Why Renaissance?

by Emilio Miller-Lopez

I am starting this post with the Webster Dictionary definition of Renaissance, because to me it is an important element in the concept of RenCon 2010, our new east coast event which launches this April in Maryland:

RENAISSANCE (from Websters)

1. the transitional movement in Europe between medieval and modern times beginning in the 14th century in Italy, lasting into the 17th century, and marked by a humanistic revival of classical influence expressed in a flowering of the arts and literature and by the beginnings of modernscience 2. a movement or period of vigorous artistic and intellectual activity

On April 9th-11th in Hunt Valley Maryland, Faerieworlds and Renaissance Magazine will launch RenCon, a gathering of music, art, lore, crafts and culture. The event will be a celebration of the current artistic, mythic and cultural "rebirth," and an intentional gathering of creativity, with influences from Medieval and Renaissance culture and art. RenCon will feature John and Caitlin Matthews, two of the world's foremost scholars of Celtic, Arthurian and Medieval lore, Brian and Wendy Froud, two of the most influential mythic and faerie artists of our time, and the German medieval influenced bands Qntal and Estampie. Our intention with RenCon is not to be a re-enactment of a time past, but to celebrate the visionary cultural and artistic movement it has inspired in the present, and to be part of a "rebirth" of the very meaning of Renaissance in this modern age.

FaerieCon Dreams Come True

Four years ago I awoke one morning from a rather strange dream. In the dream Faerieworlds had just ended and we were all packing up... and there was a great feeling of sadness and emptiness. I saw Brian Froud in the dream and asked him why it felt like this and he said with a chuckle, "Because you haven't done FaerieCon yet!"

The next day I called Robert and told him about the dream, and we contemplated the idea for a few minutes and decided we were too busy to take on an entire Faerie convention. But over a few short months the idea gestated in our minds and before long we took the leap of faith and launched FaerieCon in Philadelphia in 2007. Over two years we worked hard and made the best of the Convention Center in downtown Philly, but the concrete cube just never felt like the right place for the tribes of the Fae to gather for our annual convention.

Now in our third year, our dream of FaerieCon has come to life in a whole new way. Not only have all the rooms at the event hotel sold out a month in advance, but FaerieCon's new home is an ornate, lush and comfortable setting that feels like the perfect gathering place for annual east coast Faerie gathering. With a glorious group of international artists, authors, crafters, musicians, and thousands of guests adorned in full faerie regalia, 2009 is the Faeriecon we've all been dreaming of...see you there in November!

-Emilio

Come As You (Magically) Are

One of the most exciting things about our Faerieworlds events is to see the incredible imagination and creativity our guests bring to their costumes: so much style, beauty, sensuality, humor and downright craziness I like to say our guests don’t attend our events – they inhabit them. Each has a story, a reason for being, that is personal, an expression of their unique identity. They bring their extraordinary characters, personas and avatars into ours and we create one enchanted world together. At Faerieworlds, we love the fusion of the traditional with the visionary, the past mashed up with the future. Our bands at Winter Celebration are great examples of this: Woodland marries traditional Celtic themes with modern mythic music,Delhi 2 Dublin (amazingly) combines Celtic and Indian music, Beats Antique fuses a multiple of musical styles with circus performance and Zoe Jakes mesmerizing tribal belly dancing. And making their premiere performance at a Faerieworlds event, Abney Park brings the world of fantasy steampunk wildly, vibrantly alive in both sight and sound. All these amazing worlds and characters will meet, celebrate and dance the night away at the Good Faeries & Bad Faeries Masquerade Balls at Winter Celebration: I promise you this will be a whole new level of Faerieworlds, and personally - I just can’t wait!

– Robert

The Realm is Gathering

by Emilio Miller-Lopez

We stand tonight at the gates of new experience, as thousands begin to gather in our emerald wood to celebrate in the spirit of the land. Here in this forest where the old trees stand, we invite in those who remember, and those who have forgotten; to reconnect with a hidden memory older than our minds. In the moment of summer's ripening, the wind dances beneath the shadow of the mountain, and the valley is alive. Calling. Calling. Calling in the celebration of the harvest of first fruits. Past the gateway a cool wind is coming...autumn stands beyond the wooden door. Now the horn is sounding through the mythic wood...will you come to the first harvest dance?

In the Shadow of Mt. Pisgah

We walked in twilight through a corridor of arching oaks hung with lichen and tall, majestic Douglas firs. All around us the forest and the skies are alive: the crows heading off to roost, the screeching owl emerging for her evening hunt, even the occasional fluttering bat. The moon rises as the stars are taking their places across the heavens. We turned the corner and looked out over the vast moonlit field: here is the new home of Faerieworlds.

