Joseline Patterson was disappointed when her boyfriend told her tickets to see Katy Perry, her favorite artist, were too expensive. Chris Gloria, 26, recommended he and his girlfriend take the day off to go support his mother at an award show. Since the show was being held around the corner from Comerica Theater, he told Patterson, 25, they could stop by and soak in the atmosphere surrounding Perry coming to town. The pop star’s nationwide tour stopped in Phoenix on Wednesday.
But when the couple got to the theater, Gloria surprised Patterson with two tickets to the Perry show that he bought on eBay for $500. Patterson was ecstatic.
“This is the best boyfriend ever,” Patterson said, hugging Gloria. “He played it off really well.”The couple joined other Katy Perry fans in line outside Comerica Theater, some of whom had been waiting for hours in weather that warranted an excessive-heat warning for the Phoenix area.
While most fans did not show up until shortly before the doors opened at 6:30 p.m., the first people in line got to the theater at 10 a.m. “The love for Katy Perry” drove 18-year-old Rose Abear to be the first outside the theater in the sweltering heat that morning. For the occasion, Abear donned an Elmo shirt reminiscent of the one worn by Perry on Saturday Night Live for a skit that mocked Sesame Street‘s decision to pull from the air her appearance on the show wearing a bustier.
“Her music really got me through a lot of problems in middle school,” Abear said. Abear and her boyfriend’s 13-year-old sister got chummy with the second group in line, which arrived an hour later.
“I’ll (wait in line) for anyone,” A.J. Araiza said. Araiza, 16, wore a red, plaid shirt, red shorts and suspenders to commemorate the video for Perry’s Billboard-topping single “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.).”
“I just love how crazy and fun her music is,” Araiza said. While the rapidly-growing line appeared to be populated by mostly teenagers, some parents came out as chaperones or just as company for their children.
Lisa Sproat, 40, accompanied her daughter, Elle Ostrosky, two of her daughter’s friends, and their moms to the concert. The tickets were a birthday present from Elle’s uncle, the famed radio “shock jock” Howard Stern, Sproat said. Elle’s father’s sister is married to the radio host.
The three girls were decked out in matching sparkling-blue tops and black skirts from Justice, a clothing store that markets to girls. Other fans were adorned with blue and pink wigs, tutus, tights and other colorful clothing inspired by Perry.
Ann Nedzbalu, 50, bought the concert tickets for her daughter’s 19th birthday in March. While Nedzbalu did not dress up, her daughter Nikki wore a wig and tutu. Nedzbalu said she enjoys Perry’s music, though, and is “always listening to (my daughter’s) music in the car.”