The Rising of the City of Blinding Lights

(Above: Section headlines from El Informador, our daily paper.)

Since I'm geekin' out all the way down in Guadalajara over today's Inaugural Celebration concert on the National Mall in D.C., I couldn't help but post something about it. According to backstreets.com, Bruce Springsteen is set to play "The Rising" (click for a video) and maybe "This Land is Your Land," too, with Pete Seeger - a 1-2 punch that gives me chills just thinking about it. Rollingstone.com has the full report on that one.

Rumors were that Bono was going to play the concert, too, but those rumors turned out to be false. Instead the FULL BAND, all four members of U2 are gonna be rockin' the Lincoln Memorial. The first U2 live performance since 2006...the upcoming world tour can't be far away now!

Even better: The good people at atu2.com have a video up of U2's rehearsal for the show. They're playing "Pride," a song about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, and, just like he did during the Vertigo Tour shows, near the end of the song Bono starts talking about how Dr. King's dream is "not just an American dream, but an Irish dream, an African dream, a South American dream..." and then he adds this: "And also - a Palestinian dream!" You didn't think my boys were going to play in front of a row of American flags and not get their boots on, did you?


UPDATE: The show is streaming right now on HBO.com. Shakira and Usher are singing Higher Ground with Stevie Wonder. I had forgotten how awesomely weird Shakira's voice is...

UPDATE 2: Ok, now U2 is playing. Mateo is sitting at the computer screen with a stupid grin on his face, unable to move. How awesome a performer is Bono? I mean, he's a complete fool, just like he's always been, ever since those first days in the early 1980s, running all over the stage, opening his arms wide, calling the people up on their feet, doing whatever it takes to bring the crowd into it, to wake up the people. He's a dork, no doubt, but God help me I do love it. And now Obama is speaking. Bono hands off the mic/baton to Barack? That's the awesomest relay ever!!!!

UPDATE 3: And the show concludes with PETE SEEGER joining Bruce Springsteen and a gospel choir to sing "This Land is Your Land." Pete is wearing a funny hat. Zach, this is your turn to geek out. :) Pete is calling out the words, and the choir and everyone in the crowd is singing the words back to him. Greatest thing ever. I have no more words.