Are You Leaving?

I took well over 300 pictures at the "We Are One" concert; a considerably whittled down selection can be found here, and a general report from someone who had a press pass - here.

It was an unusual feeling, being there - it was much more a national event than a concert, and I felt a little bit like I was intruding on something that was not really meant for me. More than anything else, the whole spectacle reminded me of one line from a Henry Rollins rant, delivered roughly 5 or 6 years into Bush's rule - "Wouldn't it be awesome if we had a president whom you would treat like a rock star?" Well, Obama got bigger cheers than anybody there, bigger than Beyonce, bigger than Bono, bigger than Jamie Foxx; when the big screens showed him bobbing his head to Mary J. Blige, everyone went "awww". These people, for better or worse, really do believe that something momentous is happening, that somehow this election will make a difference. They would probably find it hard to tell you what the difference will be, but whatever - it was still good to see so much positivity in so many people. I never quite know what to make of mass celebrations like this - they do feel like manipulation, to a certain extent, like promising everything will be all right when it clearly won't. But the million of people or so gathered at the Mall clearly needed some kind of cathartic experience.

From Inauguration

Anyway, when I decided to move to another part of the Mall to look for more photo ops, a lady asked me in a concerned voice - "Are you leaving? You can't leave now, what are you gonna tell people when you're old?" She seemed really worried on my behalf. "It's all good," I said, brandishing my camera, "I'm just looking for a better angle."