Mickey Guyton and Jason Isbell Perform at DNC Opening Night

Music and Speeches Start the 2024 Democratic Convention

Mickey Guyton and Jason Isbell opened the first night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention on August 19th.

The night was full of speeches, but Guyton and Isbell brought the music. Guyton sang "All American" from 2021, while Isbell performed "Something More Than Free" from 2015. James Taylor was supposed to finish with "You’ve Got A Friend," but his performance was cut short due to President Biden’s speech running over time.

President Biden, along with First Lady Jill Biden, Hillary Clinton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Raphael Warnock, Steve Kerr, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, gave speeches in support of Kamala Harris.

During her speech, Ocasio-Cortez said, “I’m here tonight because America has before us a rare and precious opportunity.“ She continued, “In Kamala Harris, we have a chance to elect a president who is for the middle class because she is from the middle class.”

Tony Goldwyn, one of the hosts for the event alongside Kerry Washington, Mindy Kaling, and Ana Navarro, also spoke. Navarro will host the next day, Kaling on Wednesday, and Washington on Thursday.

Fans love how these musicians use their voices for more than just singing.

It was Guyton and Isbell’s first time at a political convention, but both are known for being outspoken. Isbell made an album called Georgia Blue after Biden won Georgia in 2020. Guyton released "Black Like Me" during the Black Lives Matter protests after George Floyd’s murder.

“You have to find a balance because our point here is not that we’re trying to cause division, we just want people to see us, to step outside of their world and see the rest of the world,” Guyton told Rolling Stone. “Because the rest of the world sees white people. We’ve been seeing white people our whole lives.”

The night ended with President Biden praising Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz: “Kamala and Tim understand that this country has to continue to be a place for possibilities, not just a few of us but for all of us.”