Lizzo treated fans at D.C.’s Capital One Arena to a piece of history on Tuesday night — a 200-year-old crystal flute. According to the Library of Congress, the relic was crafted in 1813 by French flute designer Claude Laurent and gifted to President James Madison to honor his second inauguration. [hbidcpodcast podcastid=’24072283′] In the days leading up to Lizzo’s D.C. stop on her North American tour, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden tweeted an apparent invitation for Lizzo to visit the library’s extensive flute collection: “We would love for you to come see it and even play a couple when you are in D.C. next week,” she said. “Like your song they are “Good as hell.”
On Tuesday night, after dropping by the Library the Congress, that dream became reality: The Grammy-award winning artist got to try out the historic flute on stage. “Bitch, I just twerked and played James Madison’s flute from the 1800s,” Lizzo later said. “Thank you to the Library of Congress for preserving our history and making history cool. History is freaking cool, you guys!”
NOBODY HAS EVER HEARD THIS FAMOUS CRYSTAL FLUTE BEFORE NOW YOU HAVE IM THE FIRST & ONLY PERSON TO EVER PLAY THIS PRESIDENTIAL 200-YEAR-OLD CRYSTAL FLUTE— THANK YOU @librarycongress ❤️ pic.twitter.com/VgXjpC49sO
— FOLLOW @YITTY (@lizzo) September 28, 2022