It’s no surprise if you’ve never heard of Felix the Drum Machine. After all, they don’t have a MySpace page and they’ve played once since 2000. Some may say Felix is as elusive as Jandek — sans 61 self-released albums.

To that effect, here is a quick initiation: Felix is a band formed of members of Lonnie Walker, Future Islands and Annuals while they were still in high school. To say the least, they were a band ahead of their indie electronica time as they combined elements of drum loops, live instruments and brooding vocals.

Back is September, that little high school experiment reemerged with a performance at The Brewery alongside the aforementioned Lonnie Walker and Future Islands. Prior to two months ago, the last time the four members performed together, they were in their late teens. Now in their late 20s, Felix still likes to goof around but still plays engaging party tunes.

Add in another band starring members of Lonnie Walker and Annuals, and you have a Thanksgiving show with the makings of an epic evening.

NAPS — featuring LW’s Brian Corum, Annuals’  Zack Oden, Daniel Michael and Nathan Price — will once again take the stage at Slim’s Downtown on Nov. 26; this time joined by Felix the Drum Machine — featuring Jackpot deejay Brian Shaw and Future Islands’ William Cashion.

Corum and Oden will play double duty on guitar and drums, respectively, in both bands.

Felix’s last show was billed as a one-time reunion — obviously that didn’t happen, so we’ll see where The Machine will take them. As for NAPS … just let their newly released EP speak for itself, and check out photos from their Oct. 20 performance at Slim’s.

Two of the Triangle’s most in-demand bands will square off in a battle of the bands sponsored by Red Bull on Nov. 12 at the Hibernian Restaurant & Pub in Raleigh.

Red Bull Sounclash will bring The Foreign Exchange’s R&B melodies together with The Love Language’s lo-fi indie pop in a unique opportunity to see these two bands share the stage.

“Lalita” by The Love Language

“I think it’s brilliant! I couldn’t have thought of a better motley group,” Missy Thangs of The Love Language  said in a release. “I just want to have fun and don’t want to be too competitive and get to know some really cool talented people. I don’t know another time I’ll get to run into these cats.”

The event will be hosted by 102 Jamz deejay Kyle Santillian and feature a soundtrack provided by Public Enemy’s DJ Lord.

“Daykeeper” by The Foreign Exchange

The two bands will compete in four events: The Cover, The Takeover, The Clash and The Wild Card. The ultimate winner will be decided by the audience.

For The Cover round, each band will perform the same cover song; while during The Takeover round, one band will begin playing an original song and the other band will have to finish the second half in their own style. The Clash round has each band playing their songs in tune with DJ Lord’s spinning, and the final round allows the band on stage to welcome a special musical guest to join its performance.

Red Bull Soundclash is a free 18-and-up event with gates scheduled to open at 7 p.m. at the intersection of North Street and Glenwood Avenue next to Hibernian Restaurant & Pub.

Chapel Hill-based Fin Fang Foom will celebrate the release of its first new LP in six years at Local 506 along side Maple Stave and Ben Davis & The Jetts.

Monomyth is set to be released Nov. 24 through Lovitt Records with the album release show planned for Nov. 14.

“Magnetic North” by Fin Fang Foom

“Monomyth sums up all the travails the band has weathered to this point — not literally, but emotionally,” a press release explains. “It’s a brooding yet hopeful work that finds Fin Fang Foom humbled but unbowed.”

The album comes after the death of drummer Peter Enriquez and the near-death of guitarist Michael Triplet following a bout with spinal meningitis in 2004. It was through these two experiences the band overcame the odds of breaking up, and instead crafted a record that pays homage to the human condition.

“That, to me, is a hero’s journey,” frontman Eddie Sanchez explains of Triplet’s fight against the often-fatal disease. “From life to death and back.”

In addition to Fin Fang Foom’s Nov. 14 show at Local 506, the band will perform at The Pinhook in Durham on Dec. 18 with Gray Young and Free Electric State.

The Foreign Exchange’s Zo! released a covers EP today that features appearances from Durham’s Phonte, Darien Brockington and Carlitta Durand.

“Working on this record has been a labor of love for everybody involved, and we hope it serves as a teaser for Zo’s upcoming full-length SunStorm, dropping next summer on FE Music,” Phonte writes.

…just visiting too also features guest vocals from Sy Smith and The Foreign Exchange’s Yahzarah. The album includes covers of Stevie Wonder, The Jones Girls, Prince, Don Blackman, Bobby Caldwell, Quincy Jones and The Isley Brothers.

