Katy Perry and nine more talking points from the opening concert

Celebrities welcomed Joe Biden to the White House on Wednesday after he officially became the 46th US president.

The Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato and many more performed on a 90-minute special hosted by Tom Hanks from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. The show replaced the traditional inaugural ball, which could not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The event was in turn festive and solemn. Themes such as unity and the turning of a new sheet dominated the evening, especially through the musicians’ song choices. Jon Bon Jovi covered “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles, John Legend reinterpreted the classic “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone, and Demi Lovato sang the upbeat Bill Withers song “Lovely Day”.

Katy Perry ended the show with a spectacular performance of her 2010 hit “Firework”, as live fireworks lit the skies over the nation’s capital.

Here are the top 10 talking points of the evening:

Tom Hanks remains America’s darling

In times of turmoil or confusion, the nation knows it can always turn its lonely eyes to Tom Hanks. In March 2020, the actor and his wife Rita Wilson became the first high profile American celebrities to announce that they had been diagnosed with Covid-19. They recovered and Hanks surprised America by staging a distant episode of Saturday Night Live the next month. On Wednesday night he proved to be a competent host – solemn but not stern, thoughtful but not grand. It was a perfect choice for the evening. (Clémence Michallon)

And Bruce Springsteen is still the boss

Wednesday’s show began with Bruce Springsteen performing his 1999 song “Land of Hope and Dreams”. It was a moving performance, and the melody set the tone – cautious optimism and slightly tired. “Land of Hope and Dreams” played after Barack Obama’s farewell speech in January 2017. To feature him in first place on Wednesday night sounded like a moving reminder, and a nod to Biden’s past work as a vice. -President of Obama. (CM)

Jon Bon Jovi joins from Florida

Jon Bon Jovi, who like his fellow performers Bruce Springsteen and Ant Clemons is originally from New Jersey, has moved to Florida – incidentally the state where Donald Trump is expected to live now that he’s left the White House. The location left some viewers in awe (based on their comments on social media), but the musician’s cover of “Here Comes the Sun” struck an emotional note for many as well. (CM)

John Legend expected to play at Lincoln Memorial more often

One of the highlights of the evening was John Legend’s interpretation of “Feeling Good”. Is it because he picked the perfect song? Was he motivated to perform in a place as historic as the Lincoln Memorial? Or was it the energy legend – a scathing criticism of Trump – brought to the stage, hours after Joe Biden was sworn in? Probably a mix of all of these things, and more. Either way, it was the recipe for a spectacular performance. (CM)

Dave Grohl’s tribute to teachers

Dave Grohl, the son of a teacher himself, made sure to honor educators across the country before he and the rest of the Foo Fighters took to singing. Grohl has advocated for teachers’ rights during the coronavirus pandemic. Her speech on Wednesday also resonated with Dr. Jill Biden’s background as a teacher. It was a clever introduction to a very satisfying performance by the group, who played the 2003 song “Times Like These”. (CM)

The song choices were on point

Let’s discuss the song choices for a minute. The musicians expressed hope and optimism on Wednesday, while acknowledging the difficult times Americans have faced in recent months and years. Springsteen’s “Land of Hope and Dreams”, as discussed, was a pretty perfect start to the evening. Bon Jovi and Legend were more outwardly festive, with “Here Comes the Sun” and “Feeling Good”, respectively. Ditto Demi Lovato and the very energetic version of Withers’ 1977 track “Lovely Day”. “Times Like These” by Foo Fighters, meanwhile, brought a more pointed touch. And Katy Perry’s “Firework” made a spectacular finale for obvious reasons (more on that below). (CM)

Katy Perry closed the night with a brilliant fireworks display

Who better than the titanium of the pop Katy Perry to conclude an already starry and very musical evening? Dressed in white and performing in front of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, the Grammy-nominated radio mainstay released her 2010 track “Firework” for the occasion in a setting that culminated with a massive firework display. It might have been a little on the nose, but Perry was never really a man of subtlety. Perry’s “Firework” and soaring delivery was the ideal up close for an already inspired evening. (Rachel Brodsky)

Broadway has a chance to shine

Beloved Broadway theaters in New York have been closed since March 2020, as a measure needed to slow the spread of Covid-19. How the city missed the places and their interpreters! Wednesday’s show featured a wonderful medley of various Broadway actors and singers. Together they sang “Seasons of Love” by Rental, aka the anthem of children’s theater across the United States, and “Let the Sunshine In” by Hair, another classic. It was so good to sample Broadway, if only for a few moments. (CM)

Yo-Yo Ma’s interpretation of “Amazing Grace” was a thing of beauty

“Amazing Grace” holds a special place in the American psyche – and beyond, in fact. When the coronavirus pandemic first took hold, Andrea Bocelli sang it in a very moving performance by Milan’s Duomo Cathedral. Understandably enough, most of the performances of “Amazing Grace” emphasize the lyrics of the song. But on Wednesday night, cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed a wonderfully pure and deceptively simple version that allowed viewers to experience it in a whole new way. (CM)

Lin-Manuel Miranda recites with emotion “The Cure at Troy” by Seamus Heaney

If you’ve ever seen Joe Biden speak, you’ll know he really enjoys quoting Irish poet Seamus Heaney’s poem “The Cure at Troy”. In the opening moments of “Celebrating America,” none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda honored the two men by reciting an excerpt from the poem. It was a poignant read that reflected America’s politically polarized moment, Miranda concluding, “Once in a lifetime / The Tidal Wave Sucked Up / Justice Can Rise / And hope and history rhyme.” The passage offered hope that the nation could heal and unite, just as President Biden has wished too many times. (RB)

Check out how the night went in our live blog: