Nomad: A person who does not stay long in the same place.
So too, the upcoming inaugural Nomadik Fest will not be in one place long, bringing a weekend’s worth of concerts by emerging musical artists to Bainbridge’s Waterfront Park for a special one-day-only festival Saturday, Sept. 22 in support of Arms Around Bainbridge.
Billed as “a bohemian festival for the love of humanity,” Nomadik Fest, founded and organized primarily by Jade Castillo of The SoundArts Project, will feature seven bands and eight DJs, mostly from Washington and Oregon; the type of music, Castillo said, “that you would typically hear on KEXP.”
Headliners include High Step Society, from Eugene, Oregon, and Ceschi Ramos of New Haven, Connecticut, who just returned from an overseas tour.
“Although he is more widely known as a hiphop/rapper … he is really multi-genre including acoustic folk, blues, etc.,” Castillo said. “A lot of his songs are pretty raw and gritty, but I’ve booked him a couple years ago as supporting artist for part of a national tour with artist Serengetti to test him out in a more intimate audience setting to see how he performs to more of an all-ages audience. His performance seriously floored me.
“We’ll have two stages with one main stage for bands and the other for DJ and soloists to perform between stage change breaks,” Castillo said. “DJ headliners include DJ Zone, [who] tours with Macklemore & Aesop Rock, from Portland and Cliff Barnes, aka Seamore, a popular scratch DJ from Seattle.”
Other bands in the lineup include: Terror Cactus, Heron, Strawberry Mountain, Todd and the Tools and Pickled Okra. The DJ list includes: Seabefore, DJ Zone, I AM HALO, DJ Sidecar, DJ Noisyboy, Shane Knode, Panoramic and Julie-C.
Certain acts, including Ceschie, are recommended for those 13-and-older, Castillo said, due to the subjects they address.
“I back up this lineup choice myself as I’ve auditioned over 300 artists on either YouTube live or at other venues just to settle on the lineup for the main stage,” Castillo said. “I’ve managed to find 12 manager/volunteers to help make this dream a reality.”
Supporting vendors will also be in the park that day, including Ryderville Ink (temporary tattoos), Alex Sanso Creative (painted river stones and souvenirs) and lots of free and low-cost activities for all ages, including daisy chain making, neon glow-in-the-dark chalk graffiti wall creations and more, as well as food and beer/wine for purchase.
Tickets — $25 in advance and $35 at the door; kids 12 and younger get in free — are available now. Visit www.brownpapertickets.com (event #3580183) to purchase, or www.nomadikfest.com to learn more.
The festival kicks off at noon and ends at 9 p.m.
All proceeds will go to benefit Arms Around Bainbridge, an island-based charity that works to help offset debut incurred during illness.
“In respect to this incredible nonprofit organization, I’ve made the mission of this festival would be one that is all encompassing of individuals young and old, disabled or socially challenged,” Castillo said. “Part of the mission is to ensure sustainability with lowest ticket fee possible and still be able to pay the performers and the cost of such an undertaking, while negotiating with artists and participants to perform for a fair fee in order to continue what we hope to be a continuous series of pop-up fests multi-annually at different unique locations throughout the Pacific Northwest.”
Castillo said assisting Arms Around Bainbridge was especially meaningful for her, as she herself has been a recipient of the group’s assistance.
“I’ve been in the music business most of my adult life, either as a DJ or promoter, until I finally settled on event production with a preference toward working with nonprofits,” she explained. “Except, I’ve been struggling in the past few years following the aftermath of cancer treatment ever since I was diagnosed in 2010, ultimately landing me in a wheelchair in 2017 due to severe radiation damage causing a spread of avascular necrosis, aka bone death.
“Since then, I’ve had three back surgeries, hip replacements — with further surgeries to look forward to,” she said. “I always said to myself, ‘If I survive all of this, I’m doing something I’ve always wanted to do. That is, a festival fundraiser — also as a way to give back to the community.’ I’ve had a lot of time to plan on how to do this on a shoestring budget during my down time.”
The island group again came to Castillo’s aid more recently, she said.
“I was also a recipient of Arms Around Bainbridge after nearly losing my home, my entire life savings, and was down to selling off furniture just to pay my cell phone bill,” Castillo said. “I’m a single mom and would not have been able to pull off continuing to live on Bainbridge, where my kids recognize this as the only home they’ve ever known. Even if I were to move, I wouldn’t know what to do. I have no other family I can depend on, and I’ve made it work here on Bainbridge due to such a supportive and compassionate community.”
Castillo and her fellow organizers now hope that same community will come out to support a good cause and enjoy some eclectic tunes.
“We’ve discovered that by getting the right volunteers, promoters, friends and artists involved with a passion for music and ability to collaborate makes the impossible possible — at least on Bainbridge Island, for picking this as a kickoff spot,” she said. “Our carefully selected musicians and DJs have a proven record for bringing in not only a crowd, but the right crowd of positive people together, enough to make it to the finish line and successful enough in the hopes to make it pay off enough for it to grow and spread love and compassion to other communities in the near future.”
