Party at the DNC: What song played for Washington in the DNC roll call ceremonial vote?

The celebratory and hopeful energy of the Democratic National Convention continued on day two on Aug. 20. On a convention day that began in Chicago at 7 a.m. packed with meetings and events rounded out at 10 p.m. with a series of rousing speeches from Bernie Sanders, Doug Emhoff, Michelle Obama, Barack Obama and many others.

“Do not boo. Vote!” Barack Obama admonished the crowd at one point in his speech when talking about legislative failings and tax breaks for the rich under the Trump administration.

The night’s speeches were kicked off by a high-energy ceremonial roll call that featured rose-colored descriptions of the history and spirit of all 57 delegations. The seven additional delegations include places like Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands. Hosted by New York City native DJ Cassidy on stage with secretary of the Democratic National Committee, Jason Rae , each delegation had their own introduction music.

Known as a “walk-up song,” each tune blasted as delegations crowded together and passed around a microphone to tout the beauty, history and contributions of their home region.

The reimagined roll call evolved from a pandemic-era approach taken in 2020. Described by the DNC as a celebration under the theme of “coming together,” 2024 is the first in-person convention in eight years.

“The roll call is a beloved and time-honored tradition, and we’re proud to bring it back in a new and fun format,” said Jaime Harrison, Democratic National Committee Chair, in a press release .

Which song did WA state play during DNC roll call?

But which song was chosen for Washington state in the celebratory roll call that felt a bit like a dance party at times, and why?

Fashioned as a tableau of joy and hopefulness , two of the most oft-invoked themes of the Harris-Walz campaign, each song was picked to represent both place and energy.

Many delegations played decades-old, familiar classics from the likes of Lynrd Skynrd, Fleetwood Mac, Prince, Tom Petty and others.

For Washington state, fans of Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana and other classic local legends might have been surprised to hear Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s “ Can’t Hold Us ” featuring Ray Dalton. The song was number one in Billboard’s Hot 100 for 5 weeks in 2013 .

Mackelmore is the stage name for rapper Benjamin Hammond Hagerty , a Seattle native who is part of a hip-hop duo with producer Ryan Lewis. Lewis, a Spokane native who grew up in Seattle, is known for his uncompromising musical style . Dalton is also a Seattle-based musician who got his start in gospel and R&B and began singing at age 6 in the Seattle Children’s Choir.