Concert at the Lincoln Memorial Ushers in Inaugural Events

There were probably a quarter million people between us and Obama today on the Mall, and another half a million behind us. We felt safely embedded in a sea of hopeful humanity, all celebrating the new era they had been waiting for for so long. Not only did it appear as if all of Washington DC had congregated on the mall. Judging from our conversations with the people around us, much of the rest of the country had decided to join in as well. It was clear that the Obama era was upon us. Marine helicopters were ferrying the Bushes overhead for the last time back to or from Camp David, while we were listening on the mall to performers including Stevie Wonder, Betty LaVette, Bruce Springsteen, Herbie Hancockl, Sheryl Crow, John Cooper Mellencamp, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Renee Fleming, Jon Bon Jovi, Bono, and Byonce ushering in the new age.

Obama spoke near the end of the program and told all of us that we “proved once more that people who love this country can change it.” This time it felt more real than ever before that we really did.

Vinz's Photos from the event can be found here

The New York Times blogged from there as well.