Drive-Invasion: ‘It is what it is’
September 5th, 2007 by James Kelly in Backstage Pass
1947 Studebaker Wrecker
In a town as big as Atlanta, it is inevitable that there are going to be major events that just don’t cater to everyone in the city. But there is a strange phenomenon that occurs whenever a group of people get together and have a good time based on their shared interests — somebody feels left out and makes a fuss about it. Well, that’s just too bad, because if you couldn’t find an event in Atlanta over Labor Day weekend that fit your niche, you were not looking hard enough. Dragon*Con? Montreux Jazz Festival? Black Gay Pride? Drive-Invasion? Damn, there is something for everyone …
Since its inception, Drive-Invasion has served as a sort of “homecoming/family reunion”-type event, with many of the original supporters being the folks who were part of the Star Bar-rockabilly -Redneck Underground scene in the early ’90s. As the event expanded to include car shows, vendors, camping and bigger crowds, it has gone through a couple of different guiding hands. But for the most part, the event is a celebration of some pretty specific aspects of American culture — drive-in cult movies, country, rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll music, flashy cars, and retro fashion. It’s a visual smorgasbord for people-watching, and the loose structure of the event allows a lot of leeway in how people play.
For some it’s an excuse to drink to oblivion and raise some hell. For others it’s a forum to show off tattoo-covered skin (and plenty of it). And for some it is a chance to relax, hear cool bands, laugh at awful movies, imbibe, eat well (or poorly), and be with friends who you haven’t seen since, well, last year.
Manfred of the Woggles works the crowd.
It’s hard to say Drive-Invasion gets better every year, because it is a great event every year. There have been a few isolated disappointments within each weekend over the years, such as the rather snotty attitude of Blue Oyster Cult and the realization that their shtick was only good for about 10-15 minutes. But that, and the occasional weather issue (too damn hot or too much rain), rarely does more than barely dent the overall vibe. This year there were no major disappointments, so maybe it is getting better.
Drive-Invasion 2007 was as good as any other, as the attendees were treated to fairly decent weather, some great bands and some bad movies. Highlights included the stunning crowd support on Saturday for the creepy Unknown Hinson, whose act consists of pretending to be a country-music vampire, but playing some hot Hendrix licks while singing his ass off. The crowd wasn’t quite as big Sunday for the Blasters, but they were pretty darn amazing and got lots of love from a large hardcore fan base. Perennial local favorites the Woggles had the most impressive audience participation, as singer Manfred led the followers through a number of wired-up dance routines and sing-alongs. They may be the hardest-working band in the land.
The Dixie Fried Car Show was bigger than ever, and there were some beautiful machines there this year. My personal favorite was the 1947 Studebaker Wrecker, although there were a lot of contenders. Most of the cars are there Saturday, with just a few hanging around Sunday.
If there is one area the planners need to tighten up it’s in the movies. While Saturday’s first feature, Reanimator, was fun and had a lot of fodder for talk-back and wisecracking, Sunday’s opening film, Tommy, was a miserable choice. It’s just so dated, so pretentious and so damn bad that a lot of folks bailed within the first 30 minutes. I would much rather have seen Fast Times At Ridgemont High for the 15th time … NOT! Even though a lot of people are pretty toasted from the daylong events by movie time, it would still be cool to actually have some more enjoyable films.
But the movie issue is a tough one for them, as only certain older films are still available in the format they show, so their choices are limited. Perhaps they should take a poll on their MySpace site or the official website, and select the films for next year from what the people want to see.
It’s so easy for people to make comments about Drive-Invasion regarding the specificity of the American cultural trends it glorifies and celebrates, but the crowd is always very diverse in many ways — age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation — and everyone seems to get along just fine. The organizers know pretty well who their target audience is, and they make no effort to dilute their vision in regards to any pressure from “political correctness” goons.
To use an overused phrase, “it is what it is,” and everybody is welcome. In all my years of attending I have never seen anyone NOT having a good time. I certainly have, every time.
(all photos by James Kelly)
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