Category: Episode Recap

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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: The War On Drugs

The War on Drugs on Austin City Limits, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits spotlights the acclaimed American band The War On Drugs in a majestic new hour of atmospheric rock, featuring highlights from their current Grammy-nominated album I Don’t Live Here Anymore. The new installment premieres January 28 at 7pm CT/8pm ET on PBS.  Following the broadcast, the episode will be available to stream at 11pm CT/12am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits for four weeks. The Peabody Award-winning program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history. ACL gives viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance as this American music institution nears its remarkable half-century milestone. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits following the initial broadcast.

The War On Drugs made a powerful ACL debut in 2015 and now return with songs from their two most recent releases, the celebrated I Don’t Live Here Anymore, the band’s fifth album, a 2023 Grammy Award nominee, and 2017’s A Deeper Understanding, which earned the band their first-ever Grammy for Best Rock Album. Led by singer/guitar virtuoso and primary songwriter Adam Granduciel, the Philadelphia outfit has steadily evolved into one of rock’s most compelling live acts over the course of a nearly two-decade career, deftly blending gritty heartland rock, richly melodic vocals and sparkling analog synthesizers on a series of beloved albums. The New York Times says, “With this fifth studio album, they’ve reached improbable heights with meticulously crafted, guitar-forward songs”; Consequence hails, “It’s hard to imagine a musical experience that’s more enveloping and uplifting”; and GQ raves, “[I Don’t Live Here Anymore] is easily the band’s clearest, most vibrant, and upbeat. You’ll want to play it loud and see it live.” 

The War On Drugs on Austin City Limits, Season 48. Photo by Scott Newton.

The septet open their set with “Pain,” a Deeper Understanding cut that perfectly demonstrates their ability to blend bright melodies with brooding synth textures and grand-scale guitar solos. Bandleader Granduciel guides the group through a series of adventurous and emotionally resonant explorations in the hour, including the lush soundscapes and familiar synth and guitar intro of title track “I Don’t Live Here Anymore,” a radio favorite and the #1 song at the Adult Alternative format in 2022. “Thanks for having us on the legendary Austin City Limits,” Granduciel remarks. “Growing up without cable TV, this is one of the only things I grew up watching.” A wave of synthesizers signals “In Chains,” the closing number that mixes shimmering dreampop with anthemic rock, earning rapturous raves from the ACL audience.

“The War on Drugs are the perfect bridge between the legacy music in which ACL’s roots run deep and the contemporary sound of rock music today,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Lyrically and sonically, they represent a big part of the sound of ACL today.”

Episode setlist:

Pain

I Don’t Wanna Wait

Victim

Strangest Thing

I Don’t Live Here Anymore

Thinking of a Place

In Chains

Season 48 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):

January 7   Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Sheryl Crow

January 14   Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats/ Adia Victoria

January 21   Adrian Quesada Boleros Psicodélicos

January 28   The War On Drugs

February 4   Pavement

February 11   Maren Morris

February 18   Spoon

February 25   Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Joe Ely

Watch live on PBS, or stream anytime. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding episode schedules, future tapings and select live stream updates or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 48th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.  
Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, the Austin Convention Center Department, Cirrus Logic and AXS Ticketing. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: Adrian Quesada’s “Boleros Psicodélicos”

Adrian Quesada performs with Girl Ultra on Austin City Limits, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits presents a Season 48 highlight with the first solo appearance of Grammy-winning producer/musician/bandleader Adrian Quesada, returning to the ACL stage to bring to life his acclaimed Spanish-language album, Boleros Psicodélicos, a love letter to the psychedelic Latin love songs or “baladas” of the 60s and 70s. Quesada performs with a nine-piece band joined by a hit parade of international guest vocalists from across the spectrum of contemporary Latin music, including Puerto Rico’s iconic iLe, Argentina’s Natalia Clavier, Mexico City’s Girl Ultra and Guatemala’s Tita. The new episode premieres January 21 at 7pm CT/8pm ET on PBS. The Peabody Award-winning program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history. ACL gives viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance as this American music institution nears its remarkable half-century milestone. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits following the initial broadcast.  

