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PODCAST

HWY 261

KZSM / Jason Woolery

Co-hosts Jason Woolery (aka The Reverend) and Sterling Finlay spend an hour each week interviewing artists, telling stories, and playing songs that are connected to the state of Texas in one way or another. The show explores multiple genres of music, and the hosts often have their on-air guests help select the music played during that week"s show.

music music history

All Episodes

59:23

HWY 261 (07-18-25) Cheatham St. Warehouse Class of...

HWY 261 ·

2025/07/18

Sterling is returning from a recording session in Nashville Friday, so The Rev is broadcasting solo in the booth again this week. Today's episode focuses on the Cheatham Street Warehouse "Class of '87" group of singer-songwriters, that is, half a dozen young artists who frequented Kent Finlay's Songwriters Circle at Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos, TX in 1987 and went on to make names for themselves in the music industry. All six of the "Class of '87" artists are represented on today's show:

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01:00:10

HWY 261 (07-11-25) Young Songwriters: Dylan Rhys &...

HWY 261 ·

2025/07/11

The Rev is hosting solo in the booth this week as Sterling heads to Port A to play a gig with Dallas Burrow tonight at The Gaff. Guest artists today are a couple of the participants in this year's Young Songwriters Workshop, an annual program put on by Cheatham Street Music Foundation and held at The Redbird Listening Room in New Braunfels, TX (a venue owned by Dallas Burrow and family). Students this year worked with artists Missoula Slim, Melissa Engleman, Sammy Wells (of The Trips), Hank Weaver,

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59:51

HWY 261 (07-04-25) Songs About Social Issues, Songs...

HWY 261 ·

2025/07/04

On this July 4th episode, The Rev and Sterling play songs about social issues and songs of protest, but because of an overnight deluge in the hill country, the first quarter hour is dedicated to sending our best to our neighbors who are dealing with flooding issues. The show begins with SRV playing Texas Flood and Couldn't Stand the Weather. After the first promo, the focus shifts to songs about social issues and songs of protest. Tracks included three covers from the late Victor Holk (Kill the

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01:00:02

HWY 261 (06-27-25) Lynn Crossett's 3rd visit to HWY...

HWY 261 ·

2025/06/27

This week The Reverend and Sterling welcome Lynn Crossett back into the KZSM booth for his 3rd time as our guest. His new album, Autumn to August has just been released; produced by the great Lloyd Maines, the album is fantastic, and Lynn plays a couple of the songs (the title track & Coulda Been the Wine) live in the studio during this week's episode. The Rev and Sterling also plug the upcoming Young Songwriters Workshop that the Rev directs annually at The Redbird Listening Room in New

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55:49

HWY 261 (06-13-25) Texas Funk/Soul episode; RIP Sly...

HWY 261 ·

2025/06/13

Sterling is traveling to a gig today, so The Reverend has his youngest daughter, Layla, in the booth to co-host a salute to funk and soul musicians from Texas. Sly Stone (born in Denton in 1943) passed away in L.A. this week at the age of 82, so The Rev has curated a playlist to shine a bright, colorful light on some of the great funk/soul artists to have come from our great state. Artists played on this episode: Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, Sly & the Family Stone, Barry White, Billy

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57:22

HWY 261 (06-06-25) Songs Our Dads Showed Us

HWY 261 ·

2025/06/06

Last week, The Rev's daughter curated a playlist of up-and-coming artists that the young generation is listening to a lot. This week Sterling and The Rev go the other direction, spinning tracks that we heard in the house or in the car growing up with our dads. Artists played include Simon & Garfunkel, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson & Johnny Cash, James McMurtry, Hal Ketchum, Terri Hendrix, and George Strait.

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58:05

HWY 261 (05-30-25) Guest DJ Alice W; up-and-coming...

