WASHINGTON -- Under the gaze of Abraham Lincoln's statue, Bruce Springsteen and a red-robed gospel choir kicked off a spirited preinaugural concert Sunday before tens of thousands on the National Mall.
The crowd erupted in cheers when Obama and his wife, Michelle, arrived, walking down the steps of the memorial, and kept applauding for the high-energy Springsteen act and the performances that followed.
There was no red carpet, but the event had the feel of a Hollywood awards ceremony, with stars taking the stage to praise, serenade, and even impersonate the next president.
Performers including Bono, Beyonce and James Taylor were on the bill.
A crowd expected to reach up to a half-million was stretched past the reflecting pool separating the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
Obama and his wife and Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, sat behind bullet-proof glass near the stage erected on the steps of the memorial.
The crowd erupted in cheers when Obama and his wife, Michelle, arrived, walking down the steps of the memorial, and kept applauding for the high-energy Springsteen act and the performances that followed.
There was no red carpet, but the event had the feel of a Hollywood awards ceremony, with stars taking the stage to praise, serenade, and even impersonate the next president.
Performers including Bono, Beyonce and James Taylor were on the bill.
A crowd expected to reach up to a half-million was stretched past the reflecting pool separating the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
Obama and his wife and Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, sat behind bullet-proof glass near the stage erected on the steps of the memorial.
The excitement mounts, the celebration has already begun. The 44th President of the United States of America is about to be inaugurated. We as a country are making history. Yes, that is a cliche phrase but it has never been more true than it is now. I am sure all of you have great expectations as I do for what this young bright black president will do for this country. He has already brought us more respect from other countries, Europe for one. I will be able to travel to Paris and London and not have to say I am Canadian.
I remember when JFK was elected president (one benefit to age is I have seen a whole heck of a lot of history made) and how excited I was to hear this idealistic very intelligent, handsome charismatic president speak. Clinton had some of that brilliance and charm. But President Barack Obama truly brings it all back to me. I have great hopes that he will make some seriously needed positive changes to bring this country out of the darkness it has fallen into and help us to heal. We must all be patient. And patience is not one of my best qualities. As much as I wanted this to happen in my lifetime I could not dream that it would truly happen. It did and although it may be too late to help me much it will make a better world for my grandchildren who will definitely benefit from it and who will also pay for it.
I will be glued to my TV on Tuesday watching this momentous occasion with a box of kleenex at my side.
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