NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The last time bassist Jon Jones played a concert with his country group Eli Young Band was March 8. He hopes to hit the stage again in June to launch a new drive-in concert series in his first return to live music with fans since the devastating coronavirus.
The band plans to play acoustically to 400 cars full of people at the new Texas Rangers stadium in Arlington, Texas.
As states start to let businesses reopen under limitations, music industry organizers are testing out new models of smaller, socially distant concerts. Jones is cautiously optimistic that drive-in concerts might help crack open a door for musicians.
“We’re going to be one of those last industries, those last segments that opens up, unfortunately,” Jones said.
George Couri, of artist management company Triple 8 Management, teamed up with the Rangers to put on the four-night concert series called Concert in Your Car starting June 4. The interest was so high that the $40 tickets per car sold out quickly and additional shows were added. In all, 3,200 tickets have been sold.
Drive-in concerts aren’t new, but in the wake of the pandemic, the idea hit in Europe and now the United States. Country star Keith Urban played a drive-in theater in Tennessee last week with scaled back production and crew.
In Florida, DJ D-Nice, who has been entertaining people online with his popular DJ sets, played music for first-responders in their cars on May 16.
At the Concert in Your Car in Texas, organizers said tickets had to be purchased in advance, not on-site. No concessions or merchandise will be available for sale to reduce contact between people. All bands will play acoustically so there’s minimal production crew needed. There won’t even be outdoor speakers because the music will be transmitted by radio.
