On Monday night The News-Letter joined Hopkins’ premier male a cappella group, The AllNighters, as “hell week” commenced in preparation for their upcoming Spring Concert.
Last May, The AllNighters celebrated two decades of entertaining since their 1993 formation. To commemorate the milestone, alumni from around the nation returned to campus to perform alongside current members in Bloomberg Hall. Despite disparate age groups and genre familiarity, recent and long-graduated AllNighters alike synchronized with staggering chemistry. Their impressive set, hysterical video compilation and lively atmosphere afforded attendees a concert for the books.
Clearly the charm, vivacity and musical forte that characterize group members survive after graduation. Indeed, the 2013 Spring Concert proved that “once an AllNighter, always an AllNighter.”
Still, there is far more to Hopkins’ vested heartthrobs than the dashing good looks and charisma for which they’re best known. At Monday night’s rehearsal, the group revealed the underlying pillars of their composition. Unbeknownst to fans, there is a sense of fraternity, commitment and unrelenting loyalty that makes The AllNighters not merely an assembly of singers, but a brotherhood of lifelong friends.
One after another the men trickled into Levering’s Arellano Theater for Monday night’s late practice. Leaving meetings, busing from the Peabody campus and pausing their studies, these group members undoubtedly prioritize a cappella. By eight o’clock the group was assembled and down to business with a lengthy warm-up.
Though the singers kept the mood light with brief dancing and joking during song transitions, their absolute focus resumed with the music. The perfectionistic tendencies of the group are unmistakable. If even only slightly off pitch or tempo, repetition ensues until the product garners unanimous satisfaction.
This pursuit of excellence echoed in President Dan Kahn’s sentiments regarding the 2014 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella. Explaining why The AllNighters chose not to compete this year, Kahn confidently asserted, “Either we’re all in or we don’t do it at all.”
The group’s successful track record supports this mindset. The AllNighters have appeared in five ICCA competitions, making it all the way to the Lincoln Center finals in New York City. Last year they earned third place in the Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinals and snagged Best Choreography for their rendition of Beyonce’s “Love on Top.”
Many of their performances gravitate away from sheer spotlight and toward philanthropic causes. In addition to participating in Relay for Life’s recent event, “Harmonies for Hope,” to raise money and awareness for various strains of cancer, The AllNighters have donated time to the JHU Tutorial Project.
In fact, The AllNighters are also partnering with The Red Cross for their upcoming Spring Concert. This year the group turns twenty-one, and the spectacle will be themed accordingly. Last year set the bar incredibly high, and the Hopkins community eagerly anticipates what these dapper performers have planned for April 18.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The News-Letter.