Category: Taping Recap

Taping recap: Bonnie Raitt

Post author By michael
Post date October 16, 2023

Bonnie Raitt and her band perform on Austin City Limits, Oct. 15, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

“Welcome to my fourth decade on Austin City Limits!” declared the legendary Bonnie Raitt after taking the stage at the Moody Theater in her fourth headlining appearance, for a taping that doubled as the final show of her most recent tour. A true statement – the beloved singer, songwriter, and slide guitarist previously taped in Seasons 9, 28, and 38. We’re always happy to welcome back the ACL Hall of Famer, who’s long been one of our besties, and this time she returned as a newly-minted multiple Grammy winner, including Song of the Year, thanks to her latest album Just Like That…. Raitt always brings her best to the ACL stage, making this, our final taping for Season 49, a treat on many levels.

Joined by her crack band (bassist Hutch Hutchinson, drummer Ricky Fataar, keyboardist Glenn Patscha, and guitarists Duke Levine and George Marinelli), Raitt traveled through the past thirty years of her long career, drawing deep cuts from records recent and revered. In great voice and with her stinging slide guitar as potent as ever, she revisited her hit album Luck of the Draw for the blues-rocking “No Business” and her acclaimed Silver Lining for the defiant breakup tune “Back Around.” She plucked her sultry cover of INXS’s “Need You Tonight” from her last album Dig In Deep, and grabbed two classics from her 1989 breakthrough LP Nick of Time: the reggae-grooved “Have a Heart” and the wisdom-frosted title track. “I’ve been wanting to sing this for Austin City Limits for a while,” revealed Raitt.

Of course she performed a generous helping of tunes from the acclaimed Just Like That…, including a pair of her recent Grammy-winning gems, the slinky Best Americana Song “Made Up Mind” and Song of the Year winner “Just Like That,” alongside the soulful ballad “Blame It on Me”and the bopping rocker “Livin’ For the Ones.” She dedicated the Grammy-winning title track to her longtime friend John Prine. “This is a song I wrote inspired by singing ‘Angel From Montgomery’ every night,” she noted about the deeply moving track. “This is for John.” She and the band ended the main set to big cheers with a medley of Rufus & Chaka Khan’s devilishly funky “You Got the Love” and her own groovy hit “Love Sneakin’ Up On You.”

For the encore, Raitt invited her tourmate Sunny War onstage to sing and play guitar on a bluesy, primarily acoustic cover of Jackson Browne’s socially charged “World in Motion.” As she indicated earlier, no Bonnie Raitt show is complete without John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery,” and she sang it beautifully for her late friend in salute to his forthcoming induction into the ACL Hall of Fame this month. That was intended to be the final song, but no. “I don’t wanna stop playing,” Raitt asserted. “Are you kidding me?” The band then laid into a steamy cover of B.B. King’s “Never Make a Move Too Soon,” which Raitt herself cut with R&B legend Ruth Brown, in honor of “one of the greatest blues towns in America – Austin, Texas!” With the warm familiarity and unabashed love of old friends getting together, Bonnie Raitt delivered magic in her long-awaited Austin City Limits return, carving her name yet again in ACL history.

Bonnie Raitt tapes Austin City Limits, Oct. 2023. Photos by Scott Newton.

Setlist:

Made Up Mind – Just Like That…

No Business – Luck of the Draw

Blame It On Me – Just Like That…

Back Around – Silver Lining

Just Like That – Just Like That…

Livin’ For the Ones – Just Like That…

Need You Tonight – Dig In Deep

Nick of Time – Nick of Time

Have a Heart – Nick of Time

You Got the Love/Love Sneakin’ Up On You – Rufus & Chaka Khan cover/Longing In Their Hearts

Encore:

World in Motion – Jackson Browne cover

Angel From Montgomery – Streetlights

Never Make A Move Too Soon – B.B. King/Crusaders cover

Bonnie Raitt – vocals, guitars, piano

Duke Levine – guitar, mandolin

George Marinelli – guitar

James “Hutch” Hutchinson – bass

Glenn Patscha – keyboards

Ricky Fataar – drums

Sunny War – vocals, guitar

Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Alanis Morissette

Post author By michael
Post date October 9, 2023

Alanis Morissette tapes her first Austin City Limits, Oct. 6, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Nineties rock icon Alanis Morissette made history on the Austin City Limits stage bringing the nostalgic air of MTV Unplugged episodes and an obsession with alternative rock to a packed Moody Theater crowd. The show-stopping performance brought 1995’s landmark Jagged Little Pill album back to capture the hearts of 90’s rockers in combination with tracks from her classic albums including Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, So-Called Chaos, Under Rug Swept, and Such Pretty Forks in the Road. Morissette’s magic, which comes from her unrivaled soul and authenticity in the presence of 90’s rock, continued to make waves. A musical trailblazer, Morissette’s Season 49 performance reflected a legacy that once compelled fans to cry, yell, and dance over the cords connected to their Sony CD players that continues to fuel audiences with a lust for life. More than an icon you oughta know, Morissette is the powerfully raw and introspective rock legend you oughta be.

The singer’s performance kicked off with a high energy entrance, as she ran onto stage to the familiar intro of the classic “All I Really Want,” signature harmonica in hand. Capturing the crowd in excitement, Morisette walked and leaped back and forth across the stage singing powerfully. Morissette’s free-spirited stage presence, combined with an “in your face” authenticity, transports concert-goers back to 1995. The performance continued into the uplifting “Hand in My Pocket,” a testament to the comforting relatability of the singer’s intimate lyricism that captured the heart of the audience. The enraptured crowd swayed back and forth before the beginning of “Head Over Feet,” the popular ballad for the hopeless romantics dedicated to finally surrendering to the consuming purity of healthy love. Around the theater, a group of patrons stood linked arm to arm, belting out “I couldn’t help it, it’s all your fault,” as couples exchanged long glances while listening to the heartwarming gem.

“Losing the Plot” from Morissette’s 2020 album Such Pretty Forks in the Road brings her familiar uplifting but confessional lyricism to the forefront as the singer explores the emotional exhaustion brought from the pursuit of relentless perseverance. Towards the end of the song Morissette bared all with a brightly, bedazzled electric guitar while singing “I am losing the plot, I am grieving the end of superwoman-ing.” The Canadian singer brought her performance to an end, bringing an already musically enamored crowd to jump on their feet to the angsty, tell-all, breakup anthem, “You Oughta Know.” A packed Moody Theater crowd passionately belted “And I am here to remind you of the mess you left when you went away” as fans headbanged and stretched their hands out in the signature rock and roll “horns” gesture while the band began “Uninvited.” The final anthem “Thank You” saw Morisette spinning in circles creating a passionately explosive end to a history-making performance. A trailblazer for female-fronted rock, Morissette’s originality continues to keep audiences head over feet.

Alanis Morissette on Austin City Limits, Oct. 2023. Photos by Scott Newton.

Setlist:

All I Really Want – Jagged Little Pill

Hand in My Pocket – Jagged Little Pill

Right Through You – Jagged Little Pill

You Learn – Jagged Little Pill

Segue 1 (Hands Clean) – Under Rug Swept

Forgiven – Jagged Little Pill

Segue 2 (Everything) – So-Called Chaos

Mary Jane – Jagged Little Pill

Segue 3 (Diagnosis) – Such Pretty Forks in the Road

Reasons I Drink – Such Pretty Forks in the Road

Head Over Feet – Jagged Little Pill

Segue 4 (So Unsexy) – Under Rug Swept

Ablaze – Such Pretty Forks in the Road

Segue 4 ½ (Nemesis) – Such Pretty Forks in the Road

Perfect – Jagged Little Pill

Segue 5 Mike (Losing the Plot) – Such Pretty Forks in the Road

Wake Up (acoustic) – Jagged Little Pill

Not the Doctor – Jagged Little Pill

Ironic – Jagged Little Pill

Segue 6 (Sympathetic Character) – Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie

Smiling – Such Pretty Forks in the Road

Segue 7 (I Remain) – Havoc and Bright Lights

You Oughta Know – Jagged Little Pill

Encore:

Uninvited – City of Angels soundtrack

Thank U – Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie

Musicians:

Alanis Morissette – vocals, harmonica, guitar

Michael Farrell – keyboards

Jason Orme – guitar

Cedric Lemoyne – bass

Julian Coryell – guitar

Victor Indrizzo – drums

Tags Alanis Morissette, Season 49

Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Brittney Spencer

Post author By michael
Post date October 6, 2023

Brittney Spencer tapes Austin City Limits, Oct. 6, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

The Brittney Spencer song “First Car Feeling” celebrates the exhilaration of new experiences, new moments when everything feels fresh and exciting. We’d like to think Ms. Spencer was feeling some of that as she took the stage for her debut taping on Austin City Limits. She was a standout at last year’s ACL Hall of Fame presentation as she put her stamp on Sheryl Crow’s “My Favorite Mistake,” so it was inevitable that she would come back to showcase her own tunes.

And what tunes they were. Drawn mostly from her forthcoming debut album My Stupid Life, out this January on Elektra Records, the songs bespoke a thoughtful songsmith unafraid to bare her soul while still paying attention to artistry. Fronting a seven-piece band of versatile musicians, Spencer smoothly blended country music with R&B, much like classic singers like Arthur Alexander and contemporary ones like Yola – a perfect fusion of craft and soul. She got the crowd dancing and singing along with “I Got Time,” smiling in recognition with “Night In,” and feeling her every emotion in the ballad “Deeper.” In a couple of special moments, Spencer paid tribute to her inspirations – Reba, Aretha, Janis, Dolly, Latifah and more – with “Bigger Than the Song” and a cover of Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again” worked up especially for this show. She also marveled at her good fortune (augmented by hard work) in the title track of the upcoming record. A spectacular vocal performance on “My First Rodeo” brought the audience to their feet, leaving the singer fighting back tears. “I’ve been trying not to cry the whole show,” she remarked.

Most impressively, she stunned the crowd with the poignant “Sober & Skinny,” taking the surface humor of “If you get sober, I’ll get skinny” and using it to highlight the heartbreak of a mutually self-destructive relationship. That led into the even more emotional “Reaching Out,” an anthem for anyone who feels alone and unwanted – something anyone can identify with, as shown by the standing ovation Spencer received as she quit the stage. She rewarded the people’s persistent applause by returning with a raucous version of the Nancy Sinatra classic “These Boots Are Made For Walking.” Spencer looked giddy as she left the stage for the second time, as well she should: once it airs early next year as part of our Season 49, this episode will prove that Brittney Spencer is a star.

Brittney Spencer performs on Austin City Limits, Oct. 2023. Photos by Scott Newton.

Setlist:

First Car Feeling – My Stupid Life

Better As Friends – If I Ever Get There: A Day at Blackbird Studio EP

Night In – My Stupid Life

Bigger Than the Song – My Stupid Life

Deeper – My Stupid Life

On the Road Again – Willie Nelson cover

I Got Time – My Stupid Life

My Stupid Life – My Stupid Life

If You Say So – My Stupid Life

My First Rodeo – My Stupid Life

Sober & Skinny – single

Reaching Out – My Stupid Life

These Boots Were Made For Walking – Nancy Sinatra cover

Musicians:

Brittney Spencer – vocals, guitar

Abbey Cone – vocals

Alfred Carty – bass

Bobby Wesley – guitar

Harrison Finks – keyboards

John McNally – pedal steel, guitar

Matt Cummings – guitar

Megan Jane – drums

Tags Brittney Spencer, Season 49

Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Noah Kahan

Post author By michael
Post date September 26, 2023

Noah Kahan performs on Austin City Limits, Sept. 26, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

