Obama enjoys 'sequester soul concert' at White House amid massive budget cuts and government worker furloughs
The sequester may have many across the country singing the blues, but for President Obama, it was all about Memphis Soul.
Even with the threat of furloughs and government cuts sparked by the sequester, Obama took the time to enjoy a star-studded concert at the White House tonight.
The White House celebration of Memphis Soul music in the East Room - which included special guest appearances by Queen Latifah and Justin Timberlake - is likely to rile Obama's Republican foes.
All smiles: President Obama speaks welcomes performers to the concert in honor of Memphis Soul music in the East Room of the White House
Royal entrance: Queen Latifah arrives for the concert in honor of Memphis Soul music at the White House
Some conservatives have called on Obama to give up golf, especially since popular public tours of the White House have been canceled because of the budget cuts.
Other recent casualties of the sequester have been the Navy's Blue Angels fleet and the tens of thousands of furloughed government workers forced to go days without pay.
Oklahoma Republican Sen Tom Coburn said in a statement on Tuesday that 'millions of Americans have been doing more with less,' but 'the federal government continues to do less with more.'
Felloe Republican Darrel Issa, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has also blasted the Obama administration for failing to eliminate overlapping programs and other examples of wasteful government spending.
Obama opened the concert by saying: 'Let's face it, who does not love this music? These songs get us on the dance floor.
'They get stuck in our heads. We go back over them again and again. And they've played an important part in our history.'
Song and dance: Sam Moore, pictured left, and Joshua Ledet perform 'Soul Man' for President Obama and the First Family in the front row
Memphis, Tennessee, was segregated in the 1960s, but blacks and whites came together despite the institutional racism to create a soulful blend of gospel and rhythmic blues music that sought to 'bridge those divides, to create a little harmony with harmony,' Obama said.
He noted that two of the night's guests, Booker T. Jones and Steve Cropper, helped form one of the city's first integrated bands.
'They weren't allowed to go to school together. They weren't always allowed to travel or eat together,' the president said. 'But no one could stop them from playing music together.'
'And that was the spirit of their music - the sound of Soulsville, U.S.A., a music that, at its core, is about the pain of being alone, the power of human connection, and the importance of treating each other right,' Obama said.
Musical guest: Booker T. Jones performs during the celebration of Memphis Soul music
'After all, this is the music that asked us to try a little tenderness. It's the music that put Mr Big Stuff in his place. And it's the music that challenged us to accept new ways of thinking with four timeless words: Can you dig it?''
And with that, Obama took his seat and the show opened with Sam Moore, half of the duo Sam & Dave, and 'American Idol' finalist and gospel singer Joshua Ledet belting out Moore's 'Soul Man.'
They were followed minutes later by Justin Timberlake and Cropper's rendition of Otis Redding's (Sittin' on) 'The Dock of the Bay.'
Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters, Malia and Sasha, sat in the front row.
The president and first lady at times clapped their hands and bobbed and weaved their heads to the pulsating rhythms.
MC in chief: The concert was the 10th in the 'In Performance at the White House' series since Obama took office
The concert was the 10th in the 'In Performance at the White House' series since Obama took office.
Other performers included Alabama Shakes, Ben Harper, Cyndi Lauper, Charlie Musselwhite, Mavis Staples, Queen Latifah and William Bell. Latifah also was the host and Jones led the band.
Earlier in the day, Bell said the concert reaffirmed years of hard work that began in the 1960s when Stax Records was created in Memphis, and the label cranked out one soul and R&B hit after another for more than a decade.
Redding, Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, Bell and Sam & Dave were among the company's artists.
Al Green had been scheduled to perform but, about an hour before the show, the White House released a statement from the singer's spokesman who said Green had suffered a back injury and would be unable to attend.
Since February 2009, 'In Performance at the White House' has highlighted the music of Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, plus Hispanic music, music from the civil-rights era, Motown and the blues, Broadway and country music. The series itself dates to 1978.
The Memphis Soul concert was streamed on the White House website, and will air on PBS stations next Tuesday.
It will also be broadcast at a later date over the American Forces Network for service members and civilians at Defense Department locations worldwide.