ACL Encore: Raphael Saadiq/Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears

photo by Scott Newton

WARNING:  This Saturday’s encore episode may induce the following behavior: dancing/booty shaking, laughter, uncontrollable smiling, clapping, soulful singing, and bass throwing (if you have one nearby).

What are we talking about? This week’s episode featuring multi-instrumentalist and R&B veteran Raphael Saadiq and Austin’s own Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, of course.

Referring to journalists as “lazy” when they try to fit his musical style under genre specific labels (such as neo-soul), it’s clear from this performance and his albums that Raphael Saadiq draws inspiration from a wide array of artists. Featuring special guest Kim Wilson of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Saadiq covers hits from his 2011 album Stone Rollin’. Watch when Saadiq performs the title track, a song he initially wrote when he was 11 about a “full-figured, bluesy woman,” as his background vocalists show as much energy as Saadiq himself.

Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears have been such a local favorite and “must-see” over the years that it wasn’t a shock when the group starting gaining national attention. In this performance you see the group at its finest, performing a mix of songs from its 2009 debut Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is! and their most recent release Scandalous. This performance is brimming with energy, soul and flying instruments that peaks at the end, when  the group is joined by Dallas gospel group the Relatives for the fervid hit and crowd favorite “You Been Lyin’.”

Check your local listings for showtimes to see this episode and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr to keep up with updates on tapings and airings! Oh, and please watch out for the bass. Austin City Limits does not condone anyone throwing instruments in the living room, but if you do, let us know because that would be an awesome story worth sharing.

Season 37 Poster Auction!

Arcade Fire Signatures

Season 37 was such a memorable season for us – from moving into our new home at ACL Live at the Moody Theater to celebrating New Year’s Eve with Coldplay. Even though we’ve started tapings for Season 38, we’re not ready to let go of Season 37 quite yet – and you don’t have to either! As part of a fundraising effort for KLRU-TV, the producing station for Austin City Limits, we have organized an eBay auction of signed, limited edition band posters from last season!

Each band poster had a very limited print run and only a few were signed – each is extremely collectible for any fan of the band or the artist! The posters up for grabs include: Arcade FireColdplayFlorence & The MachineGillian Welch & The DecemberistsJeff BridgesMiranda LambertRandy NewmanRaphael SaadiqSteve Miller Band, and Wilco

The auction will be up until March 10, so bid now and bid often to get your favorite performer’s poster into your personal collection.

All proceeds will go directly to KLRU-TV to inspire creativity, exploration and understanding in Austin – and beyond.

Congratulations to the 2011 Grammy winners!

Grammys-image

The 54th annual Grammys ceremony has come and gone. While we were particularly excited this year because our own Terry Lickona co-produced the broadcast, we’d be remiss in not congratulating the winners, including upcoming ACL performers the Civil Wars, who took home trophies for Best Country Duo/Group Performance and Best Folk Album, ACL veterans Alison Krauss & Union Station, who won Best Bluegrass Album, Season 32 performer Corinne Bailey Rae, who earned Best R&B Vocal, and Season 34 alumni Foo Fighters, who swept the rock categories in the same way Adele swept the pop headings. Congratulations also to Coldplay, Wilco, the Decemberists, Mumford & Sons and Raphael Saadiq, who may not have won anything, but in a field as crowded as today’s music world, it really is an honor just to be nominated.

Looking for a complete list of winners and nominees? The Grammy website has you covered – go here for the details.

New Year – New Episodes!

We’re halfway through the broadcasts of Austin City Limits’ 37 season and you may be asking yourself: how do we follow up shows with Coldplay, Mumford & Sons, the Decemberists, the Steve Miller Band, Miranda Lambert, Raphael Saadiq and Randy Newman (to name only a few)? With a second half equally as strong, of course.

Arcade Fire “We Used to Wait” at ACL: Behind the Scenes from Jonathan Jackson on Vimeo.

Coming up on January 7 we have Seattle up-and-comers The Head and the Heart and British veterans Gomez. On January 14 it’s the return of Album of the Year Grammy winners Arcade Fire. January 21 is ACL acid folk day with Fleet Foxes and Joanna Newsom. January 28 features the debuts of rising stars Florence + the Machine and Lykke Li. We close the season on February 7 with our old pals Wilco.

