Jan 20, 2009

rating the inauguration

Dianne Feinstein, emcee
Energetic and smiling, she gets in the best line of the day: "This was the moment when the dream that once echoed across history from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial finally reached the walls of the White House." 8/10

Rick Warren, invocation
This was the guy? Really? 4/10

Itzhak Perlman / Yo-Yo Ma / Gabriela Montero / Anthony McGill, classical quartet
Why was the music by John Williams? That second rate hack cribbed from the same notes as Aaron Copland, when not stealing outright from the quintessential American composer. If you're going to use "Simple Gifts," might as well play "Appalachian Spring" instead. 6/10

Aretha Franklin, singer
Mediocre arrangement of "My Country 'Tis of Thee" can't keep the Queen of Soul from reigning. 8/10.

The Cold, weather
Bracing but not a deterrent to a million-plus. 8/10

John Roberts, chief swearer-inner
Where's that paper? Not in this pocket.... Not in that pocket... Musta blown away in the wind... Oh, well, I remember how it goes.... 3/10

Barack Obama, president-electric
Duly rhetorical, somber, and uplifting. 9/10

Elizabeth Alexander, poet
I. Learned. To. Read. Poetry. In. An. Echo. Chamber. 2/10

Joseph Lowery, benediction
Finally, a reason to really smile. 10/10

No comments: