View I-440 / southern Beltline work in a larger map

Expect long delays AGAIN this weekend when a resurfacing project on the southeast corner of Interstate 440 (formerly known as the Raleigh Beltline) closes three of the four lanes for drivers on I-440 West (formerly known as the Outer Beltline).

From 9 p.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Monday, I-440 West drivers will be funneled into the far left lane between the I-40 split and Poole Road.  I-440 West drivers will not have access to Poole Road, and the ramp from I-40 West to I-440 West will be closed, NCDOT says.

This will cause extra hassles for music fans driving to and from concerts Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the nearby Walnut Creek Amphitheatre. And concert traffic will add to the Beltline backup. (See recommended Walnut Creek detour routes.) ... [MORE]

This will be a big weekend for concerts at Walnut Creek -- Creed on Friday, Brad Paisley on Saturday and Kiss on Sunday -- which is going to mean traffic snarls all three nights because road work is continuing on I-440 West between the I-40 East/I-440 split and Poole Road, with the Poole Road exit ramp from I-440 West closed. So alternate routes are advised:

Going to the concert from westbound I-40, take Jones Sausage Road to Rock Quarry Road.

After the concert, if you're using Rock Quarry Road and need to get on I-440 West, take Rock Quarry Road to New Hope Road to Poole Road to I-440 West; or Rock Quarry Road to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Poole Road to I-440 West.

After the concert, if you're using Rock Quarry Road and need to get on I-40, take Rock Quarry Road to Jones Sausage Road to I-40 East; or Rock Quarry Road to I-40 West.

After the concert, if you're using Sunnybrook Road, go north to Poole Road to access I-440.

View I-440 / southern Beltline work in a larger map

Expect long delays this weekend when a resurfacing project on the southeast corner of Interstate 440 (formerly known as the Raleigh Beltline) closes three of the four lanes for drivers on I-440 West (formerly known as the Outer Beltline).

From 9 p.m. Friday until 6:30 a.m. Monday, I-440 West drivers will be funneled into the far right lane between the I-40 split and Poole Road.  The ramp from I-40 West and I-440 West will be closed, NCDOT says.

This will cause extra hassles Saturday evening for music fans driving to and from the nearby Walnut Creek Amphitheatre for a Jack Johnson concert. And concert traffic will add to the Beltline backup. [8/20/10 update: Detailed detour advice from Walnut Creek management.] [MORE] ...

Way back in 1991, the year Walnut Creek Amphitheatre opened in Raleigh, it booked the closing show of its debut season in November -- R&B singer Patti LaBelle. It was an utter catastrophe, as temperatures plummetted down to near the freezing mark. That might still be the most uncomfortable night I've ever spent out there, and it was all for naught. After an interminable delay following opening act Freddie Jackson, LaBelle came onstage to announce that, due to the frigid temperature, she didn't feel as if she could give us "the show you deserve," with the clothes and the hair and the wailing. So she wasn't going to perform.

The crowd erupted into boos, with many shouting at her to leave and never come back. LaBelle did return to play Walnut Creek a few years later, during the heat of the summer, and all seemed forgiven. But Walnut Creek has never booked a show in November since, choosing instead to end every outdoor-music season in October (including this year, which is scheduled to wrap with Martina McBride on Oct. 4).

Cary's Booth Amphitheatre, however, is going to roll the dice. Just announced: A Nov. 8 date with country singer (and Hannah Montana dad) Billy Ray Cyrus as headliner. It's part of a concert celebration "recognizing the missions of the American Red Cross and the National Veterans Freedom Park, while honoring our Nation's veterans, military personnel and their families."

We'll see how that goes. Meanwhile, tickets go on sale at noon Tuesday.

Out this week is a two-disc live DVD by the Vermont jam band Phish. Big deal, right? Well, this one is notable because it was shot in Raleigh. "Phish Walnut Creek" came from a 1997 show at our local big outdoor joint, which took place during a wrath-of-God thunderstorm. From the liner notes to the set:

On July 22, 1997, Phish performed the second show of their U.S. summer tour at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre in Raleigh, NC, through a torrent of rain, thunder and lightning. Rather than cancel the gig, the band played on with the music mirroring the peaks in the storm's intensity. Highlights include "Down With Disease" that slowly segues into "Mike's Song" -- the first and only time these two classic tunes were ever paired together in such a way -- as well as "Taste," complete with near-Biblical thunder and lightning display.

Also from that particular orbit, Phish bassist Mike Gordon plays Wednesday night at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh.