words by Liz Watts // photos by emma watts
Honey Punch Mag covered the first ever FORMAT, a festival FOR (M)usic, (A)rt, and (T)ech.
We were blown away by the experience, to say the least. Everything from the lineup to the *pristine* portapotties, tech-enabled installations to parking + shuttle services, and the art to the crowd — we can’t say enough about how wonderful this festival was. Although we shared the weekend with thousands of other festival goers, we’re convinced that every experience at FORMAT was uniquely curated.
The lineup for FORMAT was truly a dream for festival goers with good taste- we’re biased, of course, but one thing we loved was that there wasn’t that crowd you often and at festivals that sprint to the Main Stage when gates open to wait for the headliner. There were no Doja Cats or Post Malones headlining at FORMAT. Sure, the headliners may have appealed to fans in their mid-late twenties as opposed to 18-year-olds, but it felt… better this way. Take a candid look at our experience during the first-ever FORMAT Festival.
see photo galleries from the weekend below!
Installation from Shoplifter AKA “the fuzzy forest”
DAY 1
Day 1 of FORMAT began with crossed fingers. Would anyone show up? Would FORMAT be the next Fyre Fest? There were lots of “what if” statements swirling around, and we tackled our first FORMAT experience around 3pm…parking. There was no on-site parking available (honestly a blessing) so a parking lot and shuttles were what the general festival goer had to work with. Shuttles ran every 20min or so, and they were spic, span, n’ sparkling clean! The staff was friendly, too, and the massive Walmart parking lot was under a watchful eye, so we didn’t worry about any funny business going on while we were away at the festival grounds. The drive was scenic and about 15min away and the lines for wristband pick up and security was short- actually, lines at FORMAT were pretty much non-existent.
Once inside the festival grounds, we were met with a beautiful gateway by artist Athen Brandon, an installation that reflected the natural flow of the Ozarks. We made our way to the VIP area (thanks to our press passes!) and grabbed a few complementary Ramble sparkling waters and chatted with their crew- who we grew very fond of over the weekend when we’d pop over for some hydration! The VIP area also had real toilets, Torchy’s tacos, shaded seating, a concierge, and a bar.
After linking back up with our group, we did a peek around the grounds and checked out the beautiful installations and tech-enabled areas like The Cube, a central home for many events over the weekend, and curated by NY-based artist Nicola Vassell and emerging visual artist Uman, to create a multi-level venue for augmented sonic realities, workshops, and performances throughout the weekend. A notable experience at The Cube was Moses Sumney’s “Faux Mo,” a performance utilizing sound object positioning tools in addition to his performance on Saturday at the Main Stage.
Our evening of music started with The Marias, an all- engrossing performance featuring Zardoya’s soft voice and slow, enchanting movements. Next on the main stage was Nile Rodger’s and Chic. The crowd moved and grooved and sang along to a slew of songs produced, composed, or written by the legend himself. Think Chic’s “Le Freak,” Madonna’s "Like a Virgin,” and David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.” The set can only be described as Maximum Funkocity- a phrase that will live permanently in our vocabulary for the rest of forever. As soon as Nile’s set ended, The War on Drugs piped up from the stage next door. One thing we LOVED about this festival was that the sets started right on time, and we didn’t have to walk across the festival grounds to catch the next show. Unlike festivals such as ACL, we didn’t have to choose what headliner to see because the sets didn’t overlap.
All of our 2009 indie dreams came true during Phoenix. It would’ve been categorized into a life-changing experience after the first song (“Listomania”) but FORMAT and Phoenix took it to a new level with a light show towards the end of the set. The cool air and the crowd’s gaze upward made for one of those “core memory” moments as Drone Stories and DRIFT took flight during Phoenix instrumentals. It felt like being in space, watching the stars dance in perfect unison.
After a big “I needed that” sigh and a recoup with the group after Phoenix, we headed across the grounds to what we called “the disco forest” for a lil’ bumpin’ before heading back to our Airbnb. The festival came alive at night. The Cube lit up and looked like a European club, the Drag Me To The Disco Barn was overflowing with people in full-on rave mode, and The Solana House (AKA “metallic tube forest”) pulled in passerbyers with free snacks via crypto-powered digital vouchers. As we got further from the bulk of the festival and closer to nature, we walked through artist James Tapscott’s “Arc: Zero: Nimbus,” a misty entry into Smokey’s, which looked a bit like a burning ring of fire from afar.
Smokey’s, part of the collective Assume Vivid Astro Focus, was a wonderland collaboration of Sao-Paul-based artist Eli Sudbrack and Paris-based Christophe Hamaide-Pierson. We wore ourselves out in what’s best described as a carnivalesque installation of drawings, sculptures, video, and disco, then made our way to the shuttles. Everything had been great so far, but we half expected to be waiting in line for hours to hop on a bus or end up stuck in traffic once we got back to our car. Luckily, we waited about 10 minutes before finding a comfy spot on the shuttle and there was zero traffic making our way out of the lot, and Day 1 of FORMAT ended with a 10/10 rating.
DAY 2
Oooo WEEEE! Day 2 at FORMAT was a beauty. The morning started early but the day’s agenda got us out of bed. After coffee on the back porch and some hip openers (every joint on our bodies ached by 10pm on all three days), we headed out for the first deed of the day! Liz works with lifestyle brand Wicked Hippie, founded by the wife of The Flaming Lips lead singer who happened to be playing later that night at FORMAT, so we took the opportunity to do a festival photoshoot. After putzing around the tour buses, lighting joints, and grabbing some BTS content, we met up with *angel* of a press contact (hey, Cheyenne) before our interview with Palace.
Nothing brings you back into reality than sitting across from one of your favorite bands- ya know, when you’re so close you can see little razor bumps on their chin and hear the silly sounds they make when they mix up their words. After a chat in the artist tent, we popped up from our velvet orange couches and carried on with the day (although crying a lil’ bit would’ve felt more natural).
The time before the headliners start is one of my favorites at festivals, and Saturday’s felt like waltzing around a utopian town. We stopped by the Bizarre Bazaar for mood-enhancing mocktails, swapped stickers with folks, and experienced The Bumby’s for a “fair and honest appraisal of your appearance.” This was such a unique vendor, among others, and absolutely free. The only line we waited in all weekend was well worth it. There were two people in the booth with their eyes, hair, and body covered. The Bumby’s sat in front of typewriters, and for about 3 minutes, typed away on a page, stamped and signed, then passed it to you. No words were ever spoken, just a paper that told us how we’re read by the world.
As the afternoon settled in, we made our way to the main stage to see Palace play. We didn’t think we’d see them perform for the first time in Bentonville Arkansas, but we didn’t mind. It was overcast, a few drops of rain sprinkled down, then it was over. Sometimes sitting with the memory is as exciting as it happening in front of you. As we waited for a rendezvous with our friends, we checked out ‘BR_earth” by smell artist (yes, smell artist) Sissel Tolaas installation which was most definitely referred to as “the HVAC stuff” and acted as a great meeting spot. We spent Day 1 wondering what the odd smell was in that area, not realizing that the HVAC tubes coming from the ground were not “just art,” but this installation of tubes emitted different scents that allowed us to smell what the earth smelt like. Sounds fake- but it’s true! This artist has a background in chemistry, mathematics, and linguistics and allowed festival goers to create an individualized experience through our sense of smell. Odd, but such a unique installation. Whether music, art, or tech, the whole FORMAT experience felt intentional, exclusive, and futuristic.
