Party Ends

   Of all the myriad reasons that it would be cool to move to Marfa, TX, the fact that they ship in top notch musicians from all over the world to do intimate shows in their little non-profit venue Ballroom Marfa is right up there with the awe inspiring vistas, Prada Marfa, the 400 thread count tightness of the local arts scene, the low rent, and the Marfa Lights.

   At the beginning of the year, John and I took a vacation with our lovely ladies down to the little town in the middle of the desert and were pretty much completely taken in by it. You have to expect trade offs for living in a place like Marfa, but one thing you don't have to give up is good live music. While the shows are farther between than in a major city, the resident crazy rich peoples (who happen to have very good taste) bring in world class acts the likes of Jeff Tweedy, and Animal Collective. These performances do bring in some outside viewers who are inclined to drive the 8+ hours from the nearest major city, but half of all the tickets are reserved for sale only in town.

   Ballroom Marfa has put together some really clean sounding, solid recordings of performances from some of their better acts to listen to on their web site. Including more acoustically inclined songs by performers like Jenny Lewis and Joanna Newsome, there is also some rather opposite tunes by bands like Ghostland Observatory (who's show was Dj'd by none other than my good friend Chris- of Car Stereo (Wars) ), Tacks, the Boy Disaster, and Yo Le Tengo. So go check out the site, buy some cool-ass flat-stock prints, or a tee-shirt, and make your next vacation a show in Marfa.

Stream: Various Artists - Ballroom Marfa