You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. Over the weekend Smash Mouth took part in the 80th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Several of the top-billed acts scheduled to play the event pulled out due to the coronavirus pandemic, including Willie Nelson, ZZ Top and Lynrd Skynrd. Smashmouth, however, remained unphased.

Other acts that played the festival include Quiet Riot, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Kenny Wayne Shepard, Buckcherry, Trapt (lol), Molly Hatchet, Night Ranger, Colt Ford, Lit, Reverend Horton Heat, Jackyl, 38 Special, Drowning Pool, and a ZZ Top tribute band called ZZ3.

The Associated Press, reports that organizers of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally are expecting up to 250,000 people from all over the country to attend. Marking what is likely to be the largest public gathering in the United States since the pandemic started.

Footage from the event saw swathes of unmasked punters ignoring social distancing protocols. At one moment during the band’s set, Smash Mouth vocalist Steve Harwell addressed the crowd, triumphantly crying “Now we’re all here together tonight. And we’re being human once again. Fuck that COVID shit.” Smash Mouth, I was rooting for you, we were all rooting for you


The city of Sturgis has revealed that the will be conducting mass tests of residents over the coming days and weeks in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus. If I were Sturgis, I would simply not host the 80th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

The band aren’t the only act to have hosted a chaotically unsafe jamboree in the midst of a global pandemic. Last month, The Chainsmokers threw a drive-in concery, where absolutely no social distancing took place.

The Chad duo hosted a charity fundraiser in The Hamptons. The event was, by all accounts, supposed to abide by social distancing guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, the three brain cells shared between 3,000 people couldn’t quite grasp the weight of this global health crisis and ignored all guidelines set in place.

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine