Full disclosure: I have very mixed feelings about the overall experience of this concert.

U2 put on a great show, the music selection was good, a healthy mix between old and new, and the stage effects were spectacular. However, whoever was in charge of the traffic control and parking before the concert should be taken behind a woodshed and flogged. We live 20 minutes away (16 miles) and it took us almost two hours to get to the stadium. While traffic backups aren’t unexpected for a big concert, what was most frustrating was the complete lack of signage and directions!

The main exit off the highway to the stadium grounds was inexplicably closed, so all the people waiting in the right lane for several miles could have been dispersed into two lanes if a sign had been posted ahead of the closed exit. Same situation on the Blue Ridge exit: two lanes were turning right but everyone keep trying to get into the right lane causing even more delays.

We finally parked the car and hustled the 10-15 minute walk to the stadium entrance only to be confronted with even more confusion. Barriers everywhere (which people had deftly separated) and crowds of people asking what was going on while only two to three people appeared to be scanning entrance tickets. Absolutely unacceptable. In the multiple concerts I have attended over my lifetime, I have never seen a more disorganized venue than Carter-Finley stadium. I can’t imagine every NC State game is like this, so who knows what exactly the problem was?

Thankfully we made it to our seats in time to hear Muse’s last three songs, including Eric’s favorite, Starlight.

U2 came on around 8:50pm and people were still just filtering in to their seats. The floor wasn’t anywhere near full to capacity.

During the last encore, Bono asked everyone to light up their cell phones for the beautifully melancholy song, Moment of Surrender.