By: Gemma Mastroianni and Dakota Arsenault
July Talk played at the Stardust Drive-In just outside of Newmarket last night.
Going to shows is a pretty HUGE part of my life. Before the pandemic, you could catch me at concerts sometimes multiple times a week, my point being that it is something typically very routine for me. It's been strange to not have that, and I avoid thinking about it because it makes me upset.
When I found out July Talk was doing a drive-in show, I was in. Admittedly I'm not a big July Talk fan (not for any particular reason, I just haven't spent enough time listening to them), but I heard they put on one hell of a show, so I was in. I bought tickets as soon as they went on sale and booked a car rental, it was happening.
Getting into the venue took quite some time, as the lineup went very far down the highway. We waited for around 25 minutes, then finally once we got in it was somewhat difficult to find a spot as it was fairly dark, and packed. Luckily a friendly staff member asked some cars to make room and made a spot for us, which was very accomodating!
Once the show began, everything was spectacular. There were multiple screens set up all around the property, all footage in black and white. Although we were very far from the stage it really didn't matter because it was just such a privilege to be there, and was such an exhilarating experience no matter where you were sitting. They also had multiple cameras on and surrounding the stage, as well as drones which added some really cool production value.
We really got a kick of everyone honking their horns and flashing their lights as opposed to shouting and clapping. Although it wasn't the same as a typical show, it was certainly something I've never experienced before which made it really cool and somewhat unifying!
As for the performance, they were amazing! The chemistry between the band is unreal, and the sound was surprisingly really good, from inside and outside the car. They played all their hits including Beck + Call, Push + Pull, Picturing Love, Guns + Ammunition, and a whole lot of new ones I've never heard before.
See Dakota's thoughts on the show below:
"When COVID hit and everything closed down in March, I thought it would eventually return to normal. As the months have gone on, I honestly had a fear that I wouldn't know when I would get to go to a concert again. I was a bit incredulous about a drive-in concert, but I was very wrong. It reminded me a lot like a festival, if you pay for the VIP spots, you can get up close and see a headliner but most likely you will be pretty far back and have to rely on the screens. This was like when you decide to sit further back, past the crowd pushing its way up and you relax on an open field, just enjoying the good music and the company you are in as your day winds down. It was an experience like none other, but one I was very glad to have."
I want to thank July Talk for putting on the show as I had an amazing time, and it created one of my favourite memories of the summer so far, certainly one I will never forget. If you haven't gone to a drive-in show and you love live music, I highly encourage it. It was amazing to feel such a feeling I haven't in months. Do it!