Live concert series set for driving range
On the same waterfront stretch as San Francisco International Airport, the Burlingame Golf Center’s 45 hitting stalls are a goto driving range for many golfers on the Peninsula. But starting Thursday, Oct. 22, its gently sloped AstroTurf grounds will transform into a venue for a series of live drivein concerts unlike anything the Bay Area has seen since the coronavirus pandemic shut down the live music industry in the spring.
Dubbed the Bayshore DriveIn, the concert series is an effort by Bay Area production company HUSHconcerts, national promoters Hotbox and a slew of local promoters like 1015 Folsom, a South of Market nightclub in San Francisco. There’s a broad appeal in the slate of shows, kicking off with funkfusion bass player Thundercat and continuing through Nov. 7 with such acts as dance music heavyweights Major Lazer ( Saturday, Oct. 24), jazzpop orchestra Pink Martini ( Sunday, Oct. 25), YouTube DJ phenomenon Marc Rebillet ( Oct. 31 and Nov. 1) and comedian Bert Kreischer ( Nov. 7), among others.
“People need something like this because there isn’t anything else to do right now,” Stephen Bruner, who performs as Thundercat, told The Chronicle prior to his opening night performance. “Other than this, what are you going to do? Sit at home? Argue with your partner, argue with your kids, argue with your dog?”
Safety is a top priority in reintroducing live, inperson music to the Bay Area, and HUSHConcerts CEO Robbie Kowal acknowledged that “what flies in one market might not fly here.” To that end, Kowal said they’re taking every precaution in accordance with state and city health regulations and plan to have a COVID19 compliance team with an officer onsite. HUSH partnered with Hotbox, he added, because they’ve successfully operated similar events around the country.
Bayshore DriveIn is equipped to host 400 vehicles per event in three different sections, with the VIP section taking up the first six rows of cars closest to the stage, which will be set up in front of the drivingrange tee boxes.
Tickets are priced for two or four people per car, on a sliding scale ranging from $ 99 per vehicle to $ 349 in the VIP section for Rebillet’s Halloween night show. Additional passenger tickets can be purchased for $ 45, but IDs
have to match the name on the ticket upon entry.
All parking is on a firstcome, firstserved basis, with spots spaced 8 feet apart. Guests are required to wear masks and practice social distancing but are allowed to either “sit inside their vehicle, atop their vehicle, or in their trunk/ truck bed,” according to the event website.
There is a no smoking or alcohol policy, but concertgoers are encouraged to bring their own food and beverage. The driving range’s concession stand and restrooms will also be open.
All event staff will be temperature checked and equipped with masks and shields.
HUSH did custom radio transmission for silent discos at festivals like BottleRock Napa Valley and Outside Lands and will make concert audio available in cars at Bayshore DriveIn through an FM transmission. But there’s also a live sound system to pair with two 40foot LED screens. It seems inevitable that people will want to get out and dance, and Kowal knows that there can be limitations to enforcing social distancing, but he’s confident in the crowd.
“We don’t want to put up guard towers or spotlights. That’s not a concert,” Kowal says. “With the dance music community especially, there’s a real spirit of camaraderie. There’s a history of those people taking care of one another, and we’re hoping the Bay Area spirit of community carries through to taking care of each other.”
Jessica Phillippe, who makes music as J. Phlip, is a member of the San Franciscobased Dirtybird dance music collective and is scheduled to perform with Shiba San on Friday, Oct. 23. She said she’s been evaluating many markets and has turned down offers to play elsewhere because safety measures didn’t meet her expectations. But she feels confident about her upcoming show.
“What many don’t think about is that if the music industry jumps the gun and is irresponsible, and we have some major COVID incidents go down at live music events, the fans will be afraid to come back to a show even long after it may actually be safe,” Phillippe said. “Everyone owes it to all who work in this industry to be responsible.”
Phillippe is relishing the opportunity though and leaning into its challenges. She’s already planning to “make a song that allows the crowd to interact via honking their car horns.”
Kowal’s hope is “for the Bay Area to show up, do it right and prove to the country that we know how to act in this market and do all of these things right.
“We’re gonna do our part, but it’s gonna take all of us together to make this work safely.”