The album is being offered as a free download through The Foreign Exchange Web site and includes a “digital pdf booklet complete with all the album credits, information on the album’s vocalists and contributors, as well as information on the originals.”

Back in January, Annuals guitarist and Sunfold frontman Kenny Florence mentioned that Sunfold was gearing up to release a series of EPs that would work around a common concept.

Ten months later, the first of those EPs is ready to be unleashed through Terpsikhore Records. The Harmonia Macrocosmica, Pt. 1 will be released some time in November and features artwork by Florence.

“Levels” by Sunfold

The four-track EP is anchored by the track “Levels,” which was previously streamed on the band’s MySpace page, and  the Hear Here cut “Weeping Wall.”

You know, Embarrassing Fruits‘ frontman Joe Norkus is a very generous guy. And for Halloween — or a couple days after Halloween — he’s provided the invaluable gift of music.

Norkus is offering Hollerin’ Haints as a free download through Sufficient Records. Also available are his albums Digital Hiss,  Livin’ in the Wrong Times and Covers.

And if you missed the Fruits’ performance on Sessions at Studio B, head over to the video’s landing page to check it out.

It seems like a lot of people have issues with Lincoln Theatre. I’ve personally never had a problem with the venue. I mean, The National performed there, which — you know — was awesome.

But things may get a little sloppy with Jägerbombs at the downtown club the next time Breakfast Club comes through.

Growing Up Southern via New Raleigh reports that Lincoln Theatre will introduce liquor to its bar; and by doing so, the venue will require a membership to go to shows. Apparently you can just sign up for the newsletter to score a membership — I’m still awaiting that confirmation.

This won’t be too different from the format at Local 506, just be sure to go ahead and sign up to avoid any ridiculous “Non Member” lines.

Halloween is just four days away, which means it’s time for Christmas music!

Wait, what?

Bob Dylan — unfortunately — seems to think so. And after listening to clips on Amazon.com and fighting the urge to cut off my ears, I’ve finally rehabilitated and am stoked to hear some quality tunes.

It only seems fitting that a band with the secular season in its name be the one to provide me with the first of my holiday indulgence.

Studio B alums The Winter Sounds sent word that they have a track featured on the XO Publicity holiday comp this year. To their credit, they also released an equally catchy Christmas tune on last year’s comp.

“The Anthem Is A Gift” by The Winter Sounds

Meanwhile, frontman Patrick Keenan mentioned a program the band is involved in to gather some funds to records The Winter Sounds‘ new album.

“Kickstarter is a fundraising tool that we are using to raise money to fund our next record,” Keenan explained. “The beauty of Kickstarter is the way in which people can donate or pledge.”

Each donation or pledge is reward with something different depending on the amount contributed.

“[W]e’ve got everything from handmade scarves; a handmade, handwritten book of lyrics of all our recorded music; T-shirts; hoodies; signed tour posters; etc … all the way up to having us write a song for someone!” Keenan said. “Mostly Kickstarter acts as a pre-order giving us a chance to offer up our future record in exchange for the funds to record it.”

When the band initially launched the program in September, the goal was set at $3,000. With 47 days to go, The Winter Sounds has raised more than $4,000; and the more money they can earn, the better the finished product will ultimately be.

After The Infamous Sugar was forced to cancel its performance tonight at Berkeley Cafe, the apologetically rock ‘n’ roll bill was reduced to a three band lineup with a surprise “supergroup.”

However, now comes word that NAPS will take the stage along side Colossus, A Rooster For The Masses and The T’s. The aforementioned “supergroup” has, unfortunately, also canceled

This evening’s showcase is presented by the folks at New Raleigh, and doors are set to open at 9 p.m. with the show scheduled to start at 10. Admission is $7.

Tonight’s performance will be NAPS’ second appearance during this year’s Cherry Bounce Festival, and third for Lonnie Walker’s Brian Corum. Previously, NAPS opened Music.MyNC’s showcase at Slim’s Downtown on Tuesday, while Corum headlined a night of acoustic music and magic at Raleigh Times on Monday.

NAPS features Corum on guitar and effects, Annuals‘ Zack Oden on drums, Nathan Price on bass, and Daniel Michael on guitar and vox. If you haven’t heard them yet, check out some tunes on MySpace, and download their recently released EP of home demos.

