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News Taping Announcement

Samara Joy, Cam and MJ Lenderman announced for Season 51 Tapings

Austin City Limits (ACL) is thrilled to announce summer tapings featuring a trio of American originals in their ACL debuts for our Season 51: on May 25 we welcome five-time Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Samara Joy, making her debut with songs from her celebrated 2025 album Portrait; previously announced modern soul act Thee Sacred Souls comes to our stage on May 28, straight from their buzzed-about Coachella performances; country artist Cam joins us on June 2; riding a high after a 2025 Grammy win for her songwriting on the landmark Cowboy Carter, Cam makes her headlining ACL debut with songs from her upcoming new collection; and ascendant singer-songwriter MJ Lenderman takes the ACL stage on July 1 with highlights from his acclaimed Manning Fireworks.

Photo by Gus Black

Samara Joy is having a banner year, earning a remarkable fourth and fifth Grammy at this year’s Awards, taking home gold for both Best Jazz Performance and Best Jazz Vocal Album. The 25-year-old jazz vocalist’s latest studio album Portrait won the Outstanding Jazz Album Award at the NAACP Image Awards in February. Joy co-produced the acclaimed Verve release with veteran trumpeter/bandleader and multi-Grammy winner Brian Lynch. Portrait showcases the intimate, soulful chemistry she’s developed with her touring band and spotlights her burgeoning gifts as a lyricist in ingenious arrangements that meld her thoughtful words with music by Charles Mingus, Sun Ra and her late mentor Barry Harris. Joy continues to secure her status as perhaps the first Gen Z jazz vocal star: The New York Times praised the “silky-voiced rising star” for “helping jazz take a youthful turn,” while NPR named her a “classic jazz singer from a new generation.” Joy’s meteoric rise launched in 2022 with the release of her breakout Verve debut, Linger Awhile, which garnered critical raves and signaled the arrival of a once-in-a-generation vocalist. The album earned her a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album in addition to a headline-making win for Best New Artist. A native of the Bronx, Joy became entranced by classic R&B as a child and cut her teeth as a singer in her church’s gospel choir. And while her family history is deeply musical, Joy didn’t delve into the jazz tradition until college. During her studies she won the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, which introduced her to the larger jazz scene as a rising star to watch. She was heard, by audiences and critics alike, as a masterful interpreter of jazz standards and a rightful heiress of the sound, technique and charisma that defined her jazz heroines — including Vaughan, Betty Carter, Abbey Lincoln and Carmen McRae. Joy will tour across the globe throughout 2025, including a career high: her highly-anticipated Carnegie Hall debut this spring.

Multi-platinum country artist Cam turned heads when she performed on our 50th Anniversary special in 2024; she was featured in the program’s songwriter circle, trading songs and verses with Indigo Girls and Brandy Clark in what became a broadcast highlight.  The singer and songwriter kicked off 2025 with a career highlight: she picked up her first Grammy win as a songwriter on Beyoncé’s genre-shattering Album of the Year Cowboy Carter. A sought-after collaborator, Cam penned five songs for the landmark album (“Ameriican Requiem,” “Protector,” “Daughter,” “Tyrant,” and “Amen”) and contributed production and backing vocals. On the heels of her big year so far with Beyoncé, Cam is now gearing up for the 2025 release of her highly anticipated new album with RCA Records. Prolific and adored, Cam stepped into the spotlight in a big way with her critically acclaimed debut, Untamed. The chart-topping, triple-platinum release featured the breakthrough smash “Burning House,” and notched Grammy, ACM, and CMA award nominations. She followed with her critically acclaimed sophomore release, The Otherside, which featured the international Jolene-in-reverse hit “Diane,” plus songwriting from Avicii, Harry Styles, Jack Antonoff, and Sam Smith. A captivating live performer with a soaring voice, Cam has consistently sold out shows across the globe, cementing her status as an international powerhouse. From the coveted sunset slot at Stagecoach to top venues across five continents, in recent years, she has been one of the few country acts to play Lollapalooza, ACL Fest, and Outside Lands while also supporting acts like Harry Styles, George Strait, Sam Smith, Loretta Lynn, the Indigo Girls, Eric Church, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill. A vivid storyteller, clever wordsmith, and committed visionary, fans have only just begun to scratch the surface of Cam’s many facets. As she bravely steps into her next era, she’s welcoming everyone into a space that’s inclusive, invigorating, and inspiring.

Photo by Shervin Lainez

26-year-old singer-songwriter-guitarist MJ Lenderman makes his ACL debut after a busy couple of years. A rock-and-roll and basketball obsessed kid growing up in the mountain town of Asheville, NC, he put out the breakthrough solo set Boat Songs in 2022; the sleeper hit piled offhanded, Southern-inflected rock on wry, laconic bangers like “Hangover Game,” “Six Flags” and “Tastes Just Like It Costs.” With its barbed little jokes, canny sports references, and gloriously ragged guitar solos, the album became one of that year’s standouts, a ramshackle set of charms and chuckles. He followed with a stellar 2024, bookended by a memorable feature on Waxahatchee’s “Right Back To It,” a magnetic duet about romantic doubt that became one of the year’s biggest indie-rock anthems, and the release of his own highly anticipated solo album, Manning Fireworks. A laser-sharp study of misfits and the mistakes they make, where sympathy and sardonicism share the same ragged rock song, the acclaimed release features thumbnail character studies: “She’s Leaving You,” a half-sneering portrait of a dad cheating his way through a midlife crisis, at least until he gets caught and blasts Clapton in a rented Ferrari en route to Vegas; “On My Knees” finds Lenderman wondering what it means to have fun in a world where so many people seem full of shit; and muses on edgelords and alpha males on the standout “Wristwatch.” Manning Fireworks topped many critics’ year-end best lists, with Rolling Stone raving, “MJ Lenderman delivers a sad-guy indie-rock gem” and named him “a budding guitar great and ace storyteller”; The New York Times calls Lenderman “A young artist with an old soul and a keen eye for observational detail that makes his canted portraits of small-town life come alive”; NPR raves, “He’s a homespun magical realist, always throwing in something off-kilter to elevate his tales of lovable losers”; and the Guardian concurs, “Far from being dude-centric, Manning Fireworks’ sad sack anthems tap into something devastatingly, purely human.” 

We’re thrilled to welcome these stellar acts to the ACL stage. The broadcast episodes will air on PBS this fall as part of our upcoming Season 51, stream previous seasons online or on your connected TV with the PBS App. Follow @acltv on socials for a chance to attend these tapings in person. Learn more about how to attend a taping here.

Categories
Live Stream News

Live Stream ACL & Antone’s Celebrate the Blues on 4/28 @ 8pm CT

One-of-a-Kind Taping to be Livestreamed for Fans Worldwide on Austin City Limits YouTube Channel; Watch Live on April 28 at 8pm

Legendary Austin club Antone’s celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and Austin City Limits is proud to salute this occasion, along with our own five-decade history of showcasing the blues, with ACL & Antone’s Celebrate the Blues on Monday, April 28. Austin City Limits is also pleased to announce this special taping will be livestreamed in its entirety on the ACLTV YouTube channel. This one-of-a-kind taping swaps Antone’s intimate setting for ACL’s familiar skyline backdrop and offers a murderers’ row of blues all-stars and torchbearers taking the ACL stage at ACL Live at The Moody Theater for this incredible night. Performers include Jimmie Vaughan, Sue Foley, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Charlie Sexton, Big Bill Morganfield, Lil’ Ed Williams, Grace Bowers, Bobby Rush and Lurrie Bell. These blues all-stars will be backed by an incredible 14-piece house band featuring legendary players, including ACL Hall of Famer Chris Layton, along with Steve Bell, Joe Sublett and more, all under the musical direction of Zach Ernst. Full line-up of guest performers and house band below. 

ACL offers fans worldwide the unique opportunity to watch this special taping live in its entirety on Monday, April 28 at 8pm CT free via the ACLTV YouTube Channel.  The livestream will begin promptly at 8pm CT and will only be available live. The broadcast episode will air on PBS and stream on PBS.org this fall as part of the legendary television series upcoming Season 51.

