not so bad waking up to this, eh?

I’ve just returned from West Texas from a long Easter weekend for the Railroad Revival Tour. Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, and Old Crow Medicine Show performed at Marfa’s El Cosmico as part of a six city tour along the railroad.

To sum up the experience in one word, it was Marfabulous. Is that a word? It is now.

I’ve been traveling to Marfa and West Texas for the past year, thanks to my friend John Demers. And this trip I managed to talk about 10 of my friends into making the trip with me. A little bribery of amazing bands didn’t hurt.

I had a great time showing them around Marfa and West Texas. We drove down to the border and did the River Road trip through Presidio County, Terlingua, and Lajitas. After making this trip 4 times I’m still in awe of the beauty of our great state, even in the midst of a drought. I’m convinced more than ever that we live in the greatest state of our nation, and I am lucky to have shared these experiences will some awesome peeps.

I’ll be posting some videos later this week of the amazing music performances.

I didn’t take as many photos this time, but here are a select few from me:

Flickr

Tumblr

Instagram

And a Flickr group from our group of peeps: Marfa Bound

As usual, while I am in Marfa, I’m always planning my next trip back. Won’t you come along on the next trip?

So here are a few stories in pictures.

Marfa: http://www.flickr.com/photos/metropolitician/sets/72157625437236927/

Marathon, TX + Gage Hotel: http://www.flickr.com/photos/metropolitician/sets/72157625449825055/

La Loma del Chivo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/metropolitician/sets/72157625437236927/

Hope you enjoy.

If you’re a reader of this blog, it’s no surprise that my most alive moment of 2010 was in Marfa, TX. Thinking back on the past year, many of my favorite moments occurred there and throughout parts of West Texas. I’ll never forget 2010 as the year I decided to make this West Texas town part of my life.

I had the privilege earlier this year, of working with Bright Sky Press author, and good friend, John Demers. John has been traveling to Marfa over the last few years and has published a series of murder mystery tales that take place in Marfa, Big Bend and along the Mexico border. As part of promotion for the book, we took two groups of journalists to the tiny western town to experience the atmosphere John describes in his books.

I had heard about Marfa for years. As a buzz word in the Houston arts community, I had always been curious about the town and was excited to get to travel to see what everyone was talking about. I really had no idea what to expect, and now, thinking back, I wouldn’t have even be able to prepare for what I discovered.

It was magical. And I’ve been unable to find the description that does my trip justice since then.

The juxtaposition of Donald Judd’s minimalist, cold, concrete structures sitting in a pasture with farm animals; the quiet, sleepy, lazy main street; the character-like locals who all seemed to turn up at every spot at the exact right time like some Truman Show scene; the striking beauty of the hard and dangerous Presidio County border towns.

I still can’t describe it. But all I know is I think of it often, like after your first kiss. You’re so curious, you can’t believe it took you this long to discover, and can’t wait to do it again.

I felt most alive in 2010, returning to Marfa for a second time in May, sitting in a window, atop the Courthouse, overlooking Highland Ave. John was speaking to the journalists in the background, but all I kept thinking was how lucky I was to be staring off for miles into a small town where no one knew my name, and no one cared how many Twitter followers I had, and how forward I was looking to getting lost in my thoughts over the next few days.

This feeling has stuck with me since that day. I strive to get it back. I’m actually returning in a few days with John to fix up his new place there, and can’t wait.

You’ll no doubt be hearing much more on Marfa in the #reverb10 recaps, as it was such a special memory of 2010 for me.

More of my Marfa photos here.

Blog posts from first two trips here.

Less pics this time, more enjoying things with my own eyes. Here are a few of the trip thus far.

New stuff this time includes Austin Street Cafe and Pizza Foundation. John’s cooking dinner at Q Wine Bar tonight and we’re attending a Star Watching Party at El Cosmico.

More later. More Marfa.

prada marfa

Hotel Paisano

katherine. laura. jenny.

[full set here]

Texas Pie Company, Kyle, TX

Laura and I were celebrating the 1 year anniversary of both of our blind leaps into the world of entrepreneurship. Last April 15th, both Laura and I quit our corporate jobs, and headed into a world of the unknown. And neither of us has looked back since.

The last year has been a blast, to say the least. It’s taken me from Soho in NYC to SLC in UT. On a road trip across the country, working on the campaign of our next Texas Governor, and meeting countless number of new friends and clients. Whew. It feels like it’s been 5 years.

At our recent Block Party with my partners, Primer Grey, we installed a quote on the bathroom wall, just visible as you glance in the mirror. “Are you where you’d hoped to be ten years ago.”

I’m not sure how many people can answer this questions with an honest “Yes.” But I know I’m lucky to be one of them.

—

I’m unpacking tonight, and re-packing for Marfa, TX in the morning. I’ll be taking a group of media to the sleepy west Texas town on a press junket as part of promotion for John Demers novel, Marfa Shadows.

I’m not sure if I even remember where I thought I’d be a year from today, but I’m pretty sure the answer wasn’t Marfa, TX.  Wonder where I’ll be headed April 15, 2011?

Triple Threat

One thing I always like to do before a long trip to a big city, is subscribe to a few local arts and events newsletters a few weeks out. This helps me figure out local, non-touristy things to do in the city, and they usually have free or cheap events to boot. This trip I subscribed to Gothamist‘s GothamList and New York Thrillist.

