"We were first in line three times," said William Gilmore IV, 21, a massage therapist, here with pal Jason Andino, 21, in the cell phone accessories business, and Frankie Connolly, 23, who works at The Cheesecake Factory in Las Vegas.

They arrived yesterday morning at 11 a.m., drove directly to the stadium and tried to line up at noon.

"We tried two other times, finally getting in at 6:45 a.m. today," said Andino. They parked their car at the K-Mart across the street and were nearly towed away.

"We had five hours of sleep in 48 hours," Gilmore said. "They were going to tow us away but we drove off."

Gilmore and his pals each spent about $500 to get here, spending last night in a car and tonight in sleeping bags near the fountain at Aloha Stadium.

The trio was looking forward to a hotel, bed and bath tomorrow, but for now they were merely trying to figure out how to deal with the heat.

"American Idol" came to town today for a week of pop singer auditions that will be aired on the Fox-TV show starting in January.

The hit TV program, launched last year, is a cultural phenomenon that drew a record 38 million viewers for its season finale this year. Its judges — Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul — have become household names, and winning the contest can launch an entertainment career.

It was up to the contestants to provide their own shade, lest they were lucky enough to be planted underneath a tree for the day. Temperatures were expected to reach 88 degrees this afternoon.

After getting his car situation settled, Gilmore settled in on a makeshift chair with a McGriddle in hand while his buddies were among the several hundreds hunkering in on blankets and sleeping bags on the pavement.

By 9:30 a.m., however, Gilmore traded in his McGriddle for an umbrella. Contestants are quickly learning to share creature comforts and befriend fellow auditions to soothe a night’s worth of waiting to get inside the stadium.

David Goffin, supervising producer of the show, said he’s hoping for 1,000 to 1,500 contestants to line up today. By midmorning, some 800 eager contestants — from as far away as New York — had joined the queue.

"It’s the American dream, a once in a lifetime opportunity," Goffin said.

Folks brought bedding, umbrellas, ice coolers, portable beach chairs, food, and sunscreen for the overnight stay.

Crystal Mateo, 19, was the first local in line. A Kamehameha Schools graduate now attending the University of Hawai'i, she was huddling in line — her wristband in place, assuring a spot in line tomorrow — with Jordan Segundo, Hawai'i’s Idol contestant from the second season.

"I’m doing this as a challenge for myself," Mateo said. "It’s just something you gotta do."

One contestant had a homemade sign saying "Pick me Amanda Mack" with her picture in the middle of the words.