Music fans haven’t had a chance to see their favorite superstar acts live in concert since before the coronavirus pandemic forced a lockdown that temporarily made large gatherings a thing of the past.
But that’s about to change, because Garth Brooks has figured out a way to bring his show to fans without putting anyone at risk.
Get ready to get down — from the comfort and safety of your car!
On Thursday, the “Friends in Low Places” singer and event production company Encore Live announced that a one-night-only concert is set to show at 300 drive-in theaters across North America.
“I am so excited to get to play again,” Brooks noted in a press release. “I have missed it so much and want to get back to it. This drive-in concert allows us all to get back to playing live music without the uncertainty of what would be the result to us as a community. This is old school, new school, and perfect for the time we are in.”
As states across the country reopen for business, cases of COVID-19 are on the rise in many places, and the days of packed stadiums, auditoriums and amphitheaters remain out of reach. But old-fashioned drive-in theaters offer a rare opportunity to get together while staying apart.
“Families need safe entertainment options that they can enjoy together this summer,” Encore Live founder and CEO Walter Kinzie added. “We’re excited to partner with Garth, who’s already done so much to help the entertainment industry during these tough times, to provide a truly unique and incredible concert that will do a whole lot of good for local businesses and communities.”
Tickets for the concert, which is being put together exclusively for this event, will go on sale through Ticketmaster on Friday, June 19, at 12:00 p.m. ET. The general admission tickets will cost $100 and will cover the cost of each person present in a vehicle (up to the number of legal seat belts in the vehicle).
The concert is set for June 27, and while there are currently 300 theaters prepared to take part in the event, that number could grow, as the press release invited drive-in owners not yet slated to participate to contact Encore about the opportunity to join in.
The show promises to adhere to CDC guidelines, and will feature safeguards that include keeping 6 feet of space between cars, theater staff using personal protective equipment and contactless payments — all of which require very little adjustment for most drive-in venues.
And that’s why drive-ins might just be on the verge of a big comeback.
“A lot of people are going to feel a little bit safer coming to the drive-ins than indoors,” Beth Wilson, who owns Warwick Drive-In in Warwick, New York, recently told TODAY. “The indoors, the people I work with in this business, they are trying everything they can and doing whatever they can to protect their customers, also. I think, for this year, it might just be the thing of the new realm for this year for seeing movies.”
And seeing concerts, evidently. Warwick Drive-In is one of the locations fans will be able to watch Brooks on the big screen.
But this isn’t the first time the country crooner has found a way to please music lovers in recent months.
In March, he and wife Trisha Yearwood teamed up for a Facebook Live performance, and in May, the duo got together again to belt out hits to an empty house at the Grand Ole Opry for a streaming event.
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