This article is featured in the 2024 Green Key special issue.
Would you expect to hear Boney M’s “Rasputin” blasting in a frat basement? No? Neither would I. But that unexpectedness is exactly why I — and the rest of Dartmouth — adore Read Receipts.
Since the band’s conception in 2016, Read Receipts has been notorious for producing a “beyond the envelope” sound and experience — a series of creative twists on favorites from “Rasputin” to “Passionfruit” by Drake. The level of talent and musical expertise within the band is exceptional — dare I say, adjacent to that of a professional. The band is currently composed of members Anell Paulino ’25 as lead vocalist, Jackson Yassin ’26 on electric guitar, Kabir Mehra ’26 on electric guitar and vocals, Nathan McAllister ’25 on saxophone, Rishav Chakravarty ’25 on bass guitar, Witt Lindau ’27 on drums and Zara Kiger ’25 on keys.
Paulino has a long history with music — having begun her singing career in kindergarten. Although she said she has never received professional training, she learns from each performance as the lead singer of Read Receipts and president of The Dartmouth Sings, a coed a cappella group. In her free time, Paulino said she enjoys writing her own music and occasionally playing the ukulele.
Similar to Paulino, Lindau said he started playing the drums when he was six and the bass guitar when he was nine.
“I learned how to play in a band at School of Rock for years, and in middle school, I started gigging with my own bands,” Lindau said. “Throughout high school, I studied jazz drums and played in several more bands.”
Lindau said he went on to play gigs all over the country. He said he hopes to use his time in Read Receipts to further improve his craft.
“I’m working hard to get better and make connections to hopefully build a foundation for a career in music,” Lindau said.
Fortunately, Dartmouth’s support for band culture provides an abundance of performance opportunities at fraternity houses and other on-campus performance spaces. On April 27, Read Receipts won Battle of the Bands, a selective competition organized by Programming Board where six student bands selected by popular vote via a campus ballot perform 10-minute sets in Collis Common Ground, according to an email from PB. At the competition, the student audience members vote for a student band to open for the main stage performers at Green Key — this year, Shaggy and Young M.A.
“We sent a compilation of videos and hoped to be voted in [to Battle of the Bands],” Paulino said. “When we got voted in, we had rehearsals all week in preparation for the show itself. Honestly, it was a super quick turn around, but we had so much fun preparing for it.”
Dartmouth’s music scene is one of a kind, with weekly frat-basement-bashes headlined by student bands. Dartmouth also has enough musicians for several bands, Witt said.
“The music scene here is cool because there are so many competent and driven musicians that there can be 20 student bands,” Witt said. “With so many bands, it means there’s almost always live entertainment to be had somewhere on campus, and I think that’s one of the coolest and most unique things about Dartmouth.”
Despite the large number of bands on campus, Paulino said Read Receipts is set apart by its musicianship and ability to play with passion.
“Read Receipts is just a group of friends having a good time,” Paulino said. “We individually play the music with joy, and with that, as a group, we bring a certain kind of beauty and color to the music scene at Dartmouth. The fun we have with the music, as well as our chemistry, is what makes us electric.”
Paulino said one of her favorite memories with the band happened during its Battle of the Bands performance — when Yassin picked up a fan from the stage floor and started “fanning [her] in the middle of the show.”
“That moment made me and my other bandmates laugh so much,” Paulino said. “It’s memorable because that moment was such a testament to how much fun we have and how much love and support we have for one another. In the middle of the show, he took the time to add onto my stage bit and help me get less nervous. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
Read Receipts also has a unique style — the band’s motto is “loose and colorful,” according to McAllister. Kiger said the phrase not only describes the band’s “vibe,” but also the type of music they play. From indie to pop to rock to funk to original songs, Read Receipts offers a wide variety of music in their sets, Kiger said.
Julia Picker ’24, a fan of the band, said Read Receipts has a lively reputation on campus and a bright future ahead.
“It seems like they all really like each other and they have a really nice vibe as a band,” Picker said. “They play a really good variety of music that is very much directed by what the people in the group want to play.”
Kiger said the band’s setlist shifts from year to year as senior members graduate and opportunities open up for new members to join.
“The band has been passed down since 2016,” Kiger said. “It will definitely stay alive for the future. I hope to pass down the values of ceiptz [Read Receipts] being a family, and supporting each other inside and outside of music. And just having fun all the time.”
