Joe Walsh Opens Up Problems Playing At Las Vegas Sphere

The Eagles’ residency at the high-tech Las Vegas Sphere has been a massive highlight of their farewell tour, but it hasn’t come without hurdles. Joe Walsh recently shared with Rolling Stone the surprising technical issues they’ve faced, which almost became a “deal-breaker” for the band. Walsh explained:

“It’s very different onstage.
“There are some non-musical things that we have to put up with to make it all work… We’ve had to learn how to do it. At first, it was maybe a deal-breaker, but we’ve learned how to do it.”

Solving the Sound Delay

A big challenge is the Sphere’s advanced sound system, which uses 160,000 speakers placed around the venue. This design provides an immersive experience for the audience, but it created a tricky sound delay for the band. Walsh noted:

“No matter where you sit, you have speakers pointing at you.
“so they don’t have to be really loud. But… computers have to delay it a little bit…there’s a delay there to process that.”

Walsh compared it to singing in a stadium with sound echoing back from different areas. “It’s like singing the national anthem at a baseball stadium,” he described. “Right field comes back at you, then left field… there’s three of you and you don’t know which one you are.”

To fix this, the Eagles turned to in-ear monitors that block the Sphere’s surround sound, allowing the band to hear only themselves. “It’s all there, and everybody hears everything at the same time,” Walsh explained, adding that it’s a unique adjustment for the band after decades of live touring.

Extended Residency Due to Popular Demand

Due to high demand, the Eagles’ farewell tour at the Sphere has been extended, with the last show now scheduled for March 15, 2025. Fans can expect more of these iconic performances as the Eagles adapt to make each Sphere concert unforgettable.