Faerie Sounds
Musical melding at Pisgah this weekend
by Krista Harper
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| Beats Antique featuring Zoe Jakes |
Loyal fans of Faerieworlds are all aflutter about this year’s venue switch from the grounds of Secret House Winery to Mt. Pisgah and the event’s efforts to make the gathering more sustainable, but the festival’s main draws — mystical music, fanciful costumes and magical art — shouldn’t be forgotten. Dust off your wings, folks, because this year’s lineup of performers and artists is going to dazzle the crowds just as it has for the past seven years.
Faerieworlds co-producer and performer Emilio Miller-Lopez says the most exciting performance this year is likely to be the German band Faun on Saturday night. Though the festival’s headlining band is very popular on their home continent, Miller-Lopez says, this will be their first concert in the U.S. The Celtic folk band’s medieval style incorporates ancient instruments such as Celtic harps, Japanese taiko drums, lutes and bagpipes. “I’ve seen videos of them performing in front of audiences of 30,000 in Europe,” he says. “They’re pretty amazing.”
Another exciting musician performing Saturday is Louisa John-Krol, Miller-Lopez says. A native of Australia, the singer-songwriter will also be making her American debut. Her music, ambient, lyrical and vaguely Celtic in nature, “deeply embodies all that is faerie,” says the Faerieworlds website.
Another new band at the event this year is Beats Antique, a Middle Eastern inspired fusion of underground hip hop, downtempo, glitch and more musical styles, playing on Friday night. The band’s music is punctuated by the acclaimed bellydancing talents of band member Zoe Jakes.
Other notable new musical performers include cellist Adam Hurst and worldbeat band Delhi 2 Dublin.
Miller-Lopez suggests checking out the art of Jen Delyth, a Celtic knot artist whose designs are widely known, and that of Gris Grimly and Miss Mindy, both Tim Burton-esque cartoonists. Amy Brown, an internationally recognized fairy (or faerie, if you prefer) artist, will also be at the event.
And, of course, some things haven’t changed. Celebrated fantasy artists Brian and Wendy Froud (of Dark Crystal fame) are back to host the event’s fifth year in Oregon. Miller-Lopez’s band, Woodland, which has worked with the Frouds since Faerieworlds’ beginning, is also returning to perform on Friday and Sunday.
New this year is on-site camping, which will house about 1,500 people — attendees, performers and vendors alike. The new location, which is able to host thousands more people than Secret House could, will hopefully be Faerieworlds’ home for years to come, Miller-Lopez says.
“Mt. Pisgah is so beautiful,” he says. “The new venue is going to take Faerieworlds to the next level … it’s going to be a really fun show.”
Faerieworlds. 2 pm-midnight July 31. (Good Faeries Day), Noon-midnight Aug. 1 (Bad Faeries Day), Noon-8 pm Aug. 2 (Family Day). Mt. Pisgah • $18-$24. $60 weekend pass (camping extra) www.faerieworlds.com
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