Rails And NINETEEN80 Have Hung Up Their Boots, And They Don’t Deserve It
Gone too soon, and they didn’t have to be (Credit: A Phat Cat Collective)
Like the tale of Sisyphus, the modern-day struggles of NINETEEN80 and Rails have been an uphill battle. The dual establishments run by A Phat Cat Collective have been hardy beacons of positivity in the scene, battling against the buzzsaw of the pandemic despite the mountain of hardship. After 18 months of fighting, however, both venues have reached a dismal conclusion. Both spots are now officially hanging up their boots. Game over, NINETEEN80. Final stop, Rails.
This tragic news comes after an intensive fundraiser campaign called Staying Alive, where the collective hoped to raise $50,000 to keep their businesses afloat. However, since they were unable to reopen both venues due to ever-changing regulations, it just simply wasn’t enough to help them recover. “It is with heavy hearts that due to the ongoing challenges and constant disruptions of operating a pivoted nightspot in this COVID pandemic, this will be the end of the road for us here at NINETEEN80 and Rails,” the collective reveals in a status update.
Lots of efforts were made to expand and renovate the new NINETEEN80 (Credit: A Phat Cat Collective)
NINETEEN80, of course, changed the game when it first opened in mid-2018. It sharply rode on the retro wave, giving guests flashback extravaganzas with its arcade-inspired décor. Pinball Wizard, a pinball-themed establishment opened next in 2019 with a similarly ambitious drive. Yet, it couldn’t sustain the brunt of the pandemic, and went into dormancy soon after. The reveal of Rails in 2021 (following a postponement from 2020) was the next big dream for the collective. With its steampunk aesthetic, it showed a tricky but successful transition from nightclub to F&B venue, exuding a vibe that clicked even with the impossible no-music rule. These were all trailblazing concepts that could’ve accomplished even greater things. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Rails only opened as a F&B establishment earlier in 2021 (Credit: A Phat Cat Collective)
Never mind my position as a music journalist. As an advocate of the scene, I feel particularly miffed about all of this. It was common knowledge that these two venues were esteemed ambassadors of the industry, always letting their voice be heard in the circles of media and the government. They followed the rules diligently. They educated the uninitiated. They accommodated to the never-ending, volatile laundry list of regulations. And they even took the fall, alongside the rest of the nightlife industry, when you had those who decided to muck up the ecosystem. There are unquestionably many who looked up to the thick-skinned endurance of these Phat Cats. They represented a glimmering, albeit weathered, hope for the scene.
So to see them fall like this is just a slap in the face for any fan of the nightlife community. This is what we get when misunderstandings run rampant and support dries up. Culture is being killed, and the death toll is rising unforgivingly. What will we have left when the authorities finally decide to revive the city, if ever? The scene has kept its side of the bargain, and it’s been left waiting for far too long.
The scene deserves better. Not this.
Till next time, hopefully (Credit: A Phat Cat Collective)
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for the three golden years. Though it’s farewell to our ’80s home, know that we’ll always be together in electric dreams.” – NINETEEN80
“As not all who wander are lost, we hope that our journeys will one day merge once more, and hopefully, we’ll meet again on our next adventure.” – Rails
Reach out to A Phat Cat Collective to find out how you can show your support.