HWY 261 ·

2025/05/30

Sterling is on the way to play a gig at The Old Quarter in Galveston with Dallas Burrow, so The Reverend has his oldest daughter, Alice, in the co-host's chair. Alice has curated a playlist of up-and-coming Texas artists the she and her young peers are really into, several of whom have not yet come to the attention of The Rev and Sterling. After kicking off with tunes from The Dixie Chicks and Harry Connick Jr. (the reason we spun a NOLA artist's track is explained in the episode), The Rev and Alice

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56:34

HWY 261 (05-23-25) Salute to Graduates

HWY 261 ·

2025/05/23

Local high schools are having graduation ceremonies this weekend, and local universities held ceremonies a couple of weeks ago, so The Reverend and Sterling salute the accomplishments of all local graduates with songs from artists who were educated--high school, college, or both--in Texas. Artists played included Alice Cooper, William Clark Green, John Denver, Bill Whitbeck, Michael Martin Murphey, Blue October, Los Spark Notes, Polyphonic Spree, and George Strait.

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59:50

HWY 261 (05-16-25) Shoutout to Moms, music mixed bag

HWY 261 ·

2025/05/16

The Reverend is flying solo in the booth today while Sterling retrieves a '61 Ford Falcon he bought in Austin. The Rev spends part of the show on a shoutout to moms, during which he played track from Sons of Fathers, Okkervil River, Big John Mills, and Randy Travis. The rest of the show was a musical mixed bag, with tracks from The Trips, Dustin Welch, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Johnny & Edgar Winter, Nathan Hamilton, Steve Miller Band, Boz Skaggs, and Matt the Electrician.

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56:31

HWY 261 (05-02-25) Willie Nelson 92nd Birthday Tribute

HWY 261 ·

2025/05/02

The Reverend and Sterling celebrate Willie Nelson, who turned 92 this week, by deep-diving his catalog for songs not generally heard on the radio. Tracks played included Matador, She is Gone, Mr. Shuck & Jive (Willie & Waylon), Alice in Hulaland (Willie & Haggard), Whiter Shade of Pale, Always on My Mind (David Beck's Tejano Weekend), Hands on the Wheel, Bach's Minuet in G, Stuff the Works, You Show Me Yours and I'll Show You Mine, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (Instrumental), The Devil's

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01:01:40

HWY 261 (04-254-25) Tracy Weinberg & Gretchen McMahon

HWY 261 ·

2025/04/25

The Reverend and Sterling welcome local artists Tracy Weinberg & Gretchen McMahon into the KZSM studio to talk music, discuss their latest release Tracy Weinberg & Friends: Another Saturday Night, and the duo plays a pair of great live tracks off of the record (Side Effects of Love and Blindspot). Prerecorded tracks included songs from Dustin Welch, Lynn Crossett, The Texas Sapphires, Jeff Plankenhorn, Slaid Cleaves, Tracy Weinberg, and Shaver.

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58:39

HWY 261 (04-18-25) Bad Livers, James McMurtry

HWY 261 ·

2025/04/18

No guest artist in the KZSM studio today (The Rev's 46th B-Day), so the fellas spin tracks from Austin artists Bad Livers and James McMurtry. James and Danny Barnes of bad Livers both work professionally with Sterling's older sister, Jenni Finlay, so there are a few stories shared between prerecorded tracks. The show closes out with a Tom Waits cover of Kinky Friedman's song Highway Cafe. Kinky (RIP) was another artist who worked with Jenni Finlay until he passed in 2024.

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58:39

HWY 261 (04-18-25) Bad Livers, James McMurtry

HWY 261 ·

2025/04/18

No guest artist in the KZSM studio today (The Rev's 46th B-Day), so the fellas spin tracks from Austin artists Bad Livers and James McMurtry. James and Danny Barnes of bad Livers both work professionally with Sterling's older sister, Jenni Finlay, so there are a few stories shared between prerecorded tracks. The show closes out with a Tom Waits cover of Kinky Friedman's song Highway Cafe. Kinky (RIP) was another artist who worked with Jenni Finlay until he passed in 2024.

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01:00:20

HWY 261 (04-11-25) RIP Arley Blankenship of The...

