Hi-Five Top Five At Turner Hall Ballroom Is A Massive Hit
The beloved Riverwest creative hub Hi-Five Studios sponsored their first-ever “Hi-Five Top Five” artist showcase at Turner Hall Friday evening, having selected artists that record at its space perform on their largest scale yet. The bill consisted of Dev Diamond, Mo’ City, Peez, Will Pfrang and the Good Land Gang, and Ammorelle.
Madison startup LUM (Live Undiscovered Music) also sponsored Friday’s showcase; their development is a free app that allows emerging artists to share and promote their music to music lovers and fellow artists alike, but without the financial disadvantages of conventional streaming services. Hi-Five Studio and LUM have business partnership.
Studio owner and event host Ryan Rosmann says the success of creative-run events such as this is a product of everyone showing up for one another.
“There was so much love and excitement,” Rosmann said. “The artists really brought it. From the moment we started loading in there was just that feeling it was going to be a great show.”
Hopefully this marks a new chapter for Milwaukee’s musical renaissance; routine showcases at higher-tier venues are imperative to solidifying Milwaukee’s placement on the creative map. If a local fixture is capable of filling Turner Hall to the extent that big-name touring acts do, it says much about the magnitude to come.
“We’re gonna keep doing these. But we’re also getting back into the studio to work even harder,” Rosmann added.
Hi-Five hip hop artist and resident producer Dev Diamond has been an instrumental figure in the studio’s direction. He explains how the diversity of the show’s bill reflects Hi-Five’s compatibility with a vast array of sounds, styles, and ideas.
“Bringing multiple genres of music together can be a challenge when creating a lineup for a show,” Diamond said. “We had to take care of a last minute lineup change, but other than that everything ran very smoothly. Working with my brother and business partner, Ryan Rosmann, we were under a time constraint to not only locate the venue and plan a show, but make sure Eric McCambridge and the film crew at Digitus Media captured every step of the way.”
Dev Diamond has had his hands full this year recording both his own EP “VII” and Mwgli’s new EP “Fool’s Gold,” in addition to spearheading Hi-Five’s marketing and event coordination.
“My project is conceptual, revolving around the motif of the number seven,” Diamond said. “Seven contains the number three of the heavens and soul with the number four of the earth and body. The opposite sides of dice always equal the number seven when added. Without going into too much detail, every track on this project captures a moment in my life.”
Alex Keys of Rose Gold Events brought the full Infinity Light System to bring the visual vibrancy.
“It’s beautiful to see how many people came together and built something no one could have done on their own,” Diamond remarked on the collaborative nature of Friday’s event. “It’s nights like these that remind me why I do what I do.”
What happens next? Dev Diamond says “I think that’s the question everyone has, eh?”
