The door swings open to reveal a familiar flood of red and purple light, an expansive in-set bar lining the wall near the entryway. Traveling back to the dance floor, splashes of fog kiss the legs of attendees as they bob toward the decks, where a DJ mercilessly throws down a slew of high-octane tracks once more. This is Rash’s re-opening after all, and the resurgence has arrived. 

At the center of the reverie is Rash’s owner Jen Sillen, proudly sauntering through the space in a decadent subversion of the power suit – tasteful cut-outs lining the sides – the perfect ensemble for the victory the night represents. “And this is the conversation pit,” she tells V, gesturing toward a supersized seating fixture with prime views of the dance floor. More clubs may need this type of transition piece, a space to lounge, drink, steal a kiss, and run back toward the dancing. The pit marks the first (but certainly not the last) of the innovations the club has integrated into the reopening.

Traveling between rooms, brushing shoulders with Bushwick’s most eligible and in-the-know partiers, it’s easy to see the synergy the team has built from the original space to now: the revamped bar and spray of overhead lights are opulent in design, as well as the classically dark and moody throughline that has long represented the signature ambience of Rash. The opening lineups for the weekend read like a masterclass of New York’s nightlife community – umru, Goth Jafar, DJ Swisha, and the Frost Children were among the first to perform.

“Rash is where I really came into my own as a DJ—they’ve allowed me to experiment with both DJing and throwing my own events in such an open and risk-free space,” umru shared via email. 

Circling back to the conversation pit with proprietary cocktails in-hand (citrusy “Dark Master Cleanse” anyone?) we find Tasun, a certifiable club kid and a regular party host at Market Hotel and Trans Pecos: “I’m excited for the community to come back together here. Rash was such a staple, and I can’t wait to see what they have to offer in the future.” Young, queer, and with eyes on welcoming nightlife spaces, Tasun is representative of a much larger demographic that felt the loss of the club’s previous closure.

Where were you when the Rash fire occurred? After shutting down unexpectedly in April 2022, the decidedly queer, decidedly legendary club ended a six-month run when an intruder set the venue ablaze. Convicted of arson, but never of a hate crime, it’s hard to believe that such an act at the time wasn’t emblematic of something more sinister. 

“For around two weeks after the fire, we were afraid someone was targeting us,” Sillen said. As the team settled into an Airbnb in the Rockaways and stood by for information, Brooklyn lost a marquee space for nightlife experimentation, and the lore of Rash – loud, radically welcoming, and plain bass-thumping, sweat-dripping fun – seemed to be snuffed out.

“It’s one of those venues that connects the community, and when it was gone, we really felt that blow,” photographer and club kid Maxwell Vice said outside the club, where we grabbed some air between sets.

The first murmurs of Rash’s return arrived a few months ago via—where else—Instagram Stories. A quick DM to the account led me to Sillen, who explained over coffee in the East Village just where the trajectory of Rash would be heading in a few short weeks. Our second chat took place on the day of an auspicious eclipse – while onlookers were looking up into the sky, Sillen, inversely, was looking inward to reflect on the journey.

“In the few years since [the fire], I’ve gotten a lot of perspective, and I’ve been able to assess what we really need in nightlife in New York, as opposed to just another club or space,” she explained. With a resurgence of post-pandemic parties and clubs like sksksks_bk, Function, Silencio, STEAMROOM, Body Hack, and outlaw, and a return to party coverage by PAPER Magazine’s Tobias Hess, The Cut’s Brock Colyar, and Nicolaia Rips among others, the ecosystem is building into a place of flourishment that Rash is stepping into with grace, as well as a charged mandate to carry the torch forward.

As for what patrons should look out for next? “Try the new version of the ‘umbrew’ cold brew cocktail on the menu, which I helped design” umru suggests. Emblematic of the community-building central to Rash’s operation, the club is well-situated to provide a crowd-sourced incubator for talent, empowerment, and sanctuary for its queer supporters.

A Patreon also followed the reopening, promising discounts on tickets and drinks, a Discord channel, and a behind-the-booth view of the ascending Rashaissance.

Now we’re at the bar taking a much-needed breather, and bartender Luna Batres-Espinoza (or Luna La Sirena if you see her DJ around Brooklyn) is filling us in while pouring shots, shouting with a smile:  “Who wouldn’t want to work at f-ing Rash? I guess I’m one of the luckiest girls in Bushwick!”