Wednesday night was party time. After speeches from vice presidential nominee Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton, I headed to the EXDO Center, where the One Campaign and the Recording Industry Association of America were holding their big bash.

A few thousand people—actors Ashley Judd and Forest Whittaker and Sens. Tom Daschle and among them— packed the joint to sip cocktails and mingle with other young and restless in from Washington, D.C.

Attendees learned about the One Campaign’s quest to eliminate malaria, and red and white M&Ms (with “Malaria No More” printed on each of them) placed throughout the venue served as a reminder of the good work the One Campaign does. But being a part of a good cause was certainly only one of the draws to the evening, with the main draw being a performance by Grammy-award winning hip-hop artist Kanye West.

The eager crowd buzzed in anticipation of West’s show, and began packing the stage even before the program began with remarks from One Campaign people, as well as Daschle.

West, whose shows are normally reserved for 15,000-seat arenas, performed for just under an hour, singing all his popular hits, including “Stronger,” “Jesus Walks,” the new “American Boy” and “Gold Digger,” which he performed with actor Jamie Foxx, who made a guest appearance for that and another song.

Thursday morning and afternoon proved hectic for anyone attempting to get anywhere near Invesco Field, home of the Denver Broncos and site of Sen. Barack Obama’s speech in front of an estimated 84,000 people. A line began forming early in the morning, and by noon stretched more than a mile away from the stadium. Light rail exits near the stadium were closed, as was I-25, one of the main thoroughfares in Denver, causing pedestrian and traffic snarls all over town.

The long waits didn’t do anything to quiet the crowd, however, as the stadium was packed and full of energy the entire night. The program featured performances by Sheryl Crow, Stevie Wonder, will.i.am and John Legend, and more. It moved right along, making the six-hour set seem much shorter than it actually was, sitting in the hot sun for about half of it.

The parties raged last night as well, with one featuring the new candidate Obama taking place right there at Invesco, with special guests including Muhammad Ali and Oprah Winfrey, and a Vanity Fair and Google-sponsored party.