When COVID-19 hit, music fans weren’t worried about catching a deadly virus. We were worried about how we would survive without concerts. The biggest question we were constantly thinking about was, when is live music going to return? Months later when cases started to drop and the air started to get warmer, drive-in concerts were formed as a way for people to see live music in a safe way.
Saturday, May 22nd was my first show of the year and it was a drive-in. At this point, I’ve been to lots of these kinds of shows at a few different venues so I’d say that I have a pretty good handle on what to expect when going to a drive-in concert. Before we dive into all things drive-in related, I do want to give a huge shoutout to a New England based non-profit, Music Drives Us, for putting together such an amazing event. Classic rock and heavy metal tribute band, Generation Three, played an epic set and even had special guests Gary Cherone and Pat Badger from Extreme join them for a couple of songs. Overall, such a fun event benefiting a great cause, keeping music in our schools.
What I love most about drive-ins is the luxury. When you go to a regular concert, it's crowded, you’re surrounded by tons of people you don’t know, and it can sometimes get overwhelming. With most drive-in concerts, at least the ones that I’ve been to, you pull into your parking spot, and then you get another parking spot where you and your guests can settle in. No one is close to you, you have your own space, and that is a luxury you don’t get at most concerts.
While it is a benefit, the downside is that having such a large amount of space for you and your few guests can take away from the normal concert experience of feeling part of a crowd. You don’t feel that closeness with other fans and can miss out on those one-on-one interactions with random people bonding over a mutual love for a band, previous concert experiences, or whatever the case may be. Nothing beats meeting someone who shares similar passions in music and in life, sometimes causing lifelong friendships, all because of one interaction at a concert.
The biggest benefit about drive-in shows is the car itself. It’s so nice having your car right there with you. You can pack whatever you may need: food, drinks, extra clothes, a comfy pair of shoes to change into, blankets in case it’s cold, and it’s all right there with you if you need it. Depending on the place, you can pretty much bring as much as you can fit into your car.
If you’re like me and you love being as close to the stage as you possibly can, you will struggle. Most drive-ins make you watch the show from your designated space so you can really only get as close as you can park your car. You might be able to get away with rushing the stage. The last show I attended allowed people to do so and now that a lot of restrictions are being lifted more venues may allow this, but don’t expect it.
One of the venues I went to had the live music playing through your car radio, which definitely took away from the concert feel. The venue was huge, so I understand why they had to do that, but it just felt less like a concert. You also have to keep your car on the whole time which made me anxious that my car battery was going to die. Thankfully, it didn’t.
With most things starting to open, will drive-ins return this summer? I think if this pandemic has taught us anything, it's that nothing is certain and anything can change in a split second. So who knows! Personally, I love drive-in shows. I don’t love them more than a traditional concert but sometimes it can be a nice change. I’d love for them to stick around for the summers but if I’m being honest, I don’t see them staying around much longer. So if you can get to a drive-in show, I definitely recommend going to at least one while they’re still around.