While the 60-degree temperatures made it feel like the middle of fall rather than summer, the atmosphere at the new U.S. Cellular Connection Stage Friday night with Diplo made those who attended feel like Summerfest is in full swing.
Summerfest officially opened the brand new venue with the Grammy-nominated DJ with a free stage-warming event. And while Summerfest officially does not start until June 27, for the average-to-large sized crowd that attended the free event on Friday night, it felt as though the party from last year’s 50th anniversary never ended.
With its back facing Lake Michigan, and the Downtown skyline just north of it, the new U.S. Cellular Connection Stage has the crowd taking in some of the best sights Milwaukee has to offer. The sleek metallic design, lights stringing across the audience and two giant screens on stage all give the feel of being very modern and fun.
The stage is also meant to be interactive for the fans, which was demonstrated just before Diplo's set began as a light show took place, controlled by audience members who could use their Summerfest app and point their phones' flashlights to control lights on stage.
After the excitement of the light show, the atmosphere continued to heat up (figuratively speaking as it was still brisk by the lake) with Diplo performing a dance-filled show featuring nearly all of today’s top hits.
Most known right now for his popular song "Welcome to the Party" off the "Deadpool 2" soundtrack, Diplo wasted no time cranking up the volume, starting a light show of his own and having everyone on their feet dancing. The interactivity with the audience was fairly low to begin with, but it was clear people came to dance and listen to the music – and Diplo was definitely giving them what they wanted.
Other than the typical DJ lines telling the crowd to "make some noise," it was hard to tell if Diplo had an appreciation for Summerfest or if he was just treating it as a simple performance for an audience that got in free. However, about halfway through the show, that feeling completely changed as Diplo began telling the audience that they are the most energetic he has seen in a while.
He then got even more personal as he began to continuously express his love for Milwaukee, which happens to most newcomers eventually. Diplo also continuously talked about how much fun he was having as he rolled through hits from artists such Cardi B, Migos, Drake and many more chart-toppers.
The music truly never did stop for the entirety of his hour and a half set, somewhat surprising as, most of the time at DJ shows, there is usually a point where the music will stop and the artist will talk with the crowd. However, it seemed as though Diplo was immersed in the Summerfest fun and could not stop the party.
As temperatures continued to drop as the show went on, audience members countered by dancing even more. The stage-warming was truly a non-stop party as people never stopped moving and their smiles never faded. It was as though the audience had been waiting so long to get into the Summerfest spirit of dancing and good music – and Diplo certainly delivered.
Admittedly the crowd began to fade before the show actual ended. However, those who remained just kept on partying.
As Diplo brought the show to an end around 10:30 p.m., he did not walk off the stage before saying he loves Milwaukee numerous times. There was even a point where he took off the hat he was wearing and showed the crowd that it was a Brewers’ hat that he supposedly bought at a gas station on the way to the show.
He then began to admire the moonlight and the skyline and said he did not want to leave as he was having too much fun. The feeling was definitely mutual with the audience. After about 20 minutes of saying how much he loves Milwaukee and playing some random music clips to pass the time, Diplo said goodnight and walked off stage.
As attendees made their way to the gates, there was not a single person who was not smiling. The U.S. Cellular Connection Stage warming event's mission: accomplished.
So while the weather is not in full compliance just yet, with Diplo's festival-opening set, Milwaukee is officially in summer mode.
