A Dome Idea
Mesmerica
Review by Ross Anthony

Looking for an evening of out of the ordinary entertainment? Mesmerica marries mesmerizing immersive animations with soothing sounds that are hand and thumb tapped from a more modern variant of the steel drum called the hang. Mesmerica plays with or without the composer in person. Mr. James Hood was live in his technicolor LED dream coat surrounded by a small orchestra of hangs at our particular screening. His presence certainly added to the psychedelic tapestry of the event – but Mesmerica still takes audiences away without an in-person James Hood because he also recorded the soundtrack. When you lean back in your rocker chair, the visuals roll across the dome like clouds. Let them sweep you away like a leaf along a gentle current. At the risk of sounding like a hippie – it's about the experience.

Imagine playing with a kaleidoscope at a sound mediation.

A word on eyeglasses. I wear glasses, sometimes I found them problematic, because the visuals spill far off the size of my rims. I experimented with taking them off and even at times squinting on purpose. I found varying animations were enhanced by this experimentation.

A word on words. Occasionally, in addition to the wonderful music, Mr. Hood's voice steps in to cajole a certain state of mind. While some may appreciate the suggestion, I found it distracting from the certain state of mind the rich music and eye candy had already aptly provided for me.

A word on seating. The legless rocker is the perfect "chair" for viewing. It allows you to rock your field of view around the dome to follow what interests you. Also, the rocker's shape and horizontal disposition evoke the sense of space ship, which fits the event perfectly. I loved imagining I was in a spaceship with a dome-shaped windshield. (Btw, to avoid stressing your neck, I suggest stuffing your purse or jacket in the lumbar so that the back of your head rests nicely on the top of the rocker.)

While some animations carry you away better than others, all in all, it's a lovely experience everyone should try.

Produced and Presented by Moodswings, LLC and Vortex Immersion Media and showcases in LA in The Vortex Dome. The Multi-City schedule is here: www.mesmerica.com.

-- Books by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony --


  • 2019 The Vortex Dome DTLA: Mesmerica with James Hood live. Copyright © 2019. Live event review by Ross Anthony based on a November 2019 visit • Los Angeles, CA .

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Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186. Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow.


Last Modified: Monday, 16-Dec-2019 18:34:56 PST