This Week In 2007

After a three-year performing hiatus, Britney embarks on a secret tour.

A wise woman once crooned: “Another day, another drama.”

And she couldn’t have been more accurate!

The onset of May 2007 welcomed a storm of scandal, from The Hoff’s Cheeseburger debacle to Paris’ prison hell, but like any other week, good ol’ Britney Spears had to fit in somewhere.

A month removed from the Promises Malibu days, America’s fallen sweetheart was back on her grind. Between daily trips to Millennium Dance Studio, and nightly runs to Carl’s Jr. and Del Taco, gossip sites began to buzz about what new project the rehabbed pop star was brewing up.

At the tail end of April, rumors swirled that a comeback performance was in the works - and those whispers were soon confirmed by Ivan Kane, owner of Hollywood’s Forty Deuce. Kane told reporters that while Britney had spent a day rehearsing for a three-song set, armed with backup dancers, Spears pulled out last minute as “her management decided it wasn’t the right time.” Despite the April 25th return being canned, word around Tinseltown suggested the show would go on… at the House of Blues.

A day after backing out of Forty Deuce, the House of Blues website listed a mysterious new act in their weekly lineup: The M+M’s.

It didn’t take long for Britney fans to conclude that the act was their one & only, and tickets began to fly for a May 1st show in San Diego. As B-Day fast approached, though, Spears kept mum on whether or not the rumors were true, but all was revealed shortly after noon that Tuesday.

Just before 1PM, Britney was spotted by paparazzi leaving her gated community, headed towards Elks Lodge on Ventura Blvd. There she boarded a waiting tour bus, and gunned for the 5 Freeway heading south - and an army of photographers followed!

Once X17Online caught wind of the news, they set up a live stream to capture the million-dollar RV’s every move.

Fans flocked to the busy highway to catch a glimpse of Brit, and more importantly witness her first performance since 2004 - but it wouldn’t be a moment in Britstory without a little drama!

Fellow drivers were peeved, to say the least, by Brit’s paparazzi motorcade, and police were soon called to check it out.

After pulling over the bus for “disturbing traffic,” cops let Brit & co. on their merry way, and it was smooth sailing to San Diego from there!

Once doors opened, fans paying upwards of $125 a ticket poured inside the venue - and a few lucky photographers snuck their way in, too! After a brief wait, Britney and dancers graced the stage for a five-song set, her only words to the masses being a parting: “Thanks everyone for coming!”

The 15-minute show kicked off with …Baby One More Time, and burned through other oldies like Do Somethin’, I’m A Slave 4 U, and Toxic - along with a sexy Breathe On Me number, featuring Brit and a mystery man:

Several fan sites identified the lucky guy as Brit’s rehab boytoy Howie Day, whom she’d been spotted partying with in the days before the San Diego show.

But it seemed Howie wasn’t the only lucky one that evening! After the show, fans raved about Britney’s return - even Kevin Federline’s ex Shar Jackson was impressed!

Despite the expected lip-syncing, the dancing seemed up to par with fans’ expectations, and tickets continued to fly for a Wednesday night show in Anaheim. The May 2nd show welcomed a change, though… in security.

Fans reportedly spent two hours pushing through metal detectors - with guards seizing cell phones in response to the flood of online pictures and videos of the San Diego show. After making their way inside, the crowd chanted, the lights dimmed, and Britney returned for the same set, finishing off with a kiss to the audience and a parting: “Thank you so much!”

May 3rd welcomed the final show of Britney’s three-night performance streak, and a return to her Sunset Strip stomping grounds.

While Britney opted for a brunette wig for her West Hollywood show, that wasn’t the only notable cameo of the evening. Fans quickly recognized a familiar face in the crowd…

…Lindsay Lohan!

After being spotted, Brit’s former party pal blew fans a kiss, flashed her signature peace sign, and bounced once the set was over.

Following the Hollywood show, Britney hit the dance studio for a couple of days, graced more fast food drive-thru’s, and then hitched it out to Sin City for a May 6th performance at Vegas’ Mandalay Bay House of Blues:

Another night, another successful karaoke session.

After Vegas, the tabloid target returned to L.A. for more late nights at Teddy’s, Les Deux, and recording studio sessions with rumored flame J.R. Rotem.

Meanwhile, “cousin-friend-cousin”Alli Sims stocked up on some new wigs:

And Britney took to her website to thank fans for their support:

After a fortnight hiatus, and some dance studio refreshers, Brit and her entourage gunned for LAX and boarded an Orlando-bound flight to continue her comeback tour.

Upon strolling into first class, though, Britney reportedly threw a fit that “it hasn’t got leather seats,” so the captain accommodated the pop star and arranged for a leather-clad private jet to take Brit and her pack to the Sunshine State.

After touching down, Britney quickly became acquainted with the city’s hottest shops and clubs:

South Park fans might recall that outfit as the one parodied in 2008’s Britney’s New Look:

And following a day of fun, Britney hit up the Orlando House of Blues for another mini-concert - armed with the usual backup dancers, costume changes, and some reported audio difficulties.