Could we hope for an all Brian Corum Cherry Bounce? Let’s rally for Lonnie Walker to be added somewhere on the bill and Felix the Drum Machine just before Man Man.

Grammy Award-winning prog rockers The Mars Volta have canceled tonight’s performance at Disco Rodeo in Raleigh, Live Nation reports.

Refunds will be available at the point of purchase beginning Oct. 26; tickets purchased online or by phone will be refunded automatically.

At this point, no information is available as to why the band canceled tonight’s show.

Memphis-based Jay Reatard will hit up Local 506 in Chapel Hill with a new band in tote on Dec. 1.

Enlisting the help of Anders Thode and Jacob Elving of Danish punk band Cola Freaks, Reatard will hit the road in the U.S. after returning from Europe on Nov. 21.

“Wounded” by Jay Reatard

The new line up comes after the public breakup of Reatard’s former band via Twitter.

“Band quit! F*** them! They are boring rich kids who can’t play for ahit [sic] anyways … Say hello to your ugly and boring wifes opps I mean lifes guys suck it,” Reatard Tweeted Oct. 6.

“So who wants to see just how terrible it is to play in my band,” Reatard followed 16 hours later. “I mean it’s so so hard I promise it’s the worst “

Ticket information for the show is not yet available.

Teenage country music superstar Taylor Swift is set to continue her Fearless tour in 2010, and she plans to bring the show to the RBC Center in Raleigh on May 1.

Joining Swift is Albemarle’s own Kellie Pickler and Wilmington’s Gloriana.

“I’m so excited to take the Fearless tour back out on the road again in 2010!” Taylor said in a release. “This year’s tour has been so much fun and even more unforgettable than I ever imagined. The fans have been so amazing, and I’m thrilled to play in new cities and see even more of my fans on the 2010 Fearless tour!”

And more than likely, Taylor made those remarks exactly like that — exclamation points and all. She may have even dotted the exclamation points with little hearts or smiley faces.

Tickets for the show go on sale Oct. 30 at 10 a.m. through the RBC Center box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone and online.

Considering the RBC Center’s capacity is about a third of the number of people who attended the U2 concert, there shouldn’t be nearly as many parking and traffic issues. However, keep in mind that almost everyone shows up and leaves a concert at the same time as opposed to athletic events when people trickle in and out.

Yo Taylor, I’m really happy for you. Ima let you finish, but U2 had one of the worst traffic nightmares of all time.

On a side note, while Taylor Swift is booking in Raleigh, Kanye is canceling in Greensboro.

The Moody Blues is coming to the Durham Performing Arts Center on March 24 during its 2010 Tour.

“This great new event adds to the DPAC legacy of presenting legendary classic rock,” Bob Klaus, general manager of DPAC, said in a release. “With Jackson Browne, the Steve Miller Band, Steely Dan and others already gracing our stage, The Moody Blues is a next step in our mission to host the greatest rock bands in the world on the big stage at DPAC.”

Tickets for the show go on-sale Dec. 4 at 10 a.m. through the DPAC box office, by phone, online, and all Ticketmaster outlets and retailers. Ticket prices range from $38.50 to $69.50.

The Moody Blues’ most recent studio release was 2003’s December, which was a collection of Christmas tunes performed by the influential prog rock band. In 2008, the band also released a live album and DVD of their performance at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival.

Wu-Tang’s own Raekwon will be at Schoolkids Records on Hillsborough Street this Thursday, Oct. 22 from 5 until 7 p.m.

He’ll be in store to sign copies of his recently released album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II.

I know the corner of the poster says “October 21,” but the signing is actually the 22nd.

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II is Raekwon’s fourth solo album and was released Sept. 8 though EMI.

Dave Rawlings Machine is set to return to the Triangle in support of the band’s up-coming debut album, A Friend of a Friend.

The band — which features Dave Rawlings, Gillian Welch and members of Old Crow Medicine Show — will perform at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro Nov. 30. Tickets go on sale “soon” for $20.

Dave Rawlings Machine will release A Friend of a Friend Nov. 17 through Acony Records; and follow its release with a tour of the East Coast and into the heartland. The album is Rawlings’ first solo release and features seven tunes penned by Rawlings and two covers — Jesse Fuller’s “The Monkey and the Engineer” and a Conor Oberst/Neil Young medley.