Austin City Limits presented blues acts on the series dating back to its earliest seasons, providing the first television exposure for many, including Lightnin’ Hopkins, Gatemouth Brown, Miss Lavelle White, B.B. King, W.C. Clark, Elizabeth Cotten and Ruth Brown. 

ACL is thrilled to celebrate a kindred long-running music institution that has played an instrumental role in Austin’s reign as “the live music capital of the world.” Antone’s “Home of the Blues” opened in 1975 as the first live music showcase on the city’s now-famous Sixth Street, and it quickly became a home away from home for a Mount Rushmore of blues musicians including Muddy Waters, Albert King, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Willie Dixon and B.B. King – as well as a broader tapestry of American roots music. The force behind all this was club founder Clifford Antone; under his guidance, his namesake venue emerged as one of the most important blues joints and stages in the country. Throughout the venue’s remarkable five-decade run, Antone’s continued to define the present and shape the future of blues music, bolstering the careers of internationally-renowned artists including The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Doug Sahm, Charlie Sexton, Angela Strehli, Lou Ann Barton and many more. It remains a vital presence in the live music scene, with its legacy and influence carried forward by the next generation of trailblazing artists including Gary Clark Jr., Kam Franklin, Jackie Venson, Eve Monsees and Kingfish. Stay tuned for the broadcast episode, which will air later this year as part of ACL’s upcoming Season 51 on PBS.

“ACL & ANTONE’S CELEBRATE THE BLUES” GUEST PERFORMERS:

  • JIMMIE VAUGHAN
  • SUE FOLEY
  • CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM
  • CHARLIE SEXTON
  • BIG BILL MORGANFIELD
  • LIL’ ED WILLIAMS
  • GRACE BOWERS
  • BOBBY RUSH
  • LURRIE BELL
  • BENNY TURNER
  • KAM FRANKLIN
  • JOHN PRIMER

ALL-STAR HOUSE BAND:

  • ZACH ERNST (MUSICAL DIRECTOR & GUITAR)
  • STEVE BELL (HARMONICA)
  • RODD BLAND (DRUMS) 
  • NICK CONNOLLY (PIANO)
  • JOHN DEAS (B3 ORGAN)
  • LARRY FULCHER (BASS)
  • AL GOMEZ (TRUMPET)
  • MARK “KAZ” KAZANOFF (SAXOPHONE)
  • CHRIS LAYTON (DRUMS)
  • JOHN MILLS (SAXOPHONE)
  • JAY MOELLER (DRUMS)
  • EVE MONSEES (GUITAR)
  • DEREK O’BRIEN (GUITAR)
  • JOE SUBLETT (TENOR SAXOPHONE)

Categories
Hall of Fame Important Feature New Broadcast News Uncategorized

Austin City Limits Hall of Fame Honors Garth Brooks premieres May 3

Austin City Limits caps off its 50th Anniversary celebrations with the broadcast premiere of Austin City Limits Hall of Fame Honors Garth Brooks Saturday, May 3 @8pm ET/7pm CT (check local listings). After the broadcast, the special will be available to music fans everywhere to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits for four weeks.

The Country music singer and songwriter brings a stadium-size show to the ACL stage for this landmark occasion, thrilling with fan-favorites and the stories behind his beloved hits in an entertaining, singalong hour recorded live at ACL’s studio home ACL Live in Austin, Texas. 2025 marks the 50th Anniversary of Austin City Limits, which premiered on PBS in 1975. The program celebrates its extraordinary run as the longest-running music series in television history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for a half-century.

A trailblazing artist whose ties to ACL go a long way back, Garth Brooks made his series debut in 1990 during Season 15, on the heels of his breakout 1989 debut album. The hour opens with highlights showcasing Brooks’ distinctive ACL performances over the decades; sprinkled throughout the special is new commentary from Brooks, his wife, country superstar Trisha Yearwood, and longtime ACL executive producer Terry Lickona, who handles induction honors. Brooks holds his cowboy hat to his heart as he accepts the honor with impassioned remarks and sings the program’s praises, saying Austin City Limits’ heartbeat is raw and true. He even cites favorite episodes that inspired his own career from early on. “You can bring all the smoke and mirrors you want, and trust me—I’ve used ‘em all,” laughs Brooks, “but you come here and it’s the real deal.”

