Watch intimate late-night performances from Andrea Bocelli, Jeff Tweedy, Jon Bon Jovi, and other quarantined artists

Andrea Bocelli, Jeff Tweedy, Jon Bon Jovi, John Legend — (Image credit: Screenshots/YouTube/Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show, The Late Late Show)

Three-quarters of the U.S. and about two-thirds of the world's people have been asked or ordered to stay home in a bid to contain the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The result is a mixture of boredom, anxiety, hardship, and binge-watching TV and other screen-based entertainment. While doctors and nurses risk their lives to treat the sick, grocery workers toil to keep shelves stocked, and other essential workers keep society from breaking down, entertainers are trying to do their job, too.

It isn't always entertaining — at least not in the way they probably intended — but the quality of the performances has improved as actors, musicians, and other performers adapt to broadcasting themselves from home. On Monday night — the beginning of Week 3 of the quarantine for many Americans — late night TV hosts started beaming in musical guests, most of whom performed from their own living rooms. At best, the result is an intimate show to fill the time and even stir the heart.

The Late Late Show's James Corden, taping from his garage, checked in with performers around the world — BTS in South Korea, Dua Lipa in London, and tenor Andrea Bocelli in coronavirus-ravaged Italy. "Andrea, is there a message that you'd like to send to the people of Italy or any of the people around the world that are watching this right now?" Corden asked. "I would say, be positive," he said, and hope that "soon everything will be finished." Then he played and sang a lovely rendition of his first hit, "Con Te Partiró."

Article continues below

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy and his sons Sammy and Spencer performed their song "Evergreen" from their family bathroom for Jimmy Kimmel, and it might just inspire you to try and teach your family to sing in harmony.

John Legend performed a stripped-down version of a new song, "Actions," from his living room for Corden.

OneRepublic was not social distancing when they preformed "Didn't I" for Corden.

And Jon Bon Jovi called in to The Tonight Show from his home studio in New Jersey to talk with Jimmy Fallon about feeding the needy and his crowdsourced coronavirus-crisis song "Do What You Can." Watch below. Peter Weber

YouTube

Watch On

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.