Former “Daily Show” correspondent and “Colbert Report” host Stephen Colbert reported on “The Late Show” the new acts that President-elect Donald Trump and his inauguration team have lined up for the ceremony this Friday (which Hillary and Bill Clinton will be attending), when Trump will be sworn into the Oval Office in Washington, and officially become the next President of the United States.
Colbert sarcastically called them “top-tier acts” and made fun of the difficulty that Trump and his team have been having to get A-list talent to perform at the event.
Bruce Springsteen cover band
Colbert’s first and biggest announcement for the new acts for Trump’s ceremony was a Bruce Springsteen cover band the team has lined up. Not Bruce Springsteen; a cover band inspired by Bruce Springsteen pretending to be Bruce Springsteen performing Bruce Springsteen songs.
This comes hot on the heels of Springsteen’s song “Land of Hope and Dreams” being used by Barack Obama as the exit Music of his farewell speech, which could be the intention as America ushers in a new political power and Trump wants to rub it in the Democrats’ faces. Colbert joked, “Who better to sing for our reality show President than a man pretending to be The Boss?” The cover band is called B Street Band.
Toby Keith, 3 Doors Down and Lee Greenwood will headline concert
A concert is being put on to celebrate Trump’s inauguration. While the ceremony is on 20 January, the “Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration” (as it has been dubbed) will take place a day earlier on 19 January to get people pumped for the ceremony, and Toby Keith, 3 Doors Down and Lee Greenwood will be headlining the concert.
Toby Keith is an Oklahoma-born singer/songwriter who has topped the charts a number of times beginning with his debut record “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” and can frequently be found wearing a black cowboy hat. Keith defended his decision to perform for Trump, saying, “I won’t apologise.”
Meanwhile, 3 Doors Down is a rock band from right-wing Mississippi and Lee Greenwood, singer of “God Bless the USA,” who endorsed Trump’s rival Marco Rubio (yet another celebrity The Donald has called "overrated") during the election cycle, will also be performing.
Other acts lined up
Trump has also managed to get The Piano Guys and The Frontmen of Country to perform. Chairman of his inauguration team, Tom Barrack, says that the lack of A-list Celebrities is because the inauguration ceremony is “of, by, and for the American people,” although they did ask The Beach Boys and Elton John before saying that.
Broadway star Jennifer Holliday has backed out, undoubtedly due to peer pressure and a need to be liked, but actor Jon Voight (who is uber-liberal Angelina Jolie’s father) is scheduled to appear at the ceremony. Whether that shows he supports Trump or he simply supports democracy remains to be seen.
