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Katy Perry Warms Up Crowd for Obama

Pop star sings five songs, encourages voters to cast ballots

October 25, 2012 8:25 AM ET
katy perry obama las vegas
Katy Perry performs at an Obama campaign rally in Las Vegas.
John Gurzinski/Getty Images

Katy Perry has long since outgrown opening-act status, unless the president is headlining: The pop star last night warmed up the crowd for President Obama at a free rally in Las Vegas, according to The Hollywood Reporter, where she performed "Let's Stay Together," "Part of Me," "Teenage Dream," "Wide Awake" and "Firework."

Wearing a tight dress fashioned to look like a ballot (with the Obama/Biden square filled in, of course), she encouraged the crowd of 13,000, particularly first-time voters, to cast their ballots as part of Nevada's early-voter iniative. "You know, I've got my poll outfit sorted," she said. "When I go the polls in California, it's going to be on point. It's going to be red, white and blue, for you-know-who. So you'd better do it, or I'm going to come and get you."

Later, Obama arrived to deliver a version of his stump speech – augmented by a kiss on the cheek from Perry's 91-year-old grandmother.

The rally was the third stop on a three-day campaign trip through swing states for the president, who flew to Las Vegas from Los Angeles after taping an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno earlier in the day.

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