Around the Superdome, the transformation was nothing short of amazing.

On most days, there’s little traffic in the area. Several buildings remain shuttered, the mall next to the arena is lie a ghost town and there isn’t much else to entice anyone to visit.

On this day, though, it was party central. Bands played and fans milled about several hours before kickoff, happy to be killing time again before a game. Scalpers paced the sidewalks, asking if anyone had extra tickets.

Traffic ground to a halt, and not even Brees was spared the hassle. Finally arriving at the dome two hours before kickoff, he couldn’t find a spot to park and was ready to leave his car on a concrete island. Someone finally found a place for him to go, and he drove off to the cheers of fans.

Every seat in the Superdome was filled 30 minutes before the game began, and fans danced and sang while U2 and Green Day rocked out. High up on the facade below the top deck, a simple black and white banner read, “Thank You America! New Orleans & Saints Are Here To Stay!”

“Tonight the word ’homecoming’ will take on a new meaning and will forever be redefined by what is happening here in the Superdome,” former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said.

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One game doesn’t mean, of course, that all of New Orleans’ problems are solved. The rebuilding will go on for years. Even the goodwill surrounding the team and owner Tom Benson will surely be tested.

There’s no guarantee fans will continue to sell the Superdome out as they do year after year after year in Green Bay, New England and Indianapolis. It remains to be seen, too, if there will be the wealth to fill the luxury boxes that are the lifeblood of pro sports.