The Chainsmokers

NY Health Commissioner blasts The Chainsmokers' Hamptons show in new op-ed

The fallout over The Chainsmokers’ so-called “Safe & Sound” luxury drive-in show that happened in The Hamptons over the weekend just keeps coming. After video that showed attendees not adhering to social distancing guidelines spread on social media, the NY Department of Health opened an investigation into the show, and Governor Andrew Cuomo got in on blasting the event too, saying, “We have no tolerance for the illegal & reckless endangerment of public health.”

In a previous comment, New York Health Commissioner Howard A Zucker wrote, “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.” He’s now written an op-ed about the risks posed by the show for Rolling Stone. “With video footage clearly showing social distancing and safety precautions ignored, the recent ‘Safe & Sound’ Chainsmokers charity concert in Southampton mocks New Yorkers’ months-long work to flatten the curve and contain the virus,” he begins.

“I became angry when I learned of the actions of the Southampton concert promoters and the flagrant disregard for the public’s health during a pandemic,” he continued. “But I was heartened by the fact that most of the people who read or heard the story have felt the same way. I think what struck our collective nerve was seeing so many with so much to their advantage — concert attendees were generally young, healthy, and, as indicated by the $850 ticket prices, able to afford health care if they should need it — be so cavalier about taking a risk that could have dire consequences for many.”

Read the full op-ed on Rolling Stone.

Concert organizers, meanwhile, told Billboard, “The video that everyone is talking about was taken from an angle that doesn’t properly convey how careful we were to follow the guidelines created by the CDC. We did everything in our power to enforce New York’s social distancing guidelines and collaborated with all state and local health officials to keep everyone safe.”