“People are going absolutely wild about this concert,” said Christina Garcia, spokeswoman for the center, in a news release. “Our phones are ringing off the hook and the pre-sale tickets sold within minutes.”

Snug under a blanket next to the students San Diego resident Lizette Samaniego, 25, was determined to get floor seats to please her 4-year-old daughter, Saydee Galvan.

“Saydee wants to be Taylor Swift for Halloween, and I’ve already been to Laredo, the Valley, and San Antonio trying to find her a red dress like Taylor wore during the (MTV) music awards.”

She found a match in Alice, she said. “My daughter will thank me someday.”

Olga Fernandez, 19, and Felix Melendez, 18, darted at noon Thursday from their classes at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi to wedge in line for tickets as Christmas gifts for their niece and nephew.

“We didn’t have the money for our own tickets,” Fernandez said. “So they will know how much we love them, sitting here all night, and not able to go ourselves.”

The couple had to be back in class by noon Friday, Melendez said.

The $61 tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday for the 7 p.m. March 12, 2010 Taylor Swift concert with Kellie Pickler and Gloriana.

Even if tickets become unavailable, promoters open more seats as the concert approaches, Garcia said.

“There’s usually always single seats available,” she said. “So we don’t want the public to be alarmed thinking they can’t get tickets.”

Tickets are available at the American Bank Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets including select H-E-B stores, at Tickermaster.com or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.