Although Noah Kahan has left Raleigh, the commotion surrounding his Saturday evening concert appearance has left a lasting impact on the city.
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From headache-inducing traffic, long lines of fans at official merch detours and a divisive (in jest) statement about NC State ruling over Duke and UNC, Kahan’s July 25 performance still has people talking.
“It rained all day, and somehow, from 9am to 4pm, there was never a moment without a line out the door,” Parallax Coffee Lab said on their Instagram, referencing the singer’s merchandise collaboration with the business. “We can’t begin to tell you how much your support means to our little corner of Wendell. We are so thankful for Kahan and to all of our partners…”
Bellow Butcher Co. owner, Chris Gass shared with the News & Observer that the line outside the business began forming at 9:30 a.m. before opening at 11 a.m. The Dashboard, their exclusive collaboration with the Noah Kahan’s team, sold 83 sandwiches in 49 minutes before running out. Bellow Butcher Co. sales were up 25% from a normal Saturday.
“Fans were happy to support one of his detours,” Gass, who also owns another detour spot, Daughter’s Soft Serve, said. “Nobody was bent out of shape when we ran out…. This was a great way to support small businesses, and it was awesome.”
While businesses where positively impacted by the influx of people to the area, concertgoers took to the Internet to share a range of opinions on the event traffic.
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“It was way smoother for me than any Lenovo show I’ve ever been to,” a Redditor said online. “I was out of the venue, back to my car, out of the lot and back home by the airport in 30 mins.”
“Pickup was a disaster,” another Redditor said. “No incoming traffic allowed. No signs with detour instructions. All roads to the stadium were blocked. People waiting in the ride-share area were f-ed. No one could get to them.”
“The whole situation genuinely ruined the mood,” a Redditor said. “Tell me why the practice facility parking was largely at a standstill for almost 2 hours?? Tons and tons of people were getting frustrated because traffic cops refused to find a way to let us out.”
The News & Observer reached out to the Raleigh Police Department for more details about Saturday night’s traffic but had not heard back by the time of publication.
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