Q&A: the founder of FORM Festival

I had been touring extensively with my band, Hundred Waters, playing about a hundred shows a year. We were really tired and losing sight of what we were doing. I thought it would be fun to come up with a platform that would give us a bit of inspiration and revitalize the idea of touring and playing festivals.

We looked for a venue that would be interesting and exciting while having a focus on nature and landscape. My friend told me about Arcosanti and we made a trip out there together. When I saw it, I was immediately certain that this was the venue. We paired the first festival with a show for our new album release, called it FORM (it’s a name we felt aligned with the architecture of Arcosanti and the community), and opened it up to a free-by-application pool of participants.

FORM is very much in response to the infrastructure of Arcosanti. We don’t build any temporary stages—we use all of the permanent structures, like the beautiful amphitheaters, that are there. We’re in line with the minimal impact and sustainably-minded principles that Arcosanti was built on.

All of our food vendors and bars use compostable materials and we invest in initiatives and partnerships to make sure we’re not creating any sort of footprint in the area. We have a comprehensive recycling program and bring on a ‘green team’ to sort all of the waste that gets generated. Additionally, we host talks, panels, and workshops on conservation and sustainability to amplify these principles.

The most obvious is the capacity—we limit it to 2,500 guests, and I don’t think you’ll ever see a festival with a lineup like ours and such a limited attendance. We have no VIP sections because we wanted to create an environment that fosters intimacy and connection with artists and participants across the board. You’ll be watching a show right next to an artist who performed earlier in the day. Also, we don’t do overlapping programming, so you’ll see every band play. We try to create a tailored experience that takes on you on a journey.

We have talks around sustainable design, Planned Parenthood is hosting a discussion on gender identity, and Florence Welch [of Florence and the Machine] is interviewing one of her favorite poets among others. We want people to be able to think more critically about their minds, bodies, and surroundings. This is also our first year doing a fully realized fitness program. Equinox will lead workouts, morning yoga, and meditation in addition to cupping, acupuncture, and more. We’re super excited to have the partnership—it’ll definitely take things to the next level.

I'm an avid rock climber and have been for about 15 years. After becoming an Equinox member, I developed a passion for indoor cardio (treadmills and swimming) and TRX.