We’re as jazzed about these new episodes.  Don’t forget to watch on your favorite PBS station!

Season 37 ACL Artists Honored by The Grammys

Congratulations from Austin City Limits to all the Grammy nominees this year, especially to the 15 artists featured this season on our show – nice job racking up 24 total nods. We’ll find out who won on February 12 when the Grammy Awards hit the airwaves. Good luck, everybody!

Here’s our list, along with the next date of broadcast:

Coldplay – 12/31/11

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Best Rock Performance

Best Rock Song

 

Fleet Foxes – 1/21/12

Best Folk Album

Wilco – 2/4/12

Best Rock Album

Raphael Saadiq – 4/7/12

Best Traditional R&B Performance

The Decemberists – 5/12/12

Best Rock Performance

Best Rock Song

Gillian Welch – 5/12/12

Best Folk Album

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

Mumford & Sons – 5/26/12

Record of the Year

Song of the Year

Best Rock Performance

Best Rock Song

The Del McCoury Band (with Preservation Hall Jazz Band) – 6/9/12

Best Bluegrass Album

My Morning Jacket (Yim Yames with Preservation Hall Jazz Band) – 6/9/12

Best Alternative Music Album

Greg Allman (ACL Presents Americana Music Awards)

Best Blues Album

Lucinda Williams (ACL Presents Americana Music Awards)

Best Americana Album

Emmylou Harris (ACL Presents Americana Music Awards)

Best Americana Album

Alison Krauss (ACL Presents Americana Music Awards)

Best Bluegrass Album

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

Jim Lauderdale (ACL Presents Americana Music Awards)

Best Bluegrass Album

The Civil Wars (ACL Presents Americana Music Awards)

Best Country Duo / Group Performance

Best Folk Album

ACL Season 37/Episode 2: Groove Along With Raphael Saadiq and Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears

Howdy folks,

The new season of Austin City Limits hit airwaves last weekend featuring rocking performances by Mumford & Sons and Flogging Molly. If you missed it check it out here, but stay tuned because we’re just getting started….

Tonight, Saturday, October 8th, we cordially invite you to join us for our second episode featuring Raphael Saadiq and Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears – and it’s a killer lineup if we do say so.

Tune-in by checking your local listings for air times on PBS affiliate stations closest to you, and get in the mood with a little behind the scenes video we dug up just for you…

Veteran R&B genius Raphael Saadiq and his crack band kick things off with a set heavy on his most recent and most excellent record Stone Rollin’. Few artists translate old-school soul moves into contemporary R&B magic quite like this Oakland native.

In anticipation of tomorrow you can look forward to “Heart Attack,” “Day Dreams” and the bluesy strut “Stone Rollin,” featuring special guest Fabulous Thunderbirds’ frontman and blues legend Kim Wilson on harmonica – if your hips don’t move in a way illegal in most states, you might want to check your pulse.

Our advice: for this show keep the lights down low and your sweetheart nearby.



Also featured in episode two, get ready for Austin’s own Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears. The band’s blazing blend of North Mississippi Hill Country blues, New York punk rock and Stax/Volt soul inspires as much air guitar as dancing, especially when Joe’s overdriven Telecaster gets into it with the bursting horn section.

The Honeybears spread the love across their career with the roiling “Bobby Booshay,” the groovin’ “I’m Broke” and an amp-frying cover of the Dead Boys’ “What Love Is.” And don’t miss the epic closer “You Been Lyin,” featuring roof-raising gospel soul group the Relatives.

And yes – for our sharp-eyed viewers, you are correct – that is indeed Spoon drummer and Honeybears producer Jim Eno shaking the maracas and tambourine in the background. 

Just can’t wait until Saturday? Mosey on over to the episode page for performance and interview clips, bio info, the full set list, a pile of cool photos and more. Then hit up your local PBS listings for the broadcast date nearest you.

And don’t forget, you can get the latest and greatest ACL news by following us on Twitter and Facebook, or signing up for our snazzy monthly newsletter, and check out our “Experience ACL” Tumblr blog while you’re at it.

What’s on tap for episode 3? Tune in next week for a return engagement from jamming rock favorites who need little intro, Widespread Panic. Check back in here for more details.