Inauguration Frenzy

The wave of excitement sweeping the United States surrounding Barack Obama's inaugurations is unprecedented and growing. The main celebrations began Sunday morning, when Obama visited Arlington Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. Later that afternoon the festivities continued in Washington DC, at the National Mall where notable artists performed and Obama gave a speech to remember.

Artists that performed included U2, Beyonce, Mary J Blige, Garth Brooks, Stevie Wonder, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, and Usher. U2's performance was particularly memorable. As a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., the band played Pride (In The Name of Love) and made reference to the monumental "I Have A Dream Speech." Bono declared that his dream was also "an Irish dream, a European dream, and African dream, an Israeli dream, and a Palestinian dream."

The various bands were observed and cheered on by an audience containing thousands of people. So many people came in fact that they couldn't all fit in the mall, and those that couldn't fit lined the streets between the Capitol and the Washington Monument to watch the spectacle on special large screens set up for the event.

In addition to musical entertainment, comedians, actors and actresses also contributed to the show. Naturally, President Elect Obama and Vice President Elect Biden spoke and gave speeches as well. The official inauguration will be held on Tuesday, January 21st and until then the celebrations are expected to continue in full swing as an enthusiastic nation waits to welcome a fresh new face to American politics.