Free food, free music and good times. What else could a college student ask for? Nomachella, a live one-night music festival, was held last Friday in the Sauvignon Green. Students were invited to share their musical talents by performing for their peers.

Around sundown after an hour-long barbecue, students spread out on blankets to watch their friends and fellow performers. 

The artists performed under a tent lit up with lights, as it began to grow dark. The general vibe of the event made for a friendly and supportive atmosphere.

Each performer had 15 minutes to play either original or pre-recorded music. Students who performed in Seawolves Got Talent, a talent show put on by Sonoma State, were urged to sign up and perform at Nomachella along with music majors and Sauvignon community members. 

Nomachella was put on by the Sauvignon Community Services Advisors, or CSAs, and was held in place of Sauvapalooza this year.

Mary Schafer, a senior and current CSA, helped coordinate the festival. Schafer has been planning the event for the past month and a half, although the bulk of the work has taken place in the last two weeks. 

Schafer helped out with Sauvapalooza last year and wanted to continue to hold a similar version of the event this year.

“Music is definitely a type of event that brings people together. It’s enjoyable and it’s just fun. Nomachella brings a crowd because it’s around. People hear music and want to stay and hang out and have a good time,” said Schafer.

One artist, Marisa Wax, used the opportunity at Nomachella to share her original music. Wax is a freshman early childhood studies major. She is self-taught and has been singing since the age of three. Wax considers her sound to be a mix between country and indie music.

“I started singing at the age of three and I picked up a guitar at the age of eight. I had to put it down for about four years because of some medical issues, but I picked it up again at the age of 12. Thanks to YouTube, books and other sources, I taught myself how to play guitar,” said Wax. “The first night I taught myself three chords and wrote my first song and I haven’t stopped since.”

Wax will be releasing her first album in the Summer of 2017 titled “Brand New.” Wax writes all of her own music and will be producing her album.

Students of all ages and majors were invited to Nomachella to spend their Friday night listening to live music. Free hot dogs and hamburgers were provided before and during the show. 

Some artists sang original songs while others chose to bring back childhood favorites like “Colors of the Wind” from the classic Disney film, “Pocahontas.”

The audience was filled with performers and students enjoying the music and making last minute Friday night plans.

“My roommate and I were headed home and we saw it on Facebook and thought it would be something fun to do tonight. We have some pretty talented Seawolves on campus,” said freshman Daisy Agers.

Nomachella is an annual music festival, so students who missed the event this year can look forward to Nomachella 2017. Make sure to attend next year and get some autographs, because the next big artist could go from playing at Nomachella to Coachella.