Springsteen, Beyonce, Bono to Headline Obama Inaugural Celebration

Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, U2's Bono, Mary J. Blige and Sheryl Crow are among the artists that will perform at We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration, taking place at Washington, DC's Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, January 18th. The event is free to the public and will be broadcast on HBO. The lineup also includes John Mellencamp, James Taylor, Usher, Stevie Wonder, Will.i.am, John Legend, Shakira and Garth Brooks. Additionally, Queen Latifah, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx and Martin Luther King III will give historical readings at the event.

The We Are One show will kick off four days worth of events before President-Elect Barack Obama is inaugurated into office. The Beastie Boys and Sheryl Crow will team up for the horribly named "Hey, America Feels Kinda Cool Again" concert on January 19th at the 9:30 Club. That same night, Jay-Z revealed he'd play the Warner Theatre in the nation's capital. Bela Fleck of Flecktones fame and Wynton Marsalis will also perform that night at a CNN event at the Kennedy Center. Finally, Marc Anthony and WAR will play the Latino Inaugural Ball on January 18th at Union Station.

The Washington Post previously reported that Springsteen would be involved in some sort of National Mall performance on the 18th, so it's safe to assume this was the event they were discussing. Springsteen had played some swing state concerts in support of Obama during the campaign. John Mellencamp, John Legend and Will.i.am were also vocal about their support of Obama.

Related Stories:

• Bruce Springsteen Reportedly Set to Play Obama Pre-Inauguration Event
• Will.i.am Debuts Obama Song "It's A New Day"
• Springsteen, Jay-Z, Reznor, Doors' Densmore Make Last Minute Election Pushes

• 
  MUSIC The Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments
• 
  MOVIES & TV 'Game of Thrones': The Show Vs. the Books
• 
  POLITICS Matt Taibbi: Facebook IPO vs. Shareholders
• 
  VIDEOS Exclusive: Garbage Rip Through 'I Think I'm Paranoid'

Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter