One year ago, a conspicuous cuboid building opened on Missouri Ave just off of I-10 West as a convenient rest stop for touring musicians traveling through the southwest. Offering guests a thoughtful curation of healthy snacks, high-quality toiletries and exquisite amenities free-of-charge, Outpost has hosted more than 200 traveling bands since its inception. Outpost is the brainchild of the co-founders behind the Participation Agency—a New York-based experiential and design agency known for delivering innovative solutions.
President Ruthie Schulder and creative director Jessica Resler met while studying business at NYU. The 2 decided to launch the Participation Agency in 2011 and devoted much of their work to the music industry. “In all the years of working with musicians, we really found that one of their biggest pain points is traveling and being on tour, and yet it’s the most important thing they have to do to survive as a musician,” said Resler. The PA offered Outpost as the solution and, after scouting out the city, the co-founders decided to launch the first of 5 locations in El Paso.
Resler said the decision was pretty easy: “[El Paso] is such a weird, vibey town. There’s cool, young entrepreneurs who are doing things. We met a bunch of people right off the bat who were really warm and welcoming to the idea.” With the community behind it, Outpost opened its doors and has hosted the likes of Blackbear, GoldLink, Magic Giant, Waterparks, Tiger Army, Chelsea Wolfe and more over the year.
Marisol McNeil and Caroline Vázquez are the manager and assistant manager, respectively. Together these 2 manage the day-to-day operations at the Outpost. Though most days are spent accommodating the guests, Vázquez and McNeil collaborate with incoming artists, local bands and local brands to put on concerts, pop-up shops and more for the public every month. “We are working endlessly to do a lot of really cool events, especially to benefit the local scene in El Paso,” Vázquez said. They spread the word about upcoming events on social media using #OutpostCity.
Outpost is shaking things up in Sun City. “It’s bringing the community into something that’s new and interacting [fans] with artists,” said McNeil. The goal is to put the city on the main stage, so to speak. Resler added, “We’ve already routed hundreds of musicians into El Paso. We want to help drive out thousands, and instead of El Paso being a stop-through, we want it to be a destination.”
more info: outpost.city
