Drive-in concert trend hits sharp note of hope, lifts our flat moods

Summer tour season is upon us, and Americans are starting to begrudgingly accept that largescale concerts won’t resume for some time. Besides artists hopping on Instagram for a live stream, the most popular choice for a musical performance might be drive-in concerts.

What was once unimaginable makes a lot of sense in the era of social distancing.

As acts such as Keith Urban and Los Lobos embark on drive-in shows, each setup is different: Some are in fields, others are on farms. On June 27, Garth Brooks performed a concert broadcast to 300 drive-in movie theater screens.

The Eli Young Band show, part of the “Concert In Your Car” series, took place in a parking lot outside Globe Life Field in Arlington where the Texas Rangers play.

The idea started in March, as soon as Triple 8 Management co-owner George Couri realized concerts would be shut down. Couri represents several acts from Texas, so he contacted Rangers entertainment executive Sean Decker: Could they work together to put on a drive-in concert? After eight weeks of mapping out logistics, they pulled together a plan that followed county and state guidelines, as well as CDC safety protocols.

Each show could only be an hour long. Acoustic sets only, to minimize the number of crew members. Fans had to stay in their vehicles, spaced a safe distance apart. Staff would wear personal protective equipment. No concessions. Tickets, a flat fee per car, would be scanned on an app through windows. Restrooms would be available for one person at a time, and staff would clean them between each use.

Organizers scheduled four shows over consecutive days during the first weekend in June, and tickets immediately sold out. They added a second show each day, which also sold out.

“We spent so long thinking about how to make it great ... but the biggest variable going in was the thing we couldn’t directly control: Would people keep to their vehicles and stay safe? Or would they run up to the stage?”

Couri said. From what he saw, people respected the rules — and many seemed thrilled just to be out of the house.

So, is it actually fun to sit in your car and watch a concert?

Kacie Miller, a teacher who goes to lots of country music concerts, said she and a friend turned off the car, rolled down the windows and basked in hearing music that wasn’t being broadcast from the internet.

“All in all, in the time we’re living in, it’s probably the best thing we can do to have live music still,” she said.

GETTY IMAGES / TNS At Ventura County Fairgrounds, fans attend the Garth Brooks Concert Event for the Concert In Your Car Series from the comfort of their vehicles June 27 in California. Brooks is planning a concert this month with his wife, Trisha Yearwood, while Blake Shelton also announced his own July 25 livestream concert.