The iconic television music series Austin City Limits announces the first half of the Season 45 broadcast line-up with seven all-new installments to begin airing October 5 as part of the program’s fourteen-episode season. The stellar slate of broadcast episodes features highly-anticipated debuts from today’s most talked-about live acts, and the return of ACL legends, continuing Austin City Limits’ extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history. Providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for a remarkable 45 years, the series airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available online for a limited time at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast.
Austin City Limits returns this fall with a season premiere featuring a blistering hour with Austin’s own Gary Clark Jr., marking the acclaimed musician’s third appearance on the series. Indie-rock titans Vampire Weekend make a highly-anticipated appearance in a must-see hour showcasing their first album in five years. A season highlight features the return of Americana icon Steve Earle, making his fifth appearance with a tribute to the legendary songwriter Guy Clark; Earle is joined by his band The Dukes and special guests including Rodney Crowell and Joe Ely for choice Clark classics alongside Earle’s own gems from his songwriting catalog. One of Americana’s finest singer-songwriters, Patty Griffin returns for her sixth appearance, sharing an episode with New Orleans rock band The Revivalists in their ACL debut. Next-generation country is showcased with two new artists representing the genre’s expansive range sharing an episode: chart-topping Kane Brown and breakout Canadian folk & western singer Colter Wall. Austin City Limits continues its mission of spotlighting innovators with stunning new hours featuring R&B sensation H.E.R., a two-time 2019 Grammy® Award-winning singer-songwriter-guitarist, and singer-songwriter phenom Maggie Rogers, both making their ACL debuts.
“Over the decades ACL has built its reputation on introducing the most original, innovative and eclectic music from every genre,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Music fans love to discover artists and sounds they’ve never heard before, or re-discover artists and songs that have stood the test of time. There’s no better place to find them than Austin City Limits, and this season is a perfect example!”
For the series milestone Season 45, the broadcast has a new opening featuring Austin indie stars Spoon’s classic “Hot Thoughts” and showcasing many of Austin’s own homegrown talents captured at the live music capital’s many colorful locations.
Season 45 Broadcast Line-up (seven new episodes to be announced):
October 5 Gary Clark Jr.
October 12 Maggie Rogers
October 19 Steve Earle & The Dukes: A Tribute to Guy Clark
October 26 H.E.R.
November 2 Patty Griffin / The Revivalists
November 9 Vampire Weekend
November 16 Kane Brown / Colter Wall
November 23 ACL Presents Americana 18th Annual Honors
For the ninth consecutive year, the producers of Austin City Limits, in conjunction with producers Martin Fischer, Michelle Aquilato, Edie Hoback and the Americana Music Association, are proud to present a special ACL Presents on November 23 featuring the best music performances from this year’s 18th Annual Americana Music Association Honors and Awards Ceremony to be held September 11, 2019 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. The broadcast is a celebration of the diverse sounds of roots music, from folk, bluegrass and alt-country to R&B and the blues.
The complete line-up for the full 14-week season, including seven new episodes to air beginning December 31, 2019, will be announced at a later date. Austin City Limits continues to offer its popular live streams of select performances for fans worldwide on ACL’s YouTube Channel. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding live streams, future tapings and episode schedules.