Terry Allen (seated, center) with his Panhandle Mystery Band. Photo by Gabriel C. Pérez/KUTX.
Terry Allen grew up in Lubbock, Texas and got out of there as fast as he could, but Lubbock never left him. It’s there in his music, countrified tales of small town life with big ideas and even bigger emotional stakes. It’s there in his visual art, that drier-than-the-Panhandle sense of humor. Allen is a true Texas original who’s collaborated with David Byrne and the Flatlanders, while his art has sauntered into the collections of MoMA, the Met, and The Contemporary Austin.
This week on My KUTX, Allen returns to his roots for an autobiographical guest DJ set, playing music that’s soundtracked his long, strange road trip through life: Bo Diddley’s rhythmic rambling, Bobby Darin’s “Martian” sound, X’s punk rock chaos, and more. Hear My KUTX on Saturday, January 20, 6-7 p.m., or listen anytime at the bottom of the page.
–Art Levy // producer, My KUTX
Playlist:
[intro music: Terry Allen – “Amarillo Highway”]
1. Elvis Presley – “Milkcow Blues Boogie”
2. Bo Diddley – “Bo Diddley”
3. Chuck Berry – “Memphis, Tennessee”
4. Bobby Darin – “Mack The Knife”
5. Judy Collins – “Pirate Jenny”
6. Bob Dylan – “Walls Of Red Wing”
7. Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Run Through The Jungle”
8. Little Feat – “Feats Don’t Fail Me Now” (Live)
9. Captain Beefheart – “The Dust Blows Forward ‘n the Dust Blows Back”
10. Talking Heads – “Life During Wartime” (Live)
11. The Velvet Underground – “Jesus”
12. X – “Johnny Hit & Run Pauline”
13. Chavela Vargas – “Volver, Volver”