Multi-hyphenate and prolific multi-instrumentalist Adrian Quesada is known for his epic collaborations including the famed soul duo Black Pumas and Latin funk orchestra Grupo Fantasma. In a magical hour, restless creative Quesada returns with a labor of love, Boleros Psicodélicos, pouring his passion for the genre into an original tribute recreating the world of psychedelic Latin love songs with a set of Spanish-language gems of heartbreak, love and longing. The rare performance marks only the second time this music has been performed live, and Quesada is joined by multiple collaborators, eight of Latin music’s brightest stars, many hailing from Central and South America. These luminous performances celebrate the golden era of romantic bolero music and the psychedelic baladas that flourished beginning in the late 1960s, when Latin love songs began to sound even more grandiose than usual, bordering on the delirious. 

Mireya Ramos performs on Austin City Limits with Adrian Quesada, October 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

With Quesada on lead guitar, accompanied by an ace band featuring string section and horns, the bandleader takes viewers on a journey of Boleros Psicodélicos, which features a mix of classics and new originals. Quesada welcomes guest vocalist Mireya Ramos, the leader of New York’s all-female mariachi Flor de Toloache, for “Tus Tormentas,” a ballad with a laidback hip-hop backbeat and impassioned vocals and violin from Ramos. Mexican-American singer Rudy De Anda takes the stage for the swaying, melodramatic bossa nova “El León.” Mexico City’s sultry Latin R&B singer Girl Ultra wows with velvety vocals on the stunning original ballad “El Payas0,” featuring a ringing vibraphone coda. Quesada welcomes magnetic singer Angelica Garcia for a soaring pair of songs, the opulent “Puedes Decir De Mi,” from the catalog of Cuban superstar La Lupe and the sweeping, sensual original song “Ídolo.” Carrying a colorful paraguas (umbrella), Monterrey, Mexico-to-Austin vocalist Clemente Castillo joins the band for “El Paraguas,” an acid-tinged ballad in waltz time featuring a dynamic Quesada guitar solo. Quesada introduces Argentinian singer and Thievery Corporation vocalist Natalia Clavier, who wows with her rendition of the boleros “Esclavo y Amo,” a drama-filled 1975 hit by the Peruvian combo Los Pasteles Verdes, and the song that first got Quesada hooked on this music. She delivers a sprightly, synth-frosted, rock-accented “¡Adios!” before leaving the stage to wild applause. Rising young Guatemalan singer Tita takes centerstage to perform the sentimental, seductive balada gem “El Muchacho De Los Ojos Tristes,” a cover of Spanish singer Jeanette’s 1982 hit and a crowd favorite. 

The hour closes with the final guest and collaborator, iLe, former frontwoman of Puerto Rican powerhouse group Calle 13. The iconic singer takes the stage in a dazzling emerald green dress to perform a pair of highlights, including a stirring take on Cuban singer and queen of bolero Olga Guillot’s 1967 hit ballad “Bravo” before closing the show with the opening track on Boleros Psicodélicos, “Mentiras Con Cariño,” featuring the return of Mireya Ramos with an emotional violin solo to rapturous applause. 

“Honestly, this is one of the most beautifully staged and emotionally charged shows we’ve ever presented,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “With Latin music’s popularity exploding around the globe, Austin’s own Adrian Quesada has curated a unique mix of singers reimagining one of the most classic genres of Latin music – the bolero. It’s a mesmerizing hour!”

Episode setlist:

STARRY NIGHTS Instrumental

TUS TORMENTAS Mireya Ramos

El LEÓN Rudy de Anda

EL PAYASO Girl Ultra

PUEDES DECIR DE MÍ Angélica Garcia

ÍDOLO Angélica Garcia

EL PARAGUAS Clemente Castillo

ESCLAVO Y AMO Natalia Clavier

¡ADIOS! Natalia Clavier

EL MUCHACHO DE LOS OJOS TRISTES Tita

BRAVO iLe

MENTIRAS CON CARIÑO iLe

Season 48 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):

January 7   Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Sheryl Crow

January 14   Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats/ Adia Victoria

January 21   Adrian Quesada Boleros Psicodélicos

January 28   The War On Drugs

February 4   Pavement

February 11   Maren Morris

February 18   Spoon

February 25   Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Joe Ely

Watch live on PBS, or stream anytime. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding episode schedules, future tapings and select live stream updates or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 48th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.  

Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, the Austin Convention Center Department, Cirrus Logic and AXS Ticketing. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats/Adia Victoria

Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats perform on Austin City Limits, Oct. 6, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits showcases next-generation blues and soul in a new hour with one of music’s finest live acts, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats sharing the hour with soulful Nashville singer-songwriter Adia Victoria. The new installment premieres January 14 at 7pm CT/8pm ET, as ACL’s Season 48 resumes with six new episodes. The Peabody Award-winning program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history. ACL gives viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance as this American music institution nears its remarkable half-century milestone. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits following the initial broadcast.  

Denver’s Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats have become one of the premier rock and soul bands of the past decade. The road-tested, highly acclaimed live outfit made a sensational ACL debut in Season 42 in 2016; now, in their return appearance, Rateliff and his mighty seven-piece Night Sweats showcase their bonafides with songs from their latest The Future.  Fueled by a crackling three-piece horn section, the combo turn in a powerhouse performance filled with highlights from the album, including the gut punch set opener “Survivor” and anthemic “Face Down In The Moment,” alongside the fan-favorite soul banger, “I Need Never Get Old” from their 2015 self-titled breakthrough. The band delivers non-stop grooves as frontman Rateliff skillfully switches from electric guitar to keyboards to acoustic, and, to wild, appreciative applause, the ‘Sweats bring things to a rollicking close with the high-energy rouser “Love Don’t.”

Adia Victoria and her band perform on Austin City Limits, Oct. 3, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Next up is Spartanburg, South Carolina native Adia Victoria, making her ACL debut with numbers from the lauded A Southern Gothic, a 2022 Americana Music Awards nominee for Album of the Year, executive produced by T-Bone Burnett. A daughter of the South whose work continues the rich legacy of Black Southern storytelling, the Nashville-based singer-songwriter explores her relationship to the South and the South’s relationship with her as a Black woman. “What we do I consider to be church,” says Victoria, “Because I consider the blues to be sacred.” A captivating performer and storyteller, Victoria shares many of the stories behind her “gothic blues” songs. “This first song is about a young girl from South Carolina who runs away from home, too far, too fast,” says Victoria before sliding into the smoldering burner “Far From Dixie.” Her feral songs capture tension and confront difficult truths, touching on love and anger, for a spellbinding debut.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats setlist:

SURVIVOR

I NEED NEVER GET OLD

FACE DOWN IN THE MOMENT

AND IT’S STILL ALRIGHT

THE FUTURE

LOVE DON’T

Adia Victoria setlist:

FAR FROM DIXIE

MAGNOLIA BLUES

MY OH MY

AIN’T KILLED ME YET

SOUTH GOTTA CHANGE

Season 48 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):

January 7   Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Sheryl Crow

January 14   Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats/ Adia Victoria

January 21   Adrian Quesada Boleros Psicodélicos

January 28   The War On Drugs

February 4   Pavement

February 11   Maren Morris

February 18   Spoon

February 25   Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Joe Ely

Watch live on PBS, or stream anytime. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding episode schedules, future tapings and select live stream updates or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 48th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.  

Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, the Austin Convention Center Department, Cirrus Logic and AXS Ticketing. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: Cimafunk & the Tribe

Cimafunk on Austin City Limits, May 3, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits fans will be on their feet for a supercharged hour showcasing Afro-Cuban funk sensation Cimafunk. Hailing from Havana Cuba, the celebrated showman and his eight-piece powerhouse band, The Tribe, make a thrilling ACL debut with standouts from Cimafunk’s acclaimed album El Alimento. The new installment rounds out the first half of ACL’s Season 48 and premieres November 12 at 8pm CT/9pm ET. The complete line-up for the full broadcast season will be announced shortly, with new episodes premiering beginning January 7, 2023. The program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, continues its run as the longest-running music television show in history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for 48 years as the music institution nears a remarkable half-century milestone. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast.