I found the GothamList much more helpful and full of cheap and free events for that day. Thursday morning  I awoke to the issue in my inbox that featured Marfa NYC, a Texas BBQ joint in the East Village. Perf! So we made plans for later to visit Marfa and check out how it stacked up to Texas BBQ.

The newsletter also notified us that the cast of the hit TV show, Glee, would be singing Christmas Carols at Bryant Park from noon-2pm. We didn’t have any real plans for the day, so we took this as our cue and headed uptown to Bryant Park. Maggie is apparently a HUGE Glee fan, and this excited her to no end. We stayed long enough to catch a glimpse of the tops of their heads, grabbed lunch in the Park, I spilled down a set of stairs (which wouldn’t be that last time in the trip), and we headed to our first of about 749 H&Ms.

I pretty much zone out while in H&M, I’m honestly not a huge shopper, but there is something about H&M that hypnotizes me. So, I was surprised that I heard my phone ring when my Aunt Antonette called. I answered as we walked out the door towards Macy’s on Broadway a few blocks away. My aunt explained to me that my Uncle Tommy was sitting there at her hair salon, she had seen on Facebook that I was in New York and told my Uncle Tommy. He excitedly told her that my Aunt Mary and cousin Adriane, his wife and daughter, and 2 of my closest cousins were also in NYC that week! I hung up the phone to call my Aunt just as we were walking into Macy’s.

“Mary Moratto! I’m in New York, where are you?!”

“What?! I’m in Macy’s!”

“What? Me, too!”

“No way! NO WAY!”

“Yes, I’m on the 2nd floor.”

“Stay put, I’m coming up!”

Carlo's Bake Shop, home of Cake Boss!

So just like that, I ran into my Aunt and cousin in the middle of Macy’s in New York City. Tiny, tiny world.

We shopped a bit in Macy’s and started to make out way to the Path to pick up tickets for Saturday’s show in Hoboken.  I had excitedly bought my ticket to the Brendan Benson/Cory Chisel show weeks prior, and had encouraged (multiple times over) Maggie and Stef to do the same. Unfortunately, they stopped selling tickets online the week of the show, which meant us going to the venue in Hoboken to pick them up. Le sigh!

So we headed for Hoboken. I have a funny little love affair with the little city of Hoboken. One which my ex-roommate David would be happy to tell you all about. Hoboken is just a Subway stop away from Manhattan, and I have lots of friends who live or have lived there. It’s been years since I had been back, so I was actually looking forward to it.

When we arrived at the venue, Maxwell’s {10th and Washington}, they informed us that we’d have to walk down to the record store where they were selling tickets. 2nd le sigh.

We enthusiastically arrived at the record store to an uninterested employee who seemed to get a kick out of telling us the show was sold out. 3rd and final le sigh.

I looked at Stef and Maggie who apparently thought I was going to kill them. And believe me, I was close. I threatened to go to the show without them, and I wasn’t kidding. We decided to give Craig’s List a try and see what we came up with. But I was not gonna miss this show.

On our way back to the Path, we walked down Washington Ave. and visited a few boutiques. One in particular we dropped some bones at was Jesse James {503 Washington Ave. + 95 Greenwich Ave.}.  Maggie founds tons of adorable dresses (well, most dresses are adorable when you’re a size 4), and I found some super cute infinity scarves. I have a scarf addition. And I was totally high in that shop.

Marfa, East Village

As we continued down the street, I could tell Stef was hesitant for me to check out the bakery to our left. In an instant I realized it was Carlo’s Bake Shop! From the TLC show Cake Boss! I knew it was in Hoboken but I had no idea it was on Washington Ave.! Maggie and I excitedly ran in, while our resident Jersey Girl Stef joking rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t going to tell you!”

Maggie and I ordered sweets from the shop and asked if Buddy was around, but he had apparently left for the day. I immediately called my Mom, as she’s a big fan of the show, and we bought a dozen assorted cookies.  I had a vanilla cupcake with chocolate icing and it was incredible!

After our Hoboken journey, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner at Marfa. On our way back to the hotel, while walking down Jane street in the West Village, 2 men and a kid passed us on the street. We all 3 looked at each other, looked back at him, and in a hushed scream, “ROD STEWART?!” Yep, we walked right past Rod Stewart who was strolling on the block of our hotel. Maggie begged us to let her ask him to take a picture, seeing as he wrote a song about her, but Stef and I said no. We burst her bubble, and continued on. I called mom again, this time to tell her of our Rod Stewart sighting. She jealously remarked. STOP CALLING ME. (pout.)

That night we headed to Marfa {101 E. 2nd Street} for margaritas and BBQ. The food was fantastic. We got the El Cheapo platter which included ribs, wings, beans, and brisket and a side of mac & cheese. We loved the in house made Mango BBQ sauce. The margaritas weren’t tasty, but they were strong. One outta two ain’t bad.

After dinner we walked over to Puck Fair for a few drinks and to visit our resident bartender, John, before continuing the late night at Swift Bar {34 E 4th Street}, then late, late night at the Red Lion {151 Bleecker}.  You’ll notice the details get sparse here. Our goal for the night was to stay out ’til 4am. I wish I could remember if we accomplished it. Which I think means we accomplished it.

Coming up: Rockefeller Center, MoMA, Jimmy’s Corner, the fabulous Julie Gomez, China Town, more of the east village, and 16 Candles? Stay tuned.