“Always try to associate your name with a name greater than your own,” says Brooks.  “Being associated with ACL has been one of the greatest assets of my career.  I can’t thank Terry and the gang enough for all the years and all the love.” 

“You can’t tell the story of Austin City Limits without Garth Brooks,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Garth gets it. He gets what makes Austin City Limits special, and why it’s an honor for an artist to step onto that stage and deliver the best performance of their life. And it’s an honor for us to share that stage with artists like Garth, who have so much to offer.”

Since its inception in 2014, the ACL Hall of Fame has honored legendary artists who have played a pivotal role in the pioneering music series’ outstanding half-century as a music institution. The inaugural awards in 2014 honored Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Garth Brooks has multiple Austin City Limits performances under his belt; he made his series debut in 1990 and returned a decade later to both open and close ACL’s milestone Season 25 with two hourlong episodes. 

Brooks returned to ACL in 2021 for a memorable pair of intimate, non-broadcast events to close Studio 6A on the University of Texas campus, the fabled soundstage where the program first started recording in 1974. Brooks carved his name into ACL’s history with the final performances in the historic studio that was the show’s home from 1974 to 2010, before a move to downtown Austin. The singular artist performed the special benefit shows solo acoustic to a sold-out audience of 200 fans per night.

The Austin City Limits Hall of Fame has inducted over twenty artists at nine previous ceremonies including Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, Lloyd Maines, Asleep at the Wheel, Loretta Lynn, Guy Clark, Flaco Jiménez, Townes Van Zandt, Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King, Roy Orbison, Rosanne Cash, The Neville Brothers, Ray Charles, Marcia Ball, Los Lobos, Lyle Lovett, Buddy Guy, Shawn Colvin, Lucinda Williams, Wilco, Alejandro Escovedo, Sheryl Crow and Joe Ely. The ninth annual Hall of Fame in 2023 welcomed John Prine and Trisha Yearwood to its ranks.

Categories
Coming Soon Featured Important Feature News

Austin City Limits Celebrates 50 Years premieres April 4 on PBS

All-Star Special Featuring Chris Stapleton, Gary Clark Jr., Billy Strings, Leon Bridges, Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin, Indigo Girls, Brandy Clark, Cam, Rufus Wainwright, The Mavericks, Ángela Aguilar, Eve Monsees & Sierra Hull

With Appearances by Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton

Austin City Limits commemorates half a century of unforgettable performances and iconic moments with a two-hour primetime broadcast, AUSTIN CITY LIMITS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS, on Friday, April 4, 2025, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS App (check local listings). Music luminaries and some of the brightest stars in the iconic live music television series five-decade history return to the fabled ACL stage for this landmark anniversary.

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS, the capstone of the groundbreaking series golden jubilee celebrations, pays tribute to this historic milestone and features dazzling new performances, heartfelt artist interviews, legendary artists and exclusive rarely-seen vintage footage from ACL’s extensive archives, highlighting iconic moments that have defined the show and shaped culture.

The program features themed highlights from ACL’s expansive show archives, each culminating with an original performance or artist interview. Segments will look back on defining moments and appearances in the show’s storied history, as well as performance milestones. 

Relive unforgettable moments in ACL history through a time capsule of clips featuring Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Tom Waits, Ray Charles, Nancy Griffith, Emmylou Harris, Townes Van Zandt, The Chicks, Tracy Chapman and Lauryn Hill; forecast ACL’s future via recent appearances including Kacey Musgraves, Foo Fighters, Olivia Rodrigo, Jon Batiste, Brandi Carlile, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Noah Kahan and Jelly Roll.

The performances, created exclusively for AUSTIN CITY LIMITS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS, include choice collaborations, and one-of-a-kind offerings from an all-star slate of music’s finest, many making a return to the ACL stage. The broadcast line-up features (in order of appearance): Chris Stapleton, The Mavericks, Leon Bridges, Indigo Girls, Brandy Clark, Cam, Ángela Aguilar, Shawn Colvin, Lyle Lovett, Billy Strings featuring Sierra Hull, Rufus Wainwright and Gary Clark Jr. joined by Eve Monsees; the special is co-hosted by Austin-based actors Jared and Genevieve Padalecki. All acts were captured live at ACL’s studio home, ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. 

