In the Name of Love

Today, I was one of a half-million who braved the cold on the Capitol mall grounds to hear music and speakers honoring the President Elect, Barak Obama. I really don't like crowds or cold weather, but I wanted to endure these obstacles for a chance to be a part of history and to see U2 live. Mostly I went for my daughter Ariel, because it was very important to her and she was unable to make the trip.

The performers took stage on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and the crowds hugged the sides of the reflection pool all the way back to the Washington Monument. It was an amazing day. I had never been in a city that was virtually locked down. The DC police was out in full force with the help of the US Army. There were security checkpoints everywhere and all the perimeter streets closed off to cars. Luckily large screens were situated to see the performers up close. It was an interesting schedule of actors giving brief historical accounts, followed by the musicians. There were far too many acts for me to comment on but I will share the most interesting and bizarre. Springsteen opened with "The Rising." Tom Hanks gave a stiffened speech about Lincoln during the Civil War. Later James Taylor was joined by John Legend and Jennifer Nettles for a beautiful version of "Shower the People." This was the slower portion of show. Garth Brooks really got the crowd riled up with a medley of "American Pie" and "Shout." This was followed by a great performance from Stevie Wonder, Usher and Shakira. Samuel Jackson gave an overview of Martin Luther King's legacy, which was followed by U2 singing "In the Name of Love." For me, this was the best part of the day and made me forget how cold I was. Bono, looked over to Obama and said it was an honor for the four boys from north Dublin to come "and honor you, sir." Leave it to the Irish rock legends to make many a happy camper cry.

There were some really unusual speakers, I thought, including Jack Black, Cal Penn and Marisa Tomei. Okay, I just didn't get it. And Cheryl Crow's reggae medley with Herbie Hancock just didn't work. But today really wasn't about the free concert or seeing celebrities. It was about people from all over coming together for a common purpose, to celebrate at a time that's very grave, and to display courage and hope at a time when we need it most. Tuesday's inauguration will undoubtedly be the most historic in my lifetime. And our President Elect will need all the support he can get. Today was a very strong show of that support, and you got a feeling of great warmth and unity – even in the bitter cold.