The events you’re talking about still exist to a T. If anything, there’s too much interest in them, and now they’re hiding not just from cops but from “tourists”. Think finance bros who just want the exclusivity and a chance to bother women
In California at least, I think ravers hate clubs more than anyone. They’re expensive, inconvenient, and the impression is that they’re for superficial people with more money than sense. Raves are much cheaper ($100 to a see drunk rapper show up 45 min late, or $20 for 6 hours of techno on a better soundsytem), more convenient (more parking, reentry, no lines, chill security), and egalitarian (no VIPs, and acting like one is frowned upon).
The crowd that goes to clubs, well at least mainstream clubs you’d find on Google Maps, seems to have almost no overlap with the crowd that goes to raves. It’s common to try clubbing for a bit in college to see what the hype’s about, then “graduate” to raves.
I’m somewhat deep in the rave scene, and a lot of my friends are pretty hardcore about it.
It still exists, and people are more interested than ever (look at the growth of festivals and rave-adjacent events). There are regular illegal raves in every major city in California, >6 most weekends in San Francisco. But due to regulation and increased interest from the “wrong people”, they’re really hidden.
