Terry Allen grew up in Lubbock, put out the landmark album Lubbock (on everything) in 1979, and has spent five decades building a second career as a visual artist with work in the Met, MoMA, and LACMA. This month, Texas Tech’s Presidential Lecture&Performance Series brings him back home for two nights on October 22nd and 23rd, and both shows are built to be completely different.
The first night is“Truckload of Art”at the Maedgen Theatre. That’s Allen and his wife Jo Harvey Allen in a format built around stories, spoken word, and conversation, joined by Bukka Allen, Richard Bowden, and biographer Brendan Greaves, with Lubbock musician and writer Andy Wilkinson moderating. The second night shifts gears entirely:“Memwars”at the Allen Theatre with the full Panhandle Mystery Band, featuring Charlie Sexton, Richard Bowden, Bale Allen, Bukka Allen, Lloyd Maines, and Davis McLarty. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Friday, and the performance starts at 7.
There’s a nice local thread here beyond the music. Texas Tech houses the Terry and Jo Harvey Allen archive and the Allen Center for Creative Studies, so the university isn’t just hosting this homecoming, it’s preserving the work that led to it. For anyone within driving distance of the Hub City, this is a rare chance to see the stories and the songs in the same weekend.
Which night would you pick: the conversation or the full band? Let us know in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.