U.S. President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden joined a large jubilant crowd in an open-air welcome concert on Sunday afternoon, kicking off the inauguration celebrations in the national capital.

"The dream of our founders will live on in our time ... What gives me hope is what I see when I look out across this mall," Obama told thousands of people gathering on the National Mall grounds in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

He noted that "there is no obstacle that can stand in the way of millions of voices calling for change."

The president-elect said it is the American people who give him hope that the country's problems can be overcome, and that the change he has promised can be fulfilled.

In some brief remarks, Biden said that the "marble domes" and towers of Washington surrounding the crowd represent "the majesty of a great nation--all built stone by stone by American men and women."

Work is about "dignity" and "respect," he said, praising the ethic of hard-working Americans.

"We owe them the chance to go to work each day knowing they have the thanks of a grateful nation," he added.

Legendary singer Bruce Springsteen opened the star-studded event with his song "The Rising."

After that, heavy-hitters from Mary J. Blige to Tom Hanks took the stage.

Comedians and actors such as Steve Carell and Jamie Foxx brought some comic levity to the inauguration of a president who will face some serious problems in just a few days.

Joined by his wife Michelle and their children, the president-elect stood up, laughing and clapping.

Beyonce, John Legend, James Taylor and U2 also performed.

During U2's performance of "Pride (In the Name of Love)," a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., frontman Bono referenced the civil rights leader's "I Have a Dream" speech, saying that it was also "an Irish dream, a European dream, and African dream, an Israeli dream, and a Palestinian dream."

Garth Brooks sang the 1971 folk rock classic "American Pie," followed by a choir-backed version of "We shall be free."

Obama spent the morning visiting the Arlington National Cemetery and attending church before heading to the "We are One: Opening Inaugural Celebration" at the Lincoln Memorial.

The concert is the first of some 100 events in Washington between Sunday and Wednesday that include receptions, balls, parades, exhibitions and speeches, to celebrate Obama's inauguration as the country's 44th and first African-American president.

The celebrations are expected to culminate on January 20 when Obama will be sworn into office.

(Xinhua News Agency January 19, 2009)