Absolutely, go see Metallica at the drive-in this month. But keep these things in mind.
The first sentence in the official press release that hit journalists’ inboxes on Monday morning tries hard to make it sound like a bigger deal than it actually is: “Metallica has confirmed its return to the stage for the first time since ... September 2019.”
But don’t get too excited. The venerable rock band is “returning to the stage” — on Saturday, Aug. 29 — only in the same sense as Garth Brooks “returned to the stage” in June, or in the way Blake Shelton “returned to the stage” in July.
That is to say that Metallica will in fact not be on a stage on the 29th but rather several days beforehand, playing for cameras until its members get their performance exactly the way they want it; then editors and sound mixers will use the pre-recorded video and audio to create what essentially will be a traditional concert film; then a company called Encore Drive-In Nights will distribute that film to hundreds of drive-in theaters throughout the U.S. and Canada — to be shown to socially distanced crowds of fans at all of those assorted venues on the very same night.
Yes, drive-in “concerts” are officially a thing now.
Locally, Metallica’s will be screened at dusk at the Badin Road Drive-In in Albemarle (about 40 miles east of Charlotte) and the Hounds Drive-In in Kings Mountain (about 40 miles west of Charlotte).
Tickets will cost $115 per vehicle (for up to six people in each one) and go on sale at noon Friday. A pre-sale for members of the band’s fan club will start on Wednesday. Each ticket includes four digital downloads of Metallica’s forthcoming live album “S&M2,” which was recorded last September with the San Francisco Symphony to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their 1999 collaboration.
Now, if you’re a fan, there are probably much worse ways to waste your time and money. It’s a good opportunity to see fresh, exclusive Metallica content. Plus, it’ll get you out of the house for a few hours with loved ones or close friends, and if you’re careful, you won’t find yourself in a high-risk situation.
(Drive-in theaters hosting the concert — and their concession stands — will adhere to CDC-recommended guidelines as well as all state and local health mandates. Staff will wear personal protective equipment and contact-less payment and ticketing systems, enforce at least six feet of space between cars, and limit capacity in restrooms.)
However, no matter how much you love the band, it’s probably best to go in with lowered expectations.
Just consider this, from my review of the experience of being at Hounds Drive-In on June 26 for the Garth Brooks concert film (also an Encore Live production):
It did not come anywhere near replicating the thrill of a true live performance. Look, I get it. I knew going in that this was a concert film and nothing more, as should have anyone who took the time to do even a little bit of homework beforehand — or to read the fine print on the ticket, which clearly stated, “It is not live and Garth Brooks will not be in attendance.” ...
But to me, Brooks’ performance, though energetic, came off as one-dimensional. I didn’t feel connected to it much at all. I think that’s in part because it was missing a similarly energetic response from the audience, which naturally had less reason to cheer because ... well, why bother? He can’t actually hear you cheering.
On top of that, it was almost too perfect, too slickly produced. There was nothing raw or spontaneous about it.
But don’t take my word on its own. Also consider this, from an Arizona Republic review of Blake Shelton’s concert-film-at-the-drive-in, screened nationwide on July 25:
In an air-conditioned vehicle, watching the action unfold through the hatchback someone chose to leave up on the SUV in front of me for the duration of the show while listening through the speakers in my car, I couldn’t help but be struck by the lack of applause. ...
Every song was met with awkward, unnatural silence.
So I put the window down a few times when he ended songs and could hear little pockets of cheering from various spots on the field.
I’d like to say that made it feel more like a concert. But it didn’t.
And neither did cranking the volume as I sat there in my car to try and make it feel more like the way the music hits you when it’s coming off the stage and through the PA. It’s a different kind of loud. And there’s no substitute for that.
The point of sharing these criticisms, by the way, is not to say that the experience has no value and should be avoided at all costs. I just think you should know what you’re getting into before you go. Having low expectations, in my opinion, is always a good course of action. I mean, wouldn’t you rather come away from an experience feeling pleasantly surprised than feeling let down?
And obviously there are some variables here: I’d say hard pass, for instance, if your only option was to go with one friend and having to pony up almost 60 bucks apiece, whereas it’s going to be a less-than-$20-per-person proposition if you’re piling six people into a vehicle. (Just be mindful of who you’ll be sharing that enclosed space with on the way to and from the drive-in since, well, we’re in the middle of a pandemic right now.)
But this honestly cannot be repeated often enough: It’s not a Metallica concert. It’s a Metallia concert film.
There’s an argument to be made that a fan could get just as much enjoyment, if he or she has a big TV and a decent sound system, out of watching (or even re-watching) the band’s very good 2014 concert film “Metallica Through the Never” in the comfort of their own living room.
I’d actually like to test that theory myself — except there’s very little chance that I’ll go see the Metallica concert film on Aug. 29.
That’s because I’ll be at Charlotte Motor Speedway watching The Avett Brothers.
It, too, will be a drive-in thing, with the performance viewable on the track’s 16,000-square-foot video screen. But there’s a key difference in the presentations: The Avetts will actually be playing there live and in the flesh (also for a socially distanced crowd).
Even so, I’m intentionally going into the experience with low expectations. I assume you can appreciate why...
