The focus all over the country today is on the inaugural ceremony and parade in Washington. Tonight it will be all about the parties. Big name artists including Katy Perry, Brad Paisley, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys and John Legend are all expected to perform. But the celebration is somewhat scaled back from four years ago. The presidential inaugural committee is hosting just two official inaugural balls this year compared to 10 official balls in 2009. Brent Colburn is Communications Director for the Presidential Inauguration Committee. With more on the logistics of the festivities, he joins us on “Early Start” this morning.
Colburn describes the differences between the first and second inauguration’s programming. “Obviously second inaugurals are a little different than first inaugurals,” he says. “[They] tend to be a little bit smaller, but they’re a really important moment. It’s an important moment for the president to look back at where we've gone as a country, and for the country to look forward.”