Watch Belinda Carlisle, Boyz II Men, Babyface Perform on PBS’ ‘A Capitol Fourth 2023’

PBS held its annual Fourth of July celebration in Washington, D.C. last evening, tapping a vast group of performers to spearhead the festivities. Chicago, Boyz II Men, Belinda Carlisle, Babyface, Maddie & Tae, Charles Esten, Renée Fleming, and Adrienne Warren were among those to take the stage, and even Sesame Street‘s Elmo and Cookie Monster joined the fun.

The entire program, dubbed A Capitol Fourth 2023, is now available to watch via the PBS YouTube channel. It also features host Alfonso Ribeiro and the National Symphony Orchestra with conductor Jack Everly. Carlisle notably performed her hit singles “We Got the Beat” and “Heaven Is a Place on Earth,” while Chicago played “25 or 6 to 4,” “Saturday in the Park,” and “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day” during their set.

Carlisle, known for both her solo career and as the lead vocalist for The Go-Go’s, recently spoke to People about performing as part of the event. She said that playing her beloved hits is meaningful for fans even as she steers her career towards new music.

“It brings up a lot of feelings and emotions for a lot of people,” she said. “I have those songs that aren’t my songs that do the same thing to me that bring up memories of childhood. For instance, like The Beach Boys’ ‘God Only Knows.’ Whenever I hear that song, it just reminds me of my childhood years in Burbank, California, and brings up a melancholy, almost, sometimes too. I’m very fortunate that I have some songs that do that for people out there.”

The Go-Gos embarked on a farewell tour in 2016. “We all felt like we maybe had a few years left, and we wanted to end it in a way that would celebrate the legacy of the Go-Go’s rather than just disbanding,” Carlisle told Rolling Stone at the time. “But all this means is that the Go-Go’s are done touring.”