Drive-in concert series with designated tailgating areas coming to U.S. cities
Preview what drive-in concerts will look like as the entertainment industry struggles desperately to recover at least SOME of 2020’s events!
A social distancing-conscious drive-in concert series coming up in July will feature designated tailgating areas and ticketing by vehicle.
Tour promoter Live Nation will host its first-ever drive-in concert series in U.S. cities July 10-12 in an effort to safely revive live music entertainment amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, according to a company announcement.
The set of nine shows dubbed “Live from the Drive-In” will take place in Nashville, Tenn.; Maryland Heights, Mo.; and Noblesville, Ind.
Grammy-winning country artist Brad Paisley will headline shows in all three cities. Country artist Jon Pardi will perform in two of the cities with Nelly headlining one show.
Attendees will drive into parking lots of amphitheaters where each vehicle will be allotted two parking spaces: one for the vehicle and one for tailgating. There will also be an empty space on either side of the designated vehicle and tailgating space for each group.
A maximum of four people will be permitted to enter the venues per vehicle. Attendees can bring food, drinks (including alcohol) and chairs to set up in their tailgate zones where they will have a view of the live performance on stage and on large LED screens.
Event staff will be required to wear masks. Concertgoers will not be required to wear masks while in their tailgate zone but are encouraged to wear them when outside their zone, including when visiting the restroom and during arrival, which will entail contact-less ticket scanning through car windows.
Get tickets to see Brad Paisley Live at the Drive-In
Live Nation spent months working to find a safe, fun way to host live shows during the pandemic, said Tom See, president of Live Nation Venues-US Concerts, in an interview with The Associated Press.
“We’re really dialed in with partnerships with (the) 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,” See told The AP. “Because of those relationships and that communication going back and forth, we’ve been successful in getting that green light.”
Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, June 26. Prices will fluctuate by market, and can be as low as $125, which is about $31 per person if there are four attendees per car.
Here’s the concert schedule:
Hollywood Casino Amphitheater in Maryland Heights, Mo.
- July 10 – Brad Paisley
- July 11 – El Monstero
- July 12 – Nelly
Nissan Stadium parking lot in Nashville, Tenn.
- July 10 – Jon Pardi
- July 11 – Brad Paisley
- July 12 – Darius Rucker
Ruoff Music Center in Indianapolis, Ind.
- July 10 – Yacht Rock Revue
- July 11 – Jon Pardi
- July 12 – Brad Paisley
“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,” See told The AP. “It’s really a different aspect of drive-in and live. It’s highly experiential.”
Brad Paisley Concerts
Brad Paisley Bio
Brad Paisley is country music’s definition of a renaissance man. Coming up as a young fan of the Bakersfield sound, Brad learned both musical skill and showmanship from his idols Buck Owens and Little Jimmie Dickens. His fast fingers and faster wit are easily credited for providing him with the long lasting career as a country music legend in the making.
From his humble roots in West Virginia, Brad Paisley first began playing guitar after his grandfather gifted him with one. His natural talent and showmanship was immediately apparent as he began writing his own songs and performing anywhere he could. He found himself with small gigs in talent shows, rotary clubs, and eventually on the weekly radio program “Jamboree USA” in Wheeling, West Virginia. That gig would put him in front of some major players over the years, and help him land a full ASCAP scholarship to Belmont University in Nashville. As he went to school for Music Business and Business Administration, he interned at ASCAP, Atlantic Records where he met and began working with the songwriters that he still partners with today.
His official career beginning as a charting singer was with the song “Who Needs Pictures” in early 1999. In May of that same year, he made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Seven months later he had his first No. 1 hit with “He Didn’t Have to Be,” which detailed the story of Paisley’s frequent co-writer Kelley Lovelace and Lovelace’s stepson, McCain Merren. The album also featured the Top 20 hit “Me Neither” and his second number 1 hit, “We Danced”. By February 2001, the album was certified platinum.
From then on it was song after song of crazy successful hits. 11 studio albums later, countless industry awards, and thousands of live performances have all solidified Brad Paisley’s reign over country music, and made him a must-see artist in the live arena.