The vibe really picked up with an exceptional performance by Moses Sumney at sunset. He truly is a work of art, storytelling through his music and movement. Seconds after he finished his set, Queen Elle King started (we really loved the no-waiting between sets) and as the bulk of the crowd from the main stage migrated towards her, she proudly stated how much she loves drinking. Her personality was undeniable and she didn’t even try to play it cool. She is cool. Maybe that’s why, despite her full-on country music, is loved by the indie crowd so much. We booted n’ scooted and cheered for one hell of a lady!
The Flaming Lips started next, a performance that could probably use a whole blog post, but to keep it short…The Lips are The Lips! Lead singer Wayne Coyne started the set with a 7-minute rambling story before a single note of music played. If you know, you know. There was confetti and his space bubble and a giant, inflatable pink robot that loomed overhead. Wayne and The Flaming Lips radiate playfulness and joy and peace. During our shift to the next set, Beach House, we saw the infamous end-of-show balloons: a big ole’ “FUCK YEAH FORMAT FESTIVAL” when we looked over our shoulder.
The indie dream continued with Beach House and an emotionally charged experience. The band stuck to their music throughout the set and remained fairly quiet, but it worked. The lights were dim and the crowd swayed and hummed as a collective. By the time Beach House ended and the Main Stage lit up, Rufus Du Sol was bumpin the tunes like we were in a club. It was a fun way to end a long day, but upon further reflection, it definitely sounded like one continuous song. Are we mad? Absolutely not! The crowd ate up every beat and we finished another day of FORMAT Fest on a high note.
Smokey’s (“the disco forest”)
Drag Me To The Disco Host Maddy Morphosis
Day 3
We were definitely feeling the Libra New Moon by day 3 and the union between our inner and outer selves was truly *transformative.* We took our time getting to the festival and snagged a spot in the crowd to see our first performance of the day, The Lemon Twigs. As soon as brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario took their positions, the stage was immediately filled with character, style, and fussy, baroque energy.
Before heading to the artist village for an interview with the D’Addario’s, we popped over to see Genesis Owusu. We were unfamiliar with his music beforehand but felt emotionally connected to him by the end. A notable moment that afternoon was the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Drumline x Jline performance. All at once, festival-goers gathered around the trail of students with drum gear followed by a handful of Nick Cave’s Soundsuits. It was beautiful to watch, and the performance added a very personal and real element to the festival experience.
The remainder of the afternoon was relaxing- we plopped down on the grass and listened to Herbie Hancock absolutely shred, enhanced our mood, and headed to the Drag Me to The Disco Barn for Disko Cowboy. The Disco Barn was a colorful installation curated by Toilet Paper Magazine’s creators and made for the perfect photo booth. We found ourselves at the Disco Barn multiple times throughout the weekend and loved how it was a hotspot for music and dancing at all times of the day.
As the sun started to set on Day 3, we fUnkeD oUt to Jungle at the main stage. The crowd was wild, the music was bumpin, and no one could convince us that it wasn't a core memory moment for every person on the festival grounds. We dipped out a bit early for a chat with Disko Cowboy (PS did you know cowboys get nervous?), then funk continued on when Thundercat took the stage. The bass made our bodies shake to the core, but honestly, it was much better-seeing Thundercat this time around. For context, the last show of his we went to was so bass-heavy that we felt it in our bowels and had to leave early. A this point, it was also getting quite crisp outside (dropped about 25 degrees) so we were ready to hop back into the crowd and get some body heat for the last headliner of the festival.
With an undeniable groove, Khruangbin's performance was a psychedelic fusion so incredibly unique to them. With inspiration from Thai funk, Jamaican reggae, Asian pop, and your classic, groovy, 60’s vibes, the band had everyone in a sort of trance, and we caught ourselves bopping and nodding and swaying our hips without a *damn* care in the world. By the end of their set, we were ready to sleep off the weekend and rest our bones, almost as excited to share our experience as we were to be there. Sunday night at FORMAT was the sweet spot between “this is so wonderful and I never want to leave” and “I’m so tired and my body hurts.” We’re so grateful to have had such a wonderful experience, and looking forward to next year!