A Massive Secret Rave Went Down Under The Kosciuszko Bridge This Weekend

by Stephanie Maida · August 3, 2020

If it weren't for the masks dotting the crowd, videos from this weekend's massive "secret" rave held under the Kosciuszko Bridge on the Greenpoint side would have looked like any other summer party in Brooklyn. But alas, there is a pandemic to consider.

On Saturday, just a week after a drive-in Chainsmokers concert in the Hamptons (which was later denounced by Governor Cuomo) earned internet ire, this unauthorized dance party hit Instagram story feeds across the city.

For their part, many revelers seemed to have kept their masks on while ignoring social distancing measures to rage alongside neon-pumping hot rods and to DJs including Pictureplane and Mazurbate (who was the only person we saw behind the outdoor turntable setup wearing a mask). Of course, in the midst of the party vibes, and in a group this big, plenty of others went maskless. In one Instagram story, DJ Mazurbate can be seen getting pelted with surgical masks thrown from the crowd.

According to sources, the original intent of the gathering spiraled out of hand. A post on the organizer's Instagram, shared before the event occurred, appears to frame it as a protest for Black Lives Matter, using the hashtags #fuck12 #fuckkaren and #blacktranslivesmatter. And while there was a banner to be seen in the videos, linking this to any meaningful action for BLM can only serve to undermine the movement.

Indeed, it's worth noting that Pictureplane had taken to Twitter ahead of the event to call it a "rave." The now-deleted tweet included a flyer with the location of the party, and detailed that it was "BYOB" and would be accepting donations for charity. The irony of the DJ's previous tweet is not lost on us.

When reached for comment, the organizer clarified that it was not meant to be a "protest" but a fundraiser for the Legal Aid Society, providing us with this photo, which also shows boxes of masks on a donation table:

Nevertheless, in a series of tweets, DJ and producer Mike Simonetti shared that he had been asked to play the party beforehand but saw it as disrespectful after experiencing his own loss from COVID.

OK so i was asked to play that party under the bridge last night, and i turned it down. My father died alone because of Covid. My mother was not allowed to see him until hours before he could die in hospice.
— _ (@MikeSimonetti) August 2, 2020

I saw it as a disrespect to both my mother and everyone else who is going through what she went through. Imagie being married for 50 years and not being able to see your husband on his death bed?
— _ (@MikeSimonetti) August 2, 2020