Bryce Hutchins / Daily Nexus
Storke Plaza was packed with students on the night of Sept. 27, with rapper and DJ Zack Fox joining forces with opening act Aliyah’s Interlude and UC Santa Barbara’s Associated Students Program Board to officially kick off the 2024-25 school year.
Welcome Back concert, Associated Students (A.S.) Program Board’s Special Events Coordinator and fourth-year communication major Grace Freese shared that AS Program Program Board was drawn to the duo due to them reaching a wide variety of audiences.
“It’s really important that we get someone that all students are going to want to come out and see, we want it to be an accessible show, we want it to reach a variety of audiences and I think that as a duo Zack Fox and Aiyah’s Interlude do that pretty perfectly, “ Freese shared. “It was a pretty perfect combination.”
A.S. Program Board’s annual Welcome Back concert officially opened its gates at 7 p.m., but attendees began lining up outside Storke Plaza long before then, with many eagerly anticipating the arrival of social media star and opening act Aliyah Bah, known better by her stage-name Aliyah’s Interlude. Many in the crowd shared that she was the act that had drawn them to Storke Tower.
“Aliyah is so fun because she’s a pop girlie, she’s a fashion icon, she’s a Tik-Toker, and just like Zack, she feeds into a lot of different niche groups,” Freese said when speaking on Bah’s relatability and talent range.
Bah experienced a break-out year in 2023 with the single “IT GIRL” dominating social media, with both herself and the song going viral on TikTok. Alongside an appearance in Doja Cat’s 2023 “Agora Hills” music video and the release of newest track “Moodboard,” Aliyah’s Interlude has proven that she is a performer to watch. Easily recognized through her sense of style, (dubbed #aliyahcore), Bah took fashionably to the stage at 8 p.m., accompanied by two matching dancers.
“Let’s get this shit, you ready?” she asked before diving into just the beginning of hit “IT GIRL,” an appetizer to work up the crowd before launching into other tracks.
“There’s a lot of ‘IT GIRLS’ in the crowd, but I see a lot of fashion icons too,” Bah shared before diving into the next track, “Fashion Icon,” which was also greeted enthusiastically.
“Y’all’s energy is everything!” Bah exclaimed after seeing a frenzied student crowd.
Bryce Hutchins / Daily Nexus
Her energy was most felt during a performance of track “Moodboard,” with Bah getting as close as possible to the front of the stage and throng of excited students. Like Aliyah’s Interlude, her dancers never ceased with their seemingly endless energy, as reflected in lyrics like, “Today ‘til forever, I’m that b” and “Cameras out, strike a pose and flash.”
Finishing off with the full version of her hit “IT GIRL,” Aliyah’s Interlude again encouraged the crowd to sing along. “This last song … if you don’t know it, you live under a rock.” Bah’s momentum was perfect for starting out a school year where many hope confidence and self-care will reign. “When you a bad bitch / You’ll never give a fuck about a mad bitch / Stay true to yourself, you a savage,” she boldly declared during the final performance of “IT GIRL” that threw the crowd into a frenzy.
Aliyah’s Interlude would later re-emeerge during Zack Fox’s DJ set, taking photos with fans, having conversations and dancing with attendees. She later shouted out UCSB in a post on X, saying that the experience made her miss college.
After a short interlude to set up Fox’s DJ equipment, the rapper, actor and comedian took to the stage. Fox has previously visited UCSB, having hosted a comedy night with A.S. Program Board in 2020, shortly after the 2019 release of his breakout song “Jesus Is the One (I Got Depression). To the disappointment of many, “Jesus Is the One (I Got Depression)” was not played at A.S. Program Board’s Welcome Back concert — Fox instead spent the hour DJing a variety of tracks.
“In particular Zack Fox has such a wide variety of niches that he taps into- he does comedy, he was on Abbott Elementary, he used to rap, he’s doing his DJ career now. I feel like he has a very large and diverse fan base,” Freese further detailed. “It’s just nice to bring in talent, no matter what shape it takes form in.”
Bryce Hutchins / Daily Nexus
“Make some noise if you love music … and make some noise if you love to dance,” Fox asked to begin his set. Upon hearing a roar of approval, he began to play, accompanied by powerful amps, bass, a fog machine and impressive strobe and lighting effects.
Fox mixed a range of different songs, including Beyoncé’s “Love On Top,” Rick Ross’ “B.M.F” and Waka Flocka Flame’s “Grove St. Party.” Although he only addressed the crowd at the beginning and end of his set, Fox appeared to enjoy the energy and scenery of Storke Plaza, performing with a grin on his face throughout his hour-long set.
Toward the end of Fox’s set a fog had settled around Storke Plaza and a drizzle had begun, but that hardly dampened the mood of much of the crowd, with many engaging in dance battles and still crowding the barricades.
Like many freshmen, Jasmine Arroyo, a first-year global studies major, didn’t know what to expect from the A.S. Program Board’s first concert of the year. Despite being unfamiliar with UCSB and its concert culture, she and many other newcomers were still able to have a good time.
“I didn’t really know what to expect, but I saw the lights and I saw the music and I was drawn to it … the vibes were good and I’m really looking forward to the next concert.”
Freese also agreed that the event was a success, sharing that the event was “heartwarming.”
“We had so many different types of students that attended… and hopefully we set a precedent for a really exciting year.”
With two energetic sets, impressive special effects and consistent crowd engagement, Zack Fox and Aliyah’s Interlude successfully kicked off the 2024-25 school year, leaving many Gauchos eagerly anticipating what comes next.
This appeared in the October 3 printed edition of the Daily Nexus
