Day 9 (January 18, 2009)
From Ben Koch ‘10…
Traveling to the concert
Today, I woke up early to begin what I expected to be a long and busy journey to the National Mall to see the “We Are One” concert. The concert had been receiving a lot of media hype, as it was to feature many entertainers, including U2, Beyonce, Garth Brooks, Bruce Springsteen, Usher and the President-elect. Lots of excitement surrounded the event. I journeyed to the events with Lauren Porto ‘10 and Owen Irwin ‘10, along with other members from our group. Military police, D.C. police and National Guard troops were everywhere in the streets, all of which were closed down for blocks. We met small crowds in the Metro and on the streets until we reached one of the security checkpoints leading into the National Mall.
It was good to know that concert attendees were being watched over; however, it was eerie to be near such high security. As we entered the Mall, we scoped out an area near the reflecting pool and also close to a Jumbotron screen. The crowds began to swarm close to noon. I turned to look at the Washington Monument, and the hill it is on looked like a giant anthill with little ants covering the ground. As concert time approached, the crowd carried out the biggest human wave I’ve ever seen. Soon Elmo appeared on the screen and got the crowd going by leading us in a cheer. When Elmo said, “We are” the crowd would yell “one!” Expectations ran high for the concert about to begin.
“We are One”
The concert began with great fanfare, and the Jumbotron screens announced that this was an HBO production. Although this was a free concert, I’m sure HBO was hoping a few people decided their network was worth the extra premium in the future. Soon the Vice President-elect and his wife, along with the President-elect and his family were welcomed on stage and took their seats that were enclosed within bulletproof glass. On top of the Lincoln Memorial, five snipers were positioned throughout the entire show. Clearly security was of the essence.
The concert was a celebration not only of the accomplishments and historic nature of Barack Obama’s election, but also a tribute and memorial for great leaders of the past and our country. The atmosphere was reminiscent of something from a grand Fourth of July spectacle, only without the fireworks fanfare and warm weather. My favorite highlight was a series of readings by Tom Hanks, paying tribute to the nation’s 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. The crowd was moved as we remembered the man who saved the Union, and whose constant gaze was on the audience during the concert. I also enjoyed appearances and readings by comedians Steve Carell and Jack Black. It is not often that you see them present a serious message in front of an audience. It was a nice change.
The Vice President-elect gave a speech; however, the crowd didn’t seem to latch onto every word of his as they were with some of the speakers. A group of college students next to us claimed that they lived next to Joe Biden and were friends of his family. They yelled quite raucously throughout the entire concert for Joe Biden.
Another great performance was by Stevie Wonder, Usher and Shakira. While Stevie and Usher seemed in their element and delivered marvelous and inspiring performances of “Higher Ground,” when Shakira joined them on the stage, she just felt awkward. Still a good number though.
The best performance was given by country singer Garth Brooks, who did a cover of “Shout.” Not only did he have his back-up choir jumping, but thousands in the audience, and even the President-elect joined in! The concert featured performers chosen to appeal to all generations (I didn’t know who Bettye LaVette was…oops).
Eventually, President-elect Obama took his turn at the podium. The crowd never screamed louder during the concert than when he spoke. The crowd was also never quieter during the concert than when he spoke, hanging onto each word. His speech was humble, focusing on America and celebrating our history and hopeful future. I believe this was the best approach for the concert, which at times may have felt a little bit like a campaign celebration.
Beyonce was the last to grace the stage and gave my favorite performance of “America the Beautiful” to date. One last note, at the end of the concert a kind female voice came over the speakers saying, “Please remain seated until the Vice President-elect and President-elect and their families leave the platform.” Of course, the thousands in attendance had all been standing for well over two hours, and a roar of laughter filled the National Mall.
One thing I did during the concert was collect free buttons. I collected several Inauguration buttons from Pepsi and one from the National Park Service. My grandma always had a collection of buttons, so I’m hoping to start mine this weekend–no one turns down free buttons.
The Return Journey
Although, we beat the crowd on the way into the National Mall, we faced mass-orchestrated chaos on the way out. Our initial plan to cross immediately into Virginia to Arlington Cemetery was hindered by a police blockade for the celebrities who participated in the concert. This meant that we would be taking a three-mile walk back to our hotel as we figured the metro would be overwhelmed with people leaving the concert. This was a good choice as one of the students from South Dakota in our group ended up in the metro during the rush and said that the number of people was scary and, at times, almost unbearable on the train. It was if Washington, D.C., had been shut down as hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets, stopping traffic where traffic was still allowed. I was reminded of all the disaster movies I’ve seen with people filling the streets, walking to an unknown destination. Luckily, we knew our destination, and within an hour and a half, had made it safely out of the District and into our hotel. This was a good practice run for learning how to get out of the crowds during the Inauguration, when the crowds may be eight times larger.
On the way back, I saw an art gallery displaying modern artwork featuring Barack Obama. I’m hoping to make it back to the gallery tomorrow.