ASU's Programming and Activities Board and Black African Coalition will host the 2021 Devilpalooza event on March 26 at 7 p.m., with Grammy-nominated Chloe x Halle headlining the annual spring concert event.
The opening act is Rezz and the event will be free to all ASU students. Students can attend the event either virtually or in person, depending on capacity limits.
According to Haley Pope, a senior studying marketing and business data analytics and the director of Devilpalooza, the in-person component will comprise 25 socially distanced pods at the Sun Devil Fitness Complex field in Tempe. The pods can fit up to four people inside to follow social distancing guidelines and minimize potential COVID-19 transmission.
Students can reserve their tickets online to attend in person and the event will be livestreamed for those who don't attend in person. There are also additional activities at the event, such as a photo booth.
PAB worked with the BAC to find women of color to perform this year since many of the bands and musicians who played for the event in previous years were predominantly males, Pope said.
"My main thought process was to bring in artists that represent the African American and Black community on campus," Pope said. "I felt that we had not been represented prior in other artist choices, and so that was really important to me."
As a person of color, junior psychology major and PAB director of special events Alex Lewis, said that representation was important to him as well.
"Having an artist that represents students and our student population is really important to making sure that everyone is being included," Lewis said.
The two student organizations were able to book the musicians by contacting their agencies, which agreed to the performance, Pope said.
Daniel Kantor, a sophomore studying kinesiology and a member of PAB's live entertainment department, said regardless of the circumstances, the event is a good opportunity to meet other people, listen to music and, most importantly, have fun.
"You definitely can make the most out of it even if you don't have like the in person contact," Kantor said.
Pope said she hopes students enjoy the show regardless of the change in circumstances from previous years' Devilpalooza events.
"I know COVID has put a damper on a bunch of different events," Pope said. "I hope that everyone's still able to come together, even if it's virtually, and really enjoy watching all the different performers."
Reach the reporter at anatar12@asu.edu or follow @AnushaNat1 on Twitter.
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