Aly & AJ headline ACE’s 2019 Big Show
Aly and Aj perform for UNCW students in Kenan Auditorium on Oct. 24. Photo by Brenna Flanagan.
November 3, 2019
It is hard to believe the sister duo Aly & Aj took the stage in Kenan Auditorium just over a week ago, treating UNC Wilmington with childhood nostalgia and modern synth-pop songs. After months of anticipation, UNCW and the Association of Campus Entertainment (ACE) hosted the band on Oct. 24, 2019.
The night started with the Wilmington-based rock band Striking Copper, and similar to Aly & Aj, the band is led by powerhouse redhead twin sisters, Jacquie and Allie Lee. Striking Copper performed a host of songs with a sound somewhere between blues, country and folk, but nonetheless gave a captivating and gritty performance.
Aly & Aj came on stage radiating cool, leaving their teenage pop star personas behind and instead, donning chic blazer outfits and sharp harmonies. Despite previewing their new sound through a 2018 album and 2019 EP, the duo did not hide from the Disney-esque songs that made them teenage stars. They performed “Like Whoa” and their most popular hit “Potential Breakup Song,” the crowd chanting along to the decades-old lyrics. The sisters also performed songs from their most recent EP “Sanctuary,” and even a cover of Grammy-winning country star Kacey Musgraves’ “Slow Burn.” People that just came to be reminded of past hits left with a glimpse of modern pop music from two women who proved their best is not behind but ahead of them.
