On the days leading up to Veterans Day, Washington, D.C. looked as if it was preparing for the Inauguration. Barriers and port-a-potties were lined up all along the National Mall, streets were closed, and even a subway line was down. However, it is November, so D.C. was evidently not preparing for the Inauguration, but The Concert For Valor. 

As Tuesday night rolled around, hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall, while millions more across the country tuned in on televisions and radios to watch and listen to their favorite artists honor the Veterans of the United States and their families. 

The Concert for Valor, a completely free concert, was a collaboration between HBO and Starbucks to support and honor Veterans who have served the United States. 

Jamie Foxx perfectly summed up the attitude of all the stars that came to support the cause when he said, “I came because it’s just the right thing to do.” 

It was made clear throughout the night that, among other stars in attendance, The Black Keys, Dave Grohl, Bruce Springsteen, Meryl Streep, the Zac Brown Band, John Oliver, Steven Spielberg, Rihanna, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Hudson, shared the same sentiments as Foxx. 

Here’s a brief recap of how the three-hour event went:

Jennifer Hudson started off the night by, in true Hudson fashion, beautifully and unbelievably, belting out The National Anthem. 

Following a video message from President Barack Obama, Jessie J took the stage alongside Jennifer Hudson and delivered a strong performance of David Guetta’s song, “Titanium.” 

Meryl Streep took the stage to introduce Dave Grohl.  She started out by saying how honored she was to be there and acknowledged all of the Veterans in her family. 

“We’ve got a lot of heroes here tonight, we’re going to sing for them,” Dave Grohl said as he took the stage, greeting his hometown crowd. Grohl launched right into the acoustic versions of some iconic Foo Fighter songs, “Everlong” and “My Hero,” in a tear-jerking performance. 

Zac Brown Band took the stage and performed an inspiring version of “America the Beautiful.” Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl joined Zac Brown Band on stage for a rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revivial’s “Fortunate Son,” a song choice that, for some, was viewed as controversial due to its anti-war messages. 

John Oliver introduced the Black Keys, always a crowd favorite with their songs “Fever” and “Howlin for You.” 

Carrie Underwood performed, pregnant and in heels (very impressive, I must say), a few of her most popular songs. Then, backed by the Singing Sergeants of the US Air Force, performed “Something in the Water” and “Before He Cheats.”

Jack Black introduced Metallica, who, at the end of their performance, dedicated their songs to the troops. They started a “USA, USA” chant as they left the stage. 

Bruce Springsteen came back on stage singing “Born in the USA”, “Dancing in the Dark”, and “The Promised Land,” which he dedicated to the troops who have just returned home.   

Rihanna and Eminem closed the night. Rihanna started by singing “Diamonds” and “Stay.” Eminem then joined her for “Monster” and Eminem closed the night with “Not Afraid” which he dedicated to all the troops, whether or not they came home, and “Lose Yourself.” Eminem’s performance was quite controversial as he dropped a quite a few f-bombs. 

Opera, Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and a few others made appearances in between performances, both live and with video messages. 

All in all, the night was a huge success. Laughs were had, tears were shed, money was raised, but most importantly, all of the Veterans and their family members were honored in an extraordinary way. 

Reach Staff Reporter Emma Shepardson here.