Phish, Drew Carey & A Blender: The Funniest Story in Rock in 2024

Phish and Drew Carey have helped create a news story in the rock world so hilarious, yet low-key sweet, that it gives you hope in the power of live music.

Plenty has been said about shows at the Sphere, but no one has given quite a review like Carey's. The host of The Price is Right was so moved by his Phish Sphere experience that he took to X (formerly Twitter) and gave the best NSFW review about it.

Carey wrote, "I swear I just talked to God. I would give you all my money, stick my d--k in a blender and swear of p---y for the rest of my life in exchange for this. Bro, I met God tonight for real. I feel like I just got saved by Jesus no lie."

As if that weren't enough, Carey was a panelist on After Midnight following his religious Phish experience and raved about it on the show. All of the naughty words have been censored, but the whole tone is still very NSFW.

Obviously, with a review as colorful as Carey's, it eventually made its way back to Phish, who were clearly tickled by it. Four days after his review, Carey took to X to share that Phish actually sent him a blender. They included a note, which read, "Hi Drew! So thrilled that you could be at the Sphere with us! Hope you enjoy this gift, and let's do it again. Sending mountains of love."

It should be noted that Phish didn't skimp on the blender, either. They sent Carey a Vitamix E310. As of publishing, this model is currently $50 off on the Vitamix website, but still costs a whopping $329.95.

For those hoping to see Phish at the Sphere, unfortunately, they only rocked the venue April 18-21.

After Phish, Dead & Company's "Dead Forever" residency will begin on May 16 and include the following dates.

-May 16, 17, 18, 24, 25, 26, 30 and 31.
-June 1, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22.

After Dead & Company, it is heavily rumored The Eagles will be next. The latest rumors indicate the band has booked a residency that will stretch over 10 weekends from September through December. The exact number of shows is currently unknown, but the residency is expected to follow the end of their "The Long Goodbye" farewell tour.

Sphere in Las Vegas is one of the coolest venues to open in decades. There truly hasn't been anything like it, especially when it comes to its many visual aspects.

To begin with, its sheer presence as a building just off the Vegas Strip is awe-inspiring. Your eyes are just drawn to it, regardless of what it projected on its external surface. Sphere's website notes the "Exosphere" features 580,000 sq feet of LEDs that are so bright they can be seen from space.

Its interior is also magical, and we don't just mean its spatial audio system. Sphere's website states, "Events at Sphere are immersive experiences that, depending on the event, may include elements such as seat haptics, movement sensations, flashing lights, intense lighting, visual effects, loud noises, and atmospheric simulations including fog, scent and wind."

In other words: There are seemingly few limits to what can be done with Sphere's remarkable technology.

After breaking ground in Sept. 2018, Sphere opened in Sept. 2023. U2, of course, was the first artist to perform a residency at the new Vegas venue, which cost $2.3 billion to build. In December 2023, The Hollywood Reporter noted the 17 shows U2 performed through Nov. 30 generated $30.7 million in revenue, which is an average of $1.8 million per show.

Additionally, Sphere has screened Darren Aronofsky's film Postcards From Earth. Through Nov. 30, the state-of-the-art venue has hosted 111 screenings of the film, which has resulted in $44.5 million in revenue. This averages to $400,000 per screening. Altogether, these two attractions have generated over $75 million in revenue for the new venue.

After U2 wraps their residency on March 2, Phish will be the next band to perform at The Sphere. Their show dates are currently April 18-21. After Phish, Dead & Company's "Dead Forever" residency will begin on May 16.

This all has us asking ourselves a very important question: Who should be next to occupy Sphere? After some thought, we think these five rock acts would make very interesting use of the unique space.

Gilmour doesn't perform much anymore, so having him do a Sphere residency would be really special. He undoubtedly has enough of a catalog to warrant such a grand venue. Also, you just know he could really bring an impressive visual experience, too. A Gilmour Sphere residency would continue to make the venue the most in-demand attraction in Vegas.

Let's just say it: Maynard James Keenan is a f---ing weirdo. (Yes, we do mean that in a positive way.) It would be fascinating to see how he would play to such a larger-than-life venue. As far as visuals go, their existing music videos could be projected on the massive screens, and it would be outstanding! The video for "Vicarious" alone would be trippy AF. Of course, Tool would likely create original visuals for the performance just because they could.

How do you make a larger-than-life rock figure even larger? Have them take on Sphere! If anyone could do it, it's obviously Sir Paul. Like with Gilmour, there's an ample catalog to play with. Plus, he'd be able to sell out countless nights at the venue. Nothing but wins all around for this one!

Giving Trent Reznor the kind of visual freedom Sphere could offer would be interesting, to say the least. It would just be fascinating to see what he would do with all of the technology. He would surely come up with a concept literally only he could dream up. Let's hope a NIN residency will eventually become a reality.

Remember how we noted Sphere is capable of "atmospheric simulations including fog, scent and wind"? Just imagine how Slipknot would utilize scent in a venue. Sure, there's a good chance it would be gross, but it's not like you'd want some earthy patchouli incense at a Slipknot show. Plus, their visuals are overwhelming at their shows already. Just think of what they would do with those screens!