Twiddle is the latest band whose drive-in plans have been thwarted in the state of New York. On July 20th, the Vermont-based quartet had announced a pair of drive-in performances at Charles R. Wood Commons in Lake George, NY set to take place on Friday, July 31st and Saturday, August 1st. Two days later, after both shows quickly sold out, the band added an additional show in Lake George on Sunday, August 2nd. On Thursday evening, all three Lake George performances were canceled by the band.
As Twiddle explained in a statement via social media on Wednesday evening, “We are very sorry to report that our Lake George shows are cancelled this weekend. Our team spent the last 48 hours working through every possible scenario to not only make sure that the experience would be as great as possible given the current guidelines, but to make sure the event was safe in every way. We are just as upset and sad as you are and wanted nothing more than to play live again for all of you. We are extremely sorry, but safety has to be first and foremost. Tickets are available for refunds at point of purchase and we are working on something special for all those that had a ticket.”
Of note, Twiddle’s three-night drive-in run on August 14th, 15th, and 16th at Vermont’s Higher Ground Drive-In Experience—where the “remain in your car at all times” rules are not in effect—is still moving forward as planned. For more information on the Vermont shows, head here.
The cancellation announcement came just hours after moe. was forced to cancel their “Miracle Mile” drive-in run at New York’s Vernon Downs when the venue pulled out at the last minute. The recent flood of drive-in cancellations in the state of New York is likely due to updated restrictions on the socially distant shows that require all attendees to remain inside their vehicle for the entirety of the event, rather than allowing attendees to mill around their car’s designated area. On a sweltering July/August day, remaining inside a vehicle throughout an entire concert undoubtedly would have made the events far less comfortable and enjoyable for attendees.
The recent rash of New York drive-in cancellations follow a highly-publicized event in the high-end enclave of Long Island, The Hamptons, last weekend by The Chainsmokers, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon (a.k.a. DJ D-Sol), and others at which attendees generally ignored social distancing guidelines and crowded near the front of the stage. Video from the show caught the eye of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who noted in a tweet on Monday that he was “appalled” at the footage, referring to the event’s apparent flaunting of distancing mandates as “egregious” and promising to launch an investigation into the event and its organizers. “We have no tolerance for the illegal & reckless endangerment of public health,” Cuomo concluded.