Children’s Fairyland is a pretty magical, at times even mythical place. The place that may or may not have inspired Disneyland has certainly inspired the imaginations of many generations of children who have grown up in the Bay Area. Yet, aside from the annual open-bar fundraiser, there haven’t been many opportunities for adults without children to really experience the wonder of this place. Really, it would take a special type of person, an artist who understands what fairies mean to grown-ups, who can bridge the beauty of approaching the world with a childlike curiosity with an adult’s maturity. There are probably three local musicians who are capable of curating an event at Children’s Fairyland and doing it right. It would be either Les Claypool, Tom Waits, or SPELLLING. And, really, we all know SPELLLING is the only person who could really do it right.
I showed up right around 7 p.m., thinking that I was running late. However, considering the logistics of setting up a multi-stage festival at seven at an amusement park that closed at 5 that day, well, I was impressed that things were only running about 20 minutes behind. This was no easy undertaking, and the place looked great. Immediately upon entry, there was a woman doing tarot readings inside a mushroom. There were dozens of people of all ages, shapes, races, and genders dressed in a variety of fairy and woodland creature chic, all looking fabulous. I will also point out that the crowd was like 25% N95’d, which is unheard of for an outdoor festival, but considering the amount of virus circulating, also pretty sensible.
It also appeared that, aside from a few rides where adult sizes and weights would be problematic (as well as the farm animals were likely tucked away in bed), the entire park was open to everyone! I was about ready to walk around and start exploring when I heard a beautiful, soulful falsetto in the distance, punctuated by some hot trumpet.
Holy shit this band! They are a non-binary, psychedelic funk band from Oakland, and their sound hooked me and by some magical force, moved me to the tiny stage they were playing in the Alice In Wonderland-themed section of the park. The frontperson, who I believe goes by Aroma Antoinette, is a dynamo of a performer. They are the perfect synthesis of Sylvester, Sly Stone, Betty Davis, GG Allin, and P!nk- chaotic yet fully in charge, contorting themselves into inhuman shapes without losing their breath or giving a single false note. It was performance art. It was a funky dance party. It was magic. I was so entranced by this genius of a set that I totally missed that Sun Ra Arkestra was starting on the other side of the park!
Sun Ra Arkestra
This is a first-year festival, and for a first-year event, there were very few missteps. Concession lines stayed pretty short. Security was visible but not patronizing. The stages sounded great. However, the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra was, aside from headliner SPELLLING, the big draw of the weekend. In fact, EVERYONE in line was buzzing about seeing one of the most important acts in both jazz and rock history. Well, as I approached Aesop’s Playhouse, the only stage utilized that had any sort of capacity, I was effectively locked out. It was filled to the brim, and there were several other folks who were just as frustrated. I ended up walking to an area behind the grandstand where you couldn’t see the stage but still hear “Space Is The Place” getting played with a fiery urgency that felt less like I was being shot into space and more like I was being shot in the butt to move. I did end up handing my camera briefly to someone watching from the back row to get me a photo of legendary sax player Marshall Allen, who took the band leader reigns from Sun Ra when he passed away in the 90’s and is definitely filling the void nicely.
Sasami
I first encountered Sasami back when she was the keyboardist/guitarist for Cherry Glazerr. Much like the aforementioned AroMa, she played with her entire body and really made it hard to pay attention to the actual lead singer. Tonight she was on her own. Really on her own. Just a microphone, guitar, and a laptop. And what did she do? She played an entire set of brand-new songs. Sasami is known for challenging the listener and not really letting you get comfortable, moving from delicate singer-songwriter to psychedelic washes of synth to actual grindcore all on the same record. How did she surprise us tonight, and a festival full of the most open-minded music listeners in Oakland? SHE PLAYED A PURE DANCE POP SET AND IT WAS AMAZING!!!! The songs were hooky and fun! She played guitar, she danced on the floor, in the audience, on the speakers. She dragged people onto the stage. She killed it by doing what may have been the perfect dance-pop show.
SPELLLING
There’s really nothing like a SPELLLING concert in normal situations. But this was nothing like a SPELLLING concert, and that made it all the more impressive. She was backed by her usual band, The Mystery School, as well as the Del Sol Quartet, helping to bring to life the spookier side of SPELLLING’s music. The set was heavily focused on her latest record, SPELLLING & The Mystery School, which is a collection of songs from her first two records that have been rearranged for a full band. The show added a whole new energy and life to these songs, especially “Under The Sun,” which really needed the soulful, organic touch.
There was one moment where the PA system gave out entirely, during “Boys At School.” This should’ve been upsetting. Instead, the entire audience took over the vocals while the string section continued to play and filled the grove, and it was a stunning live moment that you really can’t replicate via TikTok. I had goosebumps ON my goosebumps! They also covered David Bowie’s “As The World Falls Down” from Labyrinth! Which, really, was the perfect song for the entire evening.