In a remarkable ACL debut, Cimafunk & The Tribe deliver an electric, unique blend of high-energy funk, Caribbean rhythms and Afrobeat. Cimafunk and his band are earning raves for their incredible live performances tearing up stages across the globe. The freewheeling set explodes with a spectacular James Brown-influenced rhythm for the blazing “Relajao,” with Cimafunk flexing his dazzling vocals and radiant starpower alongside dance moves from percussionists Big Happy and Machete, a finger-busting bass solo from Caramelo, horns (and backing vocals) from Hilaria and Katy Cacao, and a merciless groove from drummer Dr. Zapa. “Put your hands up!” Cimafunk exclaims as he introduces “Funk Aspirin,” the band’s collaboration with funk legend George Clinton which opens 2021’s widely-hailed El Alimento. “Never forget,” the sweat-soaked Cimafunk laughs as the set reaches a fever pitch, “Shake that booty!” They close with “Me Voy,” the 2018 hit that made Cimafunk a household name in Cuba, bringing lucky audience members onstage and taking the groove to the next level.

“Cimafunk’s ACL debut was breathtaking,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona “He barely took a breath himself, and for that matter neither did the crowd, which was too busy dancing and screaming themselves. It was one of those rare shows where the performer and audience literally came together as one.”

“Austin is starting to feel like home away from home, and I wanted to bring the energy to Austin City Limits,” says Cimafunk. “It got really funky and sweaty in there with a lot of groove!”

Cimafunk & The Tribe

LA PAPA

SALVAJE

SE ACABO

BEAT CON FLOW

APRETADO

RELAJAO

FUNK ASPIRIN

ME VOY

Watch live on PBS, or stream anytime. The complete line-up for the full 14-week season, including seven new episodes to air beginning January 2023, will be announced at a later date.  The series will continue to air fan-favorite encore episodes through the end of 2022. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding episode schedules, future tapings and select live stream updates or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 48th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.  

Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, the Austin Convention Center Department, Cirrus Logic and AXS Ticketing. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

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Episode premiere: Lyle Lovett & His Large Band

Lyle Lovett & His Large Band perform on Austin City Limits, Aug. 24, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits presents a season highlight and homecoming: the long-awaited return of celebrated singer-songwriter and bandleader Lyle Lovett, joined by his iconic Large Band, making his first appearance in over a decade with songs from his first new album in 10 years, 12th of June. One of music’s most vibrant and iconic performers, the Grammy Award-winning Lovett is accompanied by his 16-piece band for an entertaining hour of new songs and extraordinary musicianship. The new installment premieres November 5 at 8pm CT/9pm ET as part of ACL’s Season 48. The program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, continues its run as the longest-running music television show in history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for 48 years as the music institution nears a remarkable half-century milestone. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast.  The show’s official hashtag is #acltv.

Lyle Lovett made his first headlining appearance on Austin City Limits during Season 12 in 1987 with songs from his landmark self-titled debut, and has since been featured on ACL more times than any artist, save for one Willie Nelson. This beloved performer and ACL Hall of Famer returns for a remarkable seventeenth appearance, with his recent album 12th of June as the centerpiece. The Texas hero is accompanied by his impeccably dressed Large Band for a radiant 10-song set showcasing new gems. Lovett shares the love and joy of home life with his trademark wry humor on new numbers such as “Pants Is Overrated” and the bluesy stroll “Pig Meat Man,” which Lovett explains he wrote for his 5-year-old son “who is a vegetarian except he loves bacon.” Lovett’s longtime backing singer Francine Reed, who recently retired from the road, returns for the occasion and joins Lovett center stage for a gorgeous rendition of the Nat King Cole classic “Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good to You?” He welcomes friend and frequent touring partner Chris Isaak for a pair of songs, including a lively duet on Roy Orbison’s “Dream Baby.” Lovett celebrates life’s joys with his wife and children with the tender title track “12th of June” and closes with the barrelhouse piano-led “On A Winter’s Morning,” which revels in the simple magic of being alive.

“Lyle has always been a big part of the ACL family – in more ways than one,” said executive producer Terry Lickona. “He was there when ACL had barely hit its first 10 years, and even before his career took off. It’s been a joy to capture his music as we both grew and evolved, and it’s obvious that we both still have lots more new music to offer to the world!”

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band setlist:

ARE WE DANCING

PANTS IS OVERRATED

GEE BABY, AIN’T I GOOD TO YOU?

