Hi Vibe Tribe! @VibeWithAde here to share my experience attending my first ever drive-in rave. Since festival season in 2020 has been put on pause, drive-in events are the new frontier to have live music events still happen. I traveled an hour down to San Antonio to check out the first-ever EDM Drive-In to come to San Antonio, TX. I was very curious about what it’d be like to hear live music again while maintaining a safe environment due to COVID-19. 

The event was 18+ and was on Friday and Saturday from 7 pm to midnight. We attended Friday night to see the event kick off. We got there when gates opened and were greeted by a DJ at the entrance playing some tunes. They had sponsors handing out freebie goodie items like Redbull and Topo Chico. They were all wearing masks and gloves so it was safely done. Before we entered the parking lot, there was a photo backdrop to get a souvenir photo in our cars which I thought was a nice touch since we wouldn’t be able to get out of our cars and there weren’t any great photo ops like how other festivals have art installations and whatnot. 

Once inside the gates, they directed us to where we’d be parked. We were in general parking which was in the back lot.

We still had a view of the stage and there were visual screens and lights set up along the sides so we could still have a view which I liked. We could hear the music from the stage, but the way a drive-in works is you tune in your radio to an FM radio station. That way you’re able to hear the music and get the feeling of the bass. Pro tip: Make sure you have a car with a good sound system!! At first, we thought we weren’t going to be allowed out of our car since Texas had released a restriction banning events over 100 unless approved by the state. Luckily, the event was able to still go on we just had to be in our cars; however, if you had a truck bed or hatchback that definitely made it easier to not be in your car. We got out a couple of times and security just instructed us to keep our masks on. We had a parking space in between the cars around us so it felt safe to stay socially distanced and vibe with our neighbors from afar. Bathrooms were along the sides and had attendants cleaning them after each use which felt great to have that in place. One thing to know is to bring your own water, drinks, and food as nothing was sold on-site to practice social distancing and limit contact.

It was fun seeing everyone dress up their cars for the event and make it as cozy as possible for them. As for if it felt similar to being at a real festival and rave, I felt like even though it was a spread out crowd you can still feel the energy and people’s reactions from a heavy drop. 

While I had to remain a distance from others, I saw most people dressed up for an actual rave or festival. I can imagine it’d been so long for a lot of us since we got dressed up like that. Don’t be afraid to go all out! One plus is if you’re a girl that loves her platforms, you can wear those and easily change into a comfy pair if your feet get tired.

Now for the music, man did it feel good to hear live music again and hear it somewhere other than my apartment. That was definitely the feeling I missed getting to dance again and just hear DJs curate awesome sets. Every set was unique in its own way and varied from different sub-genres. Katabolic was a great dubstep/bass artist to kick off the night. Coast Club brought the house vibes that had me shuffling next to our car. Hook n Sling I had been wanting to see for so long and brought the uppity electro house heat. Henry Fong was my favorite of the night as he blended dubstep, bass, and bass house so well that had the crowd dancing his whole set. Finally, Tritonal was a perfect end to the night that had everyone in their feels with their trance style and euphoric drops. 

The EDM Drive-In was a perfect way to safely get out of the house and enjoy some music. I had a great time getting to release some of the pent up quarantine energy. I missed live music so much and definitely got my fix while we anticipate what’s next for festivals. These events are going to keep popping up so just make sure if you attend to stay safe, wear your mask, and still practice social distancing from the cars around you. These events are great, but can easily get taken away if we aren’t doing our part. If you want to see what this event is like, check out my YouTube channel and subscribe for when the vlog drops.