Vanilla Ice gets burned over coronavirus hotspot gig In Austin, Texas
Vanilla Ice is catching heat over his planned gig in a coronavirus hotspot.
The rapper — best known for 90s hit “Ice Ice Baby” — is scheduled to perform in Austin, Texas, on Friday at the Emerald Point Bar & Grill’s Independence Day Throwback Beach Party.
But both Austin and Texas this week experienced record spikes in the number of new cases of COVID-19.
Vanilla Ice, real name Robert Van Winkle, has promoted the party on Instagram.
“Get ready to go back to The 90s, the greatest decade ever,” he wrote:
“I can’t wait to get back to this. The 90s were the best,” he said in another post.
“We didn’t have coronavirus, or cell phones, or computers,” the musician falsely reminisced. Computers and cell phones were in existence back then.
News of the gig inevitably got the treatment on Twitter.
Some people reimagined the title of and lyrics to his most famous track:
Cough Cough Baby!
— The Great Omar (@thegreatomar1) July 2, 2020
Alright stop, grab a mask and listen
Ice is back with a whole new infection— 𝕬𝖑𝖆𝖉𝖉𝖎𝖓𝕴𝖓𝖘𝖆𝖓𝖊 ️ (@aeirould) July 1, 2020
Something takes a hold of me tightly
chokin on my last breath daily and nightly— DJ Ritty (@The_Ritty) July 2, 2020
COVID, grabs ahold of me tightly
I watch only Fox News both daily and nightly— John Pani (@JohnPani1) July 2, 2020
Will I be immune? I dont know
Write up a will, and a tombstone
To the extreme I rock a flu like paitent zero
Get some herbs and remedial candles— VNLA#805 (@CCriticalDev) July 2, 2020
If there was a problem
Trump won’t solve it
Check out the Karens scream the masks won’t solve it— illrana (@ill_rana) July 2, 2020
Others poked fun and expressed shock at the gig going ahead at all:
We may never know if this weekend's Vanilla Ice concert will result in a COVID-19 spike, because no one will admit they went to a Vanilla Ice concert. https://t.co/TN7XNJ4RIE
— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) July 1, 2020
We"ll never know if a future spike in Texas covid cases is the result of attending a Vanilla Ice concert as no - one will admit to going.
— Katy (@KatyJane_101) July 2, 2020
The vanilla ice concert may sound dangerous, but how much Covid exposure could reality get during one song?
— Brian Santa Maria (@briansantamaria) July 2, 2020
I wouldn't go to a Vanilla Ice concert if it would CURE coronavirus. https://t.co/jesOuJgKOd
— ralphgarman (@RalphGarman) July 2, 2020
The last thing anyone will have to worry about is a COVID spike due to a massive crowd at a Vanilla Ice show. https://t.co/C7E0RAne8A
— Sean The Producer (@SeanTheProducr) July 2, 2020
Every piece of this situation is foolish.
Vanilla Ice.
Performing.
In 2020.
In the middle of a pandemic.
As cases surge. https://t.co/aTxh1rmsk9— Luvvie is writing book 2 (@Luvvie) July 2, 2020
Bars across Texas are currently banned from opening in a bid to slow the spread of the virus that has killed almost 130,000 people nationwide.
But the venue on the shore of Lake Travis can remain open and host the gig, The Austin Chronicle reported, because it’s technically designated as a restaurant.
Capacity for the concert will be limited to 450 people and staff will take attendees’ temperatures and request they adhere to social distancing measures and wear face masks, owner Barret Brannam told The Texas Tribune.
Brannam wouldn’t enforce the mask policy, however, because “I’m not their mom and dad, [and] I can’t make them do it,” he told the Tribune.
VIP tickets for Vanilla Ice’s performance — costing $160 to $300 — have sold out. The venue is also hosting parties on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday nights:
