At its worst Twitter can be the realm of complaints and bragging. At its best it can catch fire with a positive vibe that can sweep from a community event and spread around the nation or even the world. That was the feeling tonight as I monitored tweets eminating from the Carrier Dome during the One World concert. The 24,000 strong used up big chunks of their smartphone data plans sharing photos, concert clips and quotes from a high end eclectic gathering of cross generational musical stars.
The Dalai Lama inspired and encouraged the crowd with his message of peace to begin the evening. Late in the four hour event Martin Luther King III evoked the voice of his father challenging people to be sure to make a difference in the world before they leave it.
Along the way social media buzzed with the once in a lifetime opportunity to catch this group of entertainers on one stage. We heard of a rousing rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine" as performed by Natasha Bedingfield, Nelly Furtado, Cyndi Lauper and Roberta Flack. Dave Matthews was a smash success. Counting Crows concluded the night.
The only hindrance of the evening may have been the late night lengthy show taking place on a school and work night. The school part doesn't matter much for the on campus students. Midnight is early for them. But, for those with jobs to do in the morning the town will be a little short on sleep.
Congratulations to the organizers, the participants and the audience which shared the thrill of the evening one Tweet at a time.
Any questions or comment please forward them to mattsmemo@CNYcentral.com. I may even use some of your thoughts on NBC 3 News at 5:00, the 10:00 News on CW6 or on CNYcentral.com.
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