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More Music to Enjoy From the Safety of Home
April 5, 2020  | By Mike Hughes
 


TV's music-from-home trend is getting a double boost, with two shows returning.

First, Garth & Trisha Live (top) will rerun at 10 p.m. ET, Sunday, on CBS, right after a new country special. Then the iHeartRadio's Living Room Concert For America reruns at 9 p.m. ET, 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 of numbers linked in people who were already together – Billie Eilish with her brother Finneas, Camila Cabello with Shawn Mendes. Then there were those instances using video savvy to show the back-up musicians for Tim McGraw and Mariah Carey, as well as linking all five Backstreet Boys, who were performing separately.

Mostly, though, iHeart simply had people alone, singing into an at-home camera, and we'll see more of that from 8-10 p.m. ET Sunday, with ACM Presents: Our Country.

Our Country will include top Nashville stars such as Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, and more.

Following, there 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 Garland, and more. Brooks, one of the top five highest-selling musical artists of all time, spent a chunk of time playing and praising Bob Seger.

But they did some of their own songs, too, 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 who have great voices, good intentions and an infinite repertoire.

 
 
 
 
 
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