Today we’d like to introduce you to James Garibaldi.
Hi James, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My entrepreneurial journey began at a young age, sparked by a challenge from my father. When I complained that our family computer needed an upgrade, he suggested I take on a paper route to earn the money myself. Though he helped me significantly with the route—and likely chipped in for the computer—he let me feel the pride of believing I’d paid for it. That computer became my gateway to the online world, where I played games, taught myself to code websites, and fueled my ambition.
By age 15, I was running The Wrestling Wire, a pro wrestling website that grew to 1 million page views and 50,000 unique daily visitors. We partnered with IGN, and I started earning around $5,000 a month from ad revenue. At 16, the site boasted over 30 reporters. Unfortunately, the domain was later stolen, and I shifted my focus to college.
Music also became a passion during high school, where I picked up the bass guitar and recorded with friends. By 2007, I was touring the U.S. as a musician, and in 2010, my band Simeon Soul Charger toured Germany. I naturally took on the “business” side of things, acting as both a band member and manager/agent. In the early 2010s, while playing in the jam band Aliver Hall, I started working with Matthew Roads of Tropidelic. We co-headlined regional shows that quickly gained traction.
In the summer of 2015, I teamed up with Tom Blessing and Steve Alvarez to revive the biannual Hookahville Music Festival. The event, which started in 1994, had suffered major financial losses that spring. We rebranded and refocused the festival, successfully turning it around for the fall edition. I took over as producer in 2021.
In 2017, Roads pitched the idea of a festival centered around Tropidelic. That vision became Everwild, originally launched as The Freakstomp Music Festival before we rebranded it in 2021.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Building a festival like Everwild from the ground up was no small feat, but partnering with Tropidelic and their well-organized crew gave us a strong foundation. Still, creating an event from scratch comes with its share of challenges—unexpected hurdles and growing pains you can only solve in the moment. Having a tight-knit, capable team made all the difference, and Tropidelic’s manager, Miles Welo, has been a cornerstone in keeping the event steady and driving its growth.
When we launched in 2017, my experience producing Hookahville was our main roadmap. I leaned heavily on those lessons—everything from logistics to crowd management—and applied them to Everwild right from the start. That head start helped us hit the ground running with a polished operation.
The festival’s growth since then has been incredible. We’ve gone from hosting 500 people under a circus tent to drawing 7,500 fans to a huge stage at Legend Valley last year. As the crowds have swelled, so has our team, evolving to meet the demands of an event that’s quickly become a standout in the scene.
In 2022, we teamed up with Thomas Cussins and Ineffable Live to take Everwild to new heights. Thomas and his crew brought a wealth of expertise and industry know-how, helping us refine the festival and tackle the complexities that come with its rapid growth. Their insight has been invaluable in pushing the event forward.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about JSG Live LLC?
My company, JSG Live LLC, carries my initials, but its true inspiration is a tribute to my late father, James Stuart Garibaldi, who passed away from ALS in 2009. He was an extraordinary father and a brilliant businessman, and I owe much of my business acumen to him. His guidance shaped me right up until his final day. Naming my company after him keeps his memory alive, and that’s something I take immense pride in.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://everwildfestival.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everwildfestival
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everwildmusicfestival
