A Year In Parties: The Illegal, The Virtual & The Pre-Pandemic

Now, with many of the city's more privileged residents having escaped to the East End for most of the year, we'd be remiss not to discuss the Hamptons happenings of 2020. The most scandalous of which began innocently enough but soon gained the attention of Governor Cuomo and, well, people all over the country. We present: The Chainsmokers Drive-In Concert. Dubbed Safe and Sound, the "first-ever drive-in fundraiser" presented by the techno duo's JAJA Tequila brand, sounded like it checked all of the boxes: designated parking areas, enforced social-distancing, mandatory masks, hand sanitizing stations - what we'd call "the works" amidst a pandemic. However, attendees of the Water Mill event ended up crossing the threshold, both literally and figuratively, into public shame. Around 2,000 guests packed into the Nova’s Ark Project field to dance along to the hit-makers and also, fittingly enough for the crowd, a DJ set by Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, who moonlights as one "DJ D-Sol." Lol.