Watch more YouTube videos on AOL Video
"We Are One" was the concert's optimistic theme, but — inadvertently or not — the performances and speeches in yesterday's pre-inaugural bash featured more than a little oneupsmanship, and even a little upstaging. Favorite faceoffs:
Steve Carell vs. Jamie Foxx: How could Carell not come off as the whitest man in America when paired with Jamie Foxx, who roused everyone to stand up for Chi-town, then capped it off with an imitation of the prez-elect that even had the man himself laughing?
Shakira vs. Stevie Wonder vs. Usher: Wonder and Usher grooved together joyfully. Shakira played catch-up.
James Taylor vs. John Legend vs. Jennifer Nettles: James, wake up! There are people around you who are actually singing!
The Eagles vs. Obama: What a wondrous display of American freedom: Two big birds trying to fly, but tethered to their masters' wrists. And what a lousy lead-in for the president-elect's speech.
Garth Brooks vs. our patience: OK, he got the crowd going with "Shout" — but several switches back and forth to the football game later, and he's still on?
There were other awkward faceoffs, too (Tom Hanks vs. Aaron Copland, a draw) but also plenty of teamwork that paid off (Bettye LaVette and Jon Bon Jovi, who woulda thunk). And a shout-out to the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington — I didn't see them credited on screen, but that was them singing with "My Country 'Tis of Thee" with Josh Groban and Heather Headley (who lost that faceoff, by the way), and their presence was a heartening sign of inclusion.
Plus Mary J. Blige, Beyoncé (both giving impassioned performances), and Bruce, Bono, Pete Seeger… No matter the occasional glitches and ponderousness, this was a pretty damn cool concert. And nice of HBO to broadcast it for free.
This article appears in Jan 14-20, 2009.