Performance marks the debut of Sphere Immersive Sound
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. has announced that Trey Anastasio will play two acoustic performances at the Beacon Theatre on August 19-20th. With these shows, Anastasio will be the first artist to utilize the venue’s groundbreaking new sound system – Sphere Immersive Sound. This is the world’s most advanced concert audio system, and was developed for MSG Sphere at The Venetian, which is scheduled to open in Las Vegas in the second half of 2023.
Tickets on sale to the general public on Thursday, July 28th at noon ET via Ticketmaster. Tickets will also be available in person beginning on Friday, July 29th at the Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre box offices.
Anastasio has a long history with MSG Entertainment’s venues, as a solo act, with Trey Anastasio Band, and with Phish, and is local to the Upper West Side, the home of the Beacon Theatre. Anastasio most recently played The Beacon in June 2021 when he performed to the venue’s first full-capacity crowd in more than 450 days. In another first for the venue, Anastasio heralded The Beacon’s first-ever virtual residency in October and November 2020 with The Beacon Jams, eight weekly shows that were streamed live to hundreds of thousands of fans over Twitch and raised more than $1 million for The Divided Sky Foundation.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Trey Anastasio back to the Beacon Theatre, but even more so to have him be the first artist to utilize our incredible new audio technology,” shares Jim Dolan, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, MSG Entertainment. “Trey and his team have always embraced innovation, so it made perfect sense to work with them these last few months on how we begin to introduce Sphere Immersive Sound. This will be an incredibly special acoustic performance, where the audience will truly experience the clarity and purity of his sound.”
“I was lucky enough to experience a demo of Sphere Immersive Sound, and it’s truly unbelievable,” adds Anastasio. “I am thrilled to be able to debut this cutting-edge technology at the Beacon Theatre, one of my favorite venues in the world.”
Sphere Immersive Sound uses 3D audio beamforming technology to deliver targeted, crystal-clear and uniform audio to every seat in the house – setting a new standard for sound quality in performance venues. Anastasio’s August performances will mark the first time that this audio innovation is being integrated into a performance venue, as well as the debut of MSG Sphere technology to audiences. Following these two concerts, future events at The Beacon will continue to utilize Sphere Immersive Sound. In addition to its integration at The Beacon, the full capabilities of this technology are being further customized and scaled for MSG Sphere, which will deliver unique and immersive listening experiences for audiences of up to 20,000 people.
The Beacon Theatre audio experience consists of five arrays, which are specifically tailored to the venue and direct sound to its four sections – orchestra, loge, lower balcony and upper balcony – with precision. Traditional speaker technology can deliver an inconsistent and uneven sound experience, but with beamforming technology, sound levels remain consistent from point of origin to destination – ensuring every audience member experiences the optimal sound mix, regardless of where they’re seated.