Country superstar and multi-Grammy Award winner Chris Stapleton honors ACL Hall of Fame icon and pilot star Willie Nelson with a powerful performance of Nelson’s classic “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground.”

ACL’s renowned songwriter circles, a series’ hallmark in the ‘80s and ‘90s, get reprised by a trio of storyteller songwriting greats: folk rock duo Indigo Girls (who appeared on an all-female circle in 1992) return to lead an intimate round-robin with celebrated singer-songwriter Brandy Clark and multi-platinum country artist Cam. The artists first trade off songs, then verses on the Girls’ classic anthem “Closer To Fine.”

Contemporary artists who’ve carved their name in ACL history return for the occasion: Grammy Award-winning next-generation bluegrass star Billy Strings, one of music’s most popular live acts, celebrates ACL’s legacy of presenting American roots music via a captivating performance with mandolin virtuoso Sierra Hull; Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Leon Bridges, a Lone Star original, delivers a fan-favorite; Rufus Wainwright, an artist who made history with the show’s first taping minus a live audience due to the pandemic, returns backed by a string section for a towering ACL performance; Rock and country trailblazers and renowned party-starters The Mavericks perform a sparkling number, amplified by a horn section, that has the audience on their feet.

ACL’s long-standing history of showcasing Latin acts – dating back to season one – is celebrated with thrilling footage featuring superstars Juanes, Rosalía, Cimafunk and many more, topped by a stunning debut performance by Latin Grammy and Grammy-nominated breakout star Ángela Aguilar, joined by Mexico’s legendary showmen Trio Los Panchos.

ACL celebrates its Hall of Fame honorees—artists who have been instrumental in making the series into the music institution it is today—with highlights from the music-filled induction salutes featuring Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson and more, capped by an original performance from ACL Hall of Fame greats Lyle Lovett and Shawn Colvin.

In a salute to ACL Hall of Fame inductee Stevie Ray Vaughan’s iconic Austin City Limits appearances (1984/1989), Grammy-winning guitar great Gary Clark Jr. and blues guitar ace Eve Monsees team up to thrill with a two-song knockout of the Texas six-string giant’s classics.

Longtime Austin City Limits devotees and supporters Jared and Genevieve Padalecki (Gilmore Girls, Supernatural, Walker), host the celebratory evening, sharing anecdotes on ACL tapings they’ve personally attended as music fans.

“The entire history of Austin City Limits has been about music legacy and music discovery,” said executive producer Terry Lickona, who in turn marks his 48th year with the program. “It’s about original, authentic music from every genre, anywhere and everywhere. An eclectic music program like ours couldn’t exist anywhere else but PBS, thanks to a half-century of support for public media.”

AUSTIN CITY LIMITS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS broadcast setlist:

Chris Stapleton: “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground”

The Mavericks: “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down”

Leon Bridges: “Beyond”

Songwriters Circle:

Indigo Girls: “Share the Moon”

Brandy Clark: “Dear Insecurity”

Cam: “Burning House”

Indigo Girls w/Brandy Clark & Cam: “Closer to Fine”

Ángela Aguilar: “Piensa En Mi”

Ángela Aguilar with Trio Los Panchos: “Todo Una Vida”

Shawn Colvin with Lyle Lovett: “The Facts About Jimmy”

Lyle Lovett: “12th of June”

Billy Strings with Sierra Hull: “Soldier’s Joy” (instrumental)

Billy Strings with Sierra Hull: “Midnight on the Stormy Deep”

Rufus Wainwright: “Going to a Town”

Rufus Wainwright: “Hallelujah”

Gary Clark Jr. with Eve Monsees: “Dirty Pool”

Gary Clark Jr. with Eve Monsees: “Pride and Joy”


Funding for AUSTIN CITY LIMITS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS is provided in part by

Categories
Featured News Taping Announcement

Charley Crockett, ACL & Antone’s Celebrate the Blues, Waxahatchee and Thee Sacred Souls to Kick Off ACL’s 51st Season

