It’s been a month since Bellingham’s newest club, -HUT-, first opened its doors, but the venue is just getting started. Founded by the owners of Rumors Cabaret, -HUT- aims to be a space where everyone, especially young people, can feel free to be themselves and enjoy the music.
This new project was set in motion when Rumors owners, Rian Greer and Drew Keith, were able to purchase the 5000-square-foot basement that sits underneath their street-level business. Due to its location, -HUT- is only accessible through a door midway down the block’s back alley.
“It's kind of fun, because it's that speakeasy vibe [that] you need to find us. But also, there is a two-foot by three-foot sign out front that says where it is,” Greer said.
The decision to make -HUT- a mainly 18+ space was in response to a demonstrated need in the community for more spaces for younger adults.
“I just freshly graduated from Western,” said Em Sherwood, an employee at Rumors and -HUT-. “One thing that I feel like every single person on campus complains about is the lack of 18+ spaces and the lack of 18+ things to do. So they were like, ‘We have this space, we have this need, let's bring this in.’”
What sets -HUT- apart from other 18+ spaces in town is its team’s commitment to keeping the club a protected zone for younger adults. To ensure this, guests over 24 are asked to bring a younger chaperone and pay a higher cover charge at the door.
This soft age cap was implemented in response to people much older than 18 attending 18+ events and making younger guests feel unsafe.
“The biggest complaint was, ‘Yeah, it was fun to go out and dance with my friends, but there were a bunch of creepy people just standing on the outside making us feel uncomfortable,’ and that's what we want to avoid,” Greer said.
-HUT- is not the only venue in town to offer a club atmosphere with an 18+ target demographic, but their focus on taking care of a diverse community of young adults sets them apart. The club serves mocktails and slushies instead of alcoholic beverages, and does not tolerate alcohol or drugs brought into the space.
“In terms of my experience in the history of downtown clubs and venues, I think it's a really positive approach that they're going for,” said Martijn Wall, owner of Bellingham music venue, the Blue Room. “There are some clubs that will just be like, ‘We're making money, and it's good business. So, who cares?’”
Though -HUT- is not an explicitly queer space like Rumors, it is queer-friendly and encourages self-expression. The club’s name dates back to the Hut Tavern, a previous iteration of Rumors, which, during the 1970s, was the first known queer establishment in Northwest Washington.
Daniel Holmes, also known by his DJ alias Yugwa’mala, is excited by a new opportunity to share queer music with a young audience.
“I wanted to have a space for younger queer people to come enjoy the music. When I was 18, I was going to The Underground, which used to exist, and it was really not great,” said Holmes. “I'm excited to see what this will be like in six months from now, even to a year.”
Apart from 18+ club nights every Friday, -HUT- is gearing up for a variety of drag shows, concerts, and themed DJ sets. The event space is also available to rent during the week for events like birthday parties and charity galas.
“It allows you that third space, away from your home and away from your school and your work to just exist as a person with other people in your demographic,” Sherwood said. “We're just offering a dance space for people to come out and party and connect with each other, which is something that the entire world is severely lacking at this point.”
Sophia Jellinghaus (she/he/they) is a reporter on The Front's city life beat. A third-year visual journalism major and Spanish minor, this is their first quarter with The Front. When not tracking down sources or coming up with pitches, they like to relax with a video essay and a tall glass of root beer. You can reach them at sophiajellinghaus.thefront@gmail.com.
