Drive-In Concerts: The New Wave Of Live Music During The Pandemic?

By Martine Ehrenclou

When the coronavirus descended, live music took a catastrophic hit. Live concerts, festivals and shows were cancelled all over the world as lockdown restrictions enforced social distancing.

Drive-in concerts started popping up all over the U.S. and Europe. Bigger names are now getting into the game, scheduling drive-in concerts across the U.S. Along with celebrated Country music artists, bands such as Metallica, Blackberry Smoke, the Allman Betts Band, Grace Potter, Marcus King and more have scheduled drive-in concerts for the next couple of months.

Many of us who haven’t seen live music in months and would do just about anything to see one of our favorite artists or bands live, even if it is from our cars. It’s an experience to try at least once. I’m supposed to attend one (my first) in the near future.

Past naysayers might now be climbing aboard this new trend, realizing that live music might not return to traditional venues until 2021 or even 2022. Driving your car into a drive-in theater or parking lot to view your favorite band perform on a stage, some with giant LED screens to enhance the experience, or listening to the live performance through your car stereo, might not be enough to quench your live music thirst. But if planned right, they do appear fun. And with the social distancing of COVID-19, let’s face it, we’re all dying to get out.

For far less than concert tickets you might have purchased in the past, you and a carload of your friends can see the artist or band of your choice. If you bring your own chairs, you can sit next to your car or possibly stand up and dance in a marked area in your designated spot, which if you think about it, isn’t so different from an outdoor festival. Food and beverages can be delivered to your car or you can bring your own.

Some venues have installed live outdoor music systems to make the experience more like a live concert and less like a drive-in movie of the 50’s or 60’s. Most of us have not been socializing with loved ones and friends in big groups and that shared experience with live music is a big draw. You might be sitting on the roof of your car, but you’ll be around others who are also enjoying the same music performance. Honking horns or flashing headlights replace clapping, which sounds kind of fun or at least novel.

Legendary rock band, Metallica, announced they will be holding a live performance that will be broadcast to more than 300 drive-in and outdoor theaters around the country and Canada as part of the ‘Encore Drive-In Nights’ concert series on August 29, 2020. Parking is based on a first come first serve basis.

If a concert screening at a drive-in isn’t your cup of tea, consider the ever-popular Southern rock/roots music band Blackberry Smoke who are offering live concert performances at drive-ins and outdoor venues in VA, NJ, PA, AZ and Canada put on by ‘Live At The Drive-in” for August and September 2020. See here for dates, locations. 

Modern rockers, The Allman Betts Band are performing a couple of dates at drive-in concerts in in Swanzey, NH August 22 in Yarmouth, MA, (August 20) at the ‘Yarmouth Drive-In’  just in time for their new album release, Bless Your Heart. See here for dates, locations. 

Southern rock/Southern soul/ blues rock guitar phenom, singer-songwriter Marcus King is also slated for a series of drive-in concerts put on by ‘Live At The Drive-in’ for September 2020 in MA, NH, PA, and VA. See here for dates, locations. 

Fan-favorite Grace Potter, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist has also been doing drive-in concerts and plans to do more, in addition to outdoor events in NJ, NH, MA, and  CT in August/September. See here for dates, locations.  

Drive-in concerts seem to be catching on and although they might not be the wave of the future for live music, they are a temporary fix for as long as COVID-19 restrictions last and while the weather holds up. Tupelo Music Hall Drive-In Experience in Derry, NH seems to have created a concert experience with a newly renovated outdoor sound system. Blues rocker Gary Hoey is performing live there for two shows on August 23, 2020 and both are already sold out. Ana Popovic, Joe Louis Walker, and Johnny A. recently performed at Tupelo and from fan reports, these were the concert drive-ins to beat.

The West Coast is also jumping on the bandwagon of drive-in concerts with The Canyon Club teaming up with The Oxnard Performing Arts and Convention Center to feature a number of acts, including “Crooked Eye Tommy’s Drive-in CD Release Party Extravaganza,” August 21, 2020 in Oxnard, CA.  See here for info. 

‘Concerts In Your Car’ offers a number of concert drive-ins including Tower of Power and Los Lobos, September 6, 2020 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, Ventura CA on September 6, 2020.

Drive-in concerts have their share of problems too. Not all are going well. EDM/pop duo The Chainsmokers concert drive-in charity event at the Hamptons at the end of July, is being investigated  by the New York State Department of Health for possibly violating the state’s social distancing guidelines. Check out the video on Twitter.

The lack of social distancing is not that uncommon. The UK’s first socially distanced music venue, Newcastle’s Virgin Money Unity Arena, took over Gosforth park with 500 platforms spaced about six and a half feet apart, and housed about 2500 British music fans on August 11, 2020 to see rock singer Sam Fender. Social distance guidelines fell apart according to Kieron Donoghue who tweeted this video after the concert started

There are obvious risks with certain drive-in concerts. How can you predict before you go? You can’t. But finding out about how the social distancing was handled from someone you know who has been to the venue, might help. Some venues are strict and require people to wear masks, stay in the marked areas around their cars, and monitor alcohol by not allowing attendees to bring their own. But there are no guarantees. I am supposed to attend a drive-in concert in the near future. After doing research for this article am I more nervous? Yes and no. I wouldn’t say no to a drive-in concert if social distancing was monitored and I really wanted to see the artist or band perform.

Drive-in concerts are certainly becoming popular. The longer COVID-19 lasts, along with the social distancing restrictions, the more we might be willing to give them a try. They may be the wave of the future until the coronavirus runs out of steam.

Here are a few tips for your concert drive-in experience:

• Check the venue’s website for all restrictions for the event such as required masks, use of bathrooms, refunds if the show is rained out, allowable food and drinks, restrictions on location if you drive an SUV or truck, and if your ticket specifies a spot or if it’s first-come-first serve.
• Does the venue charge extra for others in your car? Some do, some don’t.
• Check the artist/band’s website and the venue website to see if they are performing live or if it is a pre-recorded concert film. Some drive in concerts don’t actually feature a live performance of the band/artist you want to see and you might end up attending a concert film screening instead. Metallica is one example, as was Blake Shelton who had a pre-recorded screening on July 25, Scottdale, AZ. Garth Brooks did the same on June 19^th.

Would you go to a drive-in concert? I welcome your comments in the comment section below.