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CNN Live Event/Special
The Fourth In America; CNN Presents "The Fourth In America", An Independence Day Special. Aired 10-11p ET
Aired July 04, 2024 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[22:01:07]
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: We're back on The Fourth in America with fireworks live in Philadelphia. Lets get right to the music of Kesha.
(KESHA PERFORMING)
[22:05:00]
(KESHA PERFORMING)
[22:10:00]
(KEITH URBAN PERFORMING)
A big performance by Kesha Philly. We should point out, she has a new song out today called Joy Ride.
DANA BASH, CNN HOST: And as we keep watching those beautiful fireworks in Philadelphia, we're joined by Country Music Legend Keith Urban performing is new single, Straight Line, from his upcoming album at Somerset Summerfest Festival.
[22:15:00]
(KEITH URBAN PERFORMING)
We're heading next Niagara Falls for an eye-popping array of fireworks over one of the biggest waterfall in the world, plus more music from Country Superstar Keith Urban, (INAUDIBLE) right there just fantastic.
And later, the indie pop band Bleachers. Stay tuned well be right back.
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[22:20:26]
SANCHEZ: You can feel the excitement in Nashville. We're taking a live look at downtown where people are packed in, anticipating the fireworks that are set to kick off soon.
We're back with CNN's Fourth in America. We actually want to take you now to Nashville with CNNs John Berman, who has done a bit of everything tonight, taking Jack Daniels shots, he's wearing that amazing in patriotic vest. And what do you got there, John?
BASH: He's got milk, so it looks spicy.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: So, first of all, I'm here with a couple of hundred thousand of my closest friends getting ready for the fireworks now. And Nashville, as you guys know, is known for a few things, like the hot weather was pushing 100 today, the hot music, we've been hearing it all night, and the hot chicken, which is here in front of me right now. I did this in the wrong order, right? The whiskey first and I'm having my meals second, hot chicken right here.
The old story goes generations ago, a wife was trying to the cause her husband pain, so she made particularly hot chicken to cause some discomfort. The problem was he liked it enough an empire was born.
Okay. So, the national underground may be their famous hot chicken. We have mild, medium, hot and ring of fire over here. And just so you know, ring of fire is not exactly after the June Carter song. It's where the physical effects that may linger for some time after you eat this.
I'm going to skip over the mild and I'm going to write to medium here. And one thing you need to know about me, what I like --
SANCHEZ: No, no. How crazy high, come on? Come on?
BERMAN: I am like Captain Happen. The medium I can handle. It's like a six on the spicy scale, vaguely unpleasant but manageable.
BASH: Step it up.
BERMAN: Hot, hot, okay, but this is not at all pleasant right now. I don't feel good.
BASH: Drink the milk.
BERMAN: But let me skip right to ring of fire for you.
SANCHEZ: Take the bite, Berman.
BERMAN: The milk is only when if I make it through this. Ring of fire, I'm always doing this because it sweeps.
All right, that's hot. That's really hot.
SANCHEZ: You found it, yes.
BERMAN: All right.
SANCHEZ: Good, man. Good, man.
BERMAN: This is not necessarily for human consumption. I'll bring them home for you. Happy Fourth.
BASH: Happy Fourth. It's a good thing you're super human. You can handle it. Oh, my goodness.
All right, well, we now were going to take a look at the fireworks over Niagara Falls as Keith Urban returns to perform his new song, Messed Up is Me, from his upcoming album.
[22:25:00]
(KEITH URBAN PERFORMING "BLUE AIN'T YOUR COLOR")
[22:30:29]
SANCHEZ: An incredible performance of that song by Keith Urban. His new album, "High", is set to be released on September 20th.
BASH: Although I have to say, that song is my favorite, Keith Urban song. Just fantastic. I'm so glad he sang it tonight. Coming up, we have another extraordinary firework show over a city that is closely tied to America's birthday -- Boston. Plus, we'll get the party rocking with music from the band, The Killers. And later, rap star T- Pain performs his hits. This is "The Fourth in America".
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BASH: Take a look at this scene in Texas. It's Austin's turn to light this July 4th up. Welcome back to our coverage of holiday fireworks and red hot music all across the nation.
SANCHEZ: Some incredible pictures that we've seen all night.
[22:35:01]
And as we get deeper into the night, we want to take a look at the holiday celebrations just getting underway on the West Coast, as well. Some of our friends are out there.
BASH: Let's bring in our colleagues, Victor Blackwell and Sara Sidner in San Diego. Victor, I see you. Where's Sara?
