Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office is investigating a Chainsmokers concert held in the Hamptons where attendees ignored social distancing guidelines and hordes of fans partied by the stage without masks over the weekend.
The ‘Safe & Sound’ charity drive-in show on Saturday had about 500 drive-in parking spots that reportedly sold for up to $25,000 each and welcomed a couple thousand attendees in Water Mill, New York.
The show featured a performance by The Chainsmokers and opening acts from Southampton’s Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman’s band and Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon as DJ D-Sol.
Despite the concert’s design to have ‘safe zones’ for cars with up to six people, posts on social media showed people leaving their cars, partying together, and dancing without masks.
Attendees included Olympic athletes-turned-venture capitalists the Winklevoss twins and RFK Jr’s son Conor Kennedy celebrating his 26th birthday with friends Damon Dash and Rachel Roy’s daughter Ava Dash.
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office is investigating a Chainsmokers concert held in the Hamptons where attendees ignored social distancing guidelines and hordes of fans partied by the stage without masks. Chainsmokers duo Alexander Pall and Andrew Taggart pictured backstage during the ‘Safe & Sound’ Drive-In Concert fundraiser on Saturday in Water Mill, New York
A view of the hundreds of fans packed together without practicing social distancing near the front stage at the ‘Safe & Sound’ show pictured above
Posts on social media show large groups of people mingling together, many of them not wearing masks, and failing to keep a distance of six feet from each other
Gov. Andrew Cuomo also blasted the event on Monday tweeting: ‘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’
State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker blasted the event on Monday in a letter sent to Schneiderman for failing to enforce coronavirus safety measures at the concert.
‘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 wrote in a letter seen by Page Six.
‘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 added.
The concert included opening acts by Southampton’s Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman’s (right) band and Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon as DJ D-Sol (left in February)
State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker blasted the event on Monday in a letter sent to Schneiderman for failing to enforce coronavirus safety measures at the concert. Zucker said: ‘What town officials were at the concert and why was it allowed to continue when it became clear violations were rampant?’
Zucker also demanded a reply within 24 hours to address the event’s permits, security in an effort to know who attended the event.
‘What town officials were at the concert and why was it allowed to continue when it became clear violations were rampant?’
‘Please be advised that all responses to these questions are a submission to a state department conducting an investigation, and any submission will be deemed to be a sworn statement.’
Cuomo also blasted the event on Monday tweeting: ‘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.’
The Chainsmokers pictured during their performance Saturday with hordes of fans gathered by the stage
Video from the concert praised the event as a success boasting that guests had temperatures checked and guests were confined to parking spot areas, but footage of crowds of people close together without masks seemed to defeat those safety efforts
Tons of videos were uploaded on Instagram showing revelers partying at the pricey event
A view near the front stage of the concert on Saturday above
However, In The Know Experiences and Invisible Noise, the organizers of the show, have defended the event saying it followed CDC guidelines.
‘The Safe & Sound drive-in concert fundraiser followed the guidelines created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and made best efforts to ensure New York’s social distancing guidelines were properly maintained throughout the event.’
The event’s website said every car had a 20ft x 20ft area to park their vehicle and enjoy the concert in the surrounding space.
Organizers praised the event as a success on social media boasting that guests had temperatures checked and were confined to parking spot areas, but footage of crowds show large groups close together without masks, defeating those safety efforts.
But a source said: ‘There was definitely a section of people in front of the cars that did not adhere to social distancing. But you could really be safe there if you were smart enough and mature enough to do it. You could go from your car and then have your square [of space] and have no contact. I think the intentions were good, but there is no way you can control those kids who feel immortal.’
Schneiderman said his office will respond to the questions by the end of the day Tuesday.
‘This was a charitable event…I am as upset as anyone else.’
He said his office was also investigating the concert and said that the permits granted did not include a VIP area but only for parking spaces.
Robert F. Kenendy Jr.’s son Conor Kennedy (pictured right in black T shirt on car) celebrated his 26th birthday at the concert over the weekend along with a crowd of socialite friends
They headed to a drive-in Chainsmokers concert, where Conor danced on the car
Drive-up: The whole group seemed to have a blast at the outdoor concert
Ticket packages for the event — where people submitted to temperature checks before being admitted — cost as much as $25,000
However, the reckless partying only continued after the concert.
Page Six reports that a wild party took place at a private house in Amagansett for around 200 people after the concert.
Witnesses said there was a huge line outside of the party, where The Chainsmokers were reportedly partying.
‘The Chainsmokers were there and people were dying to get in. The line was crazy [with] hordes of people. The police apparently showed up three times,’ a source said.
‘They went to a friend’s house after for about 10 minutes outside,’ another source added on The Chainsmokers.
Despite state backlash, attendees seemed to find nothing wrong with the bash.
Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, who just paid a multibillion-dollar fine to settle criminal charges in Malaysia, was carefree as he took the stage.
‘Standing up there and watching the sunset, looking out over this huge field of cars and people on their cars, it was absolutely beautiful,’ Solomon said to Bloomberg Monday.
‘The group that put this together did an incredible job in a difficult environment. If we work together and are thoughtful, we can do things that feel more normal and allow us to live with this virus safely,’ he added.