Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Support independent student journalism. Support independent student journalism. Support independent student journalism.
The Dartmouth
May 6, 2024 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Student Spotlight: Ladies' Night

For the members of Ladies' Night, it's the practices, not the performances, that they enjoy the most.
For the members of Ladies' Night, it's the practices, not the performances, that they enjoy the most.

Its origins are a little hazy.

"We don't really remember how it got started, honestly," Kuperschmid said.

It is this laid-back feel that is one of Ladies' Night's signature attributes. Instead of searching for gifted musicians to form the band, Waugh, Kuperschmid, Anderson and Crane found the talent among their friends.

The group adds its own twist to popular songs, slowing down the beat, giving them slightly different melodies and using some unusual instruments.

Along with Anderson's vocals and Kuperschmid's guitar, Waugh and Crane play the djembe and the banjolele. Waugh learned to play the djembe, a large West African drum, on a trip to Ghana, and Crane picked up the banjolele, a combination of a banjo and a ukulele, a few years ago. The eclectic mix of instruments helps give Ladies' Night a playful, upbeat sound.

"We're a motley crew," Anderson said, adding that the band dresses in funky attire for every show. "We've done standard flair, we've done all black with glasses. I think that's just again our fun nature."

While their choices range from the eclectic to serious, picking outfits is not always easy. The girls try to come up with a different theme for every performance, which involves tearing through boxes of flair to find the perfect costumes.

"The room was a disaster last night," Kuperschimd said.

The stress of choosing the perfect clothes, however, is a small price to pay for playing well on stage.

"It's cool to see all of our different friends sitting out there watching us," Kuperschmid said.

Ladies' Night started performing at open mic nights hosted by Kwame Ohene-Adu '14, and was featured at Collis After Dark last Friday. The group hopes to continue playing at larger events, including Greek houses.

"You know you've hit it big if you can perform at a frat on a Monday or Wednesday night," Anderson said.

Ladies' Night also considering playing off-campus at many of the open mic nights at local bars and restaurants in the Upper Valley.

For now, the band is focused on expanding its repertoire. Staple songs such as "Whatever You Like" by T.I. are all currently reprises of rap songs, but Ladies' Night is looking to perform other genres. At the most recent performance, the group added a song by Bob Dylan to the set list.

For the members of Ladies' Night, it's the practices, not the performances, that they enjoy the most.

"When we're practicing, and all the sudden something just comes together, it feels rewarding and good, doing something constructive and creating it with your friends," Anderson said.

Despite the girls' commitment to Ladies' Night, being in a band is not a chore for them.

"It's one of those things that doesn't feel like another activity really, it's just fun," Waugh said. "It's something that we all like dedicating time to."