Lady Gaga fans who were wondering what song she would pull out for Kamala Harris‘ final rally in Philadelphia Monday night got a song arguably much more glorious than “Fringe of Glory” — Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America” — in prefacing the candidate’s speech. But she didn’t let down those that wanted to listen to her own inspirational anthem, returning after Harris’ climactic speech to belt out “Fringe of Glory” because the clock struck 12 and election day officially arrived.
“For greater than half of this country’s life, women didn’t have a voice,” Gaga said in introducing the Berlin classic. The singer spoke of girls during that point who “raised children. We held our families together. We supported men as they made the selections. But tomorrow, women will probably be a component of constructing this decision. Today I’m holding in my heart all of the tough, tenacious women who made me who I’m. I solid my vote for somebody who will probably be a president for all Americans. And now, Pennsylvania, it’s your turn. The country is depending on you. So tomorrow be certain all of your voices are heard. Come on, let’s go!”
Gaga had loads of celebrity company through the evening, as a seven-hour livestream from electoral swing states included an impassioned speech by Oprah Winfrey and musical appearances by Katy Perry, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, Sugarland, and the bizarre teaming of Jon Bon Jovi, Michael Stipe and the War & Treaty, amongst others.
While a few of the seven hours’ value of livestreamed campaigning took place in Michigan, North Carolina and Nevada, there was no mistaking that the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh events got essentially the most focus. “You will determine the consequence of this election, Pennsylvania,” said Harris in closing out her final rally appearance in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
After Gaga made her first appearance, Winfrey introduced several young first-time voters, then delivered an address that alternated hope and optimism with the suggestion that the fate of the union could also be at stake in the approaching hours.
“I do know that a few of you feel burnt out and bruised and perhaps even inconsequential. Nothing might be farther from the reality,” Winfrey said. “Each vote, each one, goes to matter. That’s why I’ve come to Philadelphia tonight. And yesterday I used to be all the best way across the country and I used to be climbing on a Sunday afternoon, and I met a girl named Angela who told me that she was gonna sit this one out. Now, I do know she was immediately sorry. She told me that. Because I’d not let up. So I said, ‘We don’t get to take a seat this one out.’
“If we don’t show up tomorrow, it’s entirely possible that we won’t have the chance to ever solid a ballot again,” Winfrey continued. “And let me be very clear, in the event you don’t be certain that the people in your life can get to the polls, that could be a mistake. Deciding not to choose, that’s most definitely a vote to let other people control your future…
“Now, all everyone knows what we’re voting against, so I would like to finish by reminding you about. Just a few things that we’re voting for: We’re voting to defend and protect the Structure of the USA. We’re voting for values. We’re voting for values and integrity. We’re voting for the precise to decide on what happens to our own bodies. We’re we’re voting to avoid wasting ourselves from this precipice of danger. Where we now stand, all of the anxiety and the fear you’re feeling, you’re feeling that since you sense the danger and you alter that together with your vote. We’re voting for healing over hate.”
Winfrey wore a shirt bearing the slogan “Yes She Can,” and her appearance was immediately preceded by Will.i.am singing his song of that name, which was originally penned for the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2016.
In Detroit, Bon Jovi sang “Livin’ on a Prayer,” with the husband-and-wife duo the War & Treaty belting out the upper parts of the chorus, and Stipe chiming in. The ex-R.E.M. frontman sang lead vocals of his own on “Driver 8,” though that was not included within the livestream.
In Pittsburgh, Perry sang “Dark Horse,” “A part of Me,” “Firework”,” before taking over” and a canopy of Whitney Houston’s classic “Biggest Love of All,” although again, home audiences saw only a part of that performance, because the livestream cut from city to city and speech to speech. Aguilera performed “Stronger.” DJ Cassidy emceed the complete evening from his turntable-filled perch in Philly.
Not all of the musical performers were major-label acts: the ensemble sitting in for Beyonce in performing “Freedom” was the Morehouse House of Funk Marching Band, from Atlanta.
Veteran rapper Fat Joe, fresh off appearing in Recent York before a World Series Game at Yankee Stadium, put his musical support toward a unique contest Monday, introducing Ricky Martin by saying, “I heard they needed a Puerto Rican in Philly, and I’m so joyful to be here and represent the Puerto Ricans.” He spoke of Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally, or “what I call a hate rally in my neck of the woods. ’m a sucker for fun… I find anything funny. But once they stand up there and so they call Puerto Rico an island of garbage… I didn’t find that to be a joke,” saying the rally also “disrespected Jewish people” and referenced “Black people caving watermelons… If you happen to’re the last undecided voter, in the event you don’t know who you’re voting for, you gotta be kidding me at this point.”
Before her closing Philadelphia appearance, Harris delivered a virtually an identical speech earlier within the evening across the state in Pittsburgh. There, she was introduced by Cedric the Entertainer, who said, “She isn’t a demagogue, and yet she isn’t demure… Tonight, let’s dance, and tomorrow let’s make history.”
