Is Garth Brooks coming to a drive-in near you? The list is out

UPDATE: Two theaters in the central San Joaquin Valley, Madera 2 Drive-In and The Nightlight in Los Banos, will host shows.

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The coronavirus pandemic continues to have a massive effect on the live-music industry with canceled and postponed concerts and festivals worldwide.

Some artists are figuring workarounds. For Garth Brooks, it’s drive-in theaters.

The country-music mega star announced a one-night concert screening at 300 drive-in theaters across North America. The June 27 concert was created for the event and will be held in adherence to guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local health mandates.

“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,” Brooks said in a statement announcing the show.

“This is old school, new school, and perfect for the time we are in.”

Tickets for the show are $100 (per passenger car or truck) and on sale 9 a.m. Friday, June 19 at Ticketmaster.com/garthbrooks. So far, there isn’t a list of which theaters will be part of the event, so its hard to say if the concert will be playing anywhere near the central San Joaquin Valley.

But fans are encouraged to reach out to their nearest drive-in theater (Madera 2 Drive-In, for example) to find out if they will be showing the concert. Those theaters interested in participating, can contact the concert’s production company directly at driveinowners@encorelive.com.

“Families need safe entertainment options that they can enjoy together this summer,” said Walter Kinzie, CEO of Encore Live, which is producing the concert.

“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.”

This may be the only chance to see Brooks live(ish) for a long while. The man is a magnet for large crowds, and he’s played a number of sold-out concerts in the area over the years, including two shows at the Mid Sate Fair in 2017. He played three nights (and four shows) at the Save Mart Center in 2016.

This story was originally published June 12, 2020 at 5:56 PM.