Pollstar Digital Session: One-On-One With Brad Paisley

Drive-In Cowboy:
Robbie Larson / Courtesy Brad Paisley – Drive-In Cowboy:
Brad Paisley performs in the parking lot of Nashville’s Nissan Stadium July 11 during Live Nation’s first U.S. Drive-In concert series, “Live At The Drive In.”

Brad Paisley recently sat for a Zoom Q&A with Ray Waddell, president of Pollstar parent Oak View Group’s Media & Conferences division, from his farm near Nashville. 

During the cover story Q&A, the country star spoke about teaming up with Live Nation for a weekend of “drive-in” shows that, by all accounts, were safe and successful, a testament to creativity and fan passion for a populace suffering from a dearth of live events as the pandemic continues to rock our world. For Live Nation and Paisley, the drive-in shows in the parking lots at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Ruoff Music Center in Indianapolis, and Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in St. Louis, July 10-12, were a welcome return.

“We felt like doing this was a really important thing for morale, not only for fans to be able to purchase something and experience something safely and not get sick after it’s over, not take a chance on their lives, and for my crew and band and everybody to feel like we are making a difference with music,” he said. “Everybody who plays music live wants to make a difference in the time they’re up there doing it, even the guys that run monitors and lights. There’s a reason they’re in this industry, they know what they’re bringing to people is a necessary thing, and the most important thing to me is you get to do what you’re gifted at. That felt so rewarding for us to do.”