Was it the rain or the hype?
In either case, you could score a very good seat for face value for the hottest ticket of the year, Adele's concert on Tuesday night at sold-out Xcel Energy Center.
"It's tanking," said Dan Rothstein, an amateur ticket seller who had a fistful at show time on Tuesday. "There's no business in the rain."
Ticket Tim, a professional ticket salesman, said business was "terrible" on the street outside the downtown St. Paul arena for the opening night of the North American tour by pop's hottest recording artist.
He pointed out that on Tuesday morning, Xcel released lots of very good seats in sections close to the stage. "You could get row 1 in section 102 right by the stage," said Tim, adding that a late-hour release hurts sales in the secondary market.
Officially, the Wednesday concert is sold out.
Over the long holiday weekend, the singer brought a little bit of fame and glamour to some popular metro-area destinations.
Amanda Cline spotted Adele in downtown Minneapolis on Saturday. Cline was waiting for her bus at 7th Street and Hennepin Avenue S. when a dog ran up and started sniffing her feet. She saw a woman and a little boy running after the pup.
"The woman smiled and winked at me," said Cline, of Richfield, "and I didn't realize it was her till she was halfway down the street." That's when she saw the security and realized that she recognized the woman's British accent.
Adele was wearing a black, full-length onesie and leopard-print flats. The boy was her son, who was "full of temporary tattoos," Cline said. "I looked at her, and I was like, 'Oh my God, no, there's no way.' "
Adele was also seen at the Mall of America in Bloomington on Saturday, taking her son to Nickelodeon Universe.
On Sunday, Adele dined at 112 Eatery, according to a guest. The restaurant in Minneapolis' North Loop seems to be a favorite spot; she also ate there before a 2011 concert at Xcel, and even gave it a shoutout during the show.
It's safe to say the singer's got great taste. She also managed to snag a table at one of the hottest eateries in town, a vintage diner known for its meals served atop doughnut-like confections.
On Monday, she tweeted a photo of herself and her touring crew at the Hi-Lo Diner on E. Lake Street in Minneapolis, which was closed for the holiday — but open for one very special guest.
"Happy 4th July America! Really happy to be here," Adele wrote, along with an emoji of the American flag.
The photo showed the group at a retro diner, without identifying it. Some sleuthing Twitter followers, however, matched the decor in the snapshot to the Hi-Lo. Diner reps declined to comment.
Rumor had it Adele may have stopped by the tail-end of the St. Paul Saints' game Monday night to catch the fireworks with bandmates, according to folks in the Lowertown ballpark.
Speaking of rumors, it's possible Adele could be staying at one of downtown Minneapolis' tony penthouse suites. No confirmation from Hotel Ivy was forthcoming.
Staff writer Jon Bream contributed to this report.
Sharyn Jackson • 612-673-4853
@SharynJackson
