If you drive home past the former Tower Records on Sunset you'll see that it looks slightly different. And you'll also see about 200 to 300 people melting in the hot parking lot.

Warner Bros. Records has turned the classic record store into Icky Thump Records, which will sell the new White Stripes cd Icky Thump tonight at midnight, about 10 hours earlier than most record stores. But then the band will play Wednesday in the store for the first 200 people who got the cd at the Icky Thump record store. Which is why all those kids are out there looking great.

Speaking of the fans, even though there are hundreds there right now, about two dozen or so have been in the parking lot since Saturday afternoon. They say that the drunken club-hopping Sunset Blvd. revelers haven't been too loud, if anything, the White Stripes fans say that they have been the loud ones in their tents and sleeping bags. The fans also say that the band had pizzas, breakfast burritos and coffee sent to them throughout the day and night. Awwww.

Tons of pictures after the jump...

The earliest fans have it the best right now as they are hugging the wall where there is shade. If you look closely below the line goes from the store around the parking lot and worms its way into the center of the parking lot. That's why umbrellas are important right now.

Quote from the first guy in line: "I read LAist every day, several times a day."

These lovely lasses from Victorville were second in line:

The future of America were third in line:

Fun fact: White Stripes will be on Conan tonight

Pitchfork has pics from how it looked at night.

photos by Sonny I. LaVista for LAist