Austin City Limits is ready to write the next chapter in its remarkable 50+ year broadcast run with the announcement of the initial tapings of Season 51: country maverick Charley Crockett returns to the ACL stage for his second appearance on April 1 to preview his new release Lonesome Drifter; ACL will celebrate 50 years of the blues and legendary Austin blues club Antone’s own 50th anniversary with a special taping “ACL & Antone’s Celebrate the Blues” on April  28, featuring an all-star line-up of blues standouts; on May 19, breakout singer-songwriter Waxahatchee makes her highly-anticipated ACL debut in support of her Grammy-nominated album Tigers Blood; and modern soul act Thee Sacred Souls take the ACL stage in their debut appearance on May 28 with highlights from their latest Got A Story To Tell.

Texas troubadour Charley Crockett made a sensational ACL debut in Season 47 in 2021 and we’re thrilled to welcome him back to our stage with his highly-anticipated new album Lonesome Drifter. After a decade of touring and more than a dozen independent albums under his belt, Lonesome Drifter marks his first for a major label, and will be released by Island Records on March 14. Hailing from the Texas bordertown of San Benito, Crockett has been on a helluva ride, tapping into a rebellious strain of country and defying the odds with a diehard work ethic; grinding from obscurity to garnering millions of streams and headlining some of the country’s most renowned venues, including the Greek Theater, Red Rocks and the Ryman. He capped 2024 with his first Grammy nomination for his acclaimed album $10 Cowboy. Lonesome Drifter was co-produced by Crockett and Shooter Jennings, and recorded at the legendary Sunset Sounds Studios in LA.  “If you can hang on as long as I have, you’ll have some good stories to tell,” grins Crockett. Lonesome Drifter arrives with the single and title track, a slow-burning rocker that finds him telling the tale of a vagabond traveler. “I started writing the song back when I was still playing in subways in New York,” he recalls. “While I was waiting for the next train, I wrote songs. A few years later, I was in California working on the ganja farms, and I came up with the ‘Lonesome Drifter’ section…The burden of becoming a troubadour is you’re standing in a position that gives you a clear perspective of the struggles of humans.” Crockett tips his hat to his Texas roots on the album with a pair of choice covers: “Jamestown Ferry,” made famous by Tanya Tucker, along with George Strait’s country classic “Amarillo by Morning.”

Legendary Austin club Antone’s celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and Austin City Limits is proud to salute this milestone, along with our own history of showcasing blues music, with a special taping featuring a stellar slate of blues all-stars taking the ACL stage. Performers will include Jimmie Vaughan, Sue Foley, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Charlie Sexton, Big Bill Morganfield, Lil’ Ed Williams, Grace Bowers, Bobby Rush, Kam Franklin, John Primer, Benny Turner and Lurrie Bell. These blues all-stars will be backed by an incredible 14-piece house band featuring legendary players, including ACL Hall of Famer Chris Layton, Steve Bell, Joe Sublett, Rodd Bland, Jon Deas, Nick Connolly, Larry Fulcher, Derek O’Brien, Jay Moeller, Eve Monsees and The Texas Horns, all under the musical direction of Zach Ernst.

ACL featured blues acts on the series dating back to its early seasons, providing the first television exposure for many including Lightnin’ Hopkins, Gatemouth Brown, Miss Lavelle White, B.B. King, W.C. Clark, Elizabeth Cotten and Ruth Brown. ACL is thrilled to celebrate a kindred long-running music institution that has played an instrumental role in Austin’s reign as “the live music capital of the world.” Antone’s “Home of the Blues” was founded by the late Clifford Antone in 1975 as the first live music venue on the city’s now-famous Sixth Street, and quickly became a home away from home for a Mount Rushmore of blues musicians including Muddy Waters, Albert King, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Willie Dixon and B.B. King – as well as a broader tapestry of American roots music. The force behind all this was Clifford Antone, and under his guidance, his namesake club emerged as one of the most important blues joints and stages in the country. Throughout the venue’s remarkable five-decade run, Antone’s continued to define the present and shape the future of blues music, bolstering the careers of internationally-renowned artists including The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Doug Sahm, Charlie Sexton, Angela Strehli, Lou Ann Barton and many more. It remains a vital presence in the live music scene, with its legacy and influence carried forward by the next generation of trailblazing artists including Gary Clark Jr., Kam Franklin, Jackie Venson, Eve Monsees and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram.  

