Vanilla Ice Shocks All With 4th Of July Concert In Texas Despite Surge In Coronavirus Cases
Alright, stop. Collaborate and listen. Vanilla Ice is back….and he is holding an “Independence Day Throwback Beach Party” concert in Texas, even though coronavirus cases are rapidly surging across the state.
“I can’t wait to get back to this," the "Ice Ice Baby" singer posted on Instagram along with footage of a packed crowd from a previous concert. “The 90s were the best. We didn’t have coronavirus, or cell phones, or computers. We had 5.0's, blockbuster, Beavis and Butthead, Wayne's World, Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. Mortal Kombat is still better than Fortnight but we got out of the house. We danced. We invented house parties in the 90s, the last of the great decades.”
The event is slated to be held at Emerald Point Bar & Grill in Austin, TX. Vanilla Ice was able to hold a concert because the business is technically categorized as a restaurant and not a bar or music venue, even though it has a beach area, according to the Austin Chronicle. Therefore, the restaurant is not subjected to the same laws and the rapper is taking full advantage by selling 2,500 tickets, which is reportedly half of the venue’s potential full capacity, ranging from $25 to $300.
This comes after Gov. Greg Abbott recently ordered for all bars to re-close again last Friday (June 26) due the recent surge in reported cases across the state. Texas has been among the worst hit states in the U.S. On Wednesday (July 1), the organizers behind the Austin City Limits music festival decided to cancel its 2020 lineup, the same day there were more than 8,076 new cases (a record daily high) in Texas.
For the latest on the coronavirus, check out BET’s blog on the virus, and contact your local health department or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
