Zac Brown Band at Sphere, photo by Alive Coverage

Zac Brown Band took the stage in Las Vegas on Friday to kick off their limited residency at Sphere. The two-decade country-rock ensemble’s first performance on the technologically unparalleled stage aligned with the release of their seventh studio album, Love & Fear, which themed the long-awaited performance with powerful visions of frontman Zac Brown’s inner life. Before such striking imagery as lanterns souaring up to a canopy of stars and a skeleton in a crown of thorns, Brown and his long-running ensemble tore through a litany of their fan-favorite tracks like “Homegrown,” “Knee Deep,” “Toes” and “Tomorrow Never Comes,” as well as some rarities like their first live treatment of “Heavy Is the Head” since 2020 and the first “Let It Rain” since 2017.

With a heavier emphasis in the last movement of their cinematic performance, Zac Brown Band performed nine of the 13 songs on Love & Fear, six of which arrived as live debuts. Following this movement, the group closed out the show with the chart-topping “Chicken Fried,” then landed on the impactful Jekyll + Hyde staple “Remedy,” which they hadn’t performed since 2019.

“From darkness to light. From pain to joy. I realized I could create something that connected my journey to others… I stand up here and look into your faces. I see myself in your eyes. We’re all sharing in this human experience. Life is hard, but we’re gonna be okay.” Brown shared during a monologue in his first Sphere performance, per People. “I believe we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be. But time stops for none of us, so no more darkness. Bob Marley said, ‘From the darkness there must come out a light.’ No destinations, no regrets, no more fear. It’s fuck yes, or it’s no. It’s the only remedy, so let’s go.”

Zac Brown Band will perform six more times at Sphere through Jan. 17. Find tickets and more information at zacbrownband.com. Get an inside look at Friday’s show in the gallery below, courtesy of Alive Coverage.