From Keith Urban to EDM, Drive-In Concerts Are Your Future Now

One of the first drive-in concerts of the current pandemic era took place in mid-March, in the parking lot of a Los Angeles supermarket. The event was co-organized by online radio station Dublab, and local musicians took turns occupying a white van, fiddling with synthesizers and using an FM radio transmitter to broadcast ghostly synth tones into the stereos of around 50 cars in attendance. The night air was quiet and still, attendees reduced to shadowy silhouettes lounging in the safety of their vehicles. At the end of the show, a chorus of car horns and flashing lights served as applause.

Musician and event co-organizer Celia Hollander later told a circle of admirers: “I had this idea [before Covid-19], but felt the social isolation went against what I valued about live shows, so I never did it.” She chuckled. “Now, this was the most social thing I’ll do all week.”