Celeb Spotting

Pop shopping: Britney Spears hits The Galleria during a whirlwind Houstonvacation

Britney Spears is taking a brief respite in Houston before continuing her tourin Mexico Thursday night.
The Britney Spears sighting at the Galleria.
Britney Spears walks with her two kids, while her manager Adam Leber strollsbehind the group.

When Britney Spears needs a respite from a grueling tour schedule, she knows where to go. To Houston. And The Galleria.

Spears surprised shoppers and mall employees with a low-key, largely entourage-free shopping excursion on Tuesday. The Princess of Pop did some mid-tour retail therapy and pavement pounding at the mall.

Spears stopped in Venezuela on Monday as part of her South American Femme Fatale tour. She then flew into Houston for a mini U.S. break. She'll continue that international run with three Mexican tour dates and a bonus free Christmas concert on Sunday in Mexico City's Monument to the Revolution. From H-Town, Spears is headed to Guadalajara, where she'll play a concert Thursday night.

Spears looked less than glam in her baseball tee, Ugg boots and messy bun. She was simply a mom out on the go.

Initially, some wondered if the few grainy cellphone shots of Spears' Galleria stroll were really Britney, but the presence of her manager Adam Leber in the photos confirms it is indeed Spears.

Apparently the star needed a break from her sexy, glimmering costumes, styled hair and full makeup on stage, as Spears looked less than glam in her baseball tee, Ugg boots and messy bun. She was simply a mom out on the go.

Her two sons, 6-year-old Sean Preston Federline and 5-year-old Jayden James Federline, wore matching plaid shirts as they clung to Spears' hands. Leber (also wearing plaid) walked behind the kids, but that appeared to the extent of the group.

Fans on Twitter reported seeing Spears at The Cheesecake Factory (really Britney, with all the great restaurants in Houston), shopping at Gap Kids and Express, and ducking into the Galleria-attached Westin.

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Play Like Gary

Texas musician Gary Clark Jr. honors B.B. King with $8,000 Gibson guitar

gibson.com

Gary Clark Jr. plays his limited edition ES-355.

Houstonians who want to play guitar like Gary Clark Jr. will have to get a lot of practice in — but maybe having the same Gibson will help? Gibson Custom is now offering up the Gary Clark Jr. ES-355, a limited-edition model that the famous brand is presenting as "a tribute to the tone and tradition of blues trailblazers."

The ES-355 was originally introduced in 1958. With a thin, semi-hollow body, this instrument became the prized possession of many guitarists for its playability and clean sound. It was manufactured until 1984, and returned to the scene in 2018. Clark has had two custom models with Gibson and Epiphone before.

Although this guitar is primarily a treasure for guitarists who love Gary Clark Jr., the Austin-based musician was paying tribute to an icon of his own, according to a blog post by Gibson announcing the new model. B.B. King, another regular in Austin's music scene, also played an ES-355.

“When I was a child, I had a poster on my wall of B.B. King playing his signature Lucille,” Clark told Gibson TV. “As a kid I always wanted one of those guitars.

Clark's version is limited to only 100 units, and buyers will have to part with $7,999 to take it home.

$Gibson Custom Gary Clark Jr.\u200b ES-355$ Take a closer look at the aged nickel finish on the pickups that give the brand-new guitar a vintage feel.gibson.com

This guitar's body is made of maple and poplar, with a 50s-style mahogany neck, an ebony fretboard, and a multi-ply binding. The most striking design feature, of course, is the Cobra Burst, giving the instrument a silvery finish that really brings out the chatoyancy — the rippling sheen — in the maple.

For hardware, two unpotted Custombuckers cancel feedback for "warm, articulate tones." Aged nickel complements the Cobra Burst with a touch of amber on the switch. Like other custom ES-355s, this one features a Bigsby B7 Vibrato tailpiece. To wrap it all up, the included hardshell case is marked with Clark's monogram.

The Gibson Custom Gary Clark Jr. ES‐355 can be purchased from authorized Gibson Custom dealers, Gibson Garage locations, and Gibson.com.

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