Inauguration Celebration Kick-Off

Update: 6:30pm - links fixed.

Did you get to see the National Mall inaugural celebration “We Are One” yesterday? If not, HBO has it up online here: http://www.hbo.com/weareone/. (Unfortunately, I didn’t see a way to make it full screen.)

It seemed like a Christmas special. Nice music by the military bands. And it seemed like a great time was had by all. The crowd pretty much covered the mall area, and they seemed to be singing and “dancing” throughout. But how creepy that they thought they needed to put a Downs Syndrome kid (who was sleeping through most of it) on the stage behind Obama for the cameras . Does Sarah Palin really have that much influence over the rest of our lives now?

Bettye LaVette and Jon Bon Jovi did a great duet of “A Change Is Gonna Come”. James Taylor with “Shower the People You Love” wasn’t quite on his game, but I always like James Taylor, and John Legend, who sang with him, did a really nice job.

John Mellencamp (just when did he drop the Cougar?) seriously got down. And Garth Brooks?! Now he had the whole mall rockin’ (and Obama himself singing along). He took off his cowboy hat to salute Barack Obama, and at the end of his number, he said, “God bless America. God bless the world. Love one another.” I wonder how many rednecks are burning his albums.

Big Fat Stevie Wonder had the Obamas on their feet. They must really like him, because I think he’s lost what he used to have, and he didn’t even do his number by himself.

U2 performed a couple of songs, one with very interesting lyrics which they said Obama chose to put on some album (sorry, I didn’t quite get that) – City of Blinding Lights - and between songs said that this wasn’t just an American dream, “It’s an Irish dream, a European dream, an African dream, an Israeli dream…..[pause just long enough to make you have to hear it, Mr. Obama, and World]….and a Palestinian dream.” Way to go, U2.

All-in-all, I liked everybody, with the notable exceptions of Renee Fleming (hell, even Gerry and the Pacemakers would have been better, IMHO), and the trio of Herbie Hancock, Will.I.Am and Sheryl Crow. I expected much better from them.

I would have put dear old Pete Seeger along with his grandson and Bruce Springsteen as the last number for the evening with “This Land Is Your Land” (George Lucas in the audience singing along), but they kept that spot for “America the Beautiful” sung by everybody who performed anything in the show, led by Beyonce, who, sadly, did not do the single ladies dance.

When Obama gave his short speech near the end, he was standing directly beneath the Lincoln Memorial statue. Does Mr. Lincoln always wear such a startled expression? Obama asked us to recognize ourselves in one another in order to right things. Wise and sound advice.

Or, if you don’t want to (or can’t) watch the whole celebration, then you can click the embeds in this post for (poor quality) YouTube videos, and then at least click on over to Rising Hegemon* where Attaturk says, “…how nice to see Pete Seeger out there with the boss singing a Woody Guthrie song the GOP would like to have banned for all time,” and see the video of the penultimate number of the evening.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

*Since HBO has sucked up the rights to show these clips, I think I should point out that these guys restored some of the "radical verses" for this performance:

In the squares of the city, in the shadow of the steeple,
By the relief office, I seen my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there whistling
This land was made for you and me.

There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me;
A great big sign there said private property;
But on the other side it didn't say nothing;
That side was made for you and me.

Update: TPM seems to have kept the video.

P.S. I almost forgot - tucked into the noble sentiments from dead presidents portion of the show where actors and actresses got their little spots was a Ronald Reagan quote. I can't recall which poor actress had to deliver it with a straight face, but the quote was about all men being equal. I'm sorry, but Ronald Reagan talking about all men being his brother just rings exceptionally hollow. That was obviously back in the day when the GOP was still trying to pretend. That they have even managed to get Ronald Reagan thought of as one of our great presidents is a testimony to the lack of reflection or intelligent analysis on the part of our citizenry. I guess the show's producers were trying to stay in keeping with Obama's promise to reach across the aisle. Very risky business that. From what I've seen, when a Democrat reaches across the aisle, the Republican cuts off his hand and pawns his rings.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.