Long lines and soggy conditions didn't dampen the festive mood of the huddled masses that turned out at Aloha Stadium last night to see the "King of Pop" in concert.

Despite daylong rains and threatening clouds, there appeared to be relatively few no-shows in the sellout crowd of 35,000 that came to see Michael Jackson's first U.S. concert since 1989.

A second sellout show is scheduled tonight at Aloha Stadium. The forecast again calls for scattered showers and cool trade winds.

The smell of teriyaki and steamed rice hung in the air as many fans - parka-clad and with hibachi and picnic tables in tow - arrived early to stake out spots to tailgate.

George Hanzawa of Wahiawa and six other families set up their red-and-white checked picnic table in their usual spot in the parking lot soon after the stadium gates opened at 4:30 p.m. and started grilling.

"Today is kind of a like a mini-spread because of the weather," Hanzawa said, motioning to the food. "If wasn't for the weather, we would have brought the crab legs, too."

The Hanzawas, frequent concertgoers, said they were unfazed by the heavy traffic around the stadium and the long lines to the doors.

"The traffic's bad, but you know, we'd fight the traffic - just no rain," said Regina Shimomura, Hanzawa's sister.

Aside from the weather and crowds, there were several other glitches that left a few fans frustrated and impatient.

Kahala resident Mike Choi, who purchased four $250 VIP ticket packages for last night and held eight regular tickets for tonight, waited outside the stadium with his family and 3-year-old son Shane after being told his VIP tickets were actually for tonight.

"So I gotta buy four more tickets at $65 apiece," a disgruntled Choi said as he stood next to the ticket pickup counter carrying Shane, who was crying: "I want to go in, Daddy."

(On Thursday, Choi and his son were among the first fans to arrive at Honolulu Airport to greet Jackson. The Chois got to the airport at 4 a.m. and got Jackson's autograph.)

Several other fans who bought tickets by phone encountered the same problem last night. Promoter Tom Moffatt said the number of mix-ups was par for the course at large-scale concerts like this.

Ticket-holders endured long lines - snaking through the parking lot - to get into the stadium after the doors opened at 5:30 p.m. Entry was slowed by the laborious process of searching concertgoers' bags. The crowds remained orderly, but excited, as they toted umbrellas and trudged through puddles, making slow progress in the line to the gates.

By show time - 7:30 p.m. - the stadium was only two-thirds full, and hundreds remained outside in long lines that snaked through the parking lot. Even the regular tailgate crowds - veterans of many football games - had underestimated the delay.

"We thought it was like football - just before the kickoff you walk in," said Wendell Tom of Pearl City.

Jackson arrived at the stadium about 7:20 p.m. in a white minibus.

About the same time, former basketball superstar Magic Johnson arrived, creating a stir of his own in the crowd as he took his seat in a roped-off area at midfield.

Gov. Ben Cayetano was there, too, and had the chance to meet with Jackson backstage for a few minutes before the show.

"First of all, he's a pretty nice-looking guy in person," Cayetano said.

The governor presented Jackson with a proclamation declaring January "Michael Jackson Month" in Hawaii.

"He said, `Oh, this is great. I really like this,'" Cayetano said, adding that Jackson came across as genuinely warm, caring and shy.

Recorded music played over the sound system while the crowd waited through a 35-minute delay in the show's start. The restless crowd kept itself entertained by starting up a "wave."

In an instant, the extravaganza began with a quick announcement before the stadium was plunged into darkness, provoking a frenzy among concertgoers that erupted into a flurry of flashbulbs.

The Hawaii concerts are the final shows, and the only United States play dates, on this leg of Jackson's "HIStory" tour.

Before Hawaii, Jackson played in Australia, Japan and Brunei. He is headed to South Africa after Hawaii, and a tour of Europe later this year.

Jackson arrived in Honolulu on Thursday with an entourage of 170 people and 300 tons of stage equipment in three cargo planes.

It was a crazed scene Thursday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village after Jackson arrived. Hundreds of fans converged on the pop megastar, pushing, shoving and climbing over each other to get closer to him.

In November, hundreds of fans jumped chain-link fences around Aloha Stadium and shoved their way in front of others to purchase their tickets to last night's show, which sold out its 35,000 capacity in four hours.

Demand for tickets continued after the sellout. People advertised in Honolulu newspapers, offering to sell tickets for up to five times their face value. There were several offers of prime $65 tickets for $300 each.

A few days after Christmas, his crew began setting up a stage - 225 feet wide and 110 feet deep - that covered the width of the football field.

Souvenir stands were not accepting credit cards. Sales were for cash only.