HER LOVING MAN

MIRRORED MAN’S LAMENT (with Chris Isaak)

DREAM BABY (with Chris Isaak)

THE MOCKING ONES

12TH OF JUNE

PIG MEAT MAN

ON A WINTER’S MORNING

Season 48 Broadcast Line-up (first half of season)

October 1 Brandi Carlile

October 8 Japanese Breakfast/Arlo Parks

October 15 Sylvan Esso/Lucius

October 22 Allison Russell/The Weather Station

October 29 Parker McCollum/Robert Earl Keen

November 5 Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

November 12 Cimafunk and The Tribe

Watch live, stream anytime, The complete line-up for the full 14-week season, including seven new episodes to air beginning January 2023, will be announced at a later date.  Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding live streams, future tapings and episode schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 48th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.  

Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, the Austin Convention Center Department, Cirrus Logic and AXS Ticketing. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

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Episode premiere: Parker McCollum/Robert Earl Keen

Parker McCollum performs on Austin City Limits in 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits presents a spectacular hour of country music, Texas-style, featuring rising star Parker McCollum and legendary singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen. McCollum makes his ACL debut with songs from 2021’s Gold Chain Cowboy; and, in a special appearance, ACL veteran and Americana great Robert Earl Keen, who recently retired from touring, returns for a triumphant final bow showcasing beloved classics from his four-decade career. The new Season 48 installment premieres October 29 at 8pm CT/9pm ET. The program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for 48 years as the music institution nears a remarkable half-century milestone. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast.  

Breakout country artist Parker McCollum is having a big year: he scored a best-selling album with his major label debut, Gold Chain Cowboy, won New Male Artist of the Year at the ACM Awards and received a coveted nomination for New Artist of the Year at this year’s upcoming CMA Awards. Raised in the East Texas town of Conroe, the charismatic performer wears his Lone Star roots proudly on his sleeve, and performs Gold Chain Cowboy highlights, including the album’s double-platinum single “Pretty Heart,” and the fan-favorite “To Be Loved By You.” With a smile as wide as Texas, McCollum thrills the crowd with a pair of new songs, “Handle on You,” and “Stoned,” then closes with the heartfelt power ballad “I Can’t Breathe.”

Robert Earl Keen during his final taping for Austin City Limits in 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

A true Texas original, Robert Earl Keen first appeared on the ACL stage in 1989 as part of a Texas showcase. One of the Lone Star state’s most beloved songwriters and performers, the Houston native returns for his seventh appearance, accompanied by his longtime band and joined, for this occasion, by a special guest, pedal steel guitarist Lloyd Maines. A road warrior who has easily played over 180 dates in any given year, appearing at roadhouses, dance halls, theaters and fairgrounds, Keen caps his remarkable musical journey with this ACL swan song as he retires from live performance. He delivers gems from across his legendary career in an emotional set, opening with early highlights “Feelin’ Good Again” and “Gringo Honeymoon.” For the bittersweet send-off, Keen begins with his “I’m Comin’ Home,” which evolves into a full audience singalong; he then notes “You can take this one with ya,” before wrapping up with “I Gotta Go,” after which he sets down his guitar, tips his hat and waves goodbye to the emotional crowd.

“A Texas Country music legend meets the new face (and voice) of Texas Country music  today,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Both Robert Earl Keen and Parker McCollum are part of a long tradition of singer-songwriters, with their own take on what makes Texas Country different.”

Parker McCollum setlist:

TO BE LOVED BY YOU 

HANDLE ON YOU 

STONED 

HELL OF A YEAR 

PRETTY HEART 

I CAN’T BREATHE

Robert Earl Keen setlist;

FEELIN’ GOOD AGAIN

GRINGO HONEYMOON

SHADES OF GRAY

I’M COMIN’ HOME

I GOTTA GO

Season 48 Broadcast Line-up (first half of season)

October 1 Brandi Carlile

October 8 Japanese Breakfast/Arlo Parks

October 15 Sylvan Esso/Lucius

October 22 Allison Russell/The Weather Station

October 29 Parker McCollum/Robert Earl Keen

November 5 Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

November 12 Cimafunk and The Tribe

Watch live, stream anytime, The complete line-up for the full 14-week season, including seven new episodes to air beginning January 2023, will be announced at a later date.  Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding live streams, future tapings and episode schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 48th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.  

Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, the Austin Convention Center Department, Cirrus Logic and AXS Ticketing. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.