The Student Association Programing Board (SAPB) headlined Swae Lee at the 2023 Fall Concert, bringing back some of the most iconic tunes of the 2010s. The star is most famous for being one half of the platinum-certified duo, Rae Sremmurd, and collaborating with Post Malone on the track “Sunflower” from 2018’s “Spider Man: Into the Spiderverse.” Binghamton University students waited in anticipation for his performance on Thursday, Oct. 5 at the University’s Events Center.

Sydney Ferreira, president of SAPB and a senior majoring in anthropology, worked incredibly hard to put together this performance, and was very pleased with the outcome of the event.

“It is the most rewarding experience in the world to work so hard on something every day for months to see it finally manifest into what you envisioned,” Ferreira said. “Watching everyone in the audience smile, dance and enjoy themselves after months of being behind the scenes was cathartic.”

Concert attendees were certainly excited for the night, as students filed in as soon as the doors opened at 7 p.m. At 8 p.m., the concert began with opener Kallitechnis, a musician from Montreal, Quebec whose work ranges from R&B to electronic. As Kallitechnis took the stage, she was met with resounding cheers throughout the Events Center, and concertgoers began to dance as she performed her 2022 single “Lights Off.”

Kallitechnis performed for the better part of an hour. Tracks included “Wake Up, Get Down,” “say it like you mean it” and “DINNER WITH A GEMINI,” and the crowd was happily surprised when she finished off her set by performing a few of her unreleased songs.

By the time Swae Lee took the stage at 9 p.m., attendees were more than ready to go crazy. Introduced by his D.J., he opened his set with a momentous “When I say Swae, you say Lee,” getting attendees pumped up for him to perform some of his most famous songs.

As Rae Sremmurd’s 2015 hit song “No Type” started to play, floor attendees began safely moshing to the well-known beat, and as Swae Lee continued to bounce up and down onstage, his energy was felt throughout the crowd.

By the time “Come Get Her” came on, the floor section was dancing wildly, and every section was rapping along ecstatically.

Swae Lee performed until around 10 p.m., making sure to cover most of his iconic discography. Songs included “No Flex Zone,” “Swang,” “Unforgettable,” “This Could Be Us” and his viral track “Sunflower.”

Fans were humorously surprised when a costumed Spider-Man joined Swae Lee on stage for “Sunflower.” Spider-Man and Swae Lee laughed together as the former did fun dance moves on stage, and by the time the song ended, students had comically enjoyed the unexpected addition to the concert.

Swae Lee ended his set with Rae Sremmurd’s viral 2016 song “Black Beatles,” and invited members of the BU men’s basketball team to join him on stage in celebration of their hard work this season. The crowd froze — and unfroze — in memory of the global trend that “Black Beatles” kick-started in 2016, and fans could be heard chanting for an encore as he concluded his performance.

Ferreira strongly believes in the importance of events like the SAPB Fall Concert, especially since COVID-19 disrupted so much of student life just a few years ago.

“College is hard as is,” Ferreira said. “Having opportunities for students to put all of the hardship in their lives aside for an hour or two and come together as a student body, whether it be by means of a fall concert or any other event, is a really beautiful thing.”

Ashley Miesegaes, a senior majoring in psychology, thought Swae Lee’s performance was awesome, and appreciates how SAPB consistently tries to create fun spaces on campus for students.

“I like how he played his hits, and how he moved all around the stage,” Miesegaes said. “I was in the bleachers, and he even came into our section. I think events like this keep school fun and interesting.”

Danna Kutcher, concert chair of SAPB and a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, also agrees on the importance of continuing to host events like this, and thinks the concert was a great success.

“[BU] students are so hardworking and deserve to have events that bring the student body together over something we all love,” Kutcher said. “Swae Lee was a phenomenal performer, [and] he knows exactly how to hype up any crowd.”