TV’s music-from-home trend is getting a double boost, with two shows returning:
– “Garth & Trisha Live” (shown here) will rerun at 10 p.m. Sunday (April 5) on CBS, right after a new country special.
– “The iHeart Living Room Concert For America” reruns at 9 p.m. Monday on Fox.
Both had social-distance music, but in opposite ways: “iHeart” had at-home performances from a variety of stars, with varying quality to the pictures and sound. “Garth & Trisha” was in the husband-wife home recording studio of Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, with ideal conditions.
And both achieved the main goal – social-distancing, mixed with passionate music.
The “iHeart” concert aired last Sunday, with Elton John hosting, and raised $10 million for charities.
A couple numbers linked people who were already together – Billie Eilish with her brother Finneas, Camila Cabello with Shawn Mendes. Some others used video savvy to show the back-up musicians for Tim McGraw and Mariah Carey; one used zesty video touches to link all five Backstreet Boys, who were performing separately.
Mostly, though, “iHeart” simply had people alone, singing into an at-home camera. We’ll see more of that from 8-10 p.m. Sunday, with “ACM Presents: Our Country.” It will include top Nashville stars – Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert and more.
And afterward, it will be a second run for “Garth & Trisha Live.” That was done in the studio where Brooks and Yearwood do a Facebook Live show on Mondays. Two people sat in the control room – far apart and wearing masks – to take requests.
If we had any complaints, it would be about some of the camera choices or attire. Both singers had gray shirts, the sort you wear while cleaning up before company arrives.
But the rest was ideal. With only Brooks’ acoustic guitar for accompaniment, the voices soared beautifully. That started with Yearwood doing “Landslide” and ended with her “Over the Rainbow.”
Yes, these people – with tons of hits – skipped many of their own songs and did ones by Fleetwood Mac, Judy Gartand and such. Brooks, the highest-selling solo artist ever, spent a chunk of time playing and praising Bob Seger.
But they did some of their own songs, including Brooks singing a gorgeous “If Tomorrow Never Comes.”
There was an easy, breezy feeling. It was as if you were in seclusion with a couple of song-swapping friends … both with great voices, good intentions and an infinite repertoire.