The sequester may have millions across the country singing the blues, but for Barack Obama, it was all about Memphis Soul.
The President took time out to enjoy a star-studded concert at the White House on Tuesday night despite the looming threat of furloughs and government cuts sparked by the sequester.
The White House celebration of Memphis Soul music in the East Room - which included special guest appearances by Queen Latifah, Booker T. Jones and Justin Timberlake - is likely to rile Obama's Republican foes.
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Getting down: The President shows off his dance skills as he takes his seat beside First Lady Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia
Paying tribute: Obama spoke about the important role of Soulsville music in overcoming segregation
Singalong: The President gets into the groove at the Memphis Soul celebration
Obama opened the concert by saying: 'Let's face it, who does not love this music? These songs get us on the dance floor.
'They get stuck in our heads. We go back over them again and again. And they've played an important part in our history.
'Memphis, Tennessee, was segregated in the 1960s, but blacks and whites came together despite the institutional racism to create a soulful blend of gospel and rhythmic blues music that sought to 'bridge those divides, to create a little harmony with harmony.'
He noted that two of the night's guests, Booker T. Jones and Steve Cropper, helped form one of the city's first integrated bands.
'They weren't allowed to go to school together. They weren't always allowed to travel or eat together,' Obama said. 'But no one could stop them from playing music together.'
Facing the music: The Obama family listen to performances from Booker T. Jones, Queen Latifah and Justin Timberlake
All smiles: President Obama speaks welcomes performers to the concert in honor of Memphis Soul music in the East Room of the White House
Singing the blues: Queen Latifah performs during a concert in honor of Memphis Soul music hosted by Obama in the East Room of the White House on Tuesday
Groovy dad: Obama looks to daughter Sasha as they sit on the front row at the gig
The President continued: 'And that was the spirit of their music - the sound of Soulsville, U.S.A., a music that, at its core, is about the pain of being alone, the power of human connection, and the importance of treating each other right.'
'After all, this is the music that asked us to try a little tenderness. It's the music that put Mr Big Stuff in his place. And it's the music that challenged us to accept new ways of thinking with four timeless words: ''Can you dig it?'''
And with that, Obama took his seat and the show opened with Sam Moore, half of the duo Sam & Dave, and 'American Idol' finalist and gospel singer Joshua Ledet belting out Moore's 'Soul Man.'
They were followed minutes later by Justin Timberlake and Cropper's rendition of Otis Redding's (Sittin' on) 'The Dock of the Bay.'
Song and dance: Sam Moore, pictured left, and Joshua Ledet perform 'Soul Man' for President Obama and the First Family in the front row
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Musical guest: Booker T. Jones performs during the celebration of Memphis Soul music
Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters, Malia and Sasha, sat in the front row.
The President and First Lady clapped and bopped along to the pulsating rhythms.
MC in chief: The concert was the 10th in the 'In Performance at the White House' series since Obama took office
The concert was the 10th in the 'In Performance at the White House' series since Obama took office.
Other performers included Alabama Shakes, Ben Harper, Cyndi Lauper, Charlie Musselwhite, Mavis Staples, Queen Latifah and William Bell. Latifah also was the host and Jones led the band.
Earlier in the day, Bell said the concert reaffirmed years of hard work that began in the 1960s when Stax Records was created in Memphis, and the label cranked out one soul and R&B hit after another for more than a decade.
Redding, Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, Bell and Sam & Dave were among the company's artists.
Al Green had been scheduled to perform but, about an hour before the show, the White House released a statement from the singer's spokesman who said Green had suffered a back injury and would be unable to attend.
Since February 2009, 'In Performance at the White House' has highlighted the music of Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, plus Hispanic music, music from the civil-rights era, Motown and the blues, Broadway and country music. The series itself dates to 1978.
The Memphis Soul concert was streamed on the White House website, and will air on PBS stations next Tuesday.
It will also be broadcast at a later date over the American Forces Network for service members and civilians at Defense Department locations worldwide.
Lavish bash: Memphis Soul is the 10th in the 'In Performance at the White House' concerts
However the extravagant event is likely to have Republicans once again questioning Obama's priorities at a time of stringent government cuts.
Some conservatives have called on Obama to give up golf, especially since popular public tours of the White House have been canceled because of the budget cuts.
Other recent casualties of the sequester have been the Navy's Blue Angels fleet and the tens of thousands of furloughed government workers forced to go days without pay.
History lesson: Michelle Obama speaks at a student workshop on Memphis Soul on Tuesday backed by (l-r) Sam Moore, Mavis Staples, Justin Timberlake and Charlie Musselwhite
Industry buddies: Sam Moore, Mavis Staples and Justin Timberlake fist bump at the White House
Oklahoma Republican Senator Tom Coburn said in a statement on Tuesday that 'millions of Americans have been doing more with less,' but 'the federal government continues to do less with more'.
Fellow Republican Darrel Issa, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has also blasted the Obama administration for failing to eliminate overlapping programs and other examples of wasteful government spending.