When Grammy-winning duo The Chainsmokers decided to crash an Arizona State University frat party last weekend, they turned a routine college gathering into the stuff of campus legend. Complete with police intervention, impromptu negotiations, and an unforgettable encore.
While in Phoenix for the Breakaway Music Festival, Alex Pall and Drew Taggart surprised hundreds of students by launching an unscheduled 13-minute set at a local fraternity house, blending classics like “Closer” with fresh remixes, including a reworked version of Gracie Abrams’ “That’s So True.”
The party came to an abrupt halt when police arrived, warning underage attendees to disperse and seizing control of the sound system mid-track. But rather than retreating, The Chainsmokers doubled down. The duo negotiated directly with authorities to pay the fraternity’s fines, buying an additional 15 minutes of playtime. Social media footage shows Pall quipping “happily paying the fine” as the crowd chanted “Alex’s bank account!” before the bass dropped again.
For ASU students, the night became a masterclass in pop culture spontaneity: a world-famous act appeared unannounced, faced down authority figures, and personally bankrolled the encore. As clips of the police negotiation and revived performance circulate online, the duo reminds us why they remain relevant—blurring lines between festival headliners and approachable party crashers who still know how to work a college crowd.