Rihanna, Bruce Springsteen, Eminem and a slew of other big-name acts have converged on Washington, D.C., to honor American veterans during Tuesday night's live HBO special The Concert for Valor.
The genre-spanning spectacle, beginning at 7 p.m. ET, will take place on a massive stage on the National Mall, with the U.S. Capitol as a backdrop.
The Black Keys, Carrie Underwood, Jessie J, Dave Grohl, Jennifer Hudson, Metallica and Zac Brown Band round out the bill, while actors and activists will present a series of smaller "vignettes" throughout the night, highlighting veterans.
"We're here to support all the people that sacrifice their lives so we can be free," Zac Brown of the Zac Brown Band told press about the group's decision to take part in the concert.
HBO, Starbucks and Chase are sponsoring the event, which HBO calls a "first of its kind." The premium cable channel will air the concert live in its entirety on television and, in collaboration with Twitter and Ustream, will stream the event on Twitter at @HBO or @TwitterTV.
Before the start of the show, HBO chairman and CEO Richard Pleple spoke to the media about the outpouring of support he has received from the musicians and celebrities involved.
"Nearly (all the talent) we approached got back to us almost immediately with a 'yes,'" he said, adding that the concert may come back as an annual event.
The crowd started forming on the Mall early today as doors opened at 10 a.m. Arriving early paid off for student Laura Almonacid, 18, who got there around 3 p.m.
"(I'm) so happy with the spot we got. We can see the stage, so that's really awesome," she says. "The earlier the better."
