Say goodbye to the quarantine blues. On Sunday night, Elton John hosted the virtual benefit livestream “iHeart Living Room Concert for America” featuring everyone from Billie Eilish to Dave Grohl, and it’s the biggest pick-me-up you could imagine. Watch a replay below.
The highly anticipated concert was organized last minute to replace the originally scheduled iHeart Radio Music Awards. It aired commercial-free on FOX and was livestreamed online for over an hour. As the name implies, artists played live from their own living rooms and everyone’s videos were scheduled back-to-back, giving the experience of one massive intimate concert. The star-studded event was dedicated to the doctors, nurses, scientists, first responders, and volunteers battling the COVID-19 outbreak.
John kicked things off with a short speech about the purpose of the concert. “Here we are, all together at home. You’ve got your family and loved ones, and I’ve got mine close too… We’re taking care of each other through this crisis,” he said. “Let me tell you what’s going to keep us together: All the goodness that’s happening in the world. There’s doctors, nurses and scientists on the front lines. They’re living proof that most superheroes don’t wear capes.”
Grohl then delivered a rendition of Foo Fighters’ “My Hero”, Eilish and her brother Finneas teamed up for “bad guy”, and Green Day’s Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong performed “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”. Additionally, Mariah Carey sang “Always Be My Baby”, Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes dueted “Oh My”, and Sam Smith crooned “How Do You Sleep?”. Lady Gaga and Lizzo also made appearances during the livestream.
John, Eilish, Green Day, and countless others have all had to postpone their highly anticipated tours due to the global health crisis. With most physical concert events grounded to prevent the spread of COVID-19, artists have turned to livestreaming to keep in touch with their fans. Find a full list of upcoming virtual concerts here.
Dave Grohl, Billie Eilish, Billie Joe Armstrong More Perform on Elton John’s Living Room Concert for America: Watch
Nina Corcoran
