Yarmouth Drive-in on Cape Cod Closes Out Season

YARMOUTH – After closing out the Yarmouth Drive-in on Cape Cod’s first season, Adam Epstein, CEO of the producer for the drive-in Innovation Arts Entertainment, said that the drive-in met its goal of safely bringing public entertainment to the Cape.

“We set out to create a special live experience without being the source of spread for the coronavirus and without a doubt we’ve achieved that. We’ve brought in tens of thousands of people to see over forty concerts and we did it safely without there ever being a problem. It was a universal success as a result,” said Epstein.

Epstein said that the drive-in was still a compromise for an in-person concert, with the music experience limited to FM transmission signals sent to concert-goers’ cars, which can create delays between when an artist plays and when the audience hears the music.

Though any limitations were due to safety being the utmost priority for the Yarmouth Drive-In on Cape Cod, and while it did come with high expenses for internal security that had to be covered by a limited capacity, Epstein said that it was a necessary cost to ensure a positive experience for visitors.

“Public safety comes at the forefront of everything we do. The experience doesn’t matter at all if the people aren’t safe, so that’s the beginning,” said Epstein.

“As a responsible business, we considered it the primary thing we had to focus on first, and then once we developed that protocol, we could create a great band-to-fan experience.”

Epstein said that Innovation Arts Entertainment is interested in new ways to deliver a safe concert experiences to audience members outside their cars.

In South Carolina, Epstein said that they are creating socially distanced coves that can host people sitting comfortably that are 10 by 12 feet, with 6 feet of distance on all sides from the neighboring coves.

While it has been necessary for the safety of the public, Epstein said that people staying in their cars for live performances is not something he sees continuing after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The vehicle has no role in the future of live entertainment,” said Epstein.

Epstein said that the music industry is, in general, expecting the next summer season to be similar to 2020’s, in that there will still be some restrictions in place on public events due to the ongoing pandemic.

Epstein said that there will need to be a continued attention to safety, and that the Yarmouth Drive in on Cape Cod will be able to deliver if the town’s board of selectmen approve their request.

About Grady Culhane

Grady Culhane is a Cape Cod native from Eastham. He studied media communications at Cape Cod Community College and joined the CapeCod.com News Center in 2019.



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