The Concert for Valor

Last night, I had the honor of attending the first Concert for Valor put on by HBO, Starbucks, and Chase. It was held in honor of our military veterans on the National Mall in front of the Capital. Artists and actors came together to put on a great show that helped highlight some of our veterans and their stories while raising awareness for the issues our service members and vets face today. If you are interested in donating time or money to any of these causes, visit www.theconcertforvalor.com for more information. The concert featured performances from the musicians along with snapshots of individual veterans and their stories.

After waking up at 4:45 to be at work at 6, I left work a bit after 2:30 and decided to head down to the Mall. Someone (not really sure who) estimated upwards of 850,000 people might attend, and I wanted to beat the crowds there. I snagged some snacks at Giant and popped on the Metro. My preferred Mall Metro stop (Smithsonian) was closed, unbeknownst to me, so I got off at L’Enfant and walked down to the Mall. The gates opened at 10 am, and it was already fairly crowded. For those of you unfamiliar with the Mall: the Mall is a rectangle of grass bordered by a gravel rectangle path inside a giant rectangle border of grass. The inner grass was packed, so I grabbed a spot on the outer grass (but near the gravel). I could see the stage and several of the Jumbotrons.

 

My friends bailed on me, so I was there alone and managed to find some Hokies sitting next to me. I kind of read a book I brought, but mostly I people watched and judged. Like the guy in front of me who was super wasted and managed to throw up on his own face. Or his girlfriend who laughed at him and took photos instead of turning him on his side to keep him from choking on his vomit. Or the gay guy on Tinder. Or the people talking about their yoga challenge while doing tripod handstands.

Three hours of waiting later, the concert finally started. Jennifer Hudson performed a fabulous rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner.” Then came a duet with Jessie J. Meryl Streep introduced Dave Grohl. Then Zac Brown Band. ZBB, Dave, and Bruce Springsteen performed the horribly un-American “Born in the USA.” Next, we had The Black Keys, Carrie Underwood (who doesn’t look pregnant at all), and Metallica. After seeing “Enter Sandman” live, I called it a night to beat traffic back home. Rihanna, Bruce, and Eminem wrapped things up after I left. Overall, it was an amazing concert and experience, and I’m so glad I went.