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More than 100 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in eight US states, in an outbreak related to a controversial Smash Mouth concert earlier this month in Sturgeon, South Dakota.
The band sparked outrage following the release of images from the concert, as part of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, in which spectators are seen without protective masks against the coronavirus.
At one point, the singer told the crowd, “We are all together tonight now,” referring to the insulting comments about COVID-19.
Other bands like ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd were also set to appear, but withdrew from the event.
The band’s manager, Robert Hayes, stressed that the event had “a very strict social distance and a precautionary policy for all participants.”
“We spent many hours organizing this event to make sure it was done in the safest way possible and we are very happy with the result,” he said.
Last week, the band revealed that its members received hate mail after the controversial concert.
They even posted on Instagram a photo of a handwritten note with the words “selfish” and “kills” and a torn CD.
“Smashmouth was one of my favorite bands in the 90s. I went to their concerts several times. But would I risk a pandemic to see them 20 years later? Of course not,” wrote a fan of the group.
“We are very likely to see further spread,” Chris Eresman, director of infectious diseases for the Minnesota Department of Health, told reporters. At least 35 Minnesotans who traveled to Sturgeon in early August have been diagnosed with coronavirus.
