Chase Rice Plays for 4,000 Fans Elbow To Elbow Encouraging Sing Alongs In High Risk Area

Amid a spike of new coronavirus cases across the US, country singer Chase Rice has come under fire for playing a packed concert for 4,000 fans in Tennessee on Saturday night.

The event took place at the Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, a former prison-turned-event center in Petros, Tennessee. The venue’s capacity was limited by 60% so to provide ample space for CDC guidelines regarding social distancing. However, when it came time for the show, audience members converged close to the stage and stood shoulders apart, with not a face mask to be seen.

For his part, Rice seemed unconcerned about the potential health ramifications of playing a concert in the middle of a pandemic. Though the CDC has warned that singing together in close quarters is a sure-fire way to spread coronavirus, Rice repeatedly encouraged his fans to do just that, as he led several sing-alongs

Additionally, following the concert, Rice posted an Instagram video highlighting the packed crowd, along with the caption, “We back.”

Rice has several more concerts scheduled in the coming weeks, including at least two indoor shows in Kentucky and Virginia.