Ames gets ample vibe-curation time with Far Out Fest, created alongside Brianne O’Neill. The festival draws musicians and visual artists from around the country, and along with offering psychedelic music, art installations, and more (Far Out’s second iteration, hosted earlier this year, featured an accompanying film festival at Third Man Records), the team also uses the event to promote the potential healing properties of properly used psychedelic substances. Ames says they’ll introduce a recycling component to the festival in 2019, too.
”Since Far Out Fest is run primarily by women, we’re tuned in to the hospitality vibe really hard,” she says. ”We really try to make it worthwhile for the guests and make the venues really happy, but also treat the artists really well. From my time in the music industry, I’ve seen a lot of mistreatment of artists. I’m really trying to bring a platform to all of these people.”
Ames also donates five percent of her real estate commission earnings to Tennessee Teens Rock Camp, which she says ”encourages kids to be themselves,” and reminds her to ”destroy the cool,” a catchphrase the camp uses to encourage teens to follow their passions without fear of how others might perceive them.
”I don’t like dealing with people who are too cool for school,” Ames says. ”I like people who are authentic and genuine and passionate, and aren’t acting like you’ve been bestowed with a gift from God by having their presence as part of your event. I don’t dig that.”