Troy Shantz
Playing to a packed parking lot was no problem for Rodney James and the Riot.
“The only thing that was missing was the whistling and the cheering and the clapping … other than that I almost preferred it over a normal concert,” said Rodney James Medwid, the Sarnia band’s lead singer, after playing Rocking the Runway at Sarnia Chris Hadfield Airport on Saturday, Oct. 24.
About 200 cars packed the airport parking lot to hear the Riot and Big Wreck perform.
The crowd was also bumper-to-bumper Friday night for country stars The Reklaws and special guest Scott Manery and the Barnburners.
“The best way to explain it — it was safe and loud, which is like the best in this pandemic, Medwid said.
Ensuring all concertgoers were parked before the show began turned out to be a bonus, he added.
“For us, it was a great way to have close to 1,000 people that didn’t know who Rodney James and the Riot were.”
The concept of drive-in entertainment is proving popular.
The Sarnia Superstore store has already hosted a movie night, and Pathways Health Centre organized a drive-in featuring the Celtic Hillbillies, food and coffee.
