Nine-person hip-hop collective to host Hiahli’s Good Party music festival on January 6 at Fargo’s Aquarium – InForum

FARGO — Five bands from Fargo-Moorhead and Twin Cities will grace the aquarium stage on Friday night, January 6, for Hiahli’s Good Party, a mini-winter music festival produced and promoted by local music collective Hiahli .

Given that Hiahli had all the intentions of breaking into the local music scene in the spring of 2020, when everything was shut down due to COVID-19, this is ambitious but perfectly doable. It’s a post-pandemic project.

Now this live hip hop/rock ‘n’ roll music collective has taken back the stage and is ready to light up with Dead Larry, Ruth, Socktopus and the Smokin’ Joe band from Walking Phoenix.

The Friday Night Aquarium Show is Hiahli’s first self-produced and self-promoted big local show.

“We wanted to do our own show. We wanted to see if we had what it took to attract an audience,” Hiari bassist Jason Boynton said. “It’s an inside joke that there are 12 Hiahli fans in Fargo (probably not anymore). Convince yourself that there are more than a dozen of hers who appreciate our music.” I want to let you.”

You don’t have to try too hard for it. Their music has been well received by a wide range of local music fans for their on-stage familiarity, overwhelming musicality and outright fun.

Contribution / Hiahli

Hiahli, pronounced HIGH-uh-lie, is a live hip-hop band that plays rock and roll instruments. The members describe their style as a mashup of old golden age hip-hop beats, rock, disco, blues country and jam bands.

The group, stylistically, are certainly commanding the broad arena – rightly likened to the Roots for their onstage energy and instrumental use. However, comparisons include the social justice commentary Rage Against the Machine and the heavy guitar and rap pairing of Kid Rock.

These portraits are what Boynton said the band had taken a step back. “We take it. They’re all great,” he said. “Every band thinks their sound is absolutely fresh and unique. We just want to have fun and make good music and not take it too seriously.”

Hiahli played their first live gig in 2020 just before the pandemic hit.

“We got together, played one gig, and then it all shut down,” said Boynton. “Fortunately, Ryan (Tetzloff, vocalist aka Cold Sweat) was awarded a grant by The Arts Partnership to allow the studio to focus on his recordings and the production of the accompanying videos.”

Listen to Hiahli’s latest song “La Misma Cosa”,

Here.

In it, “Hiahli was made from elements that included public safety and the utter chaos of the healthcare system,” Boynton said, recalling Hiahli’s early days, the pandemic and George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. “I know it hit us all individually. We definitely talked about it, and it definitely made us take some action.” rice field.

That action included not only mutual cooperation, but also working with city leaders to foster positive conversations about race in their communities. The majority of Hiahli’s band members identify as black, brown, and indigenous.

Since pandemic restrictions have been lifted and live events have returned, they’ve gained momentum locally and regionally, opening for Brother Ali, Dessa and John Wayne & The Pain.

Indeed, Hiahli’s Good Party is the result of their perseverance and perseverance. Hiahli isn’t just thrilled to be on stage with another band, he’s eager to announce his own EP hiahLIVE on the same day.

The EP was recorded and captured by The Aquarium sound engineer Clyde Schhuman and mixed by Hiahli Collective member Steve Wallevand. The album will be available on Spotify.

Also joining hiahLIVE are The Space Monkey Mafia Horn Section, Tom Johnson from dobro (of the Johnson Family Band) and Kevin Gastonguay on keys and synths.

Meanwhile, tickets are available in advance online or at the door on the day of the show. “Even if it’s 12 people, we’ll definitely try to take the socks off everyone in attendance. We have a duty to entertain all our guests at the Hiari Show,” Boynton said.

Good Party is sponsored by Swing Barrel Brewing Company and She Said Butcher Shop.

For event tickets and hiahLIVE details, please visit the band’s Facebook event page. Check out his Hiahli music videos on YouTube.

• Ryan Tetzloff aka Cold Sweat, mic and vocals
• Jason Boynton, bass guitar
• Matt Johnson aka Matty J, electric guitar, synths, vocals
• Bhairav ​​Gupta, drums
• Anthony Price, aka DJ AP, turntables
• Steve Wallevand Audio, Engineer, Producer, Mixer at Steve Wallevand
• Wyatt Elle of Diggy Visuals to direct music video
• Brandin Harland, cover art
• Nels Huntstad from Lost in Fargo, merch, screenprints

what: Hiahli’s Good Party by Get Down Enterprises
Featuring the band’s music:

• Hiahli (Fargo – Hip Hop/Funk)
• Smokin’ Joe of Dead Larry (Twin Cities – Electric Jam)
• Ruth (Twin Cities – Soul RnB)
• Socktopus (Twin Cities – LoFi Pop Rap)
• Walking Phoenix (Fargo – Indie Alternative)

when: January 6 (Friday) 7:00 p.m. Open 6:00 p.m.
where: Aquarium, Downtown Fargo
age: 21+
cost: $15 advance, $20 on the day

This article is part of a content partnership with The Arts Partnership, a nonprofit that fosters the arts in Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo. For more information, visit theartspartnership.net.