“I had a few older songs that I had written with other artists that I wanted to record myself,” Rawlings explained. “Then the last year or so Gillian and I spent a good deal of time in Los Angeles, hanging out with a new group of musicians and songwriters.  This inspired a number of songs that seemed to complete the picture.  So we started recording.  It was as much of a surprise to me as it was to anybody.”

Rawlings also recorded his own version of Raleigh ex-pat Ryan Adams’ “To Be Young,” which Rawlings co-wrote with Adams for his Heartbreaker album.

Dave Rawlings Machine previously performed in the Triangle at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre on Aug. 10 as part of Old Crow Medicine Show’s The Big Surprise Tour.

Raleigh’s own Annuals will headline First Night Raleigh just before the clock strikes midnight and the city celebrate the beginning of a new decade.

Artsplosure officially announced on Friday that the six-piece will perform on the main stage at 10:30 p.m. followed by “the annual Acorn Drop and fireworks at midnight.”

Admission buttons will be available beginning Dec. 1 for $9 at area Harris Teeters, “as well as other local outlets.” beginning December 1. Children five and under can get in for free, and buttons will be available at the event for children ages 6 to 12 for $10 and $12 for adults.

Triangle ex-pat Justin Vernon rode a massive wave of success — a tsunami, even — with his Bon Iver project after the release of the 2007 critical smash hit For Emma, Forever Ago.

Alas, it looks as if Vernon’s Bon Vernon alter ego may suffer the same fate as DeYarmond Edison — the band that spawned Durham’s own freak folksters Megafaun and the aforementioned Bon Iver.

“Skinny Love” by Bon Iver

Vernon posted on his Web site Tuesday that Bon Iver would go on hiatus “for the foreseeable future.”

“Wrapping up a meteor is a difficult proposition,” Vernon writes. “Bon Iver turned the page on this chapter of the story by heading home to Wisconsin, acting as honorary chair for AIDS WALK Wisconsin, and playing one more show before taking a well-deserved break from public performance.”

“Blood Bank” by Bon Iver

As Pitchfork points out, in the middle of the show Vernon cites in his post, the singer assures the audience that the performance would be the band’s last “until next year, or something.”

That “final” show, which took place at Milwaukee’s Riverside Theatre on October 11, is now available to stream courtesy of Radio Milwaukee. And until “something” comes up in the Bon Iver camp, we still have Volcano Choir.

“Island, Is” by Volcano Choir

This year’s Have a Holly Raleigh Christmas benefit compilation is receiving a slight alteration as the focus of the album turns to “children’s” music.

Re-branded as Have a Holly Raleigh KIDSmas, the compilation still features an amazing line up of Triangle-area musicians, but the artists have focused their attention on creating children’s Christmas songs.

The album spans 12 tracks with contributions from The Beast, The Proclivities, The Rosebuds, Mommie, A Rooster for the Masses and many more.

As always, Sir Walter Records is planning album release parties to celebrate the compilation’s release. The first will be Nov. 19 at Tir Na Nog — which looks to be part of Local Beer Local Band — and the second show is Nov. 21 at Marbles Kids Museum after the Raleigh Christmas Parade.

Sales from the album benefit the Community Music School.

Oklahoma City-based The Uglysuit has canceled its show Tuesday evening at Local 506 due to “a circumstance beyond their control.”

The show is the only date on the band’s tour that is canceled at this point, though the band hopes to soon return to the Triangle to make up the date.

“We apologize for any inconveniences … The band and its management hope that The Uglysuit will be able to return to North Carolina again very soon for a performance,” the band’s management said in a release.

This does not mean, however, that the show will not go on tonight at Local 506. In fact Yep Roc’s own recent signee Drink Up Buttercup is set to headline this evening with Givers scheduled to open.

“Sosey and Dosey” by Drink Up Buttercup

Tickets for tonight’s show are $8 and doors open at 9:30 p.m.

The latest and final band to be featured on Converse’s six-part XX Merge acoustic series is Raleigh’s own The Rosebuds.

“The Rosebuds performance completes the six week series at Converse.com showcasing Merge bands performing stripped-down sets somewhat spontaneously in various locations during the festival,” the label explains.

For the performance, Ivan and Kelly set up shop in the headquarters of Raleigh Denim, with jeans craftsman Victor Lytvinenko making an appearance on snaps.

The Rosebuds performed the song “Leaves Do Fall” from their 2007 album Birds Make Good Neighbors.

Milltown is quickly becoming the place to be for acoustic shows from some of the Triangle’s strongest indie acts.

