In honor of the impending presidential inauguration, they held a free “We Are One” concert on the National Mall today featuring a diverse, star-studded line-up of performers and celebrity presenters. I was there along with about 400,000 other people, including my friends Chris and Adriana. We arrived about 90 minutes before the show started, but by that time the area down by the Lincoln Memorial where the stage had been erected was already full of people, so we settled for staking out a spot at the base of the Washington Monument hill just across the street from the WWII Memorial.
The concert organizers did a good job of making sure there were plenty of jumbotrons and speakers spread throughout the Mall so more people could take part in the experience. The best parts of the concert were Herbie Hancock, will.i.am., and Sheryl Crow doing Bob Marley’s “One Love,” Garth Brooks singing the Isley Brothers’ “Shout,” and Stevie Wonder, Usher, and the “she’s so hot my eyes have blisters on them” Shakira performing “Higher Ground.” Not bad for a free gig.
The worst part of the concert was Tom Hanks’ interminable and buzz-killing “Abe Lincoln said” speech that sucked all the energy out of the crowd and droned on and on like a never-ending funeral dirge. He was a lot more entertaining when he was wearing a dress on “Bosom Buddies.” He did provide us with hours of fun afterward though spoofing his speech and generally ragging on him relentlessly.
Although the temperature was only in the 30s, it didn’t feel that cold out. We were all smart enough to layer up and I think that combined with the lack of wind and the body heat generated by the mass of humanity that was the crowd help stave off the chill. That gives me hope for the inauguration on Tuesday. Even the lines for the port-a-potties weren’t too bad. It was definitely a madhouse trying to leave the Mall, though.
Rather than trying to fight the crowd pouring into the Metro, we decided to hang out at Starbucks for a while to warm up and let the huddled masses thin out a bit. After the swearing-in on Tuesday I think I’ll just suck it up and walk home. Who knows, I’m liable to be feeling so high after my man the Big O takes the oath of office that I might not even need to use the bridge to cross over the Potomac River. I may be walking on air instead.
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Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)
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