How the Illegal Rave Scene Thrives During the Pandemic

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NEW YORK — On New Year’s Eve, Sam Adeelmirza, the event organizer known as Sam Black, still felt cagey about attending a dance party; he did not want a repeat of the rave he organized under the Kosciuszko Bridge in August. That party was supposed to have been a guerrilla fundraiser for Legal Aid, but it quickly got out of hand. Hundreds came, and after the second time the police showed up, the event was shut down. Footage of the rave spread to social media, and the beating he took in the press still stung. Yet Adeelmirza and his friends welcomed 2021 with no drama and about 150 people at a large warehouse in Brooklyn. There were COVID precautions, and he said he felt safe interacting with just his crew while wearing a mask. “It was very under the radar,” he said. “It didn’t get busted, and there were no pictures.” “Afterwards,” he added, “I didn’t go see my parents; I waited four to five days and got tested.” Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times It was one of probably hundreds of parties held that night in New York. In fact, from the worst of last spring, through the hopeful summer and then the return of high COVID-19 infection rates this winter, the city’s underground dance scene never stopped partying. “We’re communal creatures,” Adeelmirza said. “At what point is it right for us to give up that part of our humanity?” In New York City, nightclubs are still officially closed, and private gatherings have been limited to a maximum of 10 people since November. But finding a dance party is fairly simple once you know where to look. First, you need to know who to follow on social media, where organizers and DJs post mildly cryptic flyers for events a couple of days in advance. Reach out via direct message, and you’ll get more detailed information. Regulars are notified via email or text blast from an ever-changing set of phone numbers. Some parties are brazenly listed on Facebook, Instagram, Eventbrite and, until it was recently shut down, the part