Britney Spears Wows San Francisco With GMA Performance

I never thought I’d see the day that local drag queens would be the opening act of a free Britney Spears concert in San Francisco.

Yet there I was this past Sunday as divas Heklina, Juanita More, Donna Sachet, Sister Roma, and Pollo Del Mar warmed up the crowd for Britney’s Good Morning America (GMA) extravaganza.

The Castro had been buzzing for weeks about the performance and the energy was at a fever pitch outside the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium hours before the show even began.

From boys in plaid miniskirts to moms with their teenage daughters, the crowd was a perfect reflection of San Francisco—diverse and energetic, with just a splash of crazy.

Once the Femme Fatale took the stage the crowd exploded with a deafening roar that was the culmination of several weeks' worth of anticipation. After her opening number of “Hold It Against Me,” Britney took a moment to thank her LGBT fans from the Larkin Street Youth Center and the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center for attending the show. There was no doubt she was there to give some love to her queer fan base and the crowd was giving it right back.

There was a strong sense of community at the event and people were patient and friendly during the long moments between songs as GMA hosts Robin Roberts and Sam Champion recorded introductions while set pieces and costumes were switched out.

The pop princess sang two more songs from her new album, “Big Fat Bass” and “Till the World Ends,” before she quickly dashed away for several short appearances in the Castro. Fans gathered en masse almost chasing the Spears caravan each time she sped away.

The performance and surprise appearances were the talk of the Castro for the remainder of the day. Fans packed restaurants and bars playing an endless stream of Britney Spears’ hits well into the evening.

For the most part, the reaction to Britney’s San Francisco adventure was positive and people were overjoyed to catch a glimpse of the superstar. Those of us who were fortunate enough to see the concert agreed that Brit was a sight to behold and the three-song sample of her new album, Femme Fatale, was sheer pop genius. Sure, there were a few downers who couldn’t resist making comments such as, “She’s just pandering to us,” or “She has no talent.” However, it was her name that was on everyone’s lips, and the haters couldn’t derail the Spears euphoria that had taken hold of the city.

After all—it’s Britney bitch!