Andrew Cuomo blasts Chainsmokers for 'reckless' Hamptons concert amid Covid-19, Internet calls band 'stupid'
The recently concluded Chainsmokers concert on July 25 has come under fire recently and the EDM duo have been facing plenty of public backlash for their insensitivity and disregard for the ongoing coronavirus pandemic protocols. This comes after the rather ironically named Safe & Sound charity drive-in event held in the Hamptons had concert-goers flagrantly ignoring social distancing guidelines and were seen enjoying the EDM music, dancing in close proximity to one another without masks. Although health and safety measures had been incorporated by the concert organizers from the very outset, like limiting the audience to merely 500 vehicle spots (some tickets were reportedly $25,000) and ensuring that masks, sanitizers and designated safe zones next to vehicles were being used, an alarming amount of video evidence proves that these guidelines weren't being properly adhered to.
New York's governor, Andrew Cuomo, launched a stinging rebuke of the event via his official Twitter account saying, "Videos from a concert held in Southampton on Saturday show egregious social distancing violations. I am appalled. The Department of Health will conduct an investigation. We have no tolerance for the illegal & reckless endangerment of public health."
It is estimated that approximately two to three thousand audience members attended the Safe & Sound charity drive-in concert in Water Mill, which is a hamlet in the town of Southampton in Long Island, New York. The event was headlined by The Chainsmokers, which consists of the popular EDM artists Alexander "Alex" Pall and Andrew "Drew" Taggart and also featured opening acts like Jay Schneiderman’s band (he is Southampton’s town supervisor) and DJ D-Sol, aka David Solomon, the CEO of Goldman Sachs. There were also quite a few famous names present at the concert that catered to an elite crowd of movers and shakers - the Winklevoss twins were present, and so was Robert F Kennedy Jr's son Conor Kennedy, who was celebrating his 26th birthday with friends Damon Dash and Rachel Roy's daughter Ava Dash.
The State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker wrote a letter to Schneiderman on Monday, July 27, that detailed his concerns. "I am greatly disturbed by reports concerning the "drive-in" concert held in your town this past weekend, which apparently involved thousands of people in close proximity, out of their vehicles, a VIP area where there was no pretense of a vehicle, and generally not adhering to social distancing guidance," Zucker stated and added, "I am at a loss as to how the Town of Southampton could have issued a permit for such an event, how they believed it was legal and not an obvious public health threat."
On social media, people were also voicing their scorn for the recently concluded concert. One user tweeted, "Everyone is ripping the concert-goers but the fact that the Chainsmokers were like 'yeah a concert right now is the best move' is astronomically stupid." Another enraged music lover said, "A BLM protest is a better risk because it fights for equal rights. A Chainsmokers concert is risking your life for 20 songs that sound exactly like 'Closer'." Another observer joked, "Very apt for a Chainsmokers concert, you risk lasting lung damage! #COVID19." As another person concluded, "The Chainsmokers paving the way for 3,000 new hospitalizations. This is straight-up irresponsible."
