Students and alumni gathered on Young Commons Oct. 9 for Elon University’s annual Rock the Block celebration, headlined by DJ Diesel, the stage name for NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal.
The event kicked off Elon’s Homecoming and Reunion Weekend. Rock the Block featured food trucks, yard games and a fireworks show alongside the Homecoming concert.
Before DJ Diesel took the stage, attendees filled Young Commons in anticipation of the performance. O’Neal began his hour-long set at 7:30 p.m. in front of a large crowd across the lawn.
Freshman Matthew Franceskin said seeing O’Neal perform was one of the things he was most looking forward to during Homecoming.
“I think it’s gonna be a good show. I have some friends in nearby areas at schools he’s been to. They like it and think it’s fun,” Franceskin said.
The Office of Alumni Engagement and Student Union Board collaborated to host this year’s Homecoming concert. The event was free and open to members of the Elon community, including students, alumni, faculty and staff.
Throughout the performance, the crowd remained energetic, dancing and reacting to O’Neal as he performed from the stage. Attendees packed the area in front of the stage, with many holding up their phones to record parts of the set.
O’Neal also brought audience members onto the stage several times throughout the show. Groups of attendees joined him during different points in the performance, adding to the interaction between O’Neal and the crowd.
O’Neal has performed as DJ Diesel at music festivals and venues across the country, in addition to his career in professional basketball. His performance served as the centerpiece of Friday night’s festivities. His set featured high-energy electronic dance music with heavy bass, combining remixes and recognizable songs that kept the crown dancing throughout the performance.
Rock the Block is an annual part of Elon’s Homecoming celebration and is designed to bring together current members of the university community with alumni returning to campus. Last year’s event was headlined by Plain White T’s and drew more than 2,000 alumni, students and friends, according to the university.
This year’s Homecoming and Reunion Weekend included reunions for graduating classes dating back to 1976 and beyond. The class of 2026 also returned to campus for Reunion Zero, its first homecoming as alumni.
Following O’Neal’s performance, fireworks lit up the sky above Young Commons as attendees remained gathered across the lawn.
Elon News Network was not permitted to take photos during the performance.