At a magical mini festival, an emerging artist takes center stage -- and their place as a sound sensation.
Through the Looking Glass: An Evening With SPELLLING and Friends
Children’s Fairyland
Oakland
Sept. 16, 2023
With whispers of vocals, plucky and sustaining bass, the singer AroMa and her band genre-hopped from groove to soothing groove, hitting their stride and making a big impression as the highlight of a mind-warping miniature music festival in Oakland where the views ranged from fairy wings and tarot readers to the Sun Ra Arkestra and shadowy fairytale figures.
Having the opportunity to watch from the sidelines as young artists emerge and step into their own is never not a pleasure, and AroMa, an Oakland-based multi-talented musician and filmmaker, is no exception. An Oakland-based self-described “non-binary musician and filmmaker with an eclectic vintage aesthetic, virgo execution” their wild makeup and fashion choices echo the cacophony of sounds they generate.
That talent was on display at this past Saturday’s mini-fest, Through the Looking Glass: An Evening With SPELLLING and Friends, held at Children’s Fairyland, a deceptively large swath of uneven ground at the edge of Lake Merritt in Oakland. AroMa and co took one of several stages (theirs being an especially fun one, with a green castle as a backdrop). The paintings and characters, simultaneously grotesque and piddling, larger than life and constantly falling short of the level of wonder needed to stay fully immersed, felt appropriate for a mini-music and art festival for adults. The slightly sinister edge kept it relevant; I texted a photo to one friend, following up with “feverdream.”
I walked up to the stage after passing the first of two mysterious puppets to the sounds of the first song of the set. The audience included listeners of all ages, some sporting the requisite fairy wings, others blazers or beanies. Local legend and fellow musician and filmmaker Boots Riley stood rapt near the front of the crowd, shoulder to shoulder with 20-somethings winding their hips, carrying bouquets, and taking photos with cool vintage cameras, all cheering AroMa on.
Breathy Tracy Chapman vibrato, tinkling keys and sweet, soothing drums and bass brought some lush RnB sensuality to the mix, countering the dreamy, semi-coherent pop vocals. AroMa deftly oscillated from these distant high notes to deep, throaty belting. Moving in tight gyrations and big gestures, full body wiggles, jumps, they stayed in near constant motion.
The backing band, Bella Hangnail (@bellahangnail) on guitar, Xae (@_xae) on bass, Nuxia (@okaymags) on keys, synth, and vocals, and Mikhai (@damnthatshellacrazy) on drums, with trumpeter Charlie Trumpet (@charlietrumpet) in particular, was crisp and oozy, close in but still leaving space for AroMa to do their thing. As the group deftly jumped from genre to genre, emo-rock with pleading cries followed up tethered emotions. Some lyrics were lost to the sound system and outdoor setting, but the pop-ballad-esqe power-singing countered by sweet introspection and cheeky crowd work kept the pace the whole set.
As the first notes of “Rained All Week (ft. KJ Focus)” began, the audience engaged further, with friends and admirers crooning along. If everyone had not already been standing, I think it raised them to their feet. “The grass is greener cuz it rained all week/I might be cleaner cuz it rained on me…” AroMa belted. “My leaky roof/my leaky eyes/I crack a smile/to pass the time.”
When the set ended, I scooted along to scope out the remainder of the acts, riding high on that musical and audience connection. In search of a seat (there were plenty in fact, with benches scattered throughout and lawns), I returned to an AV installation I had enjoyed earlier, and was rewarded to find that it was indeed better after dark.
I peered at the tarot reader, with a line to the side of a small egg-shaped hut, through a portal window, joined a fabulous keyboard set inside of the tiniest chapel. I avoided the larger crowds for two of the main acts — - the Sun Ra Arkestra and SPELLLING (yes, that is spelled correctly), escaping to the rear of the packed group after soaking in most of the set for the latter and turning around immediately upon trying to enter the former’s performance space, panicked by the crushing flow of bodies.
The festival offered bites of the arts, big bands juxtaposed with single person acts, and tantalizing creatures both large and Easter-egg-small. I relearned my aversion to large groups as well as my appreciation for emerging artists, and had a mostly magical evening in the process.
