There is a euphoric feeling of being able to experience live music. Getting absorbed in a whole new music experience with lights, the hyped-up crowd, and being in the same room as a favorite artist, all are incomparable to listening to it at home with some headphones on. So, it stands to reason that with the rise of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020, the live music industry had to think of a way to continue hosting concerts during Covid while keeping people as safe as possible.
To date, thousands of independent venues have been shuttered, touring has been halted, and for a while, the only safe way to experience live music was through some form of live streaming, which is not a very paralleled alternative given you are watching through a screen. Overall, the industry as a whole has been decimating over the last few months due to Covid. However, there is a silver lining that seems to be taking a stronghold and coming in as a close second experience-wise, and it’s called drive-in concerts.
What Are Socially Distant Concerts and How Do They Work?
Being the new frontier of music, drive-in concerts, aka socially distant concerts, is an innovative way for larger groups of people to all come together to listen and experience their favorite bands play in person. The concept is popping up all across the United States as a keen alternative to live streaming at home. In a nutshell, the process is essentially the same as the drive-in movies, but with a socially distancing twist.
Though each venue may have its own car capacity, which is usually anywhere from 300 to 800 cars per show, the rules for pandemic safety are generally the same. Families should remain in their vehicles during the show, but it is not uncommon to find people sitting on the roof of their cars wearing masks to get a better view. Furthermore, if they need to use the restroom, then they can as long as they wear a mask. In addition, food is generally not provided at these events for safety reasons, but that does not mean you cannot bring your own refreshments to enjoy as you watch your live music show. And the best part? When the concert is finished, there will be a massive crowd roar with tons of car horn beeping as a way to show appreciation.
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The Benefits This Innovation Provides
First and foremost, the most clear-cut advantage of a drive-in concert is being able to listen and experience a live performance during the strict Covid-19 regulations. It is a way for people to break out of their bubble and feel more themselves again after being confined, isolated, and cooped up for pretty much the entire 2020 year. Branching from that, some other benefits include:
- The closest and most genuine life music experience option to the traditional way of doing things.
- It offers a safer environment for people to have some fun and show artist support.
- Strongly improves mental wellbeing in people and gives them something to look forward to in such a shutdown nation.
- You are able to have much more “elbow-room” than in the normal setting since the vehicles are usually staggered and at a safe distance from one another.
- Ticket prices may be higher than normal, but the cost is more than likely based per car rather than per person. So, if you have a group of people, it could actually save you money in the long run.
- Much like regular live music concerts, there will be large screens on each side of the stage so everyone can have a good view of what is going on.
Filling the Entertainment Void with Drive-In Concerts
Live music venues, both large and small, had to work fast to discover alternative ways to stay successful and engaged with their audiences while the Covid-19 pandemic debilitated people from gathering in masses. May turned to new technologies to create live streaming concerts, but again, that is not nearly as invigorating as being at the concert itself. As of right now, the drive-in concert model is a way for artists and venues to host shows during Covid in the safest way possible and stay afloat during such turbulent times.
There will be a time again in the future where people can come together again and enjoy their favorite bands without having to worry about social distancing. But for right now, the socially distanced concerts are the next best thing to gain some much-needed entertainment away from laptops/tablets, support artists in what they do best, and do your part in reducing the spread of the virus. Covid-19 may not have been on anyone’s radar, but drive-in concerts are the win-win scenario that truly brings the art and life back into shows, and that is something quite valuable for society as a whole right now.