Tonight in Lubbock: Terry Allen, Randy Travis + your weekend guide

Our first Thursday guide: Blue October, local stages, weekend picks and a Monday songwriter night.

Lubbock Live Music Scene

Your Thursday Guide to the Weekend

Issue #1 • October 22–25, 2026 • Lubbock, Texas

Welcome to Lubbock Live Music Scene’s first weekly guide. Every Thursday, we’ll help you find a show, discover a local performer and make a night of it.

We’re arriving a little later than planned for our debut, but there’s still music ahead tonight: Terry Allen begins a two-night Texas Tech homecoming, and Randy Travis brings the More Life Tour to Buddy Holly Hall. Beyond the big stages, this weekend has plenty of neighborhood music worth hearing.

Terry Allen Comes Home to Lubbock for Two Nights at Texas Tech

Terry Allen returns to Lubbock for two very different nights at Texas Tech.

Thursday’s Truckload of Art at Maedgen Theatre blends music, stories and conversation.

Friday’s Memwars at the Allen Theatre brings out the full Panhandle Mystery Band, including Lubbock’s own Lloyd Maines.

Why it matters: Allen did not merely come from Lubbock — he helped turn West Texas itself into art.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. both nights, with programs beginning at 7 p.m.

What’s Happening This Weekend

Thursday, October 22 • Start tonight

Two smaller-stage options:

Reese Payton — Escondido Grill, 6–8:30 p.m.
Bo Garza Duo — Cotton Court, 7–10 p.m.

Pair dinner with live music, or pick a room you haven’t visited lately. Terry Allen’s Thursday program begins at 7 p.m.; Randy Travis begins at 7:30 p.m. — see the stories above.

Friday, October 23 • Make a night of it

Joe Treviño — River Smith’s, 6:30–8:30 p.m.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly — Cotton Court, 7–10 p.m.
Shelby Stone with The Moonhowlers — The Blue Light, doors at 8 p.m. Venue details.

Terry Allen’s Memwars begins at 7 p.m. at Texas Tech’s Allen Theatre, while Blue October takes the Buddy Holly Hall stage at 8 p.m. Read the Blue October feature below.

Saturday, October 24 • Explore another stage

Mark & The Mrs. — Escondido Grill, 6–9 p.m.
Steve Williams and Cary Banks — Triple J, 6:30–9:30 p.m.
Marco’s Crew — Cotton Court, 7–10 p.m.
Nether Hour — The Blue Light, doors at 8 p.m. Venue details.

A familiar performer can be a good reason to return; an unfamiliar name can be a good reason to try somewhere new.

Sunday, October 25 • Leave room for a jam

502 Open Mic — Two Docs Brewing Co., 6–9 p.m.
Open Jam — Lone Star Oyster Bar, 10 p.m.

These are participatory music sessions, rather than billed concerts. If you want to perform, check with the host about sign-ups and equipment before heading over.

Find Your Next Show

These are selected picks from the Lubbock live-music calendar, checked October 22. All times are Central; Blue Light times above are doors, not confirmed set times. Check the venue for changes, admission and age requirements before heading out.

Blue October Brings Foiled Back to Lubbock 20 Years Later

Blue October returns to Lubbock Friday night with a show built around the album that changed the band’s career.

The Houston-bred group will perform Foiled in full at Buddy Holly Hall as part of its 20th Anniversary World Tour.

The record produced enduring favorites including “Hate Me,” “Into the Ocean” and “She’s My Ride Home.”

For longtime fans, this is less a greatest-hits stop than a chance to revisit one defining album from beginning to end.

Doors open at 7 p.m. Friday, October 23, with the show beginning at 8 p.m.