across the Midwest for a June-July tour. The Beanstalk Music & Mountains Festival, which normally takes place in the wilds of Colorado, is taking over the Holiday Twin Drive-In in Fort Collins, Colo., on June 26-27, and in a day’s time sold out the 380 available double-spaced spots under the big screens.
The ground rules for the Texas shows at Globe Life Field at the beginning of June are taking place with an abundance of pandemic-era caution: Tickets will be scanned through the car window by workers in protective gear. The artists will be performing acoustically, over FM transmission only, to provide for a minimum of crew interaction in the setup. The sets will be strictly limited to 60 minutes each, in part to keep patrons from needing to use the facilities .
Owners of existing drive-ins express mixed feelings about suddenly being called upon to do shows as fans wait for Live Nation to pull together bigger ones. John Vincent, who runs the Wellfleet Drive-In in Massachusetts, is president of the United Drive-in Theatres Association of America, and says that for their affiliate drive-ins, “in this current environment, it’s just a way to fill the screen until the first-run product comes back available.
The touring industry is going to take a huge hit. If they can find a way to capitalize on a virtual experience then they’ll be good.
Bad