I had never been to an inagural ball before last night. I got there kinda late but I didn't miss everything. It was at the baltimore convention center - the whole place was packed. I wasn't sure what to expect but it wasn't the drab listen to some speeches and snag some food off a buffet table event I had pictured.
This was an all out party. Coming in the door and up the escalator there was a band playing at the end of the entrance room, and another warming up around the corner at the other end. Everybody was dressed to the nines. There were dozens of food booths set up by local restaurants and people crushed around all of them. I don't drink and finding something besides beer or wine was a mission. I had to go up to the third floor and into one of ball rooms and fight my way up to the bar to ask the surprised looking bartender for a coke. There was more live music in the ballroom I was in and though I didn't make it inside all of them I think there were 4 ballrooms
I haven't gone out much in the last three years and the crush was a bit much so I went for a smoke and was going to wander for another 10 minutes or so then dip out. Then our new Governor hit the stage. He rocked it.
O'Malley came on stage and made his thank you and we're gonna change the whole state speech. Then he pulled out this green accoustic and covered a Bob Dylan song. All I could think about was relatives getting drunk and singing at parties or bars. Then he went into the Irish music and I could almost hear my Great Grandmother (who passed around 20 years ago) chiming in with him. Finally he and his band covered that Greenday song "time of your life" or whatever its called. I'm not much of a Greenday fan but seeing our new, relatively young, Democrat governor jump around playing guitar and singing was pretty damn cool. By the end of the mini-set he had his tux sleeves rolled up and had the crowd so hopping that you could actually feel the floor bouncing.
While he was playing nobody was headed for the door. There was virtually no line at the coat check. I went over to get a coffee from the booth that had just been set up (I'm guessing to try and sober up the masses before they hit the streets of b-more). When I turned to head back to get my coat the line was insane.
I thought it would die down so I hung out for another half hour and the line only got longer. Eventually it seemed like there were thousands of people in this line and the only thing keeping us from being too grouchy was the theater sized screen broadcasting the live set being played by Cool and the Gang upstairs. Even more entertaining was the drunk couple who after an hour in line gave up their places to boogie down.
Those of us whose footwear was not meant for spending the night standing gave up that extra 3-4 inches of height and finished the night shoes in hand. Although it was overwhelming it was a great night and way more fun then I expected.
Rock on Governor O'Malley.