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Guys, I know I have a co-host, but she has been all over the place. Let me see if I can -- Sara, what are you doing on a jet ski?
SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, I mean, it's San Diego Bay, what else are you going to do? I was having a little bit too much fun, so I'm going to come join you in just a minute. You know, I cannot wait for this --500,000 people going to watch this, but you know what, maybe I'll watch it from the bay, Victor. I think I'm going to watch it from the bay. I'm sorry.
BLACKWELL: Okay, at some point, you've got to come up here with me.
SIDNER: Really?
BLACKWELL: Yes.
SIDNER: All right. I will come up there with you, but for right now, I'm going to have a little fun.
BLACKWELL: Go have your fun.
SIDNER: See you.
BLACKWELL: So, while Sara's having fun out on the bay, listen guys, we have a huge show when you come out west. REO Speedwagon, T-Pain, Bleachers, Goo Goo Dolls, not to mention the fireworks. We've got them from San Francisco and Houston and New Orleans. We're taking you to Guam for the first time on this show, Alaska, and the Big Bay Boom here over San Diego Bay, the biggest fireworks show on the west coast.
When the sun goes down, the sky's about to light up, we're going to have a party starting at the top of the hour, and maybe, maybe I can get my co-host off the jet ski and she can come back and join me.
BASH: No way. She's having too much fun circling behind you. She's such a badass.
SANCHEZ: I love that as Victor's doing that tease, we see Sara in the background going in circles. Hey, we've got to get you out to the fireworks in Nashville right now and performing from the Boston Calling Festival, The Killers.
(THE KILLERS PERFORMING "MR. BRIGHTSIDE")
[22:42:40]
SANCHEZ: What a terrific performance by The Killers. Make sure to catch them in their upcoming residency at Caesars Palace, Vegas, beginning on August 14th. That was great.
BASH: I could listen to that song every single day --
SANCHEZ: It's a classic. Yeah.
BASH: -- for the rest of my life. It's a classic. Just a quick shout out to my sister-in-law, Juliana. This is her first July 4th since becoming a U.S. citizen.
SANCHEZ: That's amazing. That's amazing. And part of what makes this country so great and so special on its 248th birthday, we're going to keep watching the epic fireworks in Boston and in Nashville, as well. Also, plenty more to come. Country music star Chris Young is performing a song from his new album, and later, rock legends REO Speedwagon performing their classic hits, including "Take It on the Run". We'll be right back.
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[22:47:18]
BASH: Welcome back to "The Fourth in America" as we head into the big finale of fireworks in Boston and look forward to more dazzling holiday spectacles in the hours ahead, along with music that will definitely get you up on your feet. SANCHEZ: Yeah. Performing right now is Chris Young at the "Let Freedom Sing" July 4th event in downtown Nashville. He's currently on tour, and he's going to perform "Young Love and Saturday Nights" from his new album. Let's watch.
[22:50:00]
(CHRIS YOUNG PERFORMING "YOUNG LOVE AND SATURDAY NIGHTS")
(CHRIS YOUNG PERFORMING "AT THE END OF A BAR")
[22:55:02]
(CHRIS YOUNG PERFORMING "GETTING YOU HOME")
SIDNER: You know that was wonderful. All I can think about is getting my grub on though in the fourth of July, to be honest.
BLACKWELL: Listen, and in Nashville, we got John Berman there with wings and whiskey and that fantastic hat. Look at this show. I mean it's unbeatable in Nashville. We had great fireworks in Nashville. Simultaneously, a fantastic show in Boston and we've got more coming throughout the night.
SIDNER: We are going to show out here though because San Diego puts on an amazing show. It's the largest in the west coast.
BLACKWELL: Yeah.
SIDNER: So, and beautiful you cannot beat the weather. Now, I know they've got wings and hot chicken --
BLACKWELL: They do.
SIDNER: -- and all that stuff in Nashville and good country music, but they do not have this beauty, this weather. Every single day, it's like 70.
BLACKWELL: It's a fantastic backdrop and you know what's great is we're getting to that perfect SoCal temperature it's cooling down and let me show you. The families are piling in here along the seawall. They're bringing out their chairs. They're riding the bikes up here. They've been coming all throughout the day. And by the time it gets dark, right before the start of the Big Bay Boom, this will be packed -- the entire seawall with families who've come here to watch the show.
[23:00:00]
SIDNER: And we have to remember, people love the fourth of July here. You've got Naval Bay San Diego, you've got 48,000 sailors and personnel.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
SIDNER: And so, when they do this, they put on a great parade.
