At 7:45 p.m. on a recent Thursday in August, the Red Pavilion, an Asian neo-noir cabaret and nightclub in Bushwick, Brooklyn, was thriving. Eighty-plus guests sat at round tables, swarmed the bar and occupied the banquettes and back booth of the 2,000-square-foot triangular space. Large lanterns, strung from the ceiling, pulsated with light. The room, intentionally painted a Chinese red, glowed, producing a feverlike dream state.
The club’s owner and founder, Shien Lee, 40, took center stage, singing a version of “Sway,” a bolero-mambo made popular by Dean Martin, that had been translated into her native Mandarin. The four-piece band perched onstage with her added a floaty musical accompaniment. It was a scene out of a David Lynch film — exactly what Ms. Lee, a huge fan of the late director, hoped to accomplish when she created the immersive performance space in March 2023.
“I love sharing and creating unexpected moods and moments with strangers,” said Ms. Lee, who lives in Bushwick with her 12-year-old son. “When those people leave, they’re not strangers anymore. We’ve shared a beautiful dream. That’s my drug.”
Ms. Lee grew up in Hawaii and Taiwan before moving to New York in 2007 to attend Columbia University. While juggling classes, she hosted costume parties and became part of the underground club scene — a scene she never left.
Then came Covid-19. The anti-Asian racism, including several high-profile bias crimes, during the pandemic made her re-evaluate her life and her commitment to her community.
“I wanted to create a space that amplified Asian culture,” she said. “Where our stories and talents weren’t just included, they were onstage.”
In 2021, she began looking for a space near her home. Two years later she opened the Red Pavilion. Most shows run on Thursdays, Fridays or on weekends.
With Ms. Lee finding bands and curating the material, the venue showcases noir jazz, cabaret, burlesque, a J-pop cover band and even erotic art, like a recent reading featuring the actor Steve Buscemi.
“We’re rebelling against social norms and celebrating and expressing sensuality through our own bodies,” she said.
In an interview last month, Ms. Lee recounted how she took an empty, dilapidated glass and window warehouse and transformed it into the Red Pavilion. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
The Red Pavilion was created to bring awareness to the hate targeted at the Asian community during the pandemic. Why offer performances as a responseWhen anti-Asian hate spiked, I felt deep grief and frustration. I needed a place like this and knew others did, too. I wanted to foster human connection through live entertainment and a shared experience of art and awe. That breaks down boundaries.
How did you find this location?
It took four months and seeing 20 spaces. I started on Craigslist in early 2021 in keeping with my budget; $5,000 a month. When that proved unsuccessful, I upped my budget to $7,000 and switched to brokers, many who didn’t understand my concept or who never got back to me. I thought I found one place, but the previous tenant said the landlord was terrible. I let that property go. Then I met John Burnham from Valkyrie, a commercial real estate firm. He showed me this space in May. The landlord was unsure about giving the lease to someone who had never operated a venue, but John championed me. I signed the lease in August.
Why did this space speak to you?
The original certificate of occupancy from the 1930s said it was an auto body shop. When I saw it, it was a window and glass wholesaler. The space was a crumbling industrial box, with broken tile floors. Huge blocks of exposed walls were a depressing gray. Exposed piping, roofing and heat radiators were everywhere. But it had such promise. Floor-to-ceiling windows lined the space, perfectly framing the world outside like a cinematic shot. The ceilings were really high, which I needed for aerial acts and the layout had this beautiful, unusual triangular shape. In Chinese culture, the triangle symbolizes balance and strength. That felt significant. I got a million-dollar loan from a small business association and dove in.
Why Bushwick?
Bushwick has an exciting history of nightlife, entertainment and bohemian culture. That faded during the 1970s. Now there’s an artistic resurgence happening here. Many nightlife and theater colleagues are here, like Sultan Room, Company XIV, and House of Yes. I wanted to be amongst my peers who have the same dedication and commitment. This area offers a bigger space than you might get in other parts of Brooklyn or Manhattan.
Who helped make the massive transformation?
I hired an architect and engineer; contractor; interior designer; and a lighting and sound designer. Everything was custom designed and built, reimagined and renovated. My goal was “Twin Peaks” lodge meets a smoky, mysterious Shanghai speakeasy. Because of Covid, there was a shortage of supplies, so the landlord gave us six months free rent, but the whole process took a year to complete.
What about the décorWe built a raised stage at the tip of the triangle, and a D.J.’s stage. We created a large banquette in the back, and two round booths. We made a green room for the performers, and created a storage area, since we don’t have a downstairs or basement. We added sound and lighting systems; replaced the plumbing and electrical work, because we use lots of power for the instruments; rebuilt walls; and created two bathrooms, adding beautiful wallpaper and tiling.
We added a cold storage, a mini serving/preparation kitchen with two sinks, dishwashers and ice machine. We installed an HVAC system and reinforced the roof; built a rigging system in the ceiling for aerial performances; and created a gorgeous bar. We brought in Chinese art and furniture; red curtains that run floor to ceiling; neon lights; and painted everything Chinese red to cinematically enhance the mood.
What other nods to your culture are found through the experience?
There’s a neon sign that’s reminiscent of historic Chinatown, which you’d see in Hong Kong. The sign is a nod to the poem “Man Ting Fang,” which means courtyard full of fragrance and is about poets gathering and getting drunk. Our mixologist created drinks to showcase significant flavors or culture, like the Madam Snake, which references a Chinese legend. Our Baijiu Shots, spirits distilled from fermented sorghum, are a unique Chinese liquor that poets drank.
What do you feel when you leave the cocoon you’ve created and are back on the sidewalk?
There are secret places where art is being shared; this is one of those places. People told me in Chinese culture, art is a hobby, and I’ll never make money that way. I funded this myself. It’s my vision and my proof of concept. I want to leave something behind that comes purely from me while making a difference in the Asian community. When I leave the space, I feel a strong sense of mission and accomplishment. Art has a mysterious power to remind us we’re alive.
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