TobyMac and Newsboys plan concerts at unusual venue as SC reopens during coronavirus
In spite of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, some big-name musical acts are going on tour this summer.
While much of South Carolina has reopened following efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19, as of Thursday arenas and concert venues have not been cleared by S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster to resume holding events.
That’s forcing Christian music stars TobyMac and Newsboys to become innovative as they hit the road for upcoming shows in the Midlands.
Instead of performing at traditional venues, both have scheduled shows at the Big Mo drive-in theater, as the Monetta landmark transitions from movies to music — for the time being.
“We feel this concert might provide us a good opportunity to test COVID-19 safety measures before we reopen for movies sometime later this summer,” Big Mo officials said in a news release.
Drive-in owner Lisa Boaz temporarily closed the Big Mo on March 21 as cases of COVID-19 continued to rise, the Aiken Standard reported.
TobyMac will perform the first concert on June 23, according to the release.
The Grammy Award-winning hip hop artist will be backed by his DiverseCity Band. Tickets are on sale and range from $75 to $175, according to the promoter, Awakening Events.
Tickets are the same price for the Newsboys performance on July 7. The rock band from Australia with six gold records will be joined by special guest Adam Agee, the promoters said.
All tickets are being sold in advance and will not be available at the drive-in on the night of the concerts. Tickets are sold on a “per car basis,” with a maximum of six people per car, according to Awakening Events. Oversized vehicles — like large vans, buses and RV — are not permitted.
Gates will open at 7 p.m., but the shows will not begin until dusk.
Ticket holders can watch from their cars or bring lawn chairs and blankets to sit on, but they must sit inside the allocated parking space.
Social distancing mandates will also be in place at the Big Mo.
Concertgoers have to wear masks that cover the mouth and nose when they are away from their vehicles, drive-in officials said. Additionally, a 6-foot distance between customers must be maintained at concessions and in bathroom lines.
Big Mo officials also said they are limiting each of their three fields to 50% capacity, meaning just one vehicle will park between each set of posts. The concert will be held on the Big Mo’s main field and shown on the screens of the other fields.
The Big Mo is at 5822 Columbia Highway North in Monetta, about 40 miles west of Columbia.
Boaz told the Aiken Standard she’s monitoring COVID-19 statistics, and any decision to reopen the drive-in will be based on “the science and the Hollywood studios.”
Just before closing in March, co-owner Richard Boaz told The State that studios are delaying films for later in the year, leaving him with no new movies to show.
The couple has owned the Big Mo since 1999, when they reopened the drive-in that had been out of business for 13 years, according to Discover South Carolina. It’s one of three remaining drive-in movie theaters in the state.
Night clubs, bowling alleys, concert venues, theaters, auditoriums, performing arts centers, racetracks and adult entertainment venues are still awaiting clearance from the governor, who recently allowed tourist attractions and amusement parks to reopen to visitors starting this weekend.
McMaster closed those venues in April to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which had been confirmed in at least 10,623 people in South Carolina and resulted in 466 deaths as of Wednesday afternoon.
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 1:11 PM.