HWY 261 ·

2025/04/11

Sterling is taking care of personal business today, and there was no guest artist scheduled, so The Reverend flies solo and spins tracks from a number of artists who are playing locally in the near future. The Reverend also takes a few minutes to pay tribute to Arley Blankenship of Wimberley's Volunteer Fire Ants, who passed away last week. Artists played on this episode of HWY 261 included The Doors, Nathan Hamilton, Bri Bagwell, Volunteer Fire Ants, Dallas Burrow, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Lynn

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59:26

HWY 261 (03-28-25) Rob Dark Smith w/ Keith Davis,...

HWY 261 ·

2025/03/28

Rob Dark Smith joins The Reverend and Sterling in the KZSM studio to talk about the release of his new EP, Anvil. Produced by Keith Davis (who joins Rob in the studio and accompanies him on the live songs) and featuring a cast of talented local musicians, Anvil is a solid EP, perfect for fans of Americana, Red Dirt, and singer-songwriter music. Rob, Keith, Sterling, and The Reverend swap stories, and Rob & Keith play Final Drive and Keep Up live in on the air. Both songs are on the Anvil EP. The

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01:00:18

HWY 261 (03-21-25) Adam Carroll 50th Birthday Tribute

HWY 261 ·

2025/03/21

The Reverend and Sterling don't have a guest artist this week, so they spend part of the episode celebrating the music of local singer-songwriting phenom Adam Carroll, who turned 50 this week. They also give a shout-out to Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel, who turned 74 this week. Prerecorded tracks included songs from Pearl Jam, Paul Cauthen, The Flatlanders, Brooks & Dunn, Asleep at the Wheel, and 4 songs from Adam Carroll.

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58:48

HWY 261 (03-14-25) Spring Break 2025

HWY 261 ·

2025/03/14

The Reverend and Sterling spin some heavier rock and roll tracks with Texas connections to send off Spring Break 2025 for students at Texas State University and in San Marcos CISD, and to ring in Spring Break 2025 for students in Hays CISD. Artists played on today's episode include 13th Floor Elevators, Roky Erickson & the Aliens, Ministry, Pantera, Dustin Welch, Dangerous Toys, Janis Joplin, ZZ Top, and Queensryche.

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01:02:03

HWY 261 (02-28-25) Lynn Crossett (Refinery Town...

HWY 261 ·

2025/02/28

Sterling is out to play a gig in Luckenbach with Dallas Burrow, so The Reverend welcomes Lynn Crossett back into the KZSM studio for his second appearance on HWY 261. Lynn is releasing a new album, Autumn to August, in June of 2025. Produced by Lloyd Maines, this is Lynn's second record with the venerated Texas producer, and in the lead-up to the album's release he'll be dropping a single per month, starting today. The Reverend played the first track from the album, Refinery Town, along with tracks

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59:38

HWY 261 (02-21-25) Hank Weaver

HWY 261 ·

2025/02/21

Hank Weaver returns to the KZSM studio to talk with The Reverend and Sterling about his recent shows at the Steamboat Music Festival, the new album he's recording with David Beck, and he plays a great original tune along with a cover of Doug Sahm's Give Back the Key to My Heart. Prerecorded tracks included cuts from Lyle Lovett & Randy Newman, Paul Simon, Pistol Annies, Velvet Underground, Tomahawk, Hayes Carll, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore.

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57:51

HWY 261 (02-14-25) Melissa Engleman "Love" EP release

HWY 261 ·

2025/02/14

The Reverend and Sterling are joined in the KZSM studio by singer-songwriter Melissa Engleman. Melissa just released the EP "Love" on Feb. 1, and plays two tracks from it live in studio. The EP is the first of a planned trilogy, "Love, Death, Mexico." Pre-recorded tracks that are thematically linked to Valentine's Day (love songs, breakup songs, etc) from artists including Dixie Chicks, George Jones, Los Lonely Boys, Los Spark Notes, and William Beckmann round out this week's episode.

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