Columbia, South Carolina (CNN) In the midst of one of the most heated stretches of the 2020 Democratic primary, 21 candidates wearing matching T-shirts flashed smiles as they shared a stage here at Rep. Jim Clyburn's Fish Fry on Friday night.

It was the first time most of the sprawling Democratic field has appeared together on one stage. Clyburn's grand gathering was short on private moments -- or quiet spaces -- as the candidates bounced up against each other as the program stretched late into the Columbia night.

By the time host kicked off the speeches, the fish was out of sight and the beating sun was a memory. As the humidity lingered, thousands of onlookers shuffled toward the stage for the candidates they liked -- and away when some of the lesser known hopefuls took their turn.

Former Vice President Joe Biden spoke early in the Friday night program, and briefly, but not before a more intriguing — but inaudible — conversation with Sen. Cory Booker offstage. Earlier this week, Booker asked Biden to apologize for his recollections of working with an old segregationist senator.

But the tensions that marked the week seemed to disappear on this balmy South Carolina night. The evening began in earnest with representatives from 21 campaigns standing in a backroom, Clyburn presiding, trying to hash out the Democratic Party's most pressing issue: The speaking order.

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