Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Together in Paradise...


The end of October was quite an adventure, as we have been back in Brooklyn and preparing for the next phase of our Fairyland Clubhouse where the whole thing began, back in the beginning of the year... Rose Robin joined us from California for 10 days of long days and hard work to turn our studio into the Theater of the Magical Real, just in time to celebrate the birthday of Miss Charlotte Gaspard, founder of the Fairytale Experiment (or rather the fairy with the seed), and we were also able to celebrate all that we stand for, art community, collaboration, love, free expression, the magical real...

We built a stage (well, Rose built & we helped), and a DJ booth for the dumpling fairy Duncan Elder, and we hung this huge and gorgeous red theater curtain, and Rose Robin built several of her amazing tree sculptures.

Friday, October 30th we celebrated, "Together in Paradise..."
It was a wonderful evening, featuring live music sets from The Mumbles and friends:
http://www.myspace.com/brooklynmumbles

and Kai Altair the lovely fairy goddess:
http://www.myspace.com/kailight

and Ana Sobel fairy shared some tabla with storytelling that was mesmerizing as well... We even had a few speeches, much dancing late into the night, records spinning out of the new DJ booth, even some free-stylings, and many beautiful fairies everywhere you looked!



Thank you to all who came out to celebrate with us and to help make it happen! Magical Real Love to all, it was just the evening we dreamed of...

Now we are back in the swing of things in Brooklyn Fairyland. We are hosting Fairytale Experiment meetings and Dream Theater Workshops under the guidance and leadership of Duncan Elder. We are performing around New York City, for updates on shows, visit our facebook page...

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Last Chapter of Fairytale Experiment on Tour 2009

Charlotte Lily Fairy here, writing from beautiful Brooklyn... So we left off our story as the fairies had just arrived in Santa Cruz, an amazing and intense four days with so much of stories (but for the full story you'll have to wait for the documentary, Rose Robin is working on the edit as we speak...)
Highlights: the bus is broken down and we are down and out for a bit, but meet some amazing people, including Taylor and his wonderful dog Henry who are also having shortbus trouble, but we are able to comfort and help each other see the endless possibility of every obstacle and challenge, we meet Chip a super cool community gentleman who gives us lots of advice and connections (and rescues Rose & CSpot off the heat of the street when Rose is about to faint in the sun), we perform at a Farmer's Market and then busk up and down the main street of the town, and meet some wonderful local musicians, and end with connecting with some more wonderful locals, including the incredibly talented and kind Nick Anderson who invites us to visit the Tannery, a really cool project that subsidizes artist housing and studio space that we had been hearing so very much about throughout our odyssey of Santa Cruz experience...
Learn about the Tannery Arts Center at:
http://www.tanneryartscenter.org/
Check out Nick's artwork at:
http://www.nickandersonart.com/

Then we leave Santa Cruz feeling rather optimistic on our way to San Fransisco. However when we stop for coffee in Half Moon Bay the bus won't start again...
We get a jump from a kind stranger, then another jump from another kind stranger who is in less of a rush... But still, Lunette won't start.
The engine is flooded, perhaps. Something is very wrong...
Just then, a man with beautiful long hair and the eyes of an angel pulls up beside Lunette in a classic 1958 Ford truck and asks if he can help. He is Scott, our angel of Half Moon Bay. The adventure continues, the bus won't start, and Rose and Scott spend the rest of the evening underneath her trying to figure out what is wrong...
We end up spending the night in the bus in the parking lot, to continue the diagnoses the following day. Finally Scott and Rose find the main problem -- the starter is dead! Poor Lunette!
A friend from Santa Cruz, Dan arrives in his little car to check on the fairies and takes Avatar and Erin and Lunette's dead starter ahead to San Fransisco to a starter guy that Dan knows who can rebuild it for us for a much better price than a new one, and Rose and Charlotte make the trek up to the city on the public bus (not enough room in Dan's car for four.) Our angel Scott we leave as Lunette's guardian as she shall have to stay all by herself in the parking lot of the shopping complex until we can get back to her and get her new starter in...

