherwise, like, what's the point? So actually, I don't think The Counting Crows would be good right here. I think Fish will be interesting because I think the people watching will be, who knows where they'll be.
00:43:21
Speaker
I think that'll be good. I don't know. I mean, people said like, I think actually Lady Gaga would be a great person because she has a wide range of songs. Taylor Swift? I don't know. I feel like Taylor Swift is arena. I feel like she... It's always you too. Yeah, I know. I don't know. I think obviously, I mean, I'd be an idiot to say Taylor Swift would be good at doing that, but it almost feels too easy. So I would say Coldplay, Lady Gaga,
00:43:46
Speaker
Does that present a challenge that there aren't that many? I mean, I guess you can try anything, but you need to create this. It's a whole thing. Some people might want to say the police, maybe. You like to sting up there, but then- Timberlake? Yeah, but the stage is small. He's dancing around. He's doing stuff. I think you need a band. Well, but you can project the dance. Yeah, I guess so. Hey, you know what? Backstreet, NSYNC. Clearly, my creativity has just- Madonna? Red Hot Chili Peppers?
00:44:17
Speaker
Yeah, maybe maybe I'd have to think about because I put you to it like one of the best bands of all time and multi-generational to not just often 80s hits they have more than that. Yeah, and you're not like raging around you're sitting in a seat stones. Yeah Again, I mean, I think any of these bands would work but I would love to go again. I think what about sports?
00:44:40
Speaker
I thought you had to go. Well, just don't worry here. I do have to go. What time is it? Oh my gosh, it's 5.08. Let me check the phone. But yeah, let's wrap this up, guys. Let's wrap this up. OK. Anyway, I honestly want to sincerely thank you for getting the tickets and encouraging me to come. And it was an incredible show. And thank you for coming on the podcast. We'll definitely have you back on again to talk about any number of things.
00:45:03
Speaker
But I really appreciate your time today. Graham, I would love to be back on. I'm a big fan of your work. Thank you. I love that you're doing this as a creative enterprise. Appreciate it. Love to see you at the Sphere. I'll be there as a fan. It was great being part of this. Thanks for having me. Thank you very much. Mr. Alex Michael, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you.
00:45:27
Speaker
Well, I hope you enjoyed that one as much as I enjoyed recording it. Big thanks again to my buddy, Alex Michael. Really appreciated his perspective on our shared experience at U2, the Sphere, and cannot recommend that enough. I know it's not cheap. I know that not everyone's going to have the ability to get to Las Vegas to see a concert.
00:45:49
Speaker
But the underlying point here is that the sphere spectacle is really impressive. And if you do find yourself in that part of the world, or there's an artist that you really want to see that's playing there, I would prioritize that experience because it's well worth it. We will be back with more. Again, if I don't talk to you before the holidays, I hope you have a great one and a wonderful remainder of 2023.
00:46:18
Speaker
Take care, everybody. Thank you.