Resistance Rave: Party for Gaza Relief on Saturday Night

Every weekend, Miami partygoers choose from an array of diverse options scattered across the Magic City. We all know the drill: We shell out too much for tickets (if we can't weasel onto the guestlist) and then spend more than we can afford on overpriced drinks.

Us, and the zillions who flock here, year in and year out. The glamorous veneer overlaying Miami nightlife promotes an atmosphere of hedonism and lowered inhibitions. It stokes a cultural narrative that embraces VIP entrances and bottle service. But it also stifles creativity and activism, which in turn prevents our club scene from forging the bonds that transform a scene into a community.

A prominent local collective has long understood the need for these connections. Within the confines of the underground they occupy and shape, they're carving out a space to promote political advocacy and awareness. It is part of a consciously sustained effort to center marginalized voices and important causes on the dance floor, and you can experience it for yourself on Saturday, June 7, at Resistance Rave (location TBA that day).

The event goes beyond the scope of a typical Miami party, in that it's a benefit to raise funds for the Sameer Project and DJs Against Apartheid, two organizations providing aid, support, and emergency relief to Palestinians impacted by the Gaza War and the humanitarian crisis continuing to unfold around it. It also intentionally coincides with Eid Al-Adha, a major Muslim holiday celebrated with prayer, familial and social gatherings, and the spirit of charity.

In a Zoom interview, New Times spoke with the rave's mastermind, Conrad Prophete, who DJs under the sobriquet gumthewrapper, alongside fellow DJ Ty Davis (AKA Duality) and Cat Tran of DJs Against Apartheid. They say the event has been in the works since March, after they saw the impact DJs and organizers were having in the Bay Area and New York City.

"As DJs, we are a reflection of our culture," Prophete says. "It's inevitable that artists would call out against these atrocities that are happening."

"I want to be able to support friends that I know have good values, have a great mission, that are aligned in the same way," adds Davis, who is staging the event via his visual label, Public Energy. "I wanted to use whatever resources I had and find the best ways to support [Prophete]. We feel so strongly about everything going on, and no one else is going to do it."

Tran pitched in to help the organizers navigate the world of politically engaged music organizing. "When DJs were trying to use their influence to host fundraisers for Palestine, or just create space or speak out, they were just facing censorship," she says. "We needed to band together to create solidarity with each other, to make sure nobody was alone when they were doing that."
Launched in early 2024 in New York, DJs Against Apartheid tables at events, selling T-shirts, poetry books, and merch for the collective's "Palestine Forever" residency on the Lot Radio. Proceeds go directly to Palestinian mutual aid. "We have two families in Gaza that we support directly, and we're in direct contact with," Tran adds." "In the back of our heads, we've been thinking: Once we nail this process, we would love to pass the baton and replicate this in another city."

Having incubated their creative resistance model for a year and a half, they're ready to roll.

Platforms and collectives dedicated to growing Miami's local music community — like Miami Community Radio, Masisi, In Rotation Archive, Funraver, and Pantheon World — signed on to provide support. The lineup boasts homegrown artists like Pressure Point, Nicholas G. Padilla, and Sel.6. All are known for reclaiming physical space for communities that aren't represented in Miami's dominant cultural narratives.

Their efforts remind us why the underground was necessary in the first place. "The reason why an underground even exists is because it's a space for marginalized people to find each other, create, experience joy, and express themselves in ways that are not 'acceptable' in mainstream spaces," Tran notes.

With global awareness amplified 24/7 on social media in a world increasingly desensitized to crisis after crisis, Saturday's event aims to cut through the noise and offer a collective, visceral response. It's supported by a coalition of Miamians who are reviving a sense of purpose within the South Florida nightlife scene.

Resistance Rave. With Nicholas G. Padilla, Pressure Point, Duality, Toni Shardai, 619!, Near Dark, Sel.6, Vibraciones, Xilla, gumthewrapper, and Mr. Bitch. 8 pm. Saturday, June 7, in Miami (address revealed on day of event). Admission is $17 via shotgun.live.