Austin City Limits invites you to Bloody Mary Morning 2017

Join Austin City Limits and KLRU-TV, Austin PBS at the 6th Annual Bloody Mary Morning during SXSW on Thursday, March 16 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m in the GSDM courtyard.

This year’s lineup is our biggest yet and in keeping with Austin City Limits tradition of bringing audiences “Great Music. No Limits,” includes some of music’s most buzzed about artists from across the globe and stateside: blues revivalist duo Little Hurricane, Canadian country standout Colter Wall, U.K. rockers Sundara Karma, Third Man recording artist Lillie Mae, Minneapolis breakout rapper/singer Lizzo, Australian indie-folk up-and-comer Slow Dancer and veteran indie music outliers R. Stevie Moore & Jason Falkner.

Even better, you can listen to music while enjoying free (while supplies last!) Bloody Marys from Tito’s Vodka, beer from Shiner Beer and breakfast tacos from Tacodeli. Bloody Mary Morning is brought to you by our friends The Guild, NetApp and YETI. So make it a Bloody Mary Morning like Willie would want you to!

You don’t need to be a SXSW badgeholder to attend – Bloody Mary Morning is free and open to the public. You can RSVP here. Please join us!

New tapings: Miranda Lambert, The Head And The Heart, Norah Jones

Our 43rd season on PBS is getting off to a great start! We’ve already announced the Pretenders on March 13th, and we’re thrilled to report we’ll be taping Miranda Lambert on April 19th, The Head and the Heart on May 22nd and Norah Jones on June 11th.

Miranda Lambert makes her third appearance on ACL on April 19th in support of her sixth album The Weight of These Wings. Since the Lindale, Texas native’s first appearance in 2006, she has earned widespread acclaim, including two Grammy Awards, thirteen Country Music Association Awards, and an astonishing twenty-five Academy of Country Music Awards. Lambert is the reigning ACM Female Vocalist of the Year, having been bestowed this honor for seven consecutive years. A sprawling double-album, The Weight of These Wings debuted at #1 on Billboard’s country albums chart, as well as at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart, and spawned the current hit singles “Vice” and “We Should Be Friends.” Rolling Stone calls The Weight of These Wings Lambert’s “most ambitious LP…the sort of Great Album rock acts used to spit out regularly back in the day,” while the Boston Globe says the album “matches the take-no-prisoners attitude of her lyrics with music that travels unexpected routes but often winds up touching the soul.” The record ended up on over a dozen Best of 2016 lists, including those from Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Billboard, Spin and more.

photo by James Minchin

When Seattle band, The Head and The Heart, who first appeared on ACL in Season 37, regrouped in 2016 to start writing together again after a sabbatical, “it almost felt like we were a new band, trying things we hadn’t tried,” bassist Chris Zasche recalls. “We stayed at a bungalow on the beach. We’d wake up, have coffee and go boogie boarding. We were ready and excited to be back together.” That renewed sense of purpose can be felt throughout Signs of Light, the group’s third album and first release for Warner Bros. Records. “This album isn’t about us now having achieved our dreams,” says vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Charity Rose Thielen. “The day we started being able to live off our art was the day we achieved our dreams, in my mind. This is the album where we really fell into our true voices as those artists.” Recorded in Nashville with producer Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Cage The Elephant), Signs of Light crackles with the upbeat, singalong energy of the band’s finest work. Throughout, the colors are brighter, the electric guitars are louder and the musical touchstones more universal. Lead single “All We Ever Knew,” written during the Let’s Be Still era but never captured to the band’s satisfaction until now, is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, while “Turn It Around” seems primed to be a future concert staple, matching its inspirational message with a lush and multi-layered soundscape. Blurt say the album “fulfills the aim the band’s handle appears to indicate. This is after all, music that connects with the head and the heart, and imparts a dual sense of resilience and delight in its wake.” Join us on May 22nd for The Head and The Heart’s second ACL taping.

photo by Danny Clinch

Norah Jones made her first appearance on the ACL stage in 2002, just prior to the release of her landmark debut Come Away With Me, which propelled her to the world stage, sweeping the 2003 Grammy Awards and signaling a paradigm shift away from the prevailing pop music of the time. Since then, Jones has sold 50 million albums worldwide and become a nine-time Grammy-winner, returning to ACL in 2007 and again in 2013. But when the Texas native first moved to New York City in the Summer of 1999, it was with the hope of being a jazz singer and pianist, and her jazz influences — from Bill Evans and Miles Davis to Billie Holiday and Nina Simone — have always remained. Now Jones has come full circle with Day Breaks, her sixth album which finds her returning to the piano and her jazz roots, while still retaining her unmistakably unique sound that weaves together several bedrock styles of American music: country, folk, rock, soul, jazz. Day Breaks is a kindred spirit to Come Away With Me, though it is unquestionably the work of a mature artist who has lived life and grown immensely in her craft. The album features jazz luminaries including saxophonist Wayne Shorter, organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, and drummer Brian Blade, who played on Norah’s debut and became the backbone of the new album. Rolling Stone calls it “A marvelous consolidation, floating buoyantly between past tradition and her own unique present,” while MOJO declares “Small-hours jazz perfection … her masterpiece to date … inspired and breathtaking.” Jones returns to the ACL stage on June 11th.

Want to be part of our audience? We will post information on how to get free passes about a week before the taping. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for notice of postings.

Foals and Alejandro Escovedo bring ACL Season 42 to a rocking close

Austin City Limits closes out Season 42 with a big rock finish—a season finale featuring UK alt-rock sensations Foals and Texas legend Alejandro Escovedo. Foals play tunes from their album What Went Down, while Escovedo, joined by an all-star band that includes R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, showcases songs from his acclaimed release Burn Something Beautiful.

One of the UK’s most popular bands, Foals make their debut on the Austin City Limits stage with songs from their acclaimed fourth album What Went Down, awarded Best Album by NME in 2016. Hailed as “fierce, amorphous rock” by The Guardian, the British quintet formed in Oxford in 2005 and have gone on to conquer festival stages including Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds in their native UK, and Coachella and the Austin City Limits Festival stateside. Foals perform a blistering five-song set featuring their breakthrough anthem “Mountain At My Gates,” and closing with the seething “What Went Down,” which features a crowd visit from charismatic frontman Yannis Philippakis that thrills the besotted Austin fans.

“Foals has a reputation for their amazing live performances,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona, “and I had more people come up to me after this show than any other to say it was the best one all season. That should give you some idea what to expect!”

Called a “rock and punk godfather” by Rolling Stone, Alejandro Escovedo first appeared on Austin City Limits in 1983, and returns for a fifth, unforgettable performance. The Texas trailblazer performs songs from Burn Something Beautiful, his 11th studio album, joined by alt-rock luminaries including R.E.M.’s Peter Buck and the Minus 5’s Scott McCaughey, who co-produced the new release, rounded out by a team of rock stalwarts: ex-Fastbacks guitarist Kurt Bloch, Decemberists’ drummer John Moen, and singers Kelly Hogan (Neko Case) and Karla Manzur. Escovedo and Buck lock guitars for the shimmering “Suit of Lights” featuring a gorgeous vocal spotlight by Hogan, and the six-string army blazes at full-force on the fiery, infectious punk of album opener “Horizontal.” The luminous set is a celebration of the rock ‘n’ roll life and a testament to the enduring power of a rock ‘n’ roll survivor.

photo by Scott Newton

“In so many ways, Alejandro epitomizes what Austin City Limits is all about,” says Lickona. “His music expanded, deepened and evolved over the years much the same way ACL has. It’s always a special night when he takes our stage.”

Tune in this weekend for this episode, and, as always, check your local PBS listings for the broadcast time in your area. Go to the episode page for more info, and don’t forget to click over to our Facebook, Twitter and newsletter pages for more ACL info. Tune in next week for a special encore, featuring Album of the Year Grammy nominee Sturgill Simpson and Austin scene vets Asleep at the Wheel.

CeCe Winans and St. Paul & the Broken Bones bring pure soul to ACL Season 42

Austin City Limits presents a soul-stirring hour of high voltage gospel with the legendary CeCe Winans and soul sensations St. Paul & The Broken Bones.

Gospel superstar CeCe Winans dazzles with a joyful spirit and a powerful voice in her first-ever appearance on the ACL stage. The ten-time Grammy-winning legend takes us to church with a buoyant set backed by her eleven-piece band, performing songs from Let Them Fall in Love, her first album in nearly a decade. Winans opens with the Motown meets southern soul burner “Hey Devil!” – a playful rebuke to temptation, tossing in a chorus of “Hit the Road, Jack” for good measure. A set highlight is new gem “Lowly,” a feel-good raver filled with soaring choruses and delightful interplay between Winans and her backup singers. She delivers a powerhouse take on “Why Me Lord,” the Kris Kristofferson classic, bringing the house down. Closing out her exuberant set with “Dancing in the Spirit,” the gospel giant leads a jubilant sing and dance-along that has the audience on their feet singing her praises.

Named “one of rock’s hottest live acts,” by Rolling Stone, the Birmingham, Alabama soul outfit St. Paul & The Broken Bones fire up the crowd in a thrilling ACL debut, armed with songs from their acclaimed sophomore release Sea of Love. Dynamic frontman Paul Janeway, decked out in a cherry-red suit with checkerboard trim, promises the crowd “we gon’ take you there,” and he delivers. The blistering set offers non-stop scorchers with a show-stopping performance by Janeway, whose voice has earned comparisons to soul greats Al Green and Otis Redding, and whom, NPR says, “channels a fire-and-brimstone energy”. “Let’s take it to the heavens,” says the colorful bandleader for the rousing set-closer “Burning Rome,” as he drops to his knees, preaching his soul-fire gospel and making a believer out of everyone.

photo by Scott Newton

“A CeCe Winans performance is almost a religious experience in itself, but no matter your beliefs, you’ll be inspired to sing, shout and dance by this show,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “St. Paul & The Broken Bones is unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard. Taken together, this is an unmitigated hour of joy!”

Tune in this weekend for this episode, and, as always, check your local PBS listings for the broadcast time in your area. Go to the episode page for more info, and don’t forget to click over to our Facebook, Twitter and newsletter pages for more ACL info. Tune in next week for a brand new episode, featuring the ACL debut of British rock sensation Foals and the return of rocking Texas singer/songwriter Alejandro Escovedo.

New taping: The Pretenders

Austin City Limits is pleased to announce our first taping of Season 43—with the legendary rock & roll band The Pretenders on March 13, 2017.

Led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Chrissie Hynde, The Pretenders come to ACL in support of latest album Alone. Recorded with the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach at his Easy Eye Studio in Nashville, the album was initially conceived as the follow-up to Hynde’s acclaimed 2014 solo debut Stockholm. But as its songs and sonics took shape, the collection soon revealed itself as the first all-new Pretenders LP since 2008′s Break Up The Concrete. Backed by a team of what Hynde proudly calls “real people playing real instruments,” including most of Auerbach’s side band the Arcs, Akron natives Hynde and Auerbach made for ideal foils, two idiosyncratic songwriter/musicians possessing a deep knowledge and even deeper love of rock & roll.

Alone bears all the trademarks of The Pretenders’ legendary canon: raw and rollicking riffs, poignant balladry, taut hooks and indelible melodies – all in service of Hynde’s heartworn, ever-unsentimental songcraft. Nearly four decades on from the band’s epochal 1980 debut album, Hynde’s instantly identifiable voice is perhaps more emotional and aggressive than at any other time in her nearly 40-year career. That extra bit of edge only serves to add fire to new Pretenders classics like the brutally candid “I Hate Myself” and the defiant title track, a spiky rocker that sees Hynde extolling the joys and virtues of solitude. “At 65, she’s still mouthing off over brass-knuckled rock & roll,” notes Rolling Stone, “flexing command and carnality with no apology.”

Other highlights include “Roadie Man,” a softly sung paean to the hard working touring crew that has been kicking around Hynde’s unrecorded songbook for more than 25 years, the seductive “Let’s Get Lost,” and “Never Be Together,” featuring an inimitable contribution from legendary twang bar hero Duane Eddy. The UK’s The Independent asserts that Alone is “a fine album, subtly varied in both musical style and lyrical slant,” while Magnet declares it’s “as good a Pretenders record as has been made.” Armed with original drummer Martin Chambers, a new landmark and their catalog of undeniable classics, The Pretenders finally make their long-awaited ACL debut.

Want to be part of our audience? We will post information on how to get free passes about a week before the taping. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for notice of postings.

Band of Horses and Parker Millsap bring modern roots rock to ACL Season 42

Austin City Limits showcases modern roots rock with two American originals: indie favorites Band of Horses and acclaimed singer-songwriter Parker Millsap.

South Carolina indie-folk rockers Band of Horses made their ACL debut in 2010 and return to perform time-honed classics alongside new gems from their fifth studio album Why Are You Ok? The Charleston-based quintet, led by dynamic frontman Ben Bridwell, kick off the upbeat seven-song set with the classic, “Is There A Ghost” from their 2007 album Cease To Begin. The band strips down to an acoustic trio for the early career hit “Part One,” circling a single microphone to capture their lush three-part harmonies. New songs “Throw My Mess,” “Hag” and “In A Drawer,” showcase the band’s melodic range, and lead into the raucous set-closing anthem, fan favorite “The General Specific.”

Oklahoman singer-songwriter Parker Millsap has set the Americana world on fire with his songs, his voice and his impassioned live show. Raised in the Pentecostal church, Millsap is filled with a fire-and-brimstone fervor that fuels his gospel-tinged lyrics and gives way to Buddy Holly-esque rockabilly ravers. The 23-year-old rising star opens his ACL debut with the apocalyptic title track from his sophomore album The Very Last Day. Millsap’s “talent for bringing convincing, complex characters to life” (NPR) is evident in the set’s centerpiece, “Heaven Sent,” which has the singer taking on the role of a gay son searching for his preacher father’s acceptance. Millsap closes out the standout performance with a soaring, fiddle-accompanied take on the blues classic “You Gotta Move,” then concludes with a howling, impassioned performance of his own hard-hitting “Hades Pleads,” which gets the appreciative ACL audience on their feet for a well-deserved ovation.

photo by Scott Newton

“Their songs are at the heart of what makes both Band of Horses and Parker Millsap so special,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Band of Horses are at the top of their game, lyrically and melodically, and Parker Millsap’s songwriting is story-telling at its very best. This is a show you where you should turn off the lights and turn up the volume.”

Tune in this weekend for this episode, and, as always, check your local PBS listings for the broadcast time in your area. Go to the episode page for more info, and don’t forget to click over to our Facebook, Twitter and newsletter pages for more ACL info. Tune in next week for a brand new episode, featuring the ACL debuts of gospel legend CeCe Winans and Southern soul revivalists St. Paul & the Broken Bones.

Margo Price and Hayes Carll take ACL Season 42 back to the country

Austin City Limits presents a captivating hour with two of contemporary country music’s brightest: Margo Price in her ACL debut and Hayes Carll making a return appearance.

Rising star Margo Price had a banner 2016 with the release of her acclaimed solo debut Midwest Farmer’s Daughter. Recorded at Memphis’ fabled Sun Studios and released by Jack White’s Third Man Records, the album topped critics’ year-end-best lists with Rolling Stone raving, “It’s the kind of record that hits you in the gut: staggeringly honest, as devastating as it is joyful and whip-smart.” Opening her stellar ACL debut with the honky tonk comeuppance “About To Find Out,” Price puts a fresh spin on classic Nashville with her sharp songwriting, steely vocals and dynamic road-tested live persona. “Hands of Time,” about a heartbreaking run of bad luck, leads into the crowd-pleasing set-closer “Hurtin’ (On the Bottle),” as Price ventures into the audience surrounded by newfound fans.

“A wry Texas troubadour with a knack for crooked grace and a clever turn of phrase” (New York Times), Hayes Carll returns for his first appearance since his ACL debut in 2010. The native Texan recalls his troubadour roots with his first album in five years, the critically acclaimed Lovers and Leavers, after having garnered a 2016 Grammy nomination for Best Country Song. Carll dedicates the artful set-opener “Sake of the Song” to a creative influence, the late, great Guy Clark, calling him the “lion of the songwriting world.” His natural gift for storytelling is evident in his startlingly personal six-song set, with its highlight “The Magic Kid,” a song about his son’s determination to be a magician, stealing the show and demonstrating Carll’s own brand of magic. He reaches back to his 2005 breakthrough Little Rock to close out the set, showcasing the fascinating and fearless evolution of a songwriting giant.

photo by Scott Newton

“If you’re not a fan of Nashville’s pop country trends, this show will be a breath of fresh air,” says longtime ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Margo writes and sings with a classic country touch, but what she writes about totally speaks to today. Hayes carries on the proud tradition of Texas songwriters, and this is his best work to date.”

Tune in this weekend for this episode, and, as always, check your local PBS listings for the broadcast time in your area. Go to the episode page for more info, and don’t forget to click over to our Facebook, Twitter and newsletter pages for more ACL info. Tune in next week for a brand new episode, featuring the return of Band of Horses and the debut of Parker Millsap.

Cyndi Lauper shines in ACL’s 42nd season

Austin City Limits presents an irresistible hour with the ever-entertaining Cyndi Lauper, as she performs her mega-hits alongside classic country covers from her recently released Detour, her acclaimed eleventh studio album.

The pink-haired Lauper charms one and all in a sparkling hour featuring some of her best-known songs and the story behind her current country-flavored Detour. “I know a lot of you are thinking: what does Queens, New York have to do with anything country?” says the native East Coaster as she explores her love of vintage country & western, putting her unique spin on Wanda Jackson’s “Funnel of Love,” Skeeter Davis’ “The End of the World,” Patsy Montana’s “I Want To Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart,” and Bob Montgomery’s “Misty Blue”. Lauper knocks out numbers from her own back catalog including a fevered version of “Money Changes Everything,” from her 1983 breakthrough She’s So Unusual, with the energetic hitmaker bopping across the stage, fueled by the enthusiastic Austin crowd. She delivers a gorgeous take on the 1984 ballad “Time After Time,” her first No. 1 hit. Her signature anthem, the buoyant “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” turns into a riotous audience sing-a-long as the dancing Lauper proclaims from the stage, “We’re all entitled to a joyful life!” The colorful star closes out the masterful set with a breathtaking a cappella version of her enduring—and timely—anthem, “True Colors,” extolling the virtues of diversity, with Lauper imploring the crowd to “be brave and kind—we need each other.”

photo by Scott Newton

“With Cyndi Lauper, what you see is what you get,” said longtime ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “And what you get is a totally unabashed, uninhibited, full-throated performance by one of the most unique artists in show business. Who knew she had such a perfect voice for such great country music classics? My only regret is there wasn’t time to include more of her side-splitting sense of humor.”

Tune in this weekend for this episode, and, as always, check your local PBS listings for the broadcast time in your area. Go to the episode page for more info, and don’t forget to click over to our Facebook, Twitter and newsletter pages for more ACL info. Tune in next week for a brand new episode featuring the ACL debut of rising star Margo Price and the return of Texas favorite Hayes Carll.