In four weeks, this splendid park, surrounded by trees and forests, bordered by a river, shadowed by the tallest mountain in the region, will transform into the Realm and fill with music, amazing vendors, enchanting performers and thousands of faerie lovers from across our nation and the world, all arrayed in their beautiful faerie finery. Everything about the space feels right, good and welcoming: It is alive with life and magic is afoot. We close our eyes and hear the summoning songs of Faun and Woodland, we see wonderful arts and crafts, we see families laughing, dancing, gathered together in campsites, we see community joined together in joy and celebration. We open our eyes and the waxing gibbous goddess has risen; all is blue and silver. Do we hear Adam Hurst's plaintive cello floating on the night breeze? The verdant spirit of Place, of Faerie, is palpable here, everywhere, waiting and welcoming; you can feel it. Reluctantly we head back home and begin to count the days.

- Robert

It's Almost That Time Again

As much as Faerieworlds is a spiritual experience for everyone involved, I have to admit that most people I talk to also agree that it's a fantastic place to buy special things. There are items available at this show that I really can't find anywhere else, and I'm just about as discerning as it gets when it comes to high-quality handmade art, clothing, jewelry, even food. I spend a disturbing amount of time scouring the internet for the best of the best, and yet I still find vendors at Faerieworlds that happily surprise me. Some of my favorite items of personal adornment have come from Faerieworlds, and there's something sacred about bringing home a treasured item from such a special event. There's a memory attached to it, and every time I touch it, or wear it, or glance at it I remember that I found it at Faerieworlds...and I bought it from someone who loves what they do.
- Stephanie

Eight Years in a Minute

by Emilio Miller-Lopez

After eight years of producing Faerieworlds events, we finally had a brief chance this week to sit down and review some of the live event videos we've captured over the years. At the Faerieworlds office here in Eugene, we have an archive of hundreds of DV tapes filled with live footage from Sedona, Santa Fe, Los Angeles, Hornings Hideout, Secret House and more. What we found out very quickly when we began cutting this trailer was that the hardest part wasn't going to be finding enough good footage to include in a one minute web video; the real difficulty was actually how to choose only a minutes worth of video from so many beautiful hours of captivating and moving moments. Many thanks to all the musicians, artists, performers and participants whose inspiring contributions have made Faerieworlds the unique and special gathering it has become. We hope you enjoy this glimpse of the magic!

Revelation

There some artists whose work literally stops you dead in your tracks. You catch your breath, transfixed, afraid that if you breathe it might fade and dissolve. Encountering art at this level triggers an immediate, intimate familiarity, yet it is unlike anything you know, only what you have hoped would be. The experience is transporting, ecstatic, poignant and achingly beautiful all at once, in a moment of meeting that you will never forget. This was my experience in first hearing the music of Adam Hurst, and even more so in seeing this video of him playing the gypsy cello. Please stop reading here and watch the video…



.... you see? You can breathe now…. Adam will be joining us for the first time at Faerieworlds: he embodies the kind of gifted artist we look for to showcase at our events. I know seeing him play live will be one of the highlights of the show that you will not want to miss. Now play the video again and watch his hands… and remember to breathe….
- Robert

Welcome to the Faerieworlds Blog

At long last, it is our great pleasure to welcome you to the official Faerieworlds blog. For many months, we have looked forward to opening a more direct and personal conversation with our guests and fans about exciting happenings within The Realm, which includes Faerieworlds: Summer & Winter Celebrations, and FaerieCon. 

Here we will share breaking news, our thoughts about shows and the inspiration, intention and concepts behind them, as well as inside looks at our wonderful vendors, performers and musicians.  Our relationship with you is very important to us as we continually improve, expand and enhance all aspects of our events. We invite you to respond, contribute and join the conversation: Welcome to the Realm!

Robert, Emilio & Kelly

Louisa John-Krol: An Introduction

by Kelly Miller-Lopez

As the producers of Faerieworlds, we are on a constant search for the artists and musicians whose work truly serves to open the doors of the wondrous otherworld that exists within and all around us. We have been dreaming for years of bringing the very real and tangible magic of Louisa John-Krol to our mainstage. The time has finally come, and we greatly anticipate the opportunity to present to you one of the most authentic and enchanting storyteller musicians of our time.

