DNC ’24: THE MUSICAL CONVENTION

The Democratic National Convention in Chicago kicked off Monday night (8/19) with musical performances from a pair of artists who identify as country but are light years from Republican standard-bearers Lee Greenwood and Kid Rock. First up was Mickey Guyton, who sang “All American” from her 2021 debut album, Remember Her Name. Later in the evening, Jason Isbell gave a shout-out to the Alabama delegation before launching into the title track of his fifth solo album, 2015’s Something More Than Free. The lyric, which complemented the address given the same night by UAW President Shawn Fain, contained the lines, “I don’t think on why I’m here or where it hurts/ I’m just lucky to have the work.”

The Monday performances served as an on-message ramp-up to Tuesday night’s session. Just a month earlier, the Dems’ hopes had been pinned to an esteemed but uncertain elder—which made the celebration at the United Center seem like the modern-day equivalent of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show to the millions watching who were old enough to remember 1964, with the Obamas headlining the bill. But the opening act delivered as well, as DJ Cassidy took the stage and spun intro music for each state during the roll call.

California got no less than four hip-hop classics: Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg’s “The Next Episode”; 2Pac, Dre & Roger Troutman’s “California Love”; and a Kendrick Lamar double play, with the thematic bull’s-eye “Not Like Us” and “Alright.” When it was Georgia’s turn, Lil Jon appeared to deliver “Turn Down for What.” New Jersey’s theme was Springsteen’s “Born in the USA,” which was as much a no-brainer as Vermont going with Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season.”

Barack Obama came onstage to the strains of U2’s “City of Blinding Lights,” the same song he chose to accompany his speeches at his own conventions in 2008 and 2012.

Stevie Wonder kicked off primetime Wednesday night, repurposing “Higher Ground” as a campaign rallying cry before launching into the song, which even Fox News aired in full. John Legend and Sheila E. intro’d Tim Walz with a rendition of Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy,” while the VP candidate’s speech was bookended by John Mellencamp’s “Small Town” and Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.” What, no Replacements?!

The Chicks sang the National Anthem near the start of Thursday night’s culminating session, and P!nk offered her 2017 protest song, “What About Us,” dueting with her 12-year-old daughter, Willow Sage Hart. The energy spiked when DJ Metro played “TEXAS HOLD 'EM.” Online media outlets speculated about the possibility of a surprise appearance from Beyoncé.

As it turned out, she wasn’t there, the organizers apparently determining that there would’ve been no point in having Kamala Harris share the spotlight. But Harris’ speech was followed by the sounds of Queen Bey’s “Freedom,” the candidate’s official campaign song, blending with the deafening cheers and red, white and blue balloons filling the arena.