Ballroom Marfa Gets Props from Esquire

Although Esquire gets it a little twisted, the sentiment is right on. In their recent 2007 ESKY Awards, the Magazine recognizes Ballroom Marfa as:

Best Music Venue in a Vast, Arid Expanse:

Ballroom Marfa. This middle-of-nowhere west-Texas venue (in the unlikely and much-lauded art center Marfa) has become a must-stop for musicians like Patty Griffin, Jeff Tweedy, Yo La Tengo, and Spoon, who have all recently played the eighty-year-old dance hall's ambitious and eclectic music series.

For all the winners, go here.

Marfa Underwater in 1920

Two great original photos of Marfa from 1920 have recently surfaced on eBay. This tertiary function of eBay is often overlooked. I have no interest in buying these photos, but to see them is amazing. Before eBay, these photos would have only been seen by a few as they collected dust in an antique shop's glass case or passed from one collector to another unseen by the rest of us.

The photos themselves are educational and beautiful in addition to being valuable. Bidding ends in about 7 days. You can view the photos in the Marfa.Org Gallery or take a look at the auction here.

The auction may be over (@ $102.00!), but the images remain in our Gallery.

The Marfa.Org ®@ŋd¤m‡zЄ®

La Entrada planners fault opponents' 'scare tactics'
[MyWestTexas.com] "MOTRAN President James Beauchamp said Friday that the Big Bend Sierra Club and its supporters are trying to stop the plan with these falsehoods, among others: That numerous Midlanders will profit and "are spending millions" to promote the project; That the pristine environments of Marfa and Alpine will be destroyed by "thousands" of trucks rumbling through their downtown areas; That the commercial traffic will threaten the Big Bend's populace and bucolic lifestyle by "carrying in disease and drugs." "If you read a lot of things coming out, particularly with the Alpine group, there are tremendous inaccuracies," Beauchamp said. "They've accused us of spending millions lobbying and if you look at MOTRAN since its inception 14 years ago, I don't think you could add up $1 million or even get close..."

Leisha Hailey’s Hangin’ in La Cucina
[Windy City Media Group] "While Leisha Hailey has earned raves for her delightful portrayal of neurotic bisexual radio host Alice Pieszecki on Showtime’s The L Word, she’s been spending more time between seasons working on music (the onetime member of The Murmurs has her own label, Marfa Records ) than on other acting gigs. But finally, the actress-rocker-pitchwoman is putting her dramatic talent to uses for another project—and it’s not Yoplait: The Musical. Hailey is set to join supermodel Rachel Hunter, Joaquim de Almeida ( Desperado ) , and Oz Perkins ( Anthony’s son ) in La Cucina, an indie from first-time directors Allison R. Hebble and Zed Starkovich. No word yet on the plot of the movie, which is still in pre-production, but it’s definitely good news for those of us who want more Leisha in our lives."

Amazing Photos of the 1920 Marfa Flood [ebay]
Chihuahua: La Entrada’s Coming Someday, But by Rail [BBS]
Past April Fool's Day Hoax: The Miller Lites

Slow news days lately... unless you're Don Imus.

Stop La Entrada

Thanks ayechihuahua. More ayechihuahua photos on Flickr.