San Fransisco... Lovely town. We begin our stay with some friends of friends who are so wonderful to take us in, we busk at Fisherman's Wharf, we enjoy the good company of Teddy and Meredith Claire (of San Fran, not our NYC Meredith Claire! Names continue to be uncanny repetitions of special people...), then we stay with family friends of CSpot who welcome us into their garden our first day to a music jam and bbq out by the gorgeous beach of the Great Highway, and then we stay with our Fairy Godmother Karen out in Berkeley, a woman of heart and soul and magic who offers us fairy safe-haven. Thank you all, we were so well cared for again by the universe and beyond lucky in all our friends and hosts and angels...

Lunette spends a few days in the parking lot and then Rose and Cspot return to her with the starter and meet Scott -- from here Lunette spends several days with Scott and Rose in Half Moon Bay getting sorted and checked out and fixed and made healthy... Thank you Scott!!!
We end our time in San Fransisco performing at Anon Salon's "Dust-Off" Party, a great experience! We perform a fairytale for the people, Rose does performance body painting and we all sing and share stories and meet lots of gorgeous folks & fairy friends...
Check out the Anon Salon at:
http://www.anonsalon.com/

Then -- its time to go.
We say our goodbyes and all pile into Lunette to head to Half Moon Bay for Lunette's last check up before we hit the road for the long drive back to New Orleans, and to record some of our songs (all original compositions by James Avatar) and then we're off!
We drive in shifts pretty much non-stop to NOLA, and make it in four days. Yes, four days, from Half Moon Bay right near San Fransisco to New Orleans.
At this time we must take a moment to thank all of you who supported us in this journey home. With the incredible and generous donations of so many kind souls we were able to end our tour as we planned, in New Orleans. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Now we part ways. We all agreed to end our tour in New Orleans. Avatar and Erin go to stay with a friend of theirs and prepare/plan/begin building their next phase of life.
Rose and Charlotte spend our last few days in the city, and have two more shows as a duet... We perform at this amazing secret sex club an experimental performance piece that Charlotte has been dreaming of finally come to life, with the live accompaniment of the Marmalade Brigade (amazing band! Can't wait to work and play with them again...)
Check out the Marmalade Brigade at:
http://www.myspace.com/michaelmcintire

The Fairies Rose & Charlotte have our final performance/experience at this amazing art house with a three-story tree house with a water slide into their pool and a stage and a dome (which is where Rose does her performance painting and body painting and also where the projections are, our friend Frances lets CSpot take over the video for the second half of the party, total honor thank you!) and we get to be there for their first big party with over 700 people attending, its their Spirit Animal Party, and the fairies love it!!! Thank you Amzie, thank you Kayla and Flo, thank you Rex for being, thank you Scott Pterodactyl for building, thank you family and all of New Orleans for being a home in this world for the roving fairies...
Check out more about the NOLA Art House at:
http://www.1614esplanade.com/

This is our goodbye to New Orleans for a time, but we feel satisfied and fulfilled. Rose and Charlotte head to the airport together to spend the night in the terminal before we part. Rose is flying back to California and Charlotte is going home to Brooklyn, to the C.Spot Studio, the Fairyland Clubhouse where it all began, once upon a time, way back in February, with just the seed, an idea, a longing to gather together a tribe of fairies to make new fairytales and discover the magical real.

Again, thank you all for making it possible, for your support and faith, and for reading...

We now begin the next phase of the Fairytale Experiment back in Brooklyn with the creation of the Theater of the Magical Real...

Keep posted for more adventures...

Until next time,
Charlotte Lily Gaspard
aka Miss C. Spot

Friday, September 25, 2009

From Los Angeles Onwards up North (part 1)

Charlotte Lily here, writing from the sticky heat of New Orleans... sitting in our favorite internet spot here on Frenchman Street, place called 13... But first there's some catching up to do of the adventures of the wandering fairies & the lovely Lunette...

