Pre-Inaugural Concert At Lincoln Memorial

Highlights of the We Are One Concert that kicked off this historic Inauguration Week:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The near-freezing temperature didn't stop the enthusiastic crowd estimated at 400,000 which stretched from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument.

Big names from the worlds of music and movies performed: Bruce Springsteen, U2, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington just to name a few.

It was a rockin' good time; the crowd jumped and did the wave to Garth Brooks singing Shout while the Obamas were on their feet singing along with Stevie Wonder, Usher and Shakira to Higher Ground. All the performances were great, but I especially liked Renee Fleming's rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone with the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club and for sheer significance, Bruce Springsteen singing Woody Guthrie's This Land is Your Land with folk legend Pete Seeger. Yes wingnuts, we're taking our country back. Get used to it.

At the same time, there was the pomp and circumstance of flags and military colors and choirs and the grandeur of the setting itself: the imposing statue of the sitting Lincoln in the background, the same setting in which Martin Luther King, Jr., whose memory we are honoring today, gave his "I Have A Dream" speech.

As usual, the Obamas and Bidens looked great and were positively beaming. I thought Michelle Obama's black and tan suit and coat ensemble looked elegant and becoming.

The full concert was covered on HBO -- which authorized its service providers to show it to their viewers for free -- and will probably be replayed the rest of the week. You can also watch the entire event online for free here. USA Today also liveblogged the event here.

| +Save/Share | |