They may not be the sharpest tool in the shed. The band Smash Mouth received backlash and hate mail after playing for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally earlier this month. They were one of several bands playing for crowds of thousands not practicing social distancing. In total, the event attracted hundreds of thousands over 10 days.
Those who attended may have exposed themselves to the coronavirus as a result. Officials have directly linked the rally to 103 cases across eight states. They include South Dakota, Minnesota,Wisconsin, Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming and Washington, according to AP News.
The band has kept quiet since the event, but posted hate mail they’ve received to Instagram. In the photo is a smashed CD on top of an angry letter someone sent them. Select words are visible like “kills,” “selfish” and “motherf—-rs.” The band captioned the picture as “Fan mail.”
Smash Mouth became one of the most prominent bands featured at the rally.
According to the New York Post, Smash Mouth singer Steve Harwell was captured on video saying, “F–k that COVID s–t!”
As a result, people have flocked to Smash Mouth’s Instagram page to let their feelings be known. In one Instagram post, Smash Mouth posted a photo of a sign supporting liberal causes, including “We believe Black lives matter… women’s rights are human rights… science is real.”
“‘Science is real.’ Epidemiology is a science too,” one commenter wrote.
Another user wrote, “Yeah but you had a concert without any social distancing and said f–k COVID, so do you really believe that science is real.”
Smash Mouth became one of the most prominent bands at the rally, which may explain some of the backlash. Other bands like ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Willie Nelson dropped out due to COVID-19 concerns. Bands that performed at the rally include: Drowning Pool, Quiet Riot, Kenny Wayne Shepard, Buckcherry, Trapt, Molly Hatchet and Colt Ford.
[H/T: New York Post]