The Sphere, Las Vegas
U2 helped open Sphere in Las Vegas with a show designed for the venue. Check what’s on now and see whether a performance interests you.
From Human Is the New Vinyl · Chapter 10
The Experience Guide
43 places to go and things to try, from live music and galleries to making something yourself.
Find something you’d like to try.
Pick one experience that sparks your curiosity. Go in person when you can. Pay attention to the people behind the work.
Before you begin
You don’t need to try everything here. Start with something you already enjoy, or choose something you’ve never tried.
Some of these experiences involve travel. Others are available nearby or online. Check the linked sites before making plans.
This web edition updates selected references from the book. Check current exhibitions, event dates, prices, and visiting arrangements before you go.
43 experiences across 10 themes.
No experiences match yet. Try another word, or clear your search to see them all.
See a live performance
Taylor Swift
Watch a Taylor Swift performance, even if you’re not a Swiftie. Pay attention to the musicians, stage design, and effects as well as the songs.
Live Comedy
Find a live stand-up comedy or improv show. You'll be amazed, or at least amused.
Spoken Word · Poetry Slam
Find a spoken word or slam poetry night near you. Start with the Academy of American Poets’ event listings or search for “Poetry Slam Inc.” Listen to how each poet performs their work.
Tiny Desk
Watch NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts for performances in a small room. Start with T-Pain’s set. Listen to the singing and the live accompaniment.
Explore art and design
MoMA · Refik Anadol
Explore Refik Anadol’s Unsupervised, which uses AI to create images from MoMA’s collection. The original exhibition ran in 2022–2023. You can read about it online. Check MoMA’s current exhibitions before planning a visit.
Street Art
Look for street art in your city. Try places such as Wynwood Walls in Miami or Five Points in Atlanta. Stop and take a closer look at a mural you might usually walk past.
International Center of Photography
Explore photographs from around the world at the International Center of Photography. Its website has exhibitions, collections, and resources for learning about photography.
Bauhaus
The Bauhaus movement changed modern art and design. Spend some time with the Bauhaus Archive, or explore a graphic-design history course. Pay attention to how much of that thinking is still around you.
Support artists and makers
Local Galleries
Visit a local art gallery, even if you’re not planning to buy anything. Ask what’s selling. Ask what deserves more attention. Search “art galleries near me” to find one.
Street Musicians · Buskers
And if you pass someone making music on a sidewalk, subway, or bridge, give them a twenty.
Papeterie Saint-Armand
Try paper made by hand. Saint-Armand’s Montreal workshop has closed, but its papers are still available through art suppliers. Hold a sheet up to the light and look at its texture.
Etsy
Look for independent makers selling handmade jewelry, pottery, and other work on Etsy. Read about the seller and how the item was made.
Ledbury
Look at made-to-order shirts from Ledbury in Richmond, Virginia, which my friend Paul built.
Try food and drink
Wineries
If you drink wine, visit a winery. See how the grapes are grown and ask how the wine is made. Search “wineries near me.”
The Veil Brewing Co., Richmond
If you’re in Richmond, Virginia, try The Veil Brewing Co. Ask what they’re making and try a beer you haven’t had before.
Borough Market, London
Visit Borough Market in London. Walk around the stalls, try some food, and talk to the people selling it.
Alo Farms, Atlanta
Look for a local farm such as Alo Farms in Atlanta. Find out what it grows and where you can buy its produce.
Make something
Wool and the Gang
Try knitting or crochet. Wool and the Gang sells kits with the materials and instructions you need.
Craftsy
Take an online craft class. Craftsy has courses and videos for beginners. Pick one small project and give it a try.
John C. Campbell Folk School
Attend a workshop at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina. They offer classes in traditional Appalachian crafts.
International Printing Museum
Take a letterpress printing class at the International Printing Museum in Carson, California.
Listen to music and stories
Welcome to Night Vale
Try audio dramas like Welcome to Night Vale. It's a highly regarded podcast. The voice acting and sound design are fantastic.
Opera
Go to see an opera. If you can't attend, consider purchasing an opera album, like the first-ever recording by Enrico Caruso.
Vinyl
Go to an opera. If you can’t attend, listen to a recording. Try Enrico Caruso.
The Moth
Go to a storytelling event, or listen to The Moth Radio Hour. Some of these stories will make you laugh, cry, or both. The Moth also has a podcast.
Limetown
Try Limetown, an audio drama from Two-Up Productions. Listen to how the actors and sound effects tell the story.
Read and meet writers
Poetry Readings
Go to a poetry reading at a coffee shop, bookstore, or library. Listen to someone read their own work. Search “poetry readings near me.”
Book Clubs
Join or start a book club. Talk about what you’re reading. Ask your library or local bookstore about groups nearby.
Author Readings
Attend an author reading or signing. Bookstores and libraries frequently host these events. Stay for the Q&A. Often, that's the best part because you can learn how they think and write.
Literary Magazines
Read a literary magazine and look for a writer you haven’t read before. Try The New Yorker, or browse essays and stories on Medium.
Go to a festival
Sundance Film Festival
See independent films and meet the people who made them. Sundance moves to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027. You can also look for a film festival near you and spend a day at a few screenings.
Coachella · Glastonbury · Bonnaroo
Look into Coachella, Glastonbury, or Bonnaroo. Check dates, lineups, and ticket details before planning a trip. If you go, buy the T-shirt.
American Craft Council
Check out the annual American Craft Council shows, held in cities across the US. Their big one is the American Craft Made Baltimore Marketplace.
Maker Faire
Visit a Maker Faire to see what people are building. Ask a maker how their project works and what they learned while making it.
Visit well-known venues
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Check out the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for music history. If you're in Ohio, go in person. Otherwise, explore its collections online.
Broadway & the West End
In New York, see a Broadway or off-Broadway show. In London, try the West End. Check TKTS for ticket offers before you go.
New Orleans
Explore New Orleans jazz. Better still, go and hear musicians play it live.
Visit museums and concert halls
Graceland
Graceland, Elvis Presley's home estate, includes the mansion and an entertainment complex packed with artifacts from his career, including cars, jumpsuits, and private jets. If you're near Memphis, go in person. Otherwise, explore it online.
National Gallery, London
Visit the National Gallery in London to see paintings such as The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, discussed in Chapter 6. You can also explore the collection online. Check which works are on display before visiting.
Berlin Philharmonic
See a symphony. If you can't, stream a concert from the Berlin Philharmonic's Digital Concert Hall. Or search YouTube for "best symphony performances of all time."
The Louvre
Visit the Louvre in Paris, or take a virtual tour. Spend time with a few works that interest you. There’s much more to see than the Mona Lisa.
Choose one
Make time for something you enjoy.
Choose one experience. Go in person if you can. Pay the artist. Ask a question.
If you enjoy it, tell someone about it. Then make your own list.
The book behind the resources
Human Is the New Vinyl
Why human creativity still wins in the AI revolution.