The trend recently began with the Trekky collective making an appearance at the Carrboro beer haven on Sept. 27, then continued with a solo performance from Schooner’s Reid Johnson on Oct. 4 along with Jennyanykind’s Michael Holland.

Now comes word that North Elementary’s John Harrison and Betty Rupp will take the stage this Sunday, Oct. 18 just before the Built to Spill show across the way at Cat’s Cradle. Joining John and Betty are The Kingsbury Manx’s Bill Taylor and Regina Hexaphone’s Sara Bell.

The show is set to start around 7 p.m. and run until 9. Doors open for Built to Spill at 8 p.m. with the opening band hitting the stage at 9.

The Troika Music Festival is set to span nine stages over three days throughout Durham, and today the organizers announced the ninth and final stage of the event.

The Durham Performing Arts Center will host Backstage at the DPAC on Nov. 5 at 8:30 p.m.

The show will feature performances from Bowerbirds, The Future Kings of Nowhere (solo), Humble Tripe and Ghost Cats on the mainstage at DPAC. Giving the show that “backstage” feel, audience members are invited to join the bands on stage for a more intimate performance.

“It’s a great opportunity for everyone to experience the grandness of Durham’s beautiful new theater in an intimate on-stage setting,” the organizers explained.

This year’s Troika festival will run from Nov. 5 through 7. Full-festival passes are available for $20 or an individual day pass is available for $8.

One of the best local shows I caught this year was Lake Inferior’s EP release party at Local 506 in February. Kicking off the evening with a chamber orchestra, the band was accompanied by trippy visuals and even included a spot-on cover of MGMT’s “Electric Feel.”

That show alone put them on my short list of bands to watch in 2009. Unfortunately, things went pretty quiet in the Lake Inferior camp over the summer.

It seems that was in part due to band working on the follow-up to its debut EP — which we will see the likes of on Nov. 12. The album will be the band’s second release through UNC-based student-run label Vinyl Records; and the label’s first to fulfill its namesake as Pegasaur will see the light of day on beautiful 10″ vinyl.

“Pegasaur finds the band delving into swells of electric guitars and washed-out synthesizers, filled with burbling poly-rhythmic delight,” the label explains. “The record is equal parts swirling dance atmospheres (’Addressing Parents’) and 8-bit Star Fox soundtrack (’Gepeddo’).”

“Gepeddo” by Lake Inferior

A limited number of 430 copies of the album will be made available, so expect those to go more quickly than the band’s self-titled debut.

To celebrate the release of Pegasaur, the band is planning a show at Local 506 on Nov. 12 with The Honored Guests and Gift Horse. Admission is just $7 and includes a copy of the 10″.

Also coming up on the band’s schedule, Lake Inferior will appear on Sessions at Studio B on Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. As always, the performance with be streamed live right here on Music.MyNC and forever archived for your unlimited enjoyment. The following Monday, the band will be on WKNC at 3 p.m. with DJ Siren to talk about Pegasaur and perform a handful of cuts.

UNC-based rapper Lexicon is the latest musician to be featured in Vinyl Records‘ semi-monthly download series, “VR Presents.”

“Over the course of the past year he has become one of the most, if not simply the most, controversial musicians on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus,” Vinyl Records states in a release. “With song titles as blatantly suggestive as ‘F*** Yo Mans’ and ‘Butterscotch,’ the controversy surrounding UNC’s most prolific and versatile hip-hop act is certainly warranted.”

The student-run label is offering Lexicon’s latest mixtape as a free download through its download series. Lexicon: The Classics collects “some of Lexicon’s best work from the past year” — including “F*** Yo Mans,” “Alright” and “Butterscotch” from his Edna mixtape, and “Ice Cube” and “Can’t Stop Us” from I Am NC.

Despite previously appearing on mixtapes, the tracks have been reworked by Lexicon.

If you missed Vinyl Records last featured artist, you can still download Aminal’s phenomenal EPs here.

Durham’s The Mountain Goats stopped in to The Colbert Report Tuesday night; and during an interview with lead Goat John Darnielle, Colbert revealed his fondness for the trio.

“Well I’m not gonna hide the fact that I’m a fan,” Colbert told Darnielle. “You’re about to get the Colbert bump. You ready to blow up? You’re not indie anymore, you’re gonna be bigger than the swine flu vaccine.”

Talking about the band’s name, Colbert asked Darnielle why he went with ‘Mountain Goats’ rather than a “cooler” animal like  ‘Mountain Lions.’