ACL is proud to welcome Katie Crutchfield, the indie musician who performs as Waxahatchee (the name of a creek she grew up near in Alabama). She’s been releasing albums as Waxahatchee since 2012 and recently scored a career high with Tigers Blood, which earned a 2025 Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album. Recorded at Sonic Ranch in the Texas bordertown of Tornillo with producer Brad Cook, the Kansas City-based Crutchfield wrote most of the songs on the album during a self-described “hot hand spell” while on tour in 2022. Tigers Blood features her most potent songwriting to date and includes the breakout single “Right Back To It,” a lo-fi gem that features southern indie-rock ace MJ Lenderman on harmony vocals and guitar, nominated for Song of the Year at the 2024 Americana Music Awards. Album highlights include the spellbinding opener “3 Sisters”; “365,” a powerful meditation on co-dependency and addiction; and “Bored,” a blazing number on diverging friendships in your 30s. Tigers Blood is Waxahatchee’s first release in four years since 2020’s acclaimed Saint Cloud, a pandemic era standout and turning point that found Crutchfield steering away from indie rock and leaning into Americana and roots music, a sound with deep ties to her southern upbringing. The road-tested artist is touring throughout 2025, including a special Luck Ranch show on March 14 with one of her primary influences, Lucinda Williams. Waxahatchee will also join Willie Nelson on his 2025 Outlaw Music Festival.

It’s been a tremendous couple of years for fast-rising Southern California sweet soul trio Thee Sacred Souls. Their sophomore release Got A Story To Tell (Daptone Records) features 12 original tracks that further cement the band’s status as masters of modern soul. The follow-up to their breakout 2022 self-titled debut, the album was recorded at Penrose Recorders in Riverside, CA, with producer and Daptones Records co-founder Gabriel Roth at the helm. Got A Story To Tell reflects the band’s artistic growth and deep connection to the soul tradition that inspires them. Richly layered with strings, smooth guitar, piano, congas, and horns, the album creates an immersive soundscape, unfolding like a novella filled with evocative tales of love, struggle, and triumph. NPR praises their “satin vocals and vintage melodies;” The LA Times raves, “One of the top acts in contemporary soul revival music. Thee Sacred Souls count fans among older enthusiasts of 1960s-style sweet soul as well as Gen Z listeners who vibe with the group’s grooving messages of romanticism, introspection, and empowerment.” Written by Thee Sacred Souls founding members Alejandro Garcia, Salvador Samano, and Josh Lane, the trio found inspiration in Brazilian legend Arthur Verocai, the Delfonics, Jamaican rocksteady and Motown siren Mary Wells. It’s a soaring statement of exquisite craftsmanship from a young band whose own story grows bigger by the day. Millions of monthly listeners on Spotify. In just two years, an ever-growing list of celebrity fans including SZA, Alicia Keys, Leon Bridges, and Kylie Jenner, and festival debuts at Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Newport Folk and Lollapalooza; the band make their Coachella debut this spring. 

We’re thrilled to welcome these stellar acts to the ACL stage. Want to be part of our audience? We will post information on how to get free passes a week in advance of each taping on our website. Follow us on socials – Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for taping announcements and latest episode news, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for even more. The broadcast episodes will air on PBS this fall as part of our upcoming Season 51, stream previous seasons online or on your connected TV with the PBS App

Categories
Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

ACL PRESENTS: WILLIE NELSON & FAMILY

American Icon Returns to Celebrate 50 Years of Austin City Limits Marking 50th Anniversary of 1974 Pilot Episode 

Hourlong Homecoming Special Premieres February 15

Iconic live music television series Austin City Limits (ACL) was born in 1974 when Willie Nelson taped its pilot episode. This became the cornerstone for 50 years of groundbreaking, award-winning music television. Now, the series North Star, Willie Nelson, returns fifty years later with a uniquely iconic performance to commemorate Austin City Limits remarkable half-century milestone. The ACL Hall-of-Famer and his Family band perform a mix of classics from his timeless catalog in this memorable, career-spanning hour; the special installment premieres Saturday, February 15 @8pm ET/7pm CT as part of the series anniversary Season 50. 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. 2025 continues the yearlong 50th Anniversary of the revered music institution, which celebrates its extraordinary run as the longest-running music series in television history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for an incredible half-century.