So, lets see... We arrived in L.A. sometime after dark to meet Cspot's dear friend Emily at the place we'll be camping our first few days... with the absolutely lovely and amazing Hazel. We park Lunette in the driveway and wander into the gorgeous sloped backyard to a bonfire and grillin' party, hugs, beer and tequila, and song requests! We sing and settle in to share stories, and are soon joined by the very beloved cousin Aaron (genius painter and participant in the "Fairytale Installations" Residency with Rose Robin & Cspot in France 2007).

Over the weekend we make an art party and show in Hazel's front yard and set up video projections, sounds system, and we do live screen-printing, singing & music-making, and perform a few fairytales...

We also explore and try some busking along the boardwalk of Venice Beach -- not much money but meet cool people and enjoy the seaside. We end our time in LA staying in Charlotte's uncle's apartment and get to perform a show for the Gaspard family in a beautiful park, very special for the new generation of little ones!

From LA we head into Topanga Canyon to stay with a family friend in the mountains with views to knock your socks off, and we steal cousin Aaron and his musician friend Mack and we have a lovely few days of cooking, jamming, painting and chilling...

We end our tour of the Los Angeles area with a trip to the beach all together (with Aaron & Mack) and then the four intrepid fairies pile into Lunette to continue up the coast northwards...

We get to our planned campsite destination and they are all full up!!! So we head to the County Campsite on the recommendation from the Parks Lady, and as we pull up in the dark the headlights catch a group of creepy old men with hungry eyes standing around a bonfire in a can... "Lets get outta here!" We quickly back out and head off into the night. Once we have a safe distance from that scene out of a Stephen King novel about cannibal campsites, we realize we have no other nearby options and all the fairies are fading... So we make a useful discovery -- it actually works quite fine and comfortable to sleep 4 in the bus! Cool...

We awaken to seals playing in the ocean, and have the most rad brunch ever at Shell beach, a place called Zorro's that I would very much recommend to anyone driving within any reasonable distance, the food was SOOO tasty! (and we've had some stellar food across America, from Tiger Diner in Louisana to the Cowboy Cafe in Roswell, NM, to the homemade gumbo from my great-aunt Mary and so on and so much more...

We get into Capitola that day thinking its Santa Cruz for some strange reason. We enjoy the beach and cook dinner and settle in to sleep in the bus again since we haven't any other real options. We are awoken at 2:30am by a Police Officer who sternly tells us that it is illegal to "camp" on the beach (we are in our own personal bus) and he threatens us with a $450 fine if we do not move along and vacate the Capitola area immediately. Exhausted and unhappy we drive out of the city to park in a less than discrete business parking lot, all expecting to be woken up again at any moment with more cops and threats... We're lucky though and make it through to morning without any more hassles.

We get into Santa Cruz a little bit worse for the wear, but rallying our energy to see what we can do -- including see about the power steering on the bus which has just stopped functioning. Erin and Avatar head off on a recon mission while Rose and Charlotte contend with getting the bus fixed...
Where is the diesel mechanic around here?
Oh, really? They are called "Good Guys"? Hmm...

Check out the videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/RoseJayLloydRobin

See Rose's Video of Getting to LA and Hazels Place:


See Video of the Performance for Charlotte's Family:


And here is a clip from our visit to Mama Sue's Garden on our way to L.A...

Saturday, August 29, 2009

FTE On Tour_ARIZONA & The Grand Canyon 8/19

Arizona & The Grand Canyon


Lunette's rear left tire has a slow leak in it. Thank gooodness for FREE AIR at truck stops.
After checking the oil & filling the tires, we press on westward to Arizona. A lot can be said about the majestic splendor of the Grand Canyon. But I won't. I'll let the pictures do the talking.







We woke up at our campsite in the Grand canyon to some unexpected guests: a heard of Elk. Whoa. Huge, beautiful animals that make tiny noises like air escaping from a balloon. We took pics, smiled, packed up and headed out to fill Lunette's gas tank.


















Diesel gas turns out to be more expensive than expected so we put in just enough to get us to our next destination: Los Angeles.

Lunette the bus starts acting strange, bucking wildly upon acceleration. We pull over at a truck stop and a friendly couple (Danny and Mama Sue) take a peek under the hood. Turns out we bought BAD DIESEL GAS!


