Before their courageously coiffed idol took the stage, before the crack backup band executed its first choreographed hip-sway, before the first of their own overheated number could yell "Play ‘Just the Way You Are!’" the fans for last night’s Bruno Mars concert at the Blaisdell Arena knew they were party to something special.

Indeed, their very presence in the serpentine, block-long lines leading in to the arena for the first of Mars’ three sold-out performances meant that they had achieved what thousands of less fortunate Bruno buffs could not: Somehow, someway, they got tickets.

The tale of how three nights of shows sold out in less than two hours has already become the stuff of local legend. And while those who were left on the wrong side of the turnstile are irritated legion, those who were able to secure tickets are well aware of what it took to enter the Moonshine Jungle.

Christian Chan, 19, of Maui wasn’t able to get tickets during the initial sale, so he instead entered a contest sponsored by Native 92.5 FM during ticket sales for the upcoming Mayjah Rayjah show in Maui.

"I was praying so hard," Chan said, a longtime fan. "When I won I was, like, ‘Thank God!’"

Chan attended last night’s concert with his grandmother Loretta O’Hara, herself a big Bruno fan.

"It’s like seeing Michael Jackson," said O’Hara, 64. "I wasn’t going to miss this one."

Kaili Kaimimoku, 31, of Kane­ohe was one of the lucky few who scored tickets during the initial sale in January — although, Kai­mi­­moku assures, he had to work for his luck.

"I came to the box office at 6 a.m., and they told me I had a better chance if I called," Kai­mi­moku said. "So I went home."

Kaimimoku started calling at 8:15 a.m. (ticket sales started at 9 a.m.) and got through at 9:05 a.m.

"We went back and forth trying to find seats for the first or second night," he said, laughing. "After 26 tries we got our seats."

Last night, Kai­mi­moku and his wife, Tianna — with 3-year-old son Kaili in tow — stood patiently amid a throng of fedora-wearing teens, secure in the knowledge that they were going to be on hand to see a performer they’ve followed since he was honing his skills in Wai­kiki.

"It’s going to be good," Kai­mi­moku said. "No doubt."

Hilo residents Gail and Lou Rhoades, both 63, also had not doubt that they were in for a "fabulous" performance. Why else would they have invested more than $600 for two tickets via the resale market?

"He’s so classic," said Gail Rhoades. "It’s not just him, but also his musicians. The music and the way they choreograph their moves — it’s like the old days."

Leonard and Jocelyn Ancheta of Wai­pahu tried their best to get tickets during the initial sale but got nothing more than an endless series of busy signals.

Had the tickets been only for them, that might have been the end of it. But with a quartet of Bruno-loving kids — Christian, 14; Jessica, 8; Jac­lyn, 6; and Landon, 3 — depending on them, they soldiered forth through the secondary market.

"The kids are fans," said Leonard Ancheta, 40. "They know all the songs. They’re really into him. My wife and I wanted them to see him in person no matter what."

Landon, in particular, loves "The Lazy Song."

Kathy Johnson of Kauai got tickets for herself and pal Donna Kane­alii as part of Kane­alii’s ongoing musical education.

"I’m more Peter, Paul and Mary," said Kane­alii, 67, chuckling. "But she’s taken me to see the Rolling Stones, the Who and U2. I didn’t know about Bruno until the Super Bowl, but (Johnson) is educating me."