Live blogging the opening ceremonies and concert at Lincoln Memorial

Hello there and good morning. I'm launching this live blog as I head out to the opening ceremonies at Lincoln Memorial. Part of this a test run of our mobile technology as we prepare for inauguration day (see our live blog for that day). Here's a guide to how to get to the location and who is expected to perform at this event.

Musical performers scheduled for the event include Beyonce,
Mary J. Blige, Bono, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Josh
Groban, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles,
John Mellencamp, Usher Raymond IV, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, James
Taylor, will.i.am, and Stevie Wonder. Among those reading historical
passages will be Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and
Denzel Washington. The Rt. Reverend V. Gene Robinson will
give the invocation.

I'll be using Twitter and mobile Cover It Live on my BlackBerry. Click Watch Now below to see the screen. Also check out Twitter search of #inaug09 and Obama.

8:14

National Post:  Hello there and good morning. I'm launching this live blog as I prepare to head out to the opening ceremonies at Lincoln Memorial. Part of this a test run of our mobile technology as we prepare for inauguration day (see our live blog for that day). Here's a guide to how to get to the location and who is expected to perform at this event.

8:14

Kenny Yum:  Musical performers scheduled for the event include Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Bono, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, John Mellencamp, Usher Raymond IV, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, will.i.am, and Stevie Wonder.   Among those reading historical passages will be Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington.   The Rt. Reverend V. Gene Robinson will give the invocation.

8:15	Kenny Yum:  I'll be using Twitter and mobile Cover It Live on my BlackBerry. Click Watch Now below to see the screen. Also check out Twitter search of #inaug09 and Obama.

8:16	Kenny Yum:  Once I'm mobile, I won't be able to read reader comments but you can follow me and direct message me on twitter at twitter.com/yumke

8:16	Kenny Yum:  When you see the symbol T and Yumke, it'll be me mobile. I'll also post pictures as I walk to the site.

8:19	yumke:  U.S. Park Police reports Memorial Bridge is Now closed per Inauguration activities. Alert DC

8:19	Kenny Yum:  This blog is is available here. My previous posts on inauguration are all here

8:27

8:27	Kenny Yum:  Picture of the venue from yesterday afternoon.

8:51	yumke:  Waiting for layers in dryer before heading out to Lincoln concert. Braced for long lineups #inaug09

9:25	Kenny Yum:  About to leave. Bundled up with tights, jeans over that. Three running layers and a sweater and a pullover over that. Jacket on top. Handwarmers ready to go. Blackberry with extra batteries, two cameras and two blankets to sit on and cover ourselves.

9:39	yumke:  And we're off on way to concert on foot #inaug09

9:52

9:53	Kenny Yum:  on way to monument

9:59	yumke:  Not massive crowd yet at Lincoln. We're gonna try to get through closer #inaug09

10:03

10:09

10:10

Kenny Yum:  Plenty of room near Lincoln. Best views are gone but we have good vantage point

10:18

yumke:  Military band playing/ singing anthem (or parts of it) at Lincoln #inaug09

10:31

yumke:  They were testing You will never Walk Alone at Lincoln (Liverpool song) #inaug09

10:43

yumke:  Guy selling flag 'one dollar now, 20 dollars on Tuesday' #inaug09

10:46

yumke:  Crowd is gathering, glad we brought blankets to sit on dirt. 3 plus hours left #inaug09

10:58

10:59

Kenny Yum:  Proof i'm here

11:01

yumke:  Obama is in church this morning we are told, mass of people here at Lincoln #inaug09

11:05

yumke:  Tom Hanks in the house! Rehearsing at Lincoln #inaug09

11:21

yumke:  http://twitpic.com/14byg - And the long wait begins (they're playing anthem) #inaug09

11:21

yumke:  Man leads rousing chant 'fired up, ready to go'! They repeat 10 times. Lincoln #inaug09

11:24

yumke:  http://twitpic.com/14bzr - And the long wait begins (they're playing anthem) #inaug09

11:24

yumke:  http://twitpic.com/14bzy - And the long wait begins (they're playing anthem) #inaug09

11:25

yumke:  Posted: Live blogging the opening ceremonies and concert at Lincoln Memorial: Hello there and good mornin.. http://tinyurl.com/7qdtch

11:37

yumke:  3 hours till showtime, did I mention it's chilly here at Lincoln? #inaug09

12:00

yumke:  Someone is trying to get us to do the wave at Lincoln memorial 'gonna beat other side' #inaug09

12:04

yumke:  OH: Debating whether sniper would take out a guy if he ran into reflecting pool. Seagulls are on pool at Lincoln Memorial #inaug09

12:11

yumke:  Someone put a handwarmer in their boot (I'm usung one now) Lincoln Memorial #inaug09

12:16

yumke:  http://twitpic.com/14ccw - Sitting, waiting at Lincoln #inaug09

12:17

yumke:  Playing Star Wars theme. Crowd goes wild at Lincoln Memorial #inaug09

12:21

yumke:  Playing stand by me at Lincoln. That's better #inaug09

12:25

yumke:  Posted: Obama's inauguration: Canada's warm welcome: Washington, D.C. -- The Canadian embassy, the site o.. http://tinyurl.com/9rofp4

12:25

yumke:  Posted: Obama's inauguraiton: Life in the security zone: Washington, D.C. -- I knew I was in for an i.. http://tinyurl.com/9xphun

12:29

yumke:  Canadian content! life is a highway (not tom's version) at Lincoln Memorial #inaug09

12:32

Kenny Yum:  Picture coming of c

12:32

Kenny Yum:  Picture coming of crowd

12:33

12:41

yumke:  Elmo leads chant 'today we are all one' Lincoln Memorial #inaug09

12:42

yumke:  Singing 'let it shine'. Stevie Wonder on harmonica #inaug09

1:09	yumke:  Cell service is shoddy. Not sure whether texts will go out much from Lincoln #inaug09

