UPDATED 7/28, 9:30 a.m. ET: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has caught wind of the Chainsmokers, specifically their widely questioned Hamptons concert that took place over the weekend.
In a statement, Cuomo said he was "appalled" by the footage of a social distancing-challenged crowd that went viral.
"The Department of Health will conduct an investigation," he added. "We have no tolerance for the illegal and reckless endangerment of public health."
See original story below.
Chainsmokers fans remixed the idea of social distancing over the weekend by sprinkling in a bit of the Chase Rice method.
The Hamptons event went down on July 25 and was billed as a "drive-in music fundraiser," with Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon serving as the opening act. Tickets, perBillboard, ranged from $1,250 to $25,000. Proceeds went to charities including the Children's Medical Fund of New York, Southampton Fresh Air Home, and No Kid Hungry.
And while the event touted that efforts would be made to ensure social distancing amid ongoing COVID-19 problems in the U.S., which would have seemingly been easier if this was strictly an actual drive-in gathering, footage widely shared showed a troubling lack of concern from some attendees.
A Bloomberg piece with a Goldman Sachs CEO-focused headline, published Monday, reported total attendance was in the "a couple of thousand" range and pointed out that mask announcements were made during the show and temperature checks were utilized. Amanda L. Gordon's report, however, also noted the presence of "clusters of friends dancing and mingling close together with masks off."
Other artists have also experimented with the idea of drive-in concerts to satiate fans during the pandemic, which has been greatly worsened here in the States thanks to a lack of leadership. Third Eye Blind, for example, performed as part of the Concerts in Your Car series at Ventura County Fairgrounds over the weekend. That event was billed in advance with a much stronger emphasis on mask messaging and social distancing from both the artists and the promoters. Attendees for the 3EB show were allowed to park 360 degrees around the stage, with in-car audio made possible through FM radio.
As for the Chainsmokers, footage of worrisome examples of people in the Hamptons crowd eschewing social distancing guidelines has inspired a wave of criticism that was still rolling as of Monday:
