Drive-In Concerts: The Ultimate Tailgate Party During The Pandemic?

Drive-In Concerts

By Martine Ehrenclou

The coronavirus has whacked the music industry to its knees. Artists were forced to cancel their tours and concerts, and promotors, managers, publicists, marketers, road crew and more, who are dependent on the live music industry for their survival, were furloughed or laid off.

With live music shows halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing, many musicians were able to pivot to live streaming performances via social media sites with ticket sales and tip jars. Live streams are still in the forefront. Some music venues are now streaming live performances of artist/bands alone with no audience in their clubs.

Drive-In Concerts have recently emerged as one way to work around social distancing due to the pandemic, kicking off first in Europe, including Germany and Denmark. Now in the U.S., they offer live shows in parking lots of drive in movie theaters and venues. Some music venues have even reconstructed their stages and sound systems for the outdoors.

So far, all tickets to drive in concerts are general admission and you get your own parking space in order of arrival. Tour promoter, Live Nation jumped on the bandwagon and this week announced a series of drive-in concerts in July, titled “Live From The Drive-In,” a set of nine shows to take place July 10-12 in Nashville, Missouri and Indiana, featuring headliner Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker and Jon Pardi. Live Nation states that there are LED screens and speakers through the area and cars are spaced by nine feet, the size of a two car garage.

Thanks to fresh air and seating in your own car, in the bed of your truck, or in your own folding chair next to your car, you can listen to concerts through the venues outdoor speakers or your car stereo. The drawback for some might be the quality of their car stereo sound. Bring food and your drinks of choice. Some bring beanbags and folding chairs or flip down the tailgates of their trucks and settle in for the show.

Clapping comes in the form of honking horns and flashing car headlights. Sounds kind of fun. Some outdoor venues offer big screens, which isn’t so different from sitting in the nosebleed section of an arena or stadium. Most offer food and non-alcoholic drinks, some via golf carts that drive through the aisles. Venue employees must wear masks but depending on cities and states, masks are simply recommended for attendees.

Other venues have reconstructed their stages and sound systems for outdoors as was the case with acclaimed Gibson Signature artist, Johnny A. who performed at Tupelo Music Hall in Derry, NH, outside on the club’s new stage and attendees watched from their cars in the parking lot.

I talked with blues fan, Pat Ross who has been to two concert drive-ins at Fanatics Drive-In, Lima, NY. He describes his second show featuring Gary Hoey. “First of all, it was wonderful seeing a show again. To be outside in the sun with friends & MUSIC!!! Gary was fantastic. He did a short history of the blues through the songs he played. He also played solo with pre-recorded backing tracks. Gary told us he drove 400 miles to play the gig. Gary could not state enough how happy he was to be in front of a crowd, jokingly that he “might be one of only four musicians actually playing live today.”

Photo: Pat Ross

Ross explained that the ticket price bought a parking space and the spot bedside your vehicle. He said, “It was great. We went with good friends. It was a mature crowd of blues music lovers. Ordered food from the Pub and it was delivered to us in the parking lot. We were also allowed to bring in our own beverages, which was a very pleasant surprise.” When asked about the sound with the outdoor speakers, Ross said, “The sound was really good. No complaints.”

Pat Ross also said, “It felt like a normal outdoor concert, except you didn’t have to walk far to get back to your car, lol. Really looking forward to more Drive-In shows. Will be purchasing tickets tomorrow to see Dana Fuchs.”

Country star Garth Brooks put on 300 Drive-In Concerts in June of 2020 throughout the U.S. and Canada. Tickets were $100 per car. Unbeknownst to some attendees who anticipated seeing Garth Brooks live, the show was pre-recorded, and according to the Charlotte Observer Garth Brooks did not perform. Some attendees thought it was misleading. From the videos and photos posted on Twitter at #GarthDriveIn, it looked like a big tailgate party and a lot of people seemed happy to be there. Just find out before you buy tickets to a Drive-In Concert if the artist or band is actually going to perform live at the show.

Ticket prices vary for Concert Drive-Ins and can be as low as $100 per car, maybe lower, or as with the case with Los Lobos who will headline their first Drive-In Concert on July 4^th at Oak Canyon Park, Orange Country, CA, tickets run $150-$500 per vehicle. So Cal Drive-In plans to put on a Concert Drive-In every Saturday in July.

You have to hand it to artists/bands and promoters for getting creative and reinventing the live music experience to accommodate social distancing with the pandemic. Drive In Concerts seem like a lot of fun if the artist/band is actually performing—the ultimate tailgate party. We all miss live music and professional musicians depend on it. None are like the experience of seeing a real live concert or show at a club with others around you but some of these options are good enough for the time being. And professional musicians need our support.

For more information on Live Nation “Live From The Drive-In”