1:12	yumke:  In past while we watched new video w Bono and celeb cast, Kravitz, watching Obama video Lincoln #inaug09

1:14	yumke:  Playing new video with Bono and others: This is my American (power? I think) Lincoln #inaug09 pretty cool. Playing Kravitz now

1:17	yumke:  Ellen Degeneres entertaining us trying to keep us warm 'think of George Clooney' Lincoln #inaug09

1:29	yumke:  Beach ball stuck in tree. Guy climbs and loosens it. Crowd cheers. Three helis fly by (Obama?) #inaug09 Lincoln Memorial

1:31	yumke:  Video of Obama at Lincoln Memorial, he's calling for renewed civic service #inaug09. We cheer for passing Marine One

1:34	yumke:  Wilco video at Lincoln Memorial: 'There's light, one light' #inaug09 looking back at Monument, it's filling up. Groban is irritating

1:53	yumke:  Much hilarity as we watch people try to scale trees. Two have made it so far at Lincoln #inaug09 40 minutes left

1:55	yumke:  Now they have a cardboard cutout Obama at the tree. Crowd cheers again #inaug09 please start this concert at Lincoln!

2:09	yumke:  Listening to NPR on this We are One 'people as far as eye can see' #inaug09

2:13	yumke:  Playing new video again. Very catchy: #inaug09

2:16	yumke:  'You guys hang in there' Obama says in video. 15 minutes! #inaug09

2:16	yumke:  An absolute sight to see: packed from Lincoln Memorial to Monument #inaug09

2:23	yumke:  Giving invocation, mention of gay/lesbian #inaug09 Obama human being not messiah. We can't hear v well

2:24	yumke:  'We can't hear' we shout pointing to speakers #inaug09

2:25	yumke:  'Keep him safe. We are asking far too much of this one'. Wow. #inaug09 we are silent

2:33	yumke:  Wave is making its way. Chanting for Obama at Lincoln #inaug09

2:35	yumke:  Biden walks out. Barack walks out 'yes we did' we shout. #inaug09

2:36	yumke:  We laugh when they ask us to remain up for anthem #inaug09

2:40	yumke:  We love Denzel: tribute to lincoln, wash and jefferson #inaug09 we are the united states

2:42	yumke:  Bruce with a choir! #inaug09

2:46	yumke:  Planes fly overhead. Must be quite a view of Lincoln #inaug09

2:50	yumke:  Recalling FDR, JFK speeches (MLK III speaking about father) we're quiet #inaug09 "anyone can serve'

2:52	yumke:  Lean on me going down smoothly at Lincoln #inaug0?

2:55	yumke:  Foxx and Carrell (big cheers for both) 'speak out' #inaug09

2:56	yumke:  Foxx does awesome Barack! #inaug09

2:59	yumke:  'Long time coming' nice duet shaking down here. Bon jovi? #inaug09

3:01	yumke:  Hanks invokes Lincoln (history and music mixes well at this concert) #inaug09

3:04	yumke:  Never thought 500,000 people could be this quiet #inaug09 as Hanks speaks at Lincoln

3:09	yumke:  Tomei on Reagan (person beside me make pss sound). James Taylor is on, heads bobbing again #inaug09

3:12	yumke:  We're swaying to this tune, mellow out time #inaug09 at Lincoln Memorial

3:15	yumke:  Biden (you da man someone says) he's shouting. Work is 'about dignity'. 'That's right' I hear #inaug09

3:18	yumke:  'Cougar!' Lots of acoustic this afternoon. 'America, home of the free' Crowd loves it. #inaug09

3:32	yumke:  Queen Latifa gets ovation, speaking about race #inaug09. Groban singing with? Big choir, I can see them from here

3:33	yumke:  Loving One Love. Channeling Marley. Tiger Woods?! #inaug09

3:34	yumke:  Tiger paying tribute to military #inaug09 and his father

3:37	yumke:  Song for military: 'End of the storm there's a golden sky' 'you'll never walk alone'. #inaug09.

3:39	yumke:  Jack Black. How funny. In black. #inaug09

3:42	yumke:  Lots of admiring of past prez. #inaug09. Garth Brooks has us singing loud! #inaug09

3:47	yumke:  Garth brought the house down! See us jumping? #inaug09

3:51	yumke:  Ashley and Forrest on the poet's voice. Wonder! #inaug09

3:57	yumke:  Stevie got Barack up. SL Jackson up now on Rosa Parks and JFK on freedom for all. #inaug09

3:59	yumke:  One Word: U2!

4:06	yumke:  Give it to Bono to make it political: 'A Palestinian Dream'. Barack still smiles. #inaug09

4:13	yumke:  Barack gets ovation: hopeful as ever US will endure #inaug09

4:15	yumke:  Obama pays tribute to MLK, Lincoln and Americans. 'It is you' #inaug09

4:18	yumke:  Chants of 'Ohh ba maaa' resonate after his speech. #inaug09

4:24	yumke:  This Land went over well. Everyone singing. Now America the Beautiful. Bring it home #inaug09

4:27	yumke:  Thinmk rightly so this was the People's Inauguration. What a concert. Making our way home. #inaug09

4:46	yumke:  http://twitpic.com/14fhz -

5:27

Kenny Yum:  Thanks for joining this blog. Just got back to 'headquarters' and going to shut this down. Part of this was a test run of our mobile technology as we prepare for inauguration day (see our live blog for that day). I'll be blogging more on today's concert -- I have lots of pictures and video -- and will be liveblogging with others in inauguration day, so join us on nationalpost.com/posted. Read more about inauguration at Posted here. And follow me on Twitter for live updates at twitter.com/yumke