The vast, sprawling $850 million edifice known as the Barack Obama Presidential Center — it's not a library, though it has a library — has been in the works for more than a decade, and it's finally ready to open its doors to the public. The Obama Center sits on a 19-acre plot in Jackson Park, on Chicago's South Side, and it houses a museum, an education project, various community facilities, and the Obama Foundation's headquarters. It technically opens to the public tomorrow, for Juneteenth. But today, there will be a grand-opening ceremony that'll feature performances from a ton of Obama's musician buddies.
The Obama Center's opening ceremony starts today at noon eastern, or 11 a.m. central time, and it'll be livestreamed on the Center's website. We can't really name one headliner in a list full of legends, but the first name listed on the poster is Bruce Springsteen, who got the Presidential Medal Of Freedom from Obama before the two of them did a podcast together.
The ceremony will also include performances from Stevie Wonder, Eddie Vedder, Christina Aguilera, John Legend, Guitars Over Guns, and Uniting Voices Chicago. The Roots, who once slow-jammed the news with Obama, will serve as house band, and the show will include what the Obama Center website calls "a 'One World' global performance celebrating unity, creativity, and hope, featuring Tems, Marc Anthony, U2’s Bono and the Edge." Black-ish star Marsai Martin will be on hand, as will Chicago natives Common and Jennifer Hudson.
Barack and Michelle Obama will speak at the ceremony, as will Obama-world regulars Valerie Jarrett and Martin Nesbitt. Former presidents Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush and their wives are expected to be there. You can watch all the proceedings here.
UPDATE: Eddie Vedder's performance featured a debut of a new song called "Better Believe," which is released in partnership with Guitars Over Guns, a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides students from vulnerable communities with a combination of music and mentorship. The track has Eddie Vedder on vocals, guitar, and background vocals; Joy Viltz, Giselle Castro, Naomi Owens, Michael "Myskie" Hightower, and Mason Harris also on vocals; Jeremiah Fristoe, Andre "Add-2" Daniels, and Mark Anderson on background vocals; Isabella Santillan on guitar; Ayden Smith on bass; Cassidy Lee on drums; and Josh Klinghoffer on keyboard. It's self-produced alongside Andrew Watt, Andre "Add-2" Daniels, and Paul LaMalfa, and co-written by Vedder, Giselle Castro, Andre "Add-2" Daniels, Jeremiah Fristoe, Mason Harris, Michael "Myskie" Hightower, Naomi Owens, Joy Viltz, and Iya Waters.
Listen below.
And here's the Boss' "Land Of Hope And Dreams":
