Spring Break
Musicians eager to usher in Obama
Among those artists visiting Washington, D.C., for the inaugural event are Jaz-Z and Ted Leo.
by Daniel Orkin
Staff Writer
Arts | 1/13/09
Posted online at 12:46 AM EST on 1/13/09
For the classier, more historically minded inaugurites, Washington's grandiose Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts will host a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. that will include a show by Aretha Franklin, who is also poised to perform at the actual inauguration the following day alongside Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman. The MLK tribute will also feature Internet Buzz-heavy Nuttin' But Stringz, a duo of violin-wielding brothers who just a few years ago were a New York Subway act, but have since risen to fame (hence the title of their debut album, Struggle from the Subway to the Charts).
But, perhaps the biggest pre-inauguration event-at least when judging by ticket price-is the Warner Theater's "An Evening with Jay-Z." The self-made, Brooklyn-bred gazillionare is set to perform at the historic venue just a few blocks from the White House, as if to say he could probably be president if he tried. While this is probably true, I'm just hoping he includes the line "I got 99 problems, but Barack ain't one" at some point.
Yet for all the revelry, the hundreds of bars now open until 4 a.m., an entire city's party infrastructure pushed to its very limit, I couldn't be happier to be getting out of the city a safe week ahead of the pandemonium; with the millions of Obamanites swarming every inch of D.C. in hopes of catching a glimpse of the 44th president, the chance of landing a good spot for Obama's swearing-in will probably require a weekend of winter camping at the national mall beforehand. But, not to worry, for should you find yourself unable to resist the pull of this historic event and actually commit to facing the crowds, rumor has it that Bruce Springsteen will be doing a free outdoor concert outside the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, Jan. 18, which has to got to be at least as inspiring as Obama's speech.
But, perhaps the biggest pre-inauguration event-at least when judging by ticket price-is the Warner Theater's "An Evening with Jay-Z." The self-made, Brooklyn-bred gazillionare is set to perform at the historic venue just a few blocks from the White House, as if to say he could probably be president if he tried. While this is probably true, I'm just hoping he includes the line "I got 99 problems, but Barack ain't one" at some point.
Yet for all the revelry, the hundreds of bars now open until 4 a.m., an entire city's party infrastructure pushed to its very limit, I couldn't be happier to be getting out of the city a safe week ahead of the pandemonium; with the millions of Obamanites swarming every inch of D.C. in hopes of catching a glimpse of the 44th president, the chance of landing a good spot for Obama's swearing-in will probably require a weekend of winter camping at the national mall beforehand. But, not to worry, for should you find yourself unable to resist the pull of this historic event and actually commit to facing the crowds, rumor has it that Bruce Springsteen will be doing a free outdoor concert outside the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, Jan. 18, which has to got to be at least as inspiring as Obama's speech.
Be the first to comment on this story