I popped my Britney Spears concert cherry last night at Madison Square Garden, and it was a one-night stand I won't regret.

"But Jim," you ask, "how the hell did a pop culture fanatic like you go 27 years without seeing Britney perform live?" I dunno. I guess I never had the urge to pony up the $8 million needed to catch a Britney show. (I kid. Ticket prices are less than that. Slightly.) Plus, I was never a diehard fan of Britney's music. Don't get me wrong: I always dug her as a pop culture force, and the hoopla around her and her career has been fascinating to me since day one. I just can't say I have ever purchased a Britney song on iTunes.

Not to mention that Britney has a reputation for not always singing live at her concerts. Why would I want to pay money to see someone lip-synch for two hours? I'll save my money for the next time Grizzly Bear is in town. Now that's a concert.

But given all the "She's back!" buzz surrounding the Circus tour, I jumped at the chance to check out her first of three nights at Madison Square Garden. "If I'm gonna see Britney, now's the time to do it," I told myself during another one-sided conversation. She's a total underdog that you can't stop rooting for, and I was curious to see if she's really "back."

Let me echo the sentiments of her fans, folks. Yep, she's baaaaaaack! And I had the time of my life at her concert.

Here are five more things that totally surprised me about the "Circus" tour.

» Jordin Sparks = Force To Be Reckoned With
Jordin Sparks debuted on the Circus tour last night, and she came out like she owned the place. The girl has more bona fide smash hits than some artists twice her age, and she flaunted each and every one of them during her tight opening set. MSG lit up with camera flashes the instant Ms. Sparks appeared on stage (wearing a sick-looking feather skirt) to sing "One Step at a Time." The crowd was less enthusiastic about the pair of newer album deep cuts she tossed into the set (girl's gotta sell her new record!), but once she finished with a one-two-three punch of "Battlefield," "Tattoo" and "No Air," the room was bouncing and singing in unison. It didn't hurt that Sparks sounded spectacular live, even with her ear monitor flying off two songs in. She is a fantastic addition to the Circus tour.

» Just Because You Have No Legs Doesn't Mean You Can't Jump On A Trampoline Read more...

Britney Spears is currently touring for Circus, but today in London she took time out to visit the zoo. Fresh off a string of eight successful shows at London's O2 Arena, Spears used her off day to take sons Sean Preston and Jayden James to the London Zoo. With a team of security in tow, the trio strolled through the grounds, saw some animals and took a ride on the zoo's carousel.

(Click here for more photos of Britney Spears' visit to the London Zoo with sons Sean Preston and Jayden James)

Spears is due in Manchester tomorrow night for the final U.K. stop on her European. She'll then moves on to dates in Ireland, France, Belgium, Russia and Germany before making a second run through the U.S. and hitting Australia for the first time in her career. It's been a week full of recognition for Spears, as she won a Logo Award and was nominated for three Teen Choice Awards.

Britney Spears kept things sexy as the ringmaster at her Circus tour kickoff in New Orleans Tuesday night. The singer clad herself in fishnets, sparkles and a stone-encrusted bra and corset — and that's nothing out of the ordinary for a woman who has spent most of her career dancing on stages (and in cages) flanked by sweaty, toned men.

(Check out photos of the Circus here.)

These were many of the key elements to which that Britney stayed true when she finally debuted her much anticipated tour. But we noticed a few elements that seemed better suited to other pop stars.

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In the shadow of the Louisiana Superdome sits the New Orleans Arena, the place where Britney Spears has pitched her tent.

It's the opening night of her Circus tour, and though doors don't open for roughly three hours, throngs of Brit's disciples — all decked out in their DayGlo finest — are already lining up for the big event.

Some have been here since 10 a.m., in fact — groups of fans from nearby towns like Lafayette and places like Jackson, Mississippi, each clutching homemade signs, singing Britney tunes, having impromptu dance-offs and letting anyone within earshot know that "it's Britney, bitch."

Justin, a 16-year-old from right here in New Orleans, wears a customized Britney jersey (his name is embroidered on the back) and swears he's her biggest fan. He's seen her on all of her tours (and had tickets for her Onyx Hotel show before it got canceled — he's not mad at Britney for that, btw) and is beyond pumped for tonight.

"It's going to be magic. This is Britney coming back," he enthuses. "I am so excited."
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