Over the weekend, country singer Chase Rice sparked outrage by performing a jam-packed concert in Tennessee, a state where coronavirus numbers are steeply rising. Now, Rice has spoken out in an attempt to offer some sort of explanation for the show.
He hasn't apologized, mind you; in his 76-second Instagram video, he expresses no regret for the concert, at which fans were packed in shoulder-to-shoulder without masks. Instead, Rice says: "I understand there's a lot of varying opinions, a lot of different opinions on COVID-19, how it works with live music and what all that looks like."
It's not totally clear which "varying opinions" Rice is listening to, since health officials agree that concerts are currently unsafe and likely won't be possible until fall 2021.
According to Rice, "everybody had a blast" at his show. He will be continuing with his tour of the U.S. South, where he will be performing drive-in concerts. In his latest statement, Rice encouraged fans at these upcoming shows to "get out of your trucks and party" and added, "Stay in your own space, stay with the people you came with."
He said, "The safer we all are now, the quicker that we get to get to actual normal live shows."
Meanwhile, coronavirus is continuing to peak in the U.S. Numbers are currently rising in 36 states, including Tennessee. The country has had close to 129,000 deaths officially linked to the virus.
He hasn't apologized, mind you; in his 76-second Instagram video, he expresses no regret for the concert, at which fans were packed in shoulder-to-shoulder without masks. Instead, Rice says: "I understand there's a lot of varying opinions, a lot of different opinions on COVID-19, how it works with live music and what all that looks like."
It's not totally clear which "varying opinions" Rice is listening to, since health officials agree that concerts are currently unsafe and likely won't be possible until fall 2021.
According to Rice, "everybody had a blast" at his show. He will be continuing with his tour of the U.S. South, where he will be performing drive-in concerts. In his latest statement, Rice encouraged fans at these upcoming shows to "get out of your trucks and party" and added, "Stay in your own space, stay with the people you came with."
He said, "The safer we all are now, the quicker that we get to get to actual normal live shows."
Meanwhile, coronavirus is continuing to peak in the U.S. Numbers are currently rising in 36 states, including Tennessee. The country has had close to 129,000 deaths officially linked to the virus.