“I think mountain goats are the coolest animals because they can climb nearly vertical surfaces,” Darnielle explained. “And in their arrogance, they will start to jump ravines that they can’t actually make. But they look at a far cliff and go, ‘I’m a mountain goat, I can make that.’ And so every year many of them … will plummet to their deaths. “

“So you named your band after an animal that has suicidal pride,” Colbert then quipped.

In addition to the interview, The Mountain Goats performed “Psalms 40:2″ from the recently released biblically themed album The Life of the World to Come. Check out the video of the performance after the break.

If you missed The Old Ceremony’s Django Haskins, and The Love Language’s Stuart McLamb and Miss Thangs at Words to Music: Songwriters Up Close on Oct. 2, the full 2-hour video is now up on ustream.

The songwriters performed their songs together in an intimate setting at Deep Dish Theater Company in Chapel Hill while giving insight into inspirations and the songwriting process.

“Words to Music, the theater’s newest offering, is a series of conversations with and acoustic performances by leading area singer/songwriters,” the Deep Dish Web site explains of the series. The next in-the-round styled performance is scheduled for Jan. 22.

If you’re unfamiliar with Missy outside of The Love Language, check out Soft Company. In August she released Soft Company’s debut EP, which is available as a 6-song 7-inch with a digital download code.

After they finished tracking their new album, The Old Ceremony wasted no time in plotting a massive fall tour that will take the band from the East Coast into America’s heartland and Canada.

“TOC tours the heartland with Jessica Lea Mayfield and the southeast, mid-atlantic, northeast, Canada and Chicago with the Modern Skirts!,” the band writes.

The tour will kickoff Oct. 6 in Little Rock and continue through Nov. 19 in Asheville where they’ll land at the Rocket Room. Along the way, The Old Ceremony will make a hometown stop at Cat’s Cradle on Nov. 6 with Modern Skirts and in Shelby, N.C. for The Art of Sound Music Festival on Dec. 23.

The Old Ceremony spent the beginning of the summer setting up shop at Sound of Music studios in Richmond to begin work on the follow-up to Walk On Thin Air, which was released Feb. 10, 2009.

“SOM is located in an old factory in an historic, dirty, and possibly haunted part of Richmond, and the main room there is an enormous white room with 30ft tin ceiling and lots of personality,” frontman Django Haskins blogged in June. “[T]his time, we just all set up in the big room and let it fly. I even did some vocals live. So the guitar, bass, drums, keys, etc. all share the same air, bleed into each other and sound like a band playing together.”

In the mean time, you can check out The Old Ceremony’s appearance on Sessions at Studio B over on the video’s landing page, and find the complete list of tour dates below the jump.

By Kerry Hall, NBC17

Major traffic jams around Carter-Finley Stadium Saturday night put at damper on one of the most anticipated events the Triangle has experienced in more than a decade.

About 60,000 fans headed to the stadium to hear iconic rock band U2 Saturday, but some ticket-holders found themselves stuck in gridlock traffic on 1-40 for hours.

The slow-moving traffic meant some missed the beginning of the band’s performance. Some people were so frustrated they pulled over and parked on the side of Wade Avenue rather than wait to get into a parking lot.

McLaurin Parking Company, which managed parking for the show, blames the back-ups on a combination of factors.

Vice President of McLaurin Parking Steve McLaurin says unlike football games when fans trickle into the stadium parking lots over several hours, the bulk of the concert-goers showed up in a very short period of time.

“We opened the gate for U2 four hours before the event,” he said. “And for the first two hours, we got very, very little traffic entering any of the 12 gates we had open.”

Additionally, football season regulars are more familiar with different routes to stadium parking than many of the out-of-towners who traveled to Raleigh for the concert.

McLaurin says a large proportion of the crowd was traveling to the stadium from the west on Interstate 40.

“We had a lot of cars trying to come in on one road and only use one or two of the entrances,” he said.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol was in charge of routing and directing traffic.

“We knew the amount of people that could be placed into Carter-Finley,” Sgt. Jeff Gordon said. “What you cannot prepare for, or dictate, is when people leave. If everybody leaves at one time from one particular location, you’re going to have gridlock.”

Both parties agree lessons can be learned about managing an event as large as the U2 concert.

McLaurin says it might be useful to track the zip codes of ticket buyers to better understand the directions from which people will be arriving at the stadium. That could give them more information to educate people about different routes to access parking.