Stevie Bartmann. aka The Festie Sherpa.

I grew up going to Summerfest in Milwaukee in the mid-90s. I was a kid — dragged there by family, wandering between stages, eating bratwurst, discovering that live music could make you feel something no recording ever could. That was where it started.

At 18, I went to Bonnaroo for the first time. My first camping festival. Four days on a farm in Tennessee, sleeping in a car, completely cut off from the real world, and having my mind completely blown. I was hooked. Not just on the music — on the entire ecosystem. The community. The chaos. The feeling of being somewhere that only exists for a few days and then disappears.

Over the next nearly 20 years, I attended most major music festivals, concerts, and live music events in the country across every genre — rock, electronic, jam, country, jazz, hip-hop, bluegrass. I've done them rough. I've done them right. I've made every mistake you can make — wrong shoes, wrong campsite, wrong entrance, wrong day to skip sunscreen. Every kind of event, every kind of crowd.

Along the way I worked inside the industry — access control and RFID operations at events like Coachella and Tomorrowland Belgium. Seeing how it all works from the inside changed how I experience live music entirely.

Then I discovered Jazz Fest in New Orleans. And I realized how much more a live music experience could be — the food, the neighborhoods, the after-shows at Tipitina's and Frenchmen Street, the cultural depth that makes you feel like you've actually been somewhere. The best experiences aren't just about the music. They're about everything around it.

It starts with you. Your music, your people, your idea of a perfect experience. I don't have an agenda. I'm not steering you anywhere. You tell me what you're chasing and I'll help you get there.

You cover my expenses — travel, lodging, food, drinks — and we figure out a day rate based on what you need. Some people want me involved in everything. Some people just want me there for the moments that matter and gone the rest of the time. Either way works. That's kind of the whole point.

You reach out. I decide if I'm in. When I say yes — I mean it. And if for any reason it's not working for you, just say the word. No hard feelings. That's the deal.

Not a Travel Blogger. Not an Algorithm.