                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, March 24, 1996                 TAG: 9603240037
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY LORRAINE EATON, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Long  :  138 lines

LEGIONS OF PARROT HEADS FLOCK TO GET TICKETS MARGARITAVILLE'S JIMMY BUFFETT IS THE FIRST TO SELL SEATS AT BEACH AMPHITHEATER.

Nary a Hawaiian shirt, nor foam fin for the head, nor pair of pink sunglasses was spotted in the wavy line that by 9 a.m. Saturday had wrapped around Blockbuster Music at Regency Hilltop. It was like that all over Hampton Roads.

Dressed in the drab hues of winter, pants to their ankles and shoes on their feet, legions of loyal Jimmy Buffett fans flocked to Ticketmaster locations Saturday to stand in line for the 20,000 spots at his Aug. 14 performance.

The tickets, the first to go on sale for a show at the new Virginia Beach amphitheater, sold out in 58 minutes flat, leaving many fans disappointed. Some were fighting mad at the ``lottery'' system that ticketsellers use to discourage people from camping out (and partying) all night to secure a sweet spot in line. Under the system, common at many concerts and sporting events, people randomly pull numbered tickets out of a bag and the line is rearranged according to those numbers just before tickets go on sale.

That means fans, like the three guys from Princess Anne High School who pitched their tent in front of the store at 2 a.m., had the same chance of getting tickets as people who sauntered up seven hours later.

Hoping to improve their chances, a dozen or so Buffett fans - known as Parrot Heads - at the Hilltop Blockbuster had cellular phones stuck to their ears, simultaneously standing in line and calling for tickets.

It didn't seem to matter if the tickets were for general admission on the grassy berm at the rear of the new amphitheater or reserved seats up front - they just wanted a ticket.

``The lawn, that's where everybody's going to have their fun at anyway,'' said Robert Slayton of Virginia Beach. Slayton, 27, had been standing in line since 5:25 a.m. At 9, he was sipping ``Wheaties in a cup.''

Buffett, who sings of balmy beaches, perfect margaritas and good times, has managed to keep his old fans and draw new ones. His cult on Saturday included high school students and matrons in mink.

Jim Miller, 73, has grandchildren who ``travel all over the country following him,'' but he was waiting in line for his wife.

``When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she said, `All I want is a Buffett ticket.' ''

With luck, Miller drew No. 504. That put him fourth in line, and he was at the big, black Blockbuster counter peeling off bills by 10:05 a.m.

Many weren't so lucky. At the Regency Blockbuster, about 480 fans slunk back to their cars empty-handed.

But while their outer spirit may have been dulled by one of the longest, coldest, snowiest winters on record (the kind that once led Buffett himself to shoot six holes in his freezer), the inner spirit of Parrot Heads prevailed.

In line, there were random acts of kindness that exemplify the sort of laid-back spirit of Buffett followers. Like when a woman loaned a total stranger $30 so she could buy the maximum eight reserved seats. The ticket buyer hadn't counted on the $1.50 per ticket parking charge.

Later, a man handed another woman a steaming cup of coffee. They had been line buddies before the lottery, and he had heard about her spilling a giant cup of coffee in her car.

``Do you take cream? Sugar?'' he asked, reaching into the pocket of his heavy jacket.

No charge.

Despite the drabness and the outbursts, come Aug. 14 the people who did get tickets will be part of the most colorful crowd to convene at the new Virginia Beach amphitheater.

Better not forget your pink sunglasses.

That means fans, like the three guys from Princess Anne High

School who pitched their tent in front of the store at 2 a.m., had the same chance of getting tickets as people who sauntered up seven hours later.