LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Tech agencies have teamed up at StarBase here in Las Vegas to take live entertainment to a virtual dimension.
StarBase is the world’s first hybrid event center in Vegas that uses high technology to take people to another dimension and present entertainment to a real-life audience or the comfort of your own living room.
A comedy club unlike anything anyone has seen before. There is no need to buy tickets, the only thing you must do is put on a virtual reality headset and you are in. Bret Ernst, who is a comedian and actor with a residency at the Strat, says this will help after not being able to perform due to COVID.
“I lost every gig, I mean we couldn’t travel, so what happened is we started doing these zoom shows, I only did one and it wasn’t that effective,” Ernst said.
This project was created by multiple tech companies who teamed up at StarSpace in the valley to transform live comedians into holograms with the help of new and advanced technology called PORTL.
Comedians like Ernst can now be in front of a live audience and in a VR space at the same time.
“I can perform comedy in my underwear, in my living room, and no one will even know it,” Ernst said.
Kyle Render is the CEO and founder of Failed To Render Comedy. Render and his team created this virtual club on software called Microsoft Altspace. It gives guests the chance to go into virtual reality or they have the option to watch from their lounge at StarSpace in person.
“I have been bringing live professional talent in here and we have had more than 100 professional comics from around the world on my stag,” says Render.
This is the first virtual venue like this to exist in the world and it was created right here in Las Vegas.
The comedy club has a staging area where comedians perform, they also have bars and their very own VIP room. The cost to be a part of this club is free. All you need to do is simply go to their website, create your avatar, and enjoy the show.
“To perform to people who are at their homes, in the safety of their homes and we can provide entertainment to the entire world, it is breathtaking and one of the most amazing things we have ever put together,” Render said
He says Bret Ernst is their first headliner, but they are hoping to bring in a different comedian every month.
