Some small venues have been closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with the return of live music and touring, many of these stages have failed to survive the pandemic, and a group of Dallasites hope to foster a happier, more conscious music scene. Earlier this month, a small lounge called Ladylove opened in Dallas’ iconic Bishop Arts neighborhood. As the name suggests, Ladylove is a space run primarily by women.
The Ladylove concept was created by Kate Siamro, a music connoisseur whose take on vinyl records has gone viral on TikTok multiple times, along with David Grover. Heather Poile runs the bar, where she mixes music-inspired cocktails, and Jimmy Contreras of Dallas’ vinyl-focused Taco Y Vino lounge handles the food. All four parties have equal ownership of Ladylove.
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“We’ve always wanted to have a space in Dallas where we could create our own cultural and musical energy,” Ciamro said. “We feel like a lot of venues lose their theatricality, so there are these huge curtains on the stage that close before the band plays.”
Although Spinster and Ladylove aren’t directly related, both business names allude to often derogatory connotations of women. Ciamro noted that she and Grover didn’t necessarily have a plan, but they expressed gratitude for the way things turned out.
“I think it’s interesting that ‘spinster’ means, a woman in her twenties who has never married—’Oh, God forbid, she has no children.'” It’s this negative term that we’re flipping, it’s femininity. Ladylove is sometimes a term used to describe mistresses, and I was like, ‘Oh, let’s take that back too. Let’s take all these negative terms about women and inject femininity into the scene. “
[Photo by Shelby Eligoyo]
This space definitely taps into divine feminine energy. There is a large DJ booth in the venue, and the vinyl record rack is opposite. Janet Jackson, Madonna and many more pop icons played all night long on Ladylove’s grand opening night. Performers using live instruments ascend to a stage surrounded by velvet red curtains.
At the back of the lounge there is a comfortable table surrounded by plush chairs, and the adjacent wall is covered with paintings, prints and Polaroids.
Siamro said that “approximately 80%” of the people who apply for Ladylove jobs are women, while the few men who work there “appreciate the energy of the goddess”. Even the drinks on the menu are feminine, including a proven crowd favorite: Sad Girl R&B.
Sad Girl R&B consists of Libelula Tequila, Pallini Limoncello, Regans Orange Bitters and Grapefruit Soda, and is decorated with a heart-shaped boba Poile found down the “Google Rabbit Hole”.
“That’s when I knew that if I focused on the lesser-known flavors rather than the really mainstream ones, I’d find something cool and weird and interesting and sexy in terms of impact,” says Boyle.
Another big hit, according to the Ladylove team, is the Southern-inspired In Tongues, made with Teeling Irish Whiskey, black tea, Morningside peaches, lemon and mint. With a well-crafted menu, instead of trying to make Ladylove the usual place for guests to enjoy, Poile has perfected a Spotify-style cocktail algorithm, as guests’ tastes for wine are as fluid as their tastes for music.
“In my head, ‘What’s the most authentic thing I can do for my guests?'” says Poile. “Business owners and companies are always trying to predict what guests want, but they never involve guests in the process of understanding what they might mean.”
Ladylove seats 130 people and strives to maintain an intimate atmosphere throughout the space. The team worked with Pioneer to “fine-tune the room” and ensure sound quality. In its first month of operation, Ladylove has arranged several shows, including a DJ from Ursa Minor and Aniya Henre, who will play afrofusion music and R&B tunes.
[Photo by Shelby Eligoyo]
Kirk Thurmond will be performing with live instruments for the first time at the venue. Ladylove regulars can expect a bill filled with performers of all genders, “as long as you’re not an asshole,” Siamro says. While there are plenty of women holding on to the Ladylove bastion, Siamro admits that she and the crew sometimes still run into the same issues that many women in the industry face.
“As a booker, I don’t push myself too much,” Siamro said. “People will just know I’m connected to Ladylove, and they’ll ask me ‘Who’s your booker?’ When I say it’s me, the DJs will be like, ‘Well, you know your gear?’ “It’s really rude. But a lot of women who work in music become very sensitive about it because it happens so often and you find your own way to defuse it and make it more important in this situation. But no one should be wasting time educating anyone about manners.”
While Ladylove has proven popular with female music fans, the staff hopes their new venue will become part of a larger lore. In addition to providing a comfortable space for women, Ladylove strives to be inclusive of all music fans. Ladylove has no strict dress code and fans of all ages are allowed in the venue until 7pm
Boyle, always romantic, also hopes audio lovers can connect through vinyl listening nights and discover local artists in the revived music scene. She specifically wants it to be a place where people put down their phones and soak up the sound.
“I think on the day I die, the moments that resonate with me will be the moments that I have with people,” Boyle said. “I sit next to someone, I talk to someone, I drink with someone, I eat with someone, I party with someone, I listen to music with someone.”
