Photo Credit: JLo/Instagram; Lady Gaga/Instagram; Joe Biden/Instagram; White House/Instagram
Joe Biden’s inauguration looks like it’s going to be something not to be missed. The national anthem will be sang by Lady Gaga, an interesting pick, given how she doesn’t get as much credit for her singing ability as she should. If there’s any doubting her by the people who only remember her for her meat dress, we’re sure they’ll be disproven on the 20th. And Jennifer Lopez will be giving her own performance. Our first thought in hearing that was that this isn’t the Super Bowl but hey… it’s certain to get eyes glued.
Other performances by Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake and Ant Clemons will be a part of a 90 minute television special hosted by Tom Hanks titled Celebrating America all airing on ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and MSNBC. Biden’s inaugural committee described the event as “celebrat[ing] the beginning of a new national journey toward an America united” and “showcase the American people’s resilience, heroism, and unified commitment to coming together as a nation to heal and rebuild”.
The invocation will be lead by Leo J. O’Donovan, a Jesuit priest and former Georgetown University president. The Pledge of Allegiance will be lead by Andrea Hall, the first Black woman to be named captain with the South Fulton Fire and Rescue Department in Georgia. The first-ever national Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman will be giving a poetry reading. Pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Wilmington, Delaware, Rev. Silvester Beaman will be conducting the benediction.
The inauguration will be taking place with the Nation’s Capitol under a State of Emergency following the January 6th Capitol Siege which reports of the day’s events such as footage of rioters heard shouting to kill a fallen police officer with his own gun are still coming to light. Over 10,000 National Guard troops will be in DC and about 5,000 on standby. The event isn’t going to be the large crowd as in time’s past as the city’s Mayor Muriel Bowser has encouraged the city’s residents not to attend for their own safety and Congressmembers each are given just one ticket. President Trump is expected to skip the inauguration, making him the first president to do so since 1869.
On another note, while we’re atalking about inauguration performances, has anyone checked on Chrisette Michele? Remember when she performed for President Trump and then ended up depressed and later had a miscarriage over her canceling? I left DC a year into Trump’s presidency and she went from an inaugural performance to performing at a restaurant in Forestville, MD which shocked the hell out of me. I wonder if things have turned around for her since then.
