People are using their cars to socially distance and still enjoy C.O. live events

Americans are enjoying concerts and movies from the comfort of their cars

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- It's safe to say everyone in 2020 has heard of and even experienced social distancing, but what about social distancing in your car?

It's turning into a new norm of sorts for people wanting to enjoy forms of live entertainment.

Tony Smiley, a musician based out of Vancouver, WA., will be playing a socially distanced concert on Oct. 23 at Bend's Thump Roastery on Northwest York Drive.

"This is my first drive-in show," Smiley told NewsChannel 21 on Thursday. "I'm used to playing multiple times a week and being on the road and getting to see people's faces and reactions."

At the concert, cars will be physically distanced, and people will have to wear masks if they leave their vehicle.

“I couldn’t deal with it very well, if a bunch of people got sick at my show," Smiley said. "These are my people. These people are very important to me.”

Drive-in concerts are not the only way people are using their cars for socially distanced entertainment.

Scott Douglass, CEO and founder of Cascade Relays said, "I think across the country, you can see a resurgence in drive-in theaters."

Douglass is working with Flip Flop Sounds and Hand in Hand Productions and started showing drive in movies earlier this year. This weekend, six movies are on the schedule.

"I think there's a nostalgic thing about getting people loaded up in your car and coming to sit in the backseat of your pickup truck," Douglass said.

Both events are charging $40 per vehicle. The drive-in also will be selling individual tickets for $15.