A couple of days before we were supposed to leave, I was reading details online about a concert that I had been watching developments on. It was barely mentioned when it was going to be a Bruce Springsteen concert, and as big a fan as I am of the boss, I didn't think it necessary to change plans to make it. But then they listed 2 other performers... Bono and OMG BEYONCE!!! As I read more details, I became angered at the fact that acts such as Stevie Wonder and James Taylor were being mentioned in the fine print when Beyonce got first billing. Don't get me wrong, the girl's good, but bigger than Stevie? I think not. So I call my travelmates Alanna and Jonathan and tell them that plans are changing and that we are going to head out on Saturday instead of Sunday. I was able to get a 45.00 hotel room at the Residence Inn near the Capitol, and before we had time to digest anything, we were off at 2pm on saturday on our 10 hour drive to DC.
After arriving at the hotel and crashing for the night, we got up around 8 to head down to the concert site at 10. Along the way, we got to see lots of my favorite people in the world... CRAZIES AND STEREOTYPES!!! For example... this happy asian man taking a photograph!
Or these guys who were protesting america's lack of racial progress?
Also... there were TONS of port-o-pottys.
As we made our way to the concert area, the amount of security became pretty daunting. They were everywhere, from jolly black policemen directing you where to go...
to special police scaffolds every hundred or so feet...
and let's not forget the snipers flying around in helicopters and on the top of the lincoln memorial.
Since we got there so early, there weren't quite as many people there, but still a significant amount. However people did have room to lay around and take naps or play some games while waiting on the big show to begin 4 hours later.
At around 1130 or so, before the HUGE crowds had arrived, people like Tom Hanks and Renee' Fleming were rehearsing their parts for the concert. I got to hear Renee' Fleming sing You'll Never Walk Alone at least 5 times. It was amazing. As was her performance for the actual concert.
As the crowd gathered and pushed us closer and closer together, I got to see all kinds of interesting people immediately surrounding me.
After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, it came time for the concert to begin. The invocation was given by Gene Robinson, who has caused a lot of controversy by being the first openly gay person to be made bishop of the episcopal church.
We all know how I feel about gay rights, and it was an awe inspiring thing to see him feet from myself giving an invocation that made what Rick Warren gave on inauguration seem like a kindergarten essay paper. My favorite thing he said was:
"Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences, and an understanding that in our diversity, we are stronger."
Give this a watch if you have a minute. It's fantastic. Or read the entire thing here:
http://www.bilerico.com/2009/01/bishop_gene_robinsons_speech_at_the_linc.php
After Bishop Robinson, I expected there to be some musical performances leading up to the introduction of Joe Biden and Barack Obama, but I was wrong. They were immediately introduced, and seeing them in person, just a hundred feet or so from myself on the steps of the lincoln memorial is a moment that will flicker in front of me when i'm dying and i'm having the "life flashing before your eyes" moment.
Following that were some fantastic performances by artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Mary J Blige
And celebrity introductions from Denzel Washington, Steve Carell, Tiger Woods, and KAL PENN?!?! WTF WAS KUMAR DOING THERE?!
The biggest surprise of the afternoon, for me, was how much I enjoyed Garth Brooks' performance. Those who know me agree that I am no fan of country music. But he gave one of the highest energy performances of the afternoon.
I also got to see Stevie Wonder perform, however it was tainted by the joining of Shakira, who sounded worse than terrible.
The real emotional moment and my favorite performance came when Samuel L Jackson talked about Martin Luther King's "March On Washington" and then introduced U2 singing "Pride (In The Name Of Love)". Seeing them perform this song on the same spot that Dr. King delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech was so overwhelming for me. Chills ran over every inch of every bone in my body and tears rushed to my face.
As I looked around, I saw everyone else just as filled with emotion as I was. It was one of the most communal experiences of my life.
Then came time for the man himself to speak.
I tell you, people can joke all they want about supporters of President Obama getting all caught up in his speeches, but it's hard not to. It's so refreshing to have a president who can express thoughts in complete sentences, and inspire people just by talking to them.
After Obama spoke, Springsteen came back out with Pete Seeger to lead the crowd in This Land Is Your Land by Woodie Guthrie. And then the time came for BEYONCE!!!!!!! I say this with such enthusiasm because it's all that a semi-retarded black guy (who kept eating mustard packets... EW) behind us from New Orleans kept mentioning throughout the whole concert. He didn't know how U2 was, but when Beyonce came out, he screamed higher than any female voice i've ever heard and did this:
I had really hoped she'd sing Single Ladies, because one doesn't hear that song enough... but instead she did a rather moving performance of America The Beautiful.
After all was over, we headed back to the hotel to pick up my car and drive to woodbridge. This took far too long, mainly because of the mass exodus going on. It struck me as we were leaving that it suddenly appeared to be foggy outside, and I realized that it wasn't fog, but dust coming up from the ground as hundreds of thousands of people moved at once, similar to when you see a dust cloud over a herd of cattle.
So that's my recounting of the concert of a lifetime. Next entry I will pick up at my relatives house in Woodbridge (wow!) and our 32 hour sleepless stint in lovely Washington DC. Till then!
Andy
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