For this special ACL Presents, a Texas-sized performance with Willie Nelson & Family was recorded from downtown Austin’s Long Center concert lawn, marking only the fourth time the show has ever taped an outdoor performance. In Austin City Limits five decades, no artist has personified the program’s eclectic, freewheeling spirit more fully than the man with the braids, the bandana and the guitar named Trigger. An American original and ACL Hall of Fame icon, Nelson has appeared on the show more than any other performer; for this extraordinary occasion, he carves his name in ACL history once again to celebrate the show and commemorate his 1974 pilot performance. The trailblazing live music program was given the green light, premiering on PBS in 1975. “The house that Willie built” is now an institution that has become the longest-running music series in television history.

With a smile as wide as the Rio Grande, Willie calls out “50 Years! Let’s go for 50 more!” as he kicks off the hour with his perennial opener “Whiskey River,” the same song he launched the pilot taping with five decades ago. That landmark performance captured the musician’s sheer joy of playing for a live audience; that same joy is palpable in this new hour as Willie is accompanied by the five-piece Family band, including son Lukas Nelson and longtime harmonica player Mickey Raphael (who also performed on the pilot episode). With the real-life Austin skyline, familiar from the backdrop of ACL broadcasts, illuminated behind them, Willie & Family take the audience on a journey of memories and highlights, with beloved numbers that established him as a songwriting legend: “On the Road Again,” “Funny How Time Slips Away,” “Crazy,” “Night Life” and “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys.” Willie cups his hand to his ear and the multi-generational audience takes the chorus as Willie answers back “I hear you!” with a grin.  On set staples “Still Is Still Moving” and “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” the Texas native reminds fans that his trusty six-string sidekick Trigger still has a lot left to say.

The set also features the pinnacles of his artistry as an interpreter: “Georgia on My Mind,” anchored by harmonica master Mickey Raphael’s counter melodies; a gorgeous “Always On My Mind” highlights his inimitable phrasing, the weight of his words in this golden chapter taking on a new poignancy. “Here’s a song me and Waylon Jennings wrote one night,” says Willie before launching into “Good Hearted Woman,” a classic he performed in his 1974 series debut. He forges a remarkable connection with the ACL crowd and calls for the audience to join in; they reply with joy and respect during the many sing-along moments. He performs a new song, a rendition of Tom Waits’ “Last Leaf,” a meditation on mortality that, in true Willie style, lands as resilient as it does reflective. A singular artist, the outlaw legend performs his new-classic anthem “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die,” signaling this is a celebration, not a capstone. The hour wraps with “The Party’s Over,” the same song Willie closed the original pilot with. He receives an outpouring of love and an extended standing ovation before tossing his hat and bandana into the thrilled crowd. ACL writes Willie’s name in the sky as a drone show lights up the night sky with his famous image and the stars over Austin shine bright for a magical close. The hour captures an enduring artist continuing to perform live and do what he loves for as long as he can and Austin City Limits is proud to share the journey.

“There would be no Austin City Limits without Willie Nelson, so it was a dream come true for us to celebrate our 50th with Willie with a special show 50 years to the day from when he taped the original pilot episode,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “For me, it was an emotional, magical night – one we’ll never forget.”

Episode setlist:

Whiskey River (1974 pilot)

Whiskey River

Stay All Night

Still Is Still Moving

Bloody Mary Morning

Medley: Funny How Time Slips Away / Crazy / Night Life

Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys

Angel Flying Too Close To the Ground

On the Road Again

Always On My Mind

Just Outside of Austin (Lukas Nelson)

Georgia On My Mind

Good Hearted Woman

Last Leaf

Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die

The Party’s Over

The Party’s Over (1974 pilot)

Watch new episodes live, stream online, or download the PBS App. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding the Season 50 second half broadcast line-up and episode schedules or follow ACL on Facebook, Twitter, IG and TikTok. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.