We Are One Concert (Almost a month late.. Sorry!)

Well, I do apologize for the tardy of this post: between getting over the natural high of being in Washington during the Inauguration to getting back into the swing of school and work, it has been hard to find the time to put words to paper.

What can I say about the incredibly cold, but oh-so-exciting few days in January 2009 except that it was an experience I will never forget. From my bus ride to DC on Saturday (Jan. 17th) to returning home in the Obama Era on Wednesday (Jan. 21st) I saw the absolute best our country represented. From the young to the old, people of all races, religions and creeds stood together, figuratively and literally, to welcome back the hope that our country has sorely missed. It was a privilege to experience those few days with my cousin Alex and his circle of friends, who immediately welcomed me into the fold.

On Sunday, the morning of the free, celebratory "We Are One" concert at the Lincoln Memorial, my friends and I met on the Metro at 7am and our adventure began. It wasn't as cold as people predicted it was going to be, but nonetheless we all dressed in our ski gear as we headed into Washington. The energy in the air was palpable and our excitement never subsided. As we entered the National Mall, we were greeted by the magnetic 3D scans and the brave men and women of the Armed Forces, who couldn't have been nicer or more polite. As we made our way to the mall, we took a moment to admire the Washington Monument and the World War II Memorial with people from all over our country.

By 9am, we were in our spot facing the Lincoln Memorial, about 150 people deep... we could actually see the stage and we were all stoked that we were able to score such an awesome viewing spot for the show! The waiting wasn't as bad as we thought it was going to be and we played just about every childhood game imaginable with others around us. After hours of 'geography' and 'band name' we took turns taking strolls, pictures and sharing stories with our group, and with those around us. What I noticed at this point was that this event, while political in nature, was definitely entertaining - EVERYONE was there to see a certain artist. My friends and I couldn't wait to sample the legends that were coming up: Bruce Springsteen, U2 and Stevie Wonder, plus today's superstars Beyonce and Usher and many, many others. Also officially announced were appearances by Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington and the President-Elect himself, Barak Obama, was announced to speak.

Once 2pm rolled around, the crowd was on its feet and ready for the show. We were blessed with great weather and the energy was peaking when The Boss took the stage with a choir and serenaded the crowd with his new classic "The Rising". Springsteen, who supported Obama from the start, did not disappoint. Neither did anyone else who graced the stage that day (one highlight was a 2-song set by U2). My personal favorite was the unexpected surprise of Garth Brooks, who came out of retirement and killed it with American classics "American Pie" and "Shout", during which my friends and I paid homage to Animal House and 'gatored' it all the way down.

Obama, in a 5 minute speech to the crowd could be seen on the monitors enjoying himself with his family and staff. In his speech, he was gracious and thanked the crowd for descending on Washington in solidarity and with purpose. He thanked us for braving the cold as well. The show ended with Beyonce's rendition of "America the Beautiful" and all of the day's stars joining the legendary Pete Seeger on stage to close with "This Land Is Your Land". We were truly ONE that day.

We also got a chance to hear Arthea Franklin perform on Inauguration Day a few days later... and Obama's Inaugural Address brought people around us to tears (on a much colder day) but that day, at the Lincoln Memorial, was what I remember most of my weekend in DC. That artists and fans across all genres of music came together to toast and celebrate the incredible new path that our country is taking.

(check back for pictures soon!)