How to master U.S. Bank Stadium: Tips for concertgoers

It's a stunning stadium. But the new Vikings palace still has to work out the kinks.

The "soft opening" with 64,000 people for a soccer match wasn't exactly soft. It was overflowing with human congestion inside U.S. Bank Stadium and at light-rail stops postgame — plus vehicular traffic jams on the streets of downtown Minneapolis afterward.

Here are some tips to help make your concert experiences more satisfying.

Transportation. This requires careful planning. Not just getting there but also getting out of there and out of downtown along with 50,000 other concertgoers.

You can park close to U.S. Bank Stadium and pay up to $40. But good luck getting out of the traffic afterward, especially with ill-timed construction on Washington Avenue. Even folks who parked downtown for the soccer game reported long delays getting home.

Suggestion: Walk to the stadium.

What about parking on the West Bank of Minneapolis or in the heart of downtown and walking to and from the stadium? The best move might be heading to a bar after the concert (have another one or just sober up), replay the highlights with your friends and let the traffic thin out.

What's in, what's out. Leave your backpacks, oversized purses and even your binocular cases in the car. Same with your umbrella, fanny pack and water bottle. The Vikings website has more details on prohibited items.

Arrive early. Gates for Luke Bryan open at 5 p.m., with the music starting about 6:30 p.m. For Metallica, entrances open at 4 p.m., with the opening acts rocking at 6 p.m. Metallica goes on about 9 p.m.

Entering the stadium. None of the tickets for the soccer match indicated which gate to enter. Hence, more than 65 percent of the stadium-goers insisted on using the striking main gate, aka Legacy Gate, on the west end. Best to avoid that crowd cluster. If you've tickets for the main floor, enter through the Ecolab Gate on the north side of stadium. Otherwise, check out this map (courtesy of Vikings.com) to find which gate — Legacy (west), Pentair (south), Verizon (east), Ecolab (north) or Polaris (northwest) — corresponds to your seats.

Concessions. Of course there's an app for that (search for U.S. Bank Stadium). Which is a good thing because it isn't necessarily easy to find Revival and its fried chicken or Andrew Zimmern and his Italian porchetta sandwich. Brats, burgers, hot dogs and pretzels seem to be everywhere. Pizza, chicken, salads and even ice cream are harder to find.

Rubbernecking. There's a lot to see, from Greg Gossel's pop-art mural, "The Vikings Are Coming," to the huge Gjallarhorn horn, which is probably the definitive photo-op spot (though it will be behind the stage for concerts). Outside, the best selfie site is the 38-ton, modern-art sculpture of a Vikings horn.

Prince portrait. Any purple-blooded Minnesota music fan will want to check out Nicholas Schleif's portrait of Prince. "Purple Reign" is a mosaic of Prince lyrics crafted into an arresting work of art. Where is it? The Purple Lobby, of course, on the first level, on the south side of the stadium.

Twitter: @JonBream • 612-673-1719