Since COVID-19 hit in March, musicians have been looking for ways to continue to perform for fans. First came the livestreams — so many livestreams — now, it’s all about drive-in concerts. Monday, Live Nation announced a whole string of such shows for July featuring the likes of Brad Paisley, Nelly, Darius Rucker, and Jon Pardi.
According to the AP, a series of nine shows titled “Live From the Drive-In” will kick off July 10th to 12th in Nashville, Tennessee; Maryland Heights, Missouri; and Noblesville, Indiana. Paisley will headline all three cities, while Rucker and Pardi will play Nashville. Nelly and the Pink Floyd tribute band El Monstero will perform in Missouri; party band Yacht Rock Revue will appear on the Indiana bill.
Fans will watch the concerts from the parking lots of the venues; four people are allowed per car and each vehicle will have two spaces between them. Venue staff will wear masks and concertgoers are required to arrive in face coverings in order to scan their tickets. They will be able to take off their masks once “seated” for the show.
“We’re really dialed in with partnerships with local jurisdictions [and] we’ve been meeting with them for months, just talking about how we can provide a great, comfortable experience to fans with social distancing at the forefront in whatever phase they’re about to enter. Because of those relationships and that communication going back and forth, we’ve been successful in getting that green light,” Tom See, president of Live Nation Venues-US Concerts, told the AP.
“We’re giving you what’s about the size of a double-car garage to where you’re going to be able to park your car, get out of your car, and have a great tailgating hang for you and your friends, and listen to music through proper professional PA and amazing audio and video display. It’s really a different aspect of drive-in and live. It’s highly experiential,” See added.
We first heard rumblings of the drive-in concert trend in Denmark back in April when Live Nation took a shot at the format, but since then more and more such shows have been announced; Keith Urban played Live Nation’s first such event in the U.S. in May, a surprise performance for healthcare workers.
“Our ultimate goal is to connect fans with artists to create those lasting memories, and we have teams around the world exploring unique ways to make that happen,” See told Rolling Stone. “There’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to drive-in concerts, but we’re fortunate to have our venues and logistics in place to ramp these shows up quickly as communities are ready. Artists and fans are having fun with them, and employees and crews are glad to be working some shows, so for us it’s a win all around.”
Here’s the day-by-day breakdown of the “Live From the Drive-In” series:
St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Friday, July 10 – Brad Paisley
Saturday, July 11 – El Monstero
Sunday, July 12 – Nelly: 20th Anniversary Celebration of Country Grammar
Nashville, TN @ Nissan Stadium
Friday, July 10 – Jon Pardi
Saturday, July 11 – Brad Paisley
Sunday, July 12 – Darius Rucker
Indianapolis, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
Friday, July 10 – Yacht Rock Revue
Saturday, July 11 – Jon Pardi
Sunday, July 12 – Brad Paisley
