Shakira, Stevie Wonder and Usher
Crowds and Celebs Alike Pack We Are One Inaugural Kick-Off Concert
Just two days shy of Inauguration Day, swaths of celebrities, an estimated 300,000 people and TV viewers turned out to join We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, Barack Obama's inaugural kick-off concert.
More than an estimated 300,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial midday Sunday to see readings, speeches, appearances, performances and more from the likes of Beyonce, U2, Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Jamie Foxx, Garth Brooks and Jack Black, among others.
Denzel Washington introduced the event, during which a veritable parade of stars took the stage. Bruce Springsteen followed Washington with a performance of "The Rising," a song of his that was often used on Obama's campaign trail.
In the spirit of the concert's theme, the afternoon was marked by unusual pairings of people at the mic. Steve Carell and Jamie Foxx, for example, appeared together for a pair of readings (plus a few laughs), while James Taylor, John Legend and Grammy-winning country singer Jennifer Nettles performed "Shower the People." Later on, Ashley Judd and Forest Whitaker spoke together about the importance of poets, after which Usher and Shakira performed "Higher Ground," with Stevie Wonder on keyboard.
The afternoon was also punctuated by nods to history. John Adams star Laura Linney introduced a video of President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the start of concert, while Samuel L. Jackson appeared later with words about Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and the movement they started. U2 tag-teamed with a tribute to Dr. King, performing "Pride (In the Name of Love)."
Shortly before the concert drew to a close, Obama arrived on stage to speak to the throngs spread out around the Reflecting Pool.
"I stand here today as hopeful as ever that the United States of America will endure — that the dream of our founders will live on in our time," he said.
Backed by a choir, the Boss returned to the stage with Pete Seeger to jam out "This Land Is Your Land."
Beyonce, who will perform "At Last" for Barack and Michelle Obama's first dance on Tuesday, closed the two-hour celebration with a rousing rendition of "America the Beautiful" as all the day's performers and guests joined her on stage for a star-studded sing-along.
So, it's rumored this this "celebration" will cost 160 Million dollars. Let me say that again....160 MILLION DOLLARS. For a man who is talking about bringing together the nation and whose goal is to fix this economic mess we're in, this sure as hell is sending the wrong message. Is this an Inauguration or an effing "We Are the World" concert? Wouldn't it have been much more suited for him to continue putting on the "I'm one of you" shows? This blatant display of tossing your money into an alligator's mouth is downright hilarious. "One of us" my ass!
I am not a total inept moron who actually believes that this inauguration could be handled quietly and tastefully (tastefully being the key word here). People are excited and want to celebrate. Great, let them! But you know damn well many of these people are the same people we saw bitching and moaning in Obama's "historic" infomercial about how they have no money, no security, no jobs......... Yet they'll shell out the high prices for tickets to Obama parties. Here's an idea...stay home an put that money in the bank. You know, for an even rainier day (that I'm sure you'll blame Bush for).
Sigh. A sign of the times.... I wonder if the entertainers turning out in droves for this realize that normal people see that their omnipresence throughout this entire thing is making a mockery of the institution. Is this Woodstock, or the Inauguration of the our next (deep breath) President?
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