Adele Mania Hits St. Paul

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Xcel Energy Center will be packed Tuesday night for a concert by one of the world's most famous vocalists.

Adele is kicking off her first American tour in half a decade, and she is doing it in Minnesota.

Tuesday night is the first of a two-show stint, and the lucky ones who scored tickets are in a state of exhilaration.

"We are here to see Adele," said Michelle Sampson of Des Moines, Iowa.

Those famous pipes brought the Sampson family from Iowa to St. Paul, but it took some strategizing.

"We were on a computer, a phone and a computer and another phone in another office. We were working hard at it," Todd Sampson said.

The concert patrons' long-weekend stay is music to the ears of tourism promoters.

"It's tough to even put a dollar figure on the economic impact, but we know our hotels are at capacity," said Adam Johnson, of Visit St. Paul.

Anastasia Straley from the Visit St. Paul tourism office was prominently featured in the organization's viral "Hello" parody video, and has earned the nickname "Adele" from family and friends.

"There was a bunch of parodies that came out right when the song came out, and then we thought, well, the next best time to launch a parody is right before the event shows up in our backyard," Johnson said.

Many enthusiasts have gladly crossed the river from Minneapolis to St. Paul.

"Just to see her and hear her voice," said Minneapolis resident Jessica Bedward-Edicha. "We were just in there picking up our tickets and we heard, you know, music and thought it was recorded -- and it was actually her rehearsing! So that was really cool."

It is just the beginning of a night when Minnesota says "Hello" to the artist who made that word famous.

WCCO has done some digging and found that Adele has been in town for a few days.

Happy 4th July America! Really happy to be here ???????? pic.twitter.com/rk8oEZzb77

— Adele (@Adele) July 4, 2016

She tweeted a photo that appears to be at the new Hi-Lo Diner in St. Paul. We talked to the workers there who said they cannot confirm or deny, but do say that the photo sure looks like it was taken in the diner.