Categories
Episode Recap New Broadcast News Uncategorized

Episode Premiere: Kacey Musgraves Leads Off Austin City Limits Season 50

Live music beacon Austin City Limits (ACL) kicks off a celebratory Season 50 with an unforgettable hour from an American original, seven-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves. The celebrated artist is newly nominated for a trio of awards from the Country Music Association for the upcoming CMA Awards (on November 20), including top honors of Album of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year. The season premiere airs on Saturday, September 28th at 7pm CT/8pm ET. 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. 2024 marks the 50th Anniversary of the revered music institution, which continues 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.

Kacey Musgraves on Austin City Limits, 2024. Photo by Scott Newton.

“It’s such an honor to be kicking off the 50th Season of ACL,” says Kacey Musgraves from the famed ACL stage. The Golden, Texas native returns for Austin City Limits golden anniversary season in her third series appearance; Musgraves made her ACL debut in 2014 and returned in 2018 for Season 44. The songstress shines in a radiant hour, with a new collection of songs from her latest album Deeper Well as the centerpiece, alongside career highlights and songwriting tales. With an easy rapport and exquisite singing, Musgraves delivers a captivating 13-song set joined by her seven-piece band. She opens with the delicate, soaring “Cardinal,” which pays homage to her late friend and mentor John Prine. Musgraves performs a suite of album highlights including “Deeper Well,” “Sway” and “Too Good To Be True,” weaving soft melodies around sparkling songs in a tender performance.

“ACL! Should we throw it back a little bit?” asks Musgraves before launching into the irresistible “Butterflies” from 2018’s Grammy-winning album Slow Burn. Musgraves performs a moving solo rendition of “Rainbow” with piano accompaniment, inviting the audience to sing-along. She reaches back to her 2013 breakthrough for “Follow Your Arrow,” letting the crowd take over on the final verse. A barefoot Musgraves thrills with lush vocals and harmonies on her fan-favorite anthem “Slow Burn.” “We’re gonna leave each other with good vibes,” smiles the free-spirited artist as she closes with the ACL audience joining in for her set staple “Three Little Birds.”

“Kacey Musgraves represents what Austin City Limits is all about – past, present, and hopefully future,” said longtime executive producer Terry Lickona. “There’s a through line from that very first ACL, from Willie to Kacey 50 years later: groundbreaking artists pushing boundaries, with powerful songs, and powerful performances. She sets the perfect tone for the 50th anniversary!”

Kacey Musgraves on Austin City Limits, 2024. Photo by Scott Newton.

Episode setlist:

  • Cardinal
  • Deeper Well
  • Sway
  • Too Good To Be True
  • Butterflies
  • Giver-Taker
  • Follow Your Arrow
  • The Architect
  • Heaven Is
  • Rainbow
  • Justified
  • Slow BurnThree Little Birds/Easier Said

Season 50 Broadcast Line-Up (second half of season to be announced separately):

September 28 Kacey Musgraves

October 5 Gary Clark Jr. | Black Pumas

October 12 Maggie Rogers | Gracie Abrams

October 19 Jacob Collier | Nickel Creek

October 26 Brittany Howard

November 2 Jelly Roll | The War And Treaty

November 9 Chris Stapleton

November 16Juanes

Watch new episodes live, stream online, or download the PBS App. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding upcoming Season 50 tapings, live streams and episode schedules or by following 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.

Austin City Limits:

A monument to music, Austin City Limits has showcased iconic performances from legends and innovators in every genre of popular song for a remarkable five decades. The series is the flagship of the popular Austin City Limits Music Festival and has earned countless accolades for its quality presentation of live music performances, including a Peabody Award, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame designation and it remains the only TV series awarded the National Medal of Arts.

Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, the Austin Convention Center Department, Cirrus Logic and AXS Ticketing. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

About Austin PBS:

Since 1962, Austin PBS has been a part of Central Texas, delivering programs that educate, entertain and inspire. As the only locally owned and operated nonprofit public television station in Central Texas, Austin PBS uses its unique position to serve as a bridge to the community and provide essential services to 3 million potential viewers in more than 20 counties across the region.

Categories
News

Austin City Limits Announces 50th Birthday Bash featuring Willie Nelson & Family on October 17, 2024

Austin, TX—September 20, 2024—Iconic live music television series Austin City Limits (ACL) was born on October 17, 1974, when Willie Nelson taped the pilot episode. That now legendary debut became the cornerstone for 50 years of groundbreaking, award-winning music television. Now Willie returns on the 50th anniversary of that taping to commemorate Austin City Limits’ remarkable half-century milestone with a Texas-sized outdoor concert on October 17, 2024, at Austin’s Long Center for the Performing Arts.

Willie Nelson performs on the pilot episode of ACL, October 17, 1974
Ray Benson, founder of Asleep at the Wheel. Image courtesy of Lyza Renee

Austin originals Asleep at the Wheel get the party started Lone Star style with an opening set for the occasion. The western swing legends appeared in the very first official episode of Austin City Limits Season 1. Austin City Limits 50th Birthday Bash presented by Tito’s Handmade Vodka is open to the public and free; fans must register with Fair AXS for a chance to attend. Registration opens at 8AM CT Friday, September 20th through 10PM CT Monday, September 23. Those selected to attend will be notified between September 26 and September 27 and will be required to opt in. Full details are available here. The performance will be taped; musical highlights will air as a special hourlong broadcast of Austin City Limits to air in early 2025 as a season highlight of the program’s golden anniversary Season 50.

On October 17, 1974, Willie and his Family band entered Studio 6A to record the pilot for Austin City Limits. Broadcast as part of the national pledge drive in March 1975, the show was one of the top programs on PBS that year, securing a future for ACL as a series.

There’s a good reason why a bronze statue of Willie Nelson stands at the entrance to ACL’s studio home on the Austin street that bears his name: in the 50-year history of Austin City Limits, no artist has personified the music series’ eclectic, freewheeling spirit more fully than the man with the braids, the beard and the guitar named Trigger. His pivotal 1974 full-set performance served as a dispatch to the world declaring Austin’s place as a pioneering music city; the trailblazing live music program was then 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. 

“There would be no Austin City Limits without Willie Nelson – simple as that,” says longtime ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “He launched ACL into the television universe in 1974, and has helped keep us going for 50 years.”

Willie Nelson has longstanding ties to Austin City