DNC 2024: Jason Isbell, Mickey Guyton perform on Opening Day; James Taylor's gig called-off

The Democratic National Convention kicked off on August 19 at the United Center in Chicago to cheer on Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid for the White House. Kerry Washington, Mindy Kaling, Ana Navarro, and Tony Goldwyn are hosts for the four-day gathering, which began on a spectacular note with many A-listers in attendance. Stars who led the musical performances on the Opening Day included Jason Isbell and Mickey Guyton. James Taylor, who marked his 75th consecutive appearance, was snubbed from his performance.

Also present were President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff. Biden delivered a keynote on the occasion, as did Hillary Clinton, Karen Bass and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Jason Isbell performs 'Something More Than Free'

Jason Isbell was one of several musicians who took the stage at the opening night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Amid the usual flurry of speeches, the singer-songwriter serenaded the audience members with a soulful rendition of 'Something More Than Free,' his 2015 album’s title track.

Isbell, known for speaking out about liberal causes, and his willingness to spar with commenters, on social media, ended with a shoutout to the delegation from his native Alabama.

Mickey Guyton's powerful performance

Grammy Award-winning country singer Mickey Guyton sang her 2021 song 'All American,' hitting all the right notes as her song choice perfectly aligned with the patriotic atmosphere of the night. Dressed in a stunning off-shoulder white number, the singer, with her impactful performance, became a hot choice of netizens as many hailed her for her message of unity: 'Ain't we all American?'.

James Taylor snubbed at the DNC?

James Taylor was scheduled to close out the night with a rendition of his 1971 number 'You’ve Got A Friend,' but his performance was reportedly cut to accommodate President Joe Biden’s speech as DNC officials stated applause for speakers throughout the night led to a time crunch.

"Because of the raucous applause interrupting speaker after speaker, we ultimately skipped elements of our program to ensure we could get to President Biden as quickly as possible so that he could speak directly to American people," DNC officials said in a statement, as reported by Chicago Sun-Times.

The powerful performances by the artists and the heartfelt speeches by leaders helped in the wonderful conclusion of DNC's Opening Day. In his closing remark for the night, Biden addressed the packed house, praising Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz: “Kamala and Tim understand that this country has to continue to be a place for possibilities, not just a few of us but for all of us.”

Also watch: Malala Yousafzai attends her ‘first-ever’ proper concert and it's Taylor Swift's!