While Chase Rice continues to face blowback for performing in front of about 1,000 fans on Saturday night during the coronavirus pandemic, he still has several tour dates planned for the rest of the summer. Rice’s website still lists multiple shows throughout July and August, and he has not responded to the outcry his previous show drew. Rice is best known for co-writing Florida Georgia Line’s hit “Cruise” and his singles “Eyes on You” and “Ready Set Roll.”
On Saturday night, Rice performed at the Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, a former prison turned into an outdoor concert venue in Petros, Tennessee. Videos from the event, some shared on Instagram by Rice himself, showed fans standing shoulder-to-shoulder and crowded around the stage, ignoring social distancing guidelines. It did not appear as if many, or any, fans were wearing masks. The Brushy Mountain Group defended the show in a statement to TMZ, noting that less than 1,000 fans were in attendance, “providing ample space in the outdoor lawn area for fans to spread out to their own comfort level.” According to the venue, guests were given “temperature checks” before entering and hand sanitizer was made available to everyone.
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Rice’s next tour stop is on Friday at the Paramount Arts Center in Ashland, Kentucky, with Tyler Booth and Shelby Lore joining him. Unlike the Petros date, this will be a drive-in event, with guests paying $149.99 per vehicle, reports WMKY. Rice will then perform a two-night stand at Jesup Drive-In Threatre in Jesup, Georgia, on July 24 and 25, and another two-night stint at the drive-in theater in Tiger, Georgia.
On Aug. 14, Rice is scheduled to perform at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Virginia. That venue hosted a drive-in concert on June 18. Rice also has dates at venues in Glen Allen, Virginia, and Butler, Pennsylvania, scheduled in August. In September, he plans to perform at Grayson Stadium in Savannah, Georgia, and the Sunset Station Hotel & Casino in Henderson, Nevada.
Cassadee Pope is scheduled to perform with Chase in Nevada, but she was among the performers to criticize Chase for performing in Tennessee. After Kelsea Ballerini slammed Chase and shared a video from the concert, Pope was in disbelief. “Wait. Is this real? I’m so confused as to how this many people got approved by a venue to gather during a pandemic. Wtf?” Pope tweeted.
Coronavirus cases continue to climb, including in Tennessee. On Monday, Gov. Bill Lee extended the emergency order through at least Aug. 29. It was scheduled to expire this week, reports The Tennessean. There are now 14,743 active coronavirus cases in the state, and 592 deaths have been recorded.