Louisa comes to us this summer all the way from her home in Australia. Over the past decade she has produced six albums of her internationally-acclaimed original songs, as well as several notable collaborations and compilations. Currently belonging to the popular french record label Prikosnovenie, Louisa's unique style has been described as "romantic pop-ethereal faerie music" ,among many other attempts to define the indescribable. Her works are a bit like faerie in that way, you can never quite put your finger on it, it seems to emanate directly from some familiar and far-off "in-between".  As a songwriter she is influenced deeply by literature and folklore, and her discography reveals a fascinating breadth of mythological and magical realms explored through a truly unique musical style. Her evocative lyrics are drawn from an obviously real understanding and connection to the singular language of what Robert Graves once referred to as "pure poetry". Louisa is a true bard. (to be continued in my next post)

My Sudden Love Affair With Zoe Jakes

by Stephanie Lostimolo

In terms of live entertainment, Thursday was the best night I've had in quite a while. Out of the blue, I got the news: Emilio and Kelly were driving to Portland for an evening show featuring The Indigo, the internationally renowned bellydance troupe comprised of Rachel Brice, Mardi Love and Zoe Jakes.

We arrive and for the next couple of hours I sit back and relax as the pure awesomeness of the girls and the musicians washes over me. And one girl in particular (spectacular?), Miss Jakes, Miss Zoe, what do I call her? She catches my eye and I can't look away. She moves like a serpent, an angel, a honeybee, and at the same time the sheer theatrics of this girl's expressions and stage presence are pure gold. I love it. She reminds me of an animated character. Or perhaps a faery. Yeah, that's it. She's a faery.

Honestly, I didn't want the show to end. It was mesmerizing and heartwarming to see all of the performers and guests having such a good time. It makes me wish more people would come out and see these shows. I want the world to know there's beautiful art out there in many forms, and yet another one to discover is Zoe Jakes and her talented cohorts. I can't wait to see her again this year at Faerieworlds! 

Faun's CDs are great! So how are their live shows?

by Emilio Miller-Lopez  

After years of listening to Faun's beautifully produced albums, we booked them for this summer's event having never seen them live. Recently, we received their live DVD and their new album The Pagan Folk Festival. I have to say, that I am now even WAY more excited to see them this summer. Not only does this band's music have mythic depth and lush tonality, it's completely amazing live! Check out this sample from their live DVD for a taste of their live musical magic.

Meeting Louisa John-Krol

by Kelly Miller-Lopez

I had the opportunity to meet Louisa and experience a live performance at the recent Trolls and Legendes festival in Mons, Belgium. Her performance transported the mesmerized audience almost immediately...her silvery voice, caressing the ears of all who were present, invited a deeper presence from us all. Effortlessly I observed her compel the extremely large (somewhat noisy) audience to listen closer. With the words of a storyteller who speaks a language that seems to transcend both time and space, Louisa weaves a powerful invocation of true magic and myth with her voice and mandolin. Appearing simultaneously like an ever-young maiden of infinite moonlight, and an earth-wise and age old faery godmother, Louisa is both young an ancient, she emanates light and is shrouded in mysterious feminine depth and darkness...she has the royal countenance and strength of an otherworld queen, with a kind and gentle character that speaks of the humble wisdom of an earth-wizened peasant...on stage it is clear that she is a true living faery...the essence of a being of true balance, of twilight.

Her most recent album is called Djinn, and explores the age old realm of Cats (more specifically, faery cats), and their infamous interconnection to legendary people and realms of magic since time immemorial. An accomplished, self-produced musical/lyrical master, Louisa has an impressive discography with a wide range of styles and myths explored there-in. I dare say she probably has something that would appeal to almost anyone...being the green witch that I am, my favorite album is Apple Pentacle, but I would not hesitate to recommend everything she's released. A song from Apple Pentacle was produced into a music video called "Muse" with the art of our dear Brian Froud.  I've attached the "Muse" video below for your viewing pleasure.  Many Faerieworlds attendees may remember seeing this screened at both our west and east coast events over the past two seasons. Now we get to experience the magic onstage live, and in the ethereal flesh! Welcome dear Louisa to our ever-growing Faerieworld!

Anticipation

by Robert Gould

It’s now about 9 weeks from Faerieworlds and the excitement is definitely building.  In these days of “instant access” to pretty much anything, I find “anticipation” to be a very unique feeling.  There is really something pleasurable about looking forward to an event that exists in its own space and time: all of our technology just won’t get you to Faerieworlds any faster! Until that special day, you get to think about everything you will see and do , the wonderful arts, crafts and music, all the friends you will meet and wonder what unexpected discoveries are waiting for you this year. And the best part is: for all of your anticipation, dreaming and imagining, Faerieworlds is always more than you expect: even for us who produce the event.  That’s because it is YOU – our guests – that make every show unique. So what are you most looking forward to at Faerieworlds?: write in and tell us!