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.