Vanilla Ice to play 4 July show in Texas despite coronavirus spike

Vanilla Ice, aka the "Ice Ice Baby" 1989 one-hit-wonder, has decided to celebrate Independence Day this weekend by putting on a 2,500 capacity show in Texas, a hotspot for new coronavirus cases in the US.

State Governor Greg Abbott has responded to the spike in COVID-19 cases by halting the reopening of bars and nightclubs in Texas.

Just yesterday (1 July), Austin City Limits festival cancelled this year's event due to the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, and will instead return in October 2021.

However, it seems that Vanilla Ice is ignoring advice about mass gatherings, and is going full steam ahead with his show. He wrote on Instagram a few days ago, "I can’t wait to get back to this. The 90s were the best. We didn’t have coronavirus, or cell phones, or computers. We had 5.0‘s, blockbuster, Beavis and Butthead, Wayne’s world, Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. And Mortal Kombat is still better than fortnight but we got out of the house, We danced, we invented house parties in the 90s. The last of the great decades."

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I can’t wait to get back to this. The 90s were the best. We didn’t have coronavirus, or cell phones, or computers. we had 5.0‘s, blockbuster, Beavis and Butthead, Wayne’s world, Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. And Mortal Kombat is still better than fortnight but we got out of the house, We danced, we invented house parties in the 90s. The last of the great decades #IMissThenineties

A post shared by Vanilla Ice (@vanillaiceofficial) on Jun 28, 2020 at 8:45am PDT

How is he allowed to host a concert during a coronavirus spike? Austin Chronicle reports that Vanilla Ice has managed to find a loophole with the current pandemic restrictions. His concert will be hosted at Emerald Point Bar & Grill in Austin, Texas, which isn't a bar or live music venue. The restaurant reportedly has a pretty big outdoor concert space, and although 2,500 tickets sounds like a lot, it's apparently only half of the maximum capacity.