After filling the tank with Good diesel, Danny & Sue invite us to pick vegetables from Sue's organic garden; a small oasis of love, color & flavor in the middle of the desert. We picked amazing veggies (and cantalope OFF THE VINE!) while singing our signature tune 'The Magic song". Mama Sue thanked us repeatedly, teary eyed and happy.






And with a full tank of GOOD gas (!), a bushel full of organic fruits & vegetables and Mama Sue's blessing, we head for the City of Angles.

Friday, August 28, 2009

FTE On Tour_ROSWELL, NM 8/18

The ROSWELL Experience



Flying saucers. Little green men. Yeah. Those are the images one conjures up when the word ROSWELL is mentioned. Maybe its because of a news article telling of the crash landing of a UFO in this tiny town of New Mexico, or the (kinda) popular TV series that lasted only one season. Either way, Roswell seems to be synonymous with extraterrestrial sightings & culture. So much so that the town boasts a UFO museum, "alien" -themed gift shops and a McDonald's shaped like a alien spacescaft.



















The fairies were excited about this adventure. They wondered what new, strange & exciting experiences lie ahead for them. A viewing of an alien space craft? An interview with someone that has made first contact? Maybe E.T. could show them how to call home without using a sim card.




As Lunette made her way down the center of town, a hush fell over the fairies as they saw no one. The streets of the town were as barren as the desert that surrounded it. Where was everyone? The fairies had hope that answers were coming soon.

Lunette parks in front of a gift store called "Gifts From the Angels". (Seemed like a perfect place to stop.) The fairies de-boarded Lunette and went inside.

Inside the store were racks of "alien"-themed items along with gifts pertaining to magic and natural healing. Along the wall behind the counter were ceramic figurines of Fairies. The travel-weary sojourners smiled and engaged the propriertor who stood, smiling at them.

His name was SCOTT. He was a middle-aged man with long hair, dressed in black. His smile was as welcoming as the store's air conditioning.

After digesting a barrage of questions, Scott magnanimously revealed the very answers the fairies were seeking:

1) The streets were empty because of the 100+ degree weather.
2) Area 51 was NOT in Roswell.
3) There is evidence of extraterrestrial life.
5) The Government is probably covering it up.
4) The UFO museum is mostly a research library.
5) Traveling across the country in a "hippie bus" is not crazy.
6) It's important to stay hydrated in this section of the country.
7) Stay alert when camping in Roswell.
8) There were possible places to perform fairy tales in Roswell.
9) If you decide to alter your states in Roswell, strange things will happen.
10) You will receive protection from Angels if you thank them.

After hearing about the "performance painting" part of the fairytale experiment's show, Scott invited the fairies into the rear section of the store. Back there, he dug into a pile of storage and revealed a huge, fuschia-colored cloth.

"I don't know why I kept this", he said with a wrinkled brow.
"I guess it was waiting for YOU".

Indeed it was.

After an incredible night in the desert under a spectacular star scape (more on this later-mature audiences only), The Fairytale Experiment performs in the parking lot of a gas station on main street, in front of a new performance painting by Rose Robin, using the "Magic" fuschia-colored fabric as an enchanted canvas.






































After the show, Charlotte plots our course to the next location: The Grand Canyon.

















Arizona...here we come!


















Oh, and FREE AIR is a good thing.

Monday, August 24, 2009

FTE On Tour_TEXAS: (Part 3;Final) 8/16-"Love In Iraan"

OUT OF GAS.

Smack dab in the middle of Texas. Hmm.

The Fairies realised that they must've miscalculated thier diesel gas reserve. Lunette is is fiesty, hard-workin' '93 ford with a lot of get-up-n' go and good brakes. She purrs like a kitten and runs like a stallion. But her gas gauge is...a bit off. Could be a half-tank, could be a quarter, could be running on frickin' fumes.

Our assesment of (actually) how much gas we have needed to be adjusted. Since she gets ____ miles to the gallon and the tanks holds ____ gallons, we would have to get a refill every _______miles. OOOOOK. Now we know. now all we have to do is get some help.

