IN PHOTOS
Conquest! 2024
A storm of cardinal and gold spirit took over McCarthy Quad Thursday night as the annual Conquest! pep rally and concert transformed the grassy hangout into a full-fledged concert venue. The evening began with a pep rally in full Trojan pride as the Trojan Dance Force, USC Spirit Leaders and, of course, the Trojan Marching Band pulled out all the stops.
Following introductions from the various sports teams, including Trojan redshirt sophomore quarterback Jayden Maiava, and student performances from dance groups Spade A Dance and Break On 2, it was time for the concert part of the night.
The music kicked off with alumni performance openers from Jensen McRae and Sam Short, whose mix of original songs and covers ignited a Los-Angeles-Memorial-Coliseum-level flame of excitement. Then Matt Bennett, better known to many as Robbie Shapiro — Hollywood Arts High School’s resident ventriloquist in “Victorious” — took to the stage for his “Party 101” DJ set. Bennett played a 45-minute set of classic early 2000s songs, mostly from childhood TV shows.
The night came to an end with the headliner of 2024 Conquest!, Channel Tres, known for working alongside artists such as Kaytranada, Teezo Touchdown, Ty Dolla $ign and more. It was a night of excitement and dancing before the set came to an explosive ending with the release of confetti cannons.
