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AMHERST — There was a "sea of nylon" outside the University of Massachusetts' Fine Arts Center this morning, in the words of Jeff Perry of Sunderland.
Perry was describing the sleeping bags of the Elvis Costello fans who had spent the night on the cold concrete outside the ticket office.
Perry was standing at the crest of that sea today since he was first in line for tickets to Costello's April 16 rock concert.
"I got here about 8:15 last night," Perry reported.
By 9 today, most of the sleeping bags were rolled up, and the bleary-eyed ticket-buyers were drinking coffee, listening to music and chatting with friends.
About 400 people had been signed up to buy a maximum of two tickets at $13.50 apiece ($12.50 for students at the university).
(The Fine Arts Center can seat 1,800.)
For many, it had been a rough night.
"It was cold, you can put that in capital letters," said Dave Rosenthal, a six-time veteran of the overnight lines for rock concert tickets at the university.
Neil Kusleika, whose name was the second on the ticket list, said he had had a good night's rest. "You get tired enough, you can sleep anywhere," Kusleika observed.
There were a variety of strategies for getting a prime ticket. Looking down the walls of the sandy-colored building, there was a point at which the sleeping bags ended and the people in the line looked a bit more alert, some of them catching up on their homework.
"We came at 5:30 this morning and got Number 260," said one university student, Ann Beauregard. "We were right behind some people who slept out all night."
Is it Costello's music that inspires the diehards to brave the cold and to play marathon games of Trivial Pursuit?
"I just love the way he sings 'You Ain't Nothin' but a Hound Dog' " said Jeff Perry. "You've got the wrong Elvis," said a voice nearby.
At 9:30 a.m. the doors opened, and the ticket vigil was over — at least for some.
Two hours later, more than 1,200 of the 1,800 seats were gone, and the ticket-sellers were serving those who had been waiting since 8 a.m.
Those who got in line after that still were waiting and waiting and waiting.
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