Huge trucks whizz by, stirring up a swirl of Texas dust with Texas heat. The fairies whips into action, quickly creating a huge sign that says, "OUT OF DEISEL. NEED HELP". (Fairies need spellcheck too.)

The sign stops a guy in a truck who responds with "What do 'ya want me ta do about it?". Hmm. Not the help we were looking for.

Another truck stops. A friendly gentleman (Terrance) from Florida steps out and asks what he can do. C•SPOT & ROSE spring into action and hop into the back of his truck as ERIN and myself wait in Lunette.

30 minutes pass. No fairies. The sun beats down on ERIN & I as we pace & hydrate.

Just then, we are joined by a Texas State Trooper. He was shockingly cool for a cop. He hung out with us and told us stories about the area. Apparently, we were at a prime spot for illegals traveling from Mexico.

He also offered us to sit in his car (for the air conditioning) and played his iPod through the car's sound system. He rocked Dave Chapelle's "P*ss On You" and a selection of songs by 50 Cent. Hmm. Not MY idea of a Texas state trooper. I stand corrected. One size does NOT fit all.

After about an hour and a half (And a visit from another trooper who traded stories about Speeders) ROSE & C•Spot returns with plastic containers filled with deisel...I mean, diesel gas.
We put in the gas, spilling it all over ourselves, hop on the bus, stick the key in the ignition and...

Lunette refuses to start. Too much air in the gas line. The trooper calls his mechanic friend who comes and helps us out. He sprays ether (an explosive aerosal) into the motor with a lit cigarette dangling from his lip. I suppose you call this "Texas Style".

We finally get on our way as the sky darkens into another pitch black starscape. Tired and hungry, we pull into a Kwicky mart/ Godfather's Pizza for rest stop. Parked in the front lot was a pickup truck with the Haliburton logo on the side. I was suddenly overcome with an urge to sing OBAMASONG.

The Faries keep spirits up by dancing to a car alarm. Two men notice this and strike up a conversation. They are very cool oil welders who invite us to camp at thier trailer park. After getting a mess of BBQ wings from the pizza shop, we headed over to set up our next fairy camp-with a bunch o' good ol' boys and a couple 'o cases o' Bud.

For the rest of the night, we laughed and sang and had a great time with these guys. They were perfect gentlemen with great stories a Hi-Tech RV that they gave us unlimited access to.

We must have made a good impression (I don't think they've ever seen faries before) because they told us that they would PAY for us to stay and do a show for their small Texan trailer park community.

Rose cooks up a mulligan stew, we trade jokes, drink too much beer and sleep.

After sleeping in (Whew! we needed that!), we wrote a new (adult) fairytale about a Dragon/Fairy relationship and performed it for the guys.


They were delighted and favored the love scene. It was one of our best shows, yet.










Our Host Was BRIAN (Angel of Texas#2) and CUP (sorry, didn't get the last names) who were quite forthcoming with unconditional love and support for our mission. BRIAN let us ride his motorbike and CUP shared with us his stories of being in the Rodeo (and in the Navy S.E.A.L.s).

The Constable of IRAAN, TEXAS stopped by to chat, quite entertained by the fairies. He assured us that we were breaking no laws by drinking 40 beers.

Exhaling a sigh of relief, we continued to chill with him.

After he left, 3 unmarked cop cars pull up and 3 Sheriff's deputies get out.

"The constable called you. Right? Told you there were some faries here, right?", I asked them, directly.

"Yup.", They replied. "You guys are fine. We're just gonna hang."

Exhaling another sigh of relief,

we continued to chill, getting our "Texas Style" buzz on.

(ROSE'S hysterical Youtube VIDEO)

We awaken to the blazing hot Texas sun, hopefully for the last time. After a quick fairy meeting we decide to leave the SEXTOPUS sculpture on Brian's RV as an installation.

And in a blast of Texas dust & heat, Lunette scurries away, westward & beyond.


NEXT: THE ROSWELL EXPERIENCE