Last weekend, The Chainsmokers held a ‘drive in’ concert in the Hamptons, which caused a state investigation and drew a lot of backlash online.
Tickets for the concert at Water Mill started at $850, with VIP access going up to $25000, including an RV. All of the proceeds were to go towards local and national charities.
While many fans were quick to take to social media and post about their unique experience at this event, a video taken onstage highlighted just how many people were at the exclusive concert (an estimated 2000), and after going viral, began to raise concerns about the potential health risk that an event of this scale had posed.
The Chainsmokers had a “Drive-in” concert in the Hamptons last night…looks like social distancing was strongly enforced ….when NY gets the inevitable spike just blame these rich selfish white people
Via IG:adamalpert pic.twitter.com/yLe1XaE0hS
— Icculus The Brave (@FirenzeMike) July 26, 2020
The video clearly shows that people are gathered in some sort of concert pit that does not appear to be socially distanced at all. On Monday, the state of New York began an investigation into the event to see if the Town of Southampton issued a permit for the concert despite the Declared State of Emergency in New York banning non-essential gatherings of over 50 people.
A representative from the venue told BuzzFeed News that “There were steel barricades and dividers separating each section in the front viewing area with groups of ten guests, with marked spots to stay within and security guards positioned in front to enforce that masks were being worn.” One of the main organizers of the event, In The Know Experience, has said that “guests were also instructed that they would not be allowed to leave their designed spots for any reason other than to use the restroom.” Sierra Smith, a concertgoer, has been quoted saying she “felt very safe and it was a ton of fun.”
However, due to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the US, the event has been highly criticized for its carelessness and inconsideration.
This irresponsibility of the chainsmokers having any sort of event in the current climate is absolutely appalling. I am not ok with you risking everyone's lives just so they can watch you press a space bar all night.
— Steven Walker (@positivesteven) July 27, 2020
y’all risked corona………for the ….. chainsmokers……. https://t.co/pxGdFz5Edp
— edm peppa pig (@chisanashi) July 27, 2020
The Chainsmokers hit song ‘Closer’ may be a banger, but closer is not something people need to be during a pandemic, that’s for sure.
What do you think?
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