low down on JayZ

To the booing audience JayZ said “let’s change this picture” and it changed to Obama.

We found our way to really great seats, right in front of the boxes, big screens everywhere. Every single seat in the place was taken; nearly 20,000 fans filled Quicken Loans Arena for the "Last Chance for Change" rally. Wearing a black leather jacket, baseball cap and huge diamond chain in the shape of Ohio, Lebron James encouraged the crowd to participate in next week's election.

"I want everybody in here, moms, dads, aunts, uncles to get out and vote," James said. "November fourth is the most important day of our lives."

….and then it happened…..the reason this concert was free: they played the whole Obama 30 minute piece. The crowd reaction to several points made by Obama was weak. Not even a cheer for ending the war, which really surprised me. This indeed was not a politically active crowd. The majority of this crowd was anxiously waiting to see JayZ, period the end.

Plenty of fashion statements filled the packed arena. Some that turned even my head in disbelief. Many, but not all, women were wearing tall stiletto boots; tights and some piece of clothe resembling a skirt but the size of a small dinner napkin and a skin tight sweater. Oh and I don’t want to forget the 2008 fashion staple “the scarf.” Everyone, yes everyone, had on a scarf.

On the political front, I was surprised that there wasn’t more effort by the Obama campaign to promote voting on the concourses. There was nothing, no free stickers, no posters or postcard maps to the Board of Election, with direction on how to vote early or how to vote on November 4^th.

All that being said, the most lasting impression I took away from the show was how low- key it was from beginning to end. Even after the last song, people just started leaving. No screaming for an encore, no cell phones in the air (replacement for lighters) asking JayZ to come back, to play more. He came back anyway.

Best song of the night -”99 problems.”

Best quote of the night - ''Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King could walk,'' JayZ said to the relatively quiet arena. ''Martin Luther King walked so Obama could run. Obama is running so we all can fly.''