You’ve probably heard of a growing trend in recent years, of superfans following their favorite bands and musicians to far-off cities for mega concerts. What if we turn this trend on its head? Imagine traveling to a favorite destination and immersing yourself in the existing music scene, letting the community show you their favorite acts? If you vibe with a place, chances are you’ll vibe with the local music too, and the venues in which it’s experienced.
Unlike a Taylor Swift or Beyonce concert, when you seek out live music on Whidbey or Camano Islands you’ll be acquainting yourself with smaller, more personable venues and rubbing shoulders with local people. Islanders truly love local musicians and are dedicated to supporting their craft, so creative venues abound. Indoor, outdoor, and any time of year, Whidbey and Camano support solo acts to giant instrumental ensembles in every setting available. From beloved annual music festivals featuring multiple simultaneous stages to intimate one-room pub performances, there is a scene to suit your tastes on the islands.
The musical stylings of island artists are as varied as the performers themselves. Rarely do residents have just one calling or profession; it is a community of yoga teacher/painters, IT specialist/potters, electrician/writers. Take Nathaniel Talbot for example, a farmer/musician. Talbot and his wife Annie Jesperson own Deep Harvest Farm, an organic farm-to-market veggie and seed farm they developed on ten acres of bare pasture in Freeland, after leaving big jobs in a big city to study at the Organic Farm School in 2011.
“It’s pretty beautiful and I feel really lucky” says Talbot. “There’s a few other farmer musicians on the island as well, that I think also really enjoy the life of being able to do both here. I mean, the fact that there’s a demand for really high-quality local food as well as music, in such a small community, is pretty unique and special I think.”
As well as providing the community with fresh produce and non-GMO seeds, Nathaniel Talbot brings another layer of richness to the vibrant local music scene with his poetic song lyrics and skilled guitar playing. His style could best be described as folk, but with influences from jazz, rock, and soul creating a diverse sound that’s as varied as the seasons. Often performing solo, Talbot also makes up one half of a duo with legendary local Keegan Harshman on upright bass or forms a trio with masterful Mickey Grimm on drums. It’s not unusual for beautiful beats to come out of mix-and-match sounds from assorted island bands and Talbot jams with plenty of local heroes.
“Keegan Harshman, who organizes the arts and music gathering Little Big Fest every August, is a critical player in the south island music scene. On the north end it’s Larry Mason who runs the Oak Harbor Music Festival. There’s some other big, important curators but I mean it’s all these people who are pretty much spending their entire lives trying to create music that’s often free, and that doesn’t pay them a salary. I’m pretty grateful for all those folks, and we have such an abundance here on the island for being such a remote, kind of small place.”
Talbot is grateful too, for the many island venues supporting local talent. “I just feel like there’s so much opportunity for musicians here, not necessarily for money but at least, you know, receptive ears and places to play.” He calls out Dancing Fish winery and Ott & Hunter tasting room as some favorite places to play on South Whidbey, but has a particular fondness for funky local treasure Bailey’s Corner Store. “The area is known for obviously it’s swing jazz, but there’s a really cool folk scene and pop scene and there’s a couple hip hop artists-and Bailey’s Corner I’d say is kind of a hub of all these styles interacting under one roof. They kind of host most of the cutting-edge music I feel like that’s coming out in the area. It’s probably the best place to catch music, especially for young people who don’t have a ton of money.”
The arts are so intrinsic to life on Whidbey and Camano Islands, and music such an accessible medium. Whether you’re most comfortable at a lively festival, summer concert in the parks, live music at the farmers markets or simply a street busking performance while perusing the shops, there is such an energetic musical community on each island that you won’t need to look far. For unforgettable experiences and a deeper connection, embrace the place. Get to know the soul of the islands through a live music experience.
