BLAKE HOUSE

How is this gathering unlike a Zoom meeting? Well, for one thing, it brings these devoted comrades-in-music together in the flesh-and-blood real world—in this case backstage at Blake Shelton’s sold-out show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena—to celebrate an extraordinary career. Also, even though you can only see the men from the shoulders up, they are all assuredly wearing pants. Seen bestowing an enormous plaque commemorating Shelton’s 20 years of success are (l-r) Warner Music Nashville SVP Radio & Streaming Kristen Williams, label chieftain Espo, EVP A&R Scott Hendricks, Shelton, WMN EVP/GM Ben Kline, Starstruck Entertainment’s Narvel Blackstock and WMN EVP A&R Cris Lacy. Later, everyone remembered how long it had been since they did squats like this.