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ZZ Top had a change of heart after first canceling its concert at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally … because the group played Saturday to a packed, maskless crowd.
Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard took the stage at the Full Throttle Saloon and filled the room with Texas blues-rock. The rally, which will draw an estimated 250,000 people, always draws big-named performers, so it’s no surprise hundreds of folks showed up.
Willie Nelson and Lynyrd Skynard were also scheduled to perform at the 9-day event but canceled because of the pandemic. Other artists who have performed include Molly Hatchet and the Guess Who … Night Ranger, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, .38 Special, Quiet Riot, Smash Mouth and others are expected to perform in the coming days.
The bar was packed and there was almost no social distancing, and lots of medical folks are worried this will become a super-spreading event. That clearly was not on the minds of the saloon audience.
The people who live in this tiny town are in a pickle because a rally like this is clearly dangerous during a pandemic. That said, the annual rally rakes in $800 mil for residents in the area, and economic survival is top of mind. Nevertheless, masks and some social distancing would be nice … especially for unsuspecting people who later encounter riders who contracted COVID.