Over the last 20-30 years, the drive-in theatre has become an endangered species, of sorts. At their peak during the ’50s, ’60s, and even ’70s, there grew to over 4,000 individual drive-in theatres across the country. Today, less than 300 are left standing as the concept has continuously lost its appeal. A shame, seeing as a night at the drive-in is still, even pre-COVID, such a great way to spend an evening with a loved one or a group of friends. It’s affordable, unlike the modern movie theatre, and it just feels good to be outside or tucked into your car on a warm summer night while watching a movie. Or now, a fricken rock concert!

I think it started in Germany, who’s executed it way better than us, but drive-in concerts are hitting the US front in a big way and as far as we’re concerned, they should be here to stay. Names like Brad Paisley, Garth Brooks, The Chainsmokers, Black Jacket Symphony, Keith Urban, Marc Rebillet, The Avett Brothers, Blake Shelton, have all either rocked a socially distant Drive-In concert or are scheduled to in the upcoming weeks. So let’s take a look at this new trend and discuss why we need to keep it around, while also maybe contriving some ways we can all do better in ensuring the longevity of this innovative throwback that’s got cities and fans hearing live music again!

Lionshare 360, a relatively new production company based here in Denver, is responsible for the recently postponed series known as “The Dirty Drive-In” and only one of several organizing bodies chomping at the bit to keep live music going through reviving the classic Drive-In concept. Several other Denver companies and promoters were involved, perhaps most notably being Feyline, a name that’s been synonymous with Colorado music culture since the 60’s, in bringing 4 weeks worth of different types of electronic music to the parking lot of the now dormant Denver Flea Market.

Aside from some wanderers, great lengths were gone to ensure the safety of concert-goers, crew members, and artists alike. Bathrooms were plentiful and cleaned regularly, hand sanitizer was available, and temperatures were taken upon entry. Like any new idea, this one needs some fine-tuning, but overall it was important groundwork being laid down to help us figure out how to continue moving forward as safely as possible. While they still need to figure out how to reign in some of the rule-breakers, it’s still a far better scenario than 1000 people in a confined venue, shoulder to shoulder, and breathing the same recycled air. And no, that’s not an excuse for you to not wear your mask at the next one! After their second Thursday night event in a row, already having hosted names like Peekaboo, Skully, Templo, SoDown, and Dirt Monkey, Lionshare 360/Feyline took what we can assume was a responsible stance by postponing the following two events due to COVID concerns. In other words, they realized their struggles in keeping attendees within the confinement of their respective vehicles, regardless of how mightily they tried. We commend this team for being not only pioneers in planning these events but also doing the right thing by postponing upcoming events until they can get a better handle on the concept… or the virus, whichever comes first.

Perhaps, these reasons are why we have such a small window of detail and information regarding the upcoming “Amplitude 500” featuring Subtronics. Hosted by “Denver’s Dom” aka Dom Perea who runs Amplitude Presents, the same team put together a 2-day event this last weekend at the same venue with names like 12th Planet and Atliens leading the way. For this event, we’ve been strictly told there is no media access and Perea refused to comment as to why the level of secrecy. We can only assume, they don’t want the general public to see the degree of COVID-19 safety measures being implemented, or more likely, the lack thereof. In what is basically the only photo published showing any of the attendees, you can see clearly what looks like hoards of people out of their cars and interacting with one another. And this photo is from when the sun is still up. We can only use our imaginations as to what transpired when night fell. An anonymous source was able to reveal some of last weekend's Amplitude 500 details to us, and it began to be clear why Perea doesn’t want media or a public eye viewing their version of drive-in music. Reportedly, not only did the event host a full line array of live speakers but they were completely unable to provide FM transmission to vehicles, meaning attendees were left with no other choice than to be outside of their vehicles. On top of their technical failures, it’s been reported that Amplitude Presents is hauling in even more professional-grade speakers for this weekend’s show with Subtronics. All he [Perea] would tell us was “...if you didn’t f*** with me before these shows, you can buy a ticket.” A funny response for someone who a little over a year ago turned down an offered SharedViews interview due to, “not being ready for interviews” at that point in his career. Today’s suspicious practices tell us Perea cares much more about the money his event might make compared to the safety of his attendees or the progression of music events in general. The event is hosted at the Pikes Peak International Speedway, laying even more reason for concern due to the recent 4th of July shenanigans which took place at Bandameer’s Speedway in Morrison, CO. It’s worth noting that another source testified to the safety measures implemented at Amplitudes event last weekend, leaving us with at least one bit of un-verified, but reassuring information.

Last weeks Amplitude 500 series — Photo by: franki3lee

We spoke to Max Rozier, who played a small part in the organization of the now postponed Dirty Drive-In, about the difference in their event and the still scheduled Amplitude 500. Rozier told us, “I think it’s personally hilarious to see the blatant hypocrisy being demonstrated by ‘some promoters’. First off, I’ve seen so much ego around an idea that isn’t even original. There have been all kinds of talk about how they [Amplitude/Perea] are going to be doing things differently and safely. They then posted side-by-side images of parking at our event (The Dirty Drive-In) where we had the cars parked perfectly in checkered formation as we were supposed to do. What’s hilarious is he posted the photo as if to show how much better he’s doing, but looking at the extremely minimal amounts of photos from his event last weekend you can see it’s exactly the same, if not worse! If you’re gonna talk shit, at least do a good job.” Presented to you here are two images from two drive-in concerts. Can you tell the difference?

Here’s the thing. The responsibility is on us as a community to cradle this gift (or what some might even call a loophole) and ensure we respect the rules clearly set into place. Both to ensure the success of future events and for our own safety, of course. While many remained in the confines of their vehicle or at least their vehicles perimeter at events like the recent “Dirty Drive-In”, many couldn’t fight the urge to wander, or even gather, as the temptation of shows from the days of ole were indeed strong. With no FM transmission and even louder live speakers, we fear Amplitude Presents is simply providing too tempting of a situation for it’s widely younger demographic to be expected to follow any rules set in place. It's the organizer's responsibility to implement and enforce clear rules while also displaying said success to outsiders looking in through the means of local media. It’s our responsibility (attendees) to respect the process and stay amongst ourselves and our car’s capacity of friends so that with luck, we can carry this new way of seeing the music we love well into the future, socially distant or not. Simply hiding what you and your company are doing by not allowing basic media access, is a sure-fire way to not only lose trust from the community but ensure a longer time period for the entertainment industry to remain suppressed due to this national pandemic. To demonstrate what I mean, I’ll refer back to the opening of this piece and re-introduce Germany and Europe in general. Below are multiple media-produced images from drive-in concerts taking place on the other side of the pond. Notice, not a single patron outside of their vehicles in each of the photographs. For further video evidence, follow this link. We can only hope people like Denver’s Dom Perea don’t ruin it for everyone with their ultra-private show this weekend. After recent news of NY’s Department of Health launching an investigation into the recent Drive-In Show hosted by industry heavy-hitters, The Chainsmokers, (reported by Youredm.com this week) we’d think a little more transparency out of Perea and his team would be important.

To look for a positive example within Colorado’s music community, you need to look no further than the genre-bending Magic Beans, known for their annual get together/music festival called Beanstalk Fest. Earlier this year the well-known event was forced to change things up a little bit, moving their camping festival to a 2-day drive-in event at the Holiday Twin Drive-In located in Ft. Collins, Colorado. The attempt at keeping fans socially distant, was more successful based on the immediate scheduling of 2020’s “Beanstalk Part Deux” at the same venue, with supporting acts like Sunsquabi, Homemade Spaceship, and Dynohunter (DJ Set). Taking a different approach to our European counterparts, “team bean” utilized the spaced-out parking lot of the theatre and doubled down by enforcing a mandatory empty car space between every other car. This allowed concert goers to hang outside of their vehicles while still remaining 6-feet from neighboring cars and their passengers. On top of that, and what we think the difference maker was, the ONLY way to hear the show was through a transmitted FM signal, meaning for the most part, you need to remain near enough to your car to even hear the music. No loudspeakers, no heavy bass, and minimal social mingling. The result was a magical vibe allowing intimate groups of friends to hear some genuine live music, not only under the stars but in a socially distant manner. Bravo.

Aside from the Subtronics event coming up this weekend, Denverites can also get their music fix by traveling a much shorter distance on Monday, August 3rd. The local production company, Q-Vents, is taking lead this time with the assistance of a long list of friends and supporting companies. Potent Productions, Awaken The Night, Bass Feeds The Soul, EDM Cares, LifeTap Media, and more. Together, these names will work in conjunction to bring the first music event to Denver’s local drive-in located in the parking lot of The Denver Mart. With the back of this venue’s drive-in screen visible while driving north on I-25, we are a bit eager to see what kind of production goes into this bass-centric event, hosting top-tier electronic acts like BUKU and Minnesota. More importantly, we are eager to see what kind of rules are enforced. We spoke with Awaken The Night’s, Kelly Neff, who handles communications for the company which is providing a full rack of crowd-favorite Funktion One speakers for the event. “I think that full-on high-fidelity sound is super important right now, as it is something we have all been missing - Listening to music on your home system versus on our massive rig, crystal clear full bass frequencies, it definitely creates a feeling inside we have been missing,” said Neff in regards to the live-sound factor. She continued to add, “We are all learning how we can deliver what the fans are missing while being safe and responsible.” It’s worth a mention that Neff told us the F1’s theyll be using are the debut of their new “Res 9 Funktions from the UK.” Sound buffs may be excited about that, and hopefully with such good sound, listeners can hear clearly from the comfort of their own cars.

Unlike others, the organizing team has gladly opened their door to SharedViews Media and other local media sources, dedicated to delivering the full story to our community. For more info and tickets to see Minnesota w/ BUKU, visit their event page here. Otherwise, stay tuned for our recap and photos to be delivered after the show. Regardless of whether you attend this event, or one of the multitude of other entertainment events starting to pop-up, please take it upon yourself to act as responsibly as possible. While organizers may not have the perfect system in place yet, we all should know the importance of remaining socially distant so one day soon we can be rocking out like the good ole days.

We'd like to hear more about your thoughts on these concerts. Do you feel they are safe? Do you have ideas on how they can be done better? Be apart of the conversation right here or over on our Facebook page. Your voice matters, after all, these shows are put on for you!

Drive-In Concerts Are Here (Hopefully) To Stay - Catch Up Before Heading To Your Next Drive-In Show