The American Drive-in Tour featuring Sully Erna of Godsmack and Aaron Lewis of Staind descended upon a crowd of starved live music fans at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, FL on Friday night.
In a year where the world has continuously fed us nothing less than the entire shaft, these two legendary frontmen teased the audience with just the tip.
Unique situations often require creative solutions and Friday night was a prime example that fans as well as musicians are open to all possible options to quench their thirst for live music.
Important to note the show followed all local health guidelines to promote fan safety and enjoyment. The show mimicked a drive-in theater style event with patrons in or adjacent to their cars. Check points with staff conducted temperature checks of all fans entering the grounds with the occasional mishap of scanning a forehead with the ticket scanner rather than the no touch thermometer (good laugh had by all involved).
The tour producer Danny Wimmer Presents worked closely with both artists and venues to create a live concert environment that would bring rock fans back together in unique setup that promoted social distancing for a safe experience.
Fans were treated to an evening of unscripted fun that included hits from both Godsmack and Staind, an entertaining round of covers aka “Just the Tip” (the Erna/Lewis version of a mashup), and endless banter between good friends that spans over 20 years that kept the crowd engaged and laughing throughout the two hour set.
The set kicked off with both Erna and Lewis on acoustic guitar with Sully later in the set transitioning to piano. Fans seemed unsure at the onset as most were experiencing their first drive-in concert, which quickly dissipated as fans became more engaged.
Highlights included Staind songs “Everything Changes” and “Outside”, Lewis’ “Country Boy”, Godsmack hits “Running Blind” and “Under Your Scars” with the set wrapping up with “Its Been a While.” Erna‘s “Until Then” for the soldiers was accompanied by a heartfelt video that brought the crowd to their feet.
The “Just the Tip” portion of the evening that brought cheers and heavy doses of laughter included snippets of songs from Cindy Lauper, Back Street Boys, Aerosmith, Prince, and Elton John to name a few. Lewis and Erna were equally amused on stage as they taunted each other. It was a great night for music fans!
Grab your tickets for the remaining shows HERE.
Photo Credit: Trevor Williams