Summer concert season is about to kick into high gear, but there will be one major change in 2011. Jiffy Lube Live is adopting a “no tolerance” policy on tailgating in its parking lot, as reported by NBCWashington. This is a pretty big deal, as pre-concert parking lot revelry (often involving alcohol, grilling and other good times) is a huge part of the attraction of big shed summer shows. There have always been rules against such activity, but as we often told chatters in Got Plans?, if you didn’t draw attention to yourself and act like an idiot, chances were you’d be left alone. (Concert attendees can confirm this.)

But now expect this rule to be strictly enforced. “The safety of the fans is of paramount importance and we have an ongoing commitment to work with the local police department on all shows to ensure a safe environment for all of our fans. As part of this commitment, it has been determined that it is in the best interest of the fans and their overall experience at the venue to not allow tailgating,” says an announcement on the venue’s Facebook page.

The report by NBC claims that those in violation of the rules will get one warning. If you get caught a second time, expect to be charged with trespassing while getting the boot. Saturday’s sold-out WMZQFest -- the annual all-day country concert sponsored by the local radio station -- will be the first concert of the season at the Lube and should provide quite a test for the new system. In tomorrow’s Style section Chris Richards will have a full report on the new rules and what it means for concertgoers.

The venue already has a bad reputation for often making fans sit in traffic for hours going to and from concerts. Will the new enforcement affect your plans on attending concerts at Jiffy Lube Live this summer?