Love Town
I walked into my townhouse last Thursday to be greeted by my roommates and two strangers. To my surprise they were very friendly strangers who really made me feel at home, in my own home! And they didn’t remain strangers for long… Turns out they have a pretty crazy back story. They have been driving cross country in a Tesla filming for their new YouTube series, Love Town. As they sat on my couch, they were responding back to the reactions from their first video that they had dropped that day. Wild!
So let me introduce you to my new friends Rocket and Marshall and the adventure they’re currently embarking on:
Hi! I’m Rocket – I’m originally from SoCal but I went to the Putney School and Middlebury College, which meant I got to spend a lucky ten years in Vermont. I’m a multimedia conceptual artist: basically that means I’m constantly tinkering on funky art projects that range from photographing trash bins and urinals to writing/filming an Elon Musk-themed rap video (which we got him to watch!). IG: @lovetownrocket
Marshall Hodge is a charming boy from Madison, Mississippi. Obviously I (Rocket) am somewhat biased in my assessment of Marsh, but I can definitely say that most people comment on how sweet he is. My friends call him “Sweet Boy Marshall”. Marsh’s only 21, but has already lived quite the exciting life including living on Hawaii as a freelance filmmaker, road tripping from Florida to Alaska living in the trunk of his Prius, and most recently making videos in LA for the YouTube channel Yes Theory. IG: @marshall_hodge
These guys encompass the term dynamic duo so I was very curious as to how they met:
A lot of people are surprised to learn that Marshall and I only met earlier this year, in March 2019. One of our mutual best friends (@alanchinart) is a world-class artist who was doing a collaboration at Yes Theory’s new house, where Marshall lived. I’d stop by to hang out and Marsh and I instantly became best friends, which we’d both say has been one of the best things ever.
What is Love Town? And what do you hope to share with viewers and fans?
This name randomly popped up in my head a few years ago when I saw this big ugly bridge in the center of Middlebury, VT. I imagined it being beautifully painted to say “Love Town”. That led me to thinking, “Wouldn’t it be cool to be from a place called Love Town?” and “What is Love Town?”. I’ve decided that Love Town is a figurative place that anyone can be from, and that to be from Love Town means to live a life in pursuit of love. (Love here defined as aspiration or passion, not necessarily the more limited, romantic interpretation.) While we’re certainly a far cry from perfect at this, Marshall and I aspire to live a life where our decisions are led by love – always moving towards something (rather than being driven away). Love Town!
The goal of our channel is to share stories in pursuit of the greatest, dopest, most authentic versions of ourselves. What obstacles – parental expectations, cultural norms, personal fears – do we have to overcome to find our truest selves? We’re inviting our fans, Love Townies (Love Towners?), to embark on their own journeys!
They live, travel, and work from Rocket’s Tesla Model X and I wanted to know more on how they manage their space:
A lot of people marvel that we spend so much time together in such a confined space, but Marshall and I manage it with almost no conflict. The secret is simple: we’re totally honest. There’s no inherent judgement or attack in the way we express ourselves. We simply speak our minds and try our best to give each other the space and respect that the other needs. Beyond that, we spend a lot of our days working or exploring separately and, most of all, we really love each other and simply get along well. <3
In their first video, Rocket talks about the “soul force” which caught my attention so I asked him to elaborate:
I love that language is a living, morphing process because I often feel it needs improvement to capture new feelings or ideas. Soul force is another phrase I came up with to describe the energy or charisma that each individual has within themselves to exert in the world. That energy, vibe, etc. has the potential to shape or create a positive response from the people around them. That’s what I call soul force.
Any bucket list items you hope to check off along your journey?
I have some NSFW bucket list items that are probably not best published (hehe), but otherwise I’ve had a pretty exciting and full life so just happily bumping along. Marshall says he’s taking life as it comes and is excited for any twists or adventures it brings on the way. I’d like to see him date/experience a serious romantic relationship at some point. The women I’ve loved and who’ve loved me easily taught me more than any of my years of foolish male stumbling, so I wish that love and those lessons for my (big) little brother Marsh.
To follow along with their adventure check out, subscribe, and like their YouTube Channel here
(All photos and responses were sent in by Rocket ?)