“Man, I’ve been watching these since I was a kid,” said Noah Kahan after the first song in his debut Austin City Limits taping. “I never thought I’d get a chance to be here.” Now that he was, the Vermont native made the most of it. Clad in a beige jumpsuit (“I don’t have the muscle definition for a tanktop, so what am I supposed to do?”) and backed by his five-piece band, Kahan played nearly every number from his breakthrough album Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever). Clearly a devotee of both the quiet and the loud, Kahan shifted easily from the banjo-driven folk of “All My Love” and “Orange Juice” to the overt rock anthemry of “She Calls Me Back” and “Northern Attitude.” “Your Needs, My Needs” shifted from one to the other (and back). Though known for baring his soul in his songs, he was quick to lighten the mood with a playful quip or two – sometimes even during the song (“Put your hands up, Austin! Never mind, I don’t like it!”).

At other times Kahan took the opportunity to get real and go deeper with his fans. Left alone onstage, Kahan introduced his song “Growing Sideways” addressing his mental health struggles throughout his life, noting he entered therapy at eight years old and hit a moment of clarity years into adulthood. “I was 22 when I started telling the truth,” he admitted, “and I was much happier.” Honesty put the audience in the palm of his hand, prompting them to sing a key lyric – clearly Kahan’s not the only one who hears an artist speaking plainly about personal trials and feeling seen. Still wearing his heart on his sleeve, he even choked up during “The View Between Villages,” an ode to his hometown, during the encore.

That vulnerability and personal connection drove Kahan’s performance as much as his talent. “I’m coming down to say hi to this man and his family,” Kahan exclaimed, leaving the stage to shake hands with the entire front row as his band performed the build-up to “Northern Attitude,” during which the crowd sang an entire verse by themselves. He extended the same creative freedom to “Everywhere, Everything,” “Orange Juice,” and “False Confidence,” a fan favorite and the only tune from an album outside Stick Season. Fans and singer came together on “Dial Drunk,” the frisky country rocker that became his first hit and “Stick Season,” the song that “changed my life” and garnered the biggest crowd singalong yet. The show ended with the rocking “Homesick” and the audience jamming out, showcasing Kahan’s deft blend of cathartic blast and ardent earnestness to its fullest effect.

Noah Kahan – vocals, guitar, mandolin

Noah Levine – guitar, banjo, vocals

Dylan Jones – keyboards, banjo, mandolin, vocals

Alex Bachari – bass, vocals

Marcos Valles – drums, vocals

Noah Kahan and his band tape Austin City Limits, September 25, 2023.

Setlist:

All My Love – Stick Season

She Calls Me Back – Stick Season

New Perspective – Stick Season

Everywhere, Everything – Stick Season

Your Needs, My Needs – Stick Season

Growing Sideways – Stick Season

Paul Revere – Stick Season

Northern Attitude – Stick Season

False Confidence – Busyhead

Call Your Mom – Stick Season

You’re Gonna Go Far – Stick Season

Orange Juice – Stick Season

Dial Drunk – Stick Season

Encore:

The View Between Villages – Stick Season

Stick Season – Stick Season

Homesick – Stick Season

Tags Noah Kahan, Season 49, taping recap

Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo

Post author By michael
Post date September 25, 2023

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

When Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo took the Austin City Limits stage for their very first taping, they did so in front of a crowd that was, to put it plainly, stoked. So it was appropriate that the freshly-minted Rock & Roll Hall of Famers and their rhythm section of bassist Mick Mahan and drummer Tony Pia kicked off the evening with “All Fired Up,” the mid-eighties hit that celebrates the power of their epic style. Of course, that efficacy was evident throughout the evening, as singer Benatar and guitarist Giraldo consistently raised the flag for evergreen rock.

