My friend and I got into our seats with just about 5 minutes to spare b/c the crowd control was HORRENDOUS, as was the parking situation. One of the main garages for the Tower Theater is accessible via left turn at an *unprotected* signal, and they didn't have anyone directing traffic there, so we were stuck for 15 minutes trying to go a couple blocks to make the turn. Then inside the garage, it was pitch black, low ceilings, and no light. Luckily whoever was there directed us to go to the top, which we did and parked without issue.
(Sure, we'd found a space on the street immediately before that... but the meter was coins only. In 2019?! Sorry, but I don't have at least 8 quarters on me at any given time to carry me through the 9 PM cutoff, when 6 PM is the norm.)
So anyway, after finally being able to park, the line to get into the venue was backed up the 2 blocks to the parking garage. Luckily it started moving, but it and one other entrance were the only way in to the venue, where everyone was being wanded. The wands are standard procedure, I know, but for as many people as were there, the line was backed up WAAAAAAYYYYYYYY too far up the street to reasonably have gotten everyone in on time, even though doors apparently opened at 7 and the show promptly started at 8. When we got in with a but more than 5 minutes to spare, the line was still backed up all the way to where we'd been. There is no way those people didn't miss at least the 1st 15 minutes of the show.
Inside, the merch table was right at the entrance where there was already a bottleneck of people, and then getting to our seats (loge), you had to fight through the throngs of people at the bathroom and the bar.
Such a potential clusterfuck waiting to happen, so I'm curious if anyone here either knows of or themselves experienced issues getting into the venue on time due to the incredibly piss poor way everything was handled from parking to letting the crowd in.
Are concerts always such a shitshow at this place? I only attended there b/c it's the closest stop near me on the tour. I enjoyed the venue once I was able to sit in my seat and relax, but from about 7 PM (when we 1st got to the general area and were fighting traffic to move a block every 10 minutes) to 7:55 when we sat down, I was *not* a fan of the Tower Theater or Upper Darby.