I stumbled back into the house after Austin Blues Party shortly after 4 a.m. on Monday morning. In the preceding seventy-nine hours, I had danced for approximately twenty-four (including three and a half hours deejaying), taken almost eleven hours of classes, and slept for around fifteen hours (including several short afternoon naps), and had an incredible time. It's been almost a week, and I'm not recovered yet - although that probably has something to do with deejaying at Kick Butt Blues last night until just this side of two in the morning, too.

My live dj gigs have suddenly picked up considerably for the next few weeks - I'll be spinning at events next Friday and Saturday (the latter in College Station) and the following Thursday and Saturday. I intend to keep updating the Shack with new playlists roughly on a weekly basis - but if I fall behind in the next few weeks, it's because of these gigs.

And, speaking of playlists, I've put a new one up in the Shack. Because of all the fabulous dancers I met last weekend - locals who were new to the blues scene and visitors from across the country - I decided to break with my pattern and do another all-Texas set. I'm all about spreading the word about local music, and our musical heritage; and also, anything that helps persuade out-of-town dancers to return is a good thing.

This set again focuses primarily on the blues, stretching from early artists Blind Willie Johnson and Lightnin' Hopkins up to the present day. There's a little bit of soul, courtesy of southern soul man Joe Tex and soul/blues crossover artists like W.C. Clark and Ruthie Foster, and just a bit of gospel. I've also added in some roots music, because it's next to impossible for me to think about Texas music without artists like Steve Earle, Guy Clark, and, especially, Ray Wylie Hubbard, so many of whose songs are about local people and places. Don't mind Ray's surliness in "Screw You, We're From Texas" - we really do like those of y'all from out of state; it's just his way of reminding you that we think we're a little bit different down here. One day perhaps I'll do an all-Texas roots show so I can send out some James McMurtry, Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez, Eliza Gilkyson, and their like; but until then, well, maybe you just ought to come down to Austin and hear them playing around town.

Here's the new set list; I hope you dig it:

1. Blind Willie Johnson - When The War Was On (3:01)
2. Boxcar Preachers - Can't Get That Stuff No Mo' (3:04)
3. Lightnin' Hopkins - That Mean Old Twister (3:09)
4. Asylum Street Spankers - Deep Ellum Blues (4:55)
5. Preacher Lee Graves - I'm from Texas (2:02)
6. Seth Walker - Love's Not The Problem (3:32)
7. Ray Wylie Hubbard - Name Droppin' (3:31)
8. Guy Forsyth - Don't Turn Me In (5:14)
9. Papa Mali - Walk on Guilded Splinters (9:49)
10. Marcia Ball - Watermelon Time (4:04)
11. Delbert McClinton - Going Back to Louisiana (4:31)
12. Freddie King - Living on the Highway (4:16)
13. W.C. Clark - Get Out Of My Life, Woman (3:27)
14. Ruthie Foster - Heal Yourself (4:31)
15. Susan Tedeschi - Security (2:56)
16. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Cold Shot (4:01)
17. Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown - Cross My Heart (3:13)
18. Nick Curran - I'll Be Around (2:37)
19. Gary Clark, Jr - Sick Feelin' Blues (5:31)
20. Guy Clark - Dublin Blues (4:29)
21. Guy Forsyth - Adam's Rib (5:27)
22. Seth Walker - Sun Down (4:00)
23. Andrew "Smokey" Hogg - Dirty Mistreater (2:37)
24. Lightnin' Hopkins - My Baby's Gone (2:45)
25. Imperial Golden Crown Harmonizers - Downward Road (5:37)
26. Ray Wylie Hubbard - Screw You, We're from Texas (4:01)
27. Johnny Winter - My Time After Awhile (6:16)
28. Lyle Lovett - My Baby Don't Tolerate (3:42)
29. Susan Tedeschi - You Got the Silver (2:52)
30. Janis Joplin - Ego Rock (Album Version) (8:00)
31. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Life by the Drop (2:27)
32. Malford Milligan - Can't go On (3:37)
33. LZ Love & Lightning Red - Wang Dang Doodle (5:05)
34. Ruthie Foster - Death Came a Knockin' (Travelin' Shoes) (3:36)
35. Joe Tex - Papa Was Too (Original) (3:01)
36. W.C. Clark - Soul Kind of Loving (3:05)
37. Omar and The Howlers - Snake Oil Doctor (6:10)
38. Pinetop Perkins - Chains Of Love (With Ruth Brown) (6:32)
39. Marcia Ball - Peace, Love & BBQ (4:05)
40. Gary Clark, Jr - Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong (4:18)
41. Lou Ann Barton - One Good Man (5:21)
42. Asylum Street Spankers - Summertime (6:20)
43. Steve Earle - Tom Ames' Prayer (3:22)

(Texas 2)