by Scott Newton for Austin City Limits and Austin PBS

The ever-smiling married couple took us on a high-energy, career-spanning journey of their impressive, near-five-decade, Grammy-laden catalog, from the powerhouse “Sex As a Weapon” and the empowerment paean “Girl” to the soaring rocker “We Live For Love” and the fiery Rascals cover “You Better Run.” “We love this song as much as you do, as it’s a song that brings people together,” Benatar noted as she sat on a red stool beside the grand piano. Giraldo tickled the ivories for “We Belong,” one of the married duo’s biggest hits, and one that Benatar sang with the kind of passion that meant she believed it every time she sang “We belong together!” The rousing “Invincible” got the blood pumping, while the steely “Hell is For Children” roared with righteous anger – nobody does rock anthems like Benatar and Giraldo. Need more proof? The set-ending “Love is a Battlefield” grooved and blasted across the firmament like the classic it is, earning huge applause. The duo returned for a ripping encore of “Heartbreaker,” from Benatar’s 1979 debut, which she called “the song that started it all,” within which they interpolated Johnny Cash’s immortal “Ring of Fire,” let the crowd sing a chorus, and ended on, of all things, an electrified Irish jig and a standing ovation. It’s always good to see veteran performers like Benatar and Giraldo who clearly still enjoy what they do for a living, and that onstage joy transferred to the eager audience and the camera for what will be an amazing episode when it airs as part of our upcoming Season 49.

Pat Benatar – lead vocals

Neil Giraldo – guitars, piano, vocals

Mick Mahan – bass

Tony Pia – drums

Setlist:

All Fired Up – Wide Awake in Dreamland

Sex As a Weapon – Seven the Hard Way

We Live For Love – In the Heat of the Night

Promises in the Dark – Precious Time

Girl – Go

We Belong – Tropico

Everybody Lay Down – Gravity’s Rainbow

Invincible- Seven the Hard Way

Shadows of the Night – Get Nervous

Hell is For Children – Crimes of Passion

You Better Run – Crimes of Passion

Love is a Battlefield – Live From Earth

Encore:

Heartbreaker/Ring of Fire – In the Heat of the Night, Johnny Cash cover

Tags Neil Giraldo, Pat Benatar, Season 49, taping recap

Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit

Post author By michael
Post date September 19, 2023

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit perform on Austin City Limits, Sept. 18, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

“We’re just overjoyed to be back on Austin City Limits!” said Jason Isbell as he led his band the 400 Unit to their third appearance on the ACL stage. With the acclaimed documentary Running With Our Eyes Closed on Max and his even more loudly hailed new album Weathervanes in the cultural conversation, Isbell is hitting a career high, which makes it the perfect time to host him once again. The new record is filled with expertly crafted, passionately performed songs featuring characters facing hard times, and that’s what the songwriter and the group presented tonight. With every lyric thoughtfully considered and every tune an ear worm, the setlist abounded with future anthems, from the anxiety-ridden “Save the World” (in which the protagonist contemplates raising a child in a world of common school shootings) and the acoustic “Cast Iron Skillet” to the tension-filled “Death Wish” and the rackety opener “When We Were Close,” an ode to a fallen musical comrade. Isbell reached into his bag of deep cuts with the loping anthem “Overseas,” from the 2021 album Reunions, but kept the set Weathervanes-centric – a choice that suited the polished but powerful rock & roll machine the Unit has become. Thanks to the bandleader’s chemistry with guitarist Sadler Vaden, bassist Anna Butterss, keyboardist Denny deBorja, and drummers Chad Gamble and Will Johnson (who last appeared on ACL with Monsters of Folk), “King of Oklahoma” roared, “Miles” blazed, and the Southern rock-frosted “This Ain’t It” burned the way only two dueling guitars can do it. The main set climaxed with a dip into the songwriter’s breakthrough Southeastern via “Flying Over Water,” to mighty applause, before returning for a two-song salvo of certified Isbell classics: the fan-favorite “24 Frames” and the soulful “Cover Me Up.” The audience loved every single second. “This is a good time – I sure do love doing this show!” the artist declared. Right back atcha, Jason, right back atcha.