An Enjoyable Drive-in Music Festival
When I found out that Love & Lightstream was having a drive-in music festival, I got excited! We love music festivals and thanks to COVID-19 several festivals that we normally attend had been cancelled, so we were excited about getting to enjoy some live music again! And even better this festival was a drive-in music festival. I don't know about you, but drive-ins bring back some fond memories of good times - fun movies with a car load of friends, making out in the back seat, sneaking in beer, cuddling up with blankets, and lots of laughs. So I immediately got tickets, put some blankets in the car, hid two beers under the seat, and headed to the drive-in.
The purpose of this event was to benefit the lives of the local Austin music community - artists, industry, crew, and two non-profits, Black Fret and Health Alliance for Austin Musicians - all of who have struggled thanks to COVID-19. The festival was held at a 77 acre field in back of Haute Spot Venue in Cedar Park and tickets were limited to 200 cars. COVID-19 was still rampant and I imagine that Love & Lightstream had to jump through a lot of hoops to make this festival happen. To ensure that the festival was safe, masks were required and 200 car sites had been carefully staked out. Each site was 25' wide with a specific spot to park the car and an area marked off for sitting outside next to the car. The stage was huge, the sound system was excellent (good quality sound even in the last row), and two large jumbotrons gave everyone an excellent view of the performances. Tickets to the events are sold by car, and allow for up to six concert-goers per vehicle. Admission prices are tiered based on how close to the stage you wanted to be.
When I found out about the event, I called Haute Spot to find out more about the event and when I told the Chief Events Officer that I was going to write an article, he said he'll get me a VIP space to say thanks for the article. When we arrived, we were given a goodie bag (Tiff's Treats chocolate chip cookies, CBD pumpkin spice kettle corn with 30 mg of CBD oil, pita chips, and a small 4 pack of Red Bull). And Waterloo was giving away an 8 pack of their Black Cherry sparkling water as a promotion. A golf cart led us to our spot and carefully parked us within our staked out parking area - which happened to be in the second row and right in front of the stage!
This year's drive-in concert experience by Love & Lightstream featured 13 nights of hand-assembled lineups, blending internationally and locally acclaimed artists, songwriters, and bands. Check out the upcoming events that run until November 15th. This was the third event of 2020 and the music started at 4:30 and included:
- Love & Chaos - AJ Vallejo (voted 3-time Producer of the Year at the Austin Music Awards) and Kendall Beard (a finalist on Season 8 of American Idol) mixes a funky back beat groove with big harmonies and Americana and roots-rock. AustinLive calls the band "Texas' musical Bonnie & Clyde, burning up stages one show at a time with their fiery, fun roller coaster ride of songs about love, pain, sarcasm & hope." A very lively and enjoyable set!
- PR Newman - nicknamed "Punkrock Randy Newman" his music is inherently American, modern, and innovative, which he calls "Modern Rock’n’Roll" and his sound breathes that typical Austin vibe with some songs having a quirky and humorous twist to them.
- Western Youth - according to the Austin Chronicle, the sextet Western Youth taps into the kind of rollicking road show of the Band or Tom Petty - these two songwriters found a natural chemistry in their distinctive styles with songs that stagger artfully between Americana, folk and honest American rock and roll. Smart, moody lyrics and sublime three/four-part harmonies meld with searing guitar riffs and intricate arrangements showcasing a defiant yet evolving band on the rise.
- Grady Spencer & the Work - this Fort Worth based blue collar band's music reflects its members: honest, good-timing, with a nod to blue-collar roots. They meld together the grit of the old-time blues with the blood-red soil of classic country to forge a well-worn hammer of modern music coupled with high energy shows that keep us thirsty, rowdy, and ready for more.
- Shinyribs - wow, it's hard to describe this dynamic, fun, and funky band of 8 talented singers and musicians led by Kevin Russell, who has pushed the broad boundaries of Americana music with soul, steeped deeply in the swampy roots of Russell's native Beaumont - he calls his music "country-soul" and "swamp-funk". What helps define and make his show very entertaining is his vivacious and lively style of dancing coupled with some colorful suits.
All of the musicians seemed really happy to be performing before a live audience, instead of a virtual performance. And the fans were as happy and showed their appreciation by clapping, yelling, flashing their lights, and honking their horns. It was cold and windy but that didn't stop the fans from dancing, singing, and having fun! However, it did impact the quality of my pictures - sorry!
Unique to Love & Lightstream's drive-in festival was the ability to sit in your car and order beer, wine, and drinks or food from nearby Rosati's Pizza or Lupe Tortilla Mexican Restaurant - and it was delivered to your car! How good is that!
Love & Lightstream is an organization whose purpose is to create high-quality live music events that connect and support Austin's music community with brands and private companies in order to raise money and awareness of local charities. Proceeds from the event will directly support the efforts of non-profits keeping Austin's musicians and industry, and under-represented groups alive and well. Thanks for putting on a fun event. We plan to come back for one of the November events!
About Texas Outside
Texas Outside has been alive & well since 1996 - that's ancient by today's internet standards! Texas Outside was originally developed by Lone Star Internet which is an Austin based web development company with an excellent reputation & client base. In March of 2006, we purchased Texas Outside & made a commitment to add new, exciting, & informative content on Texas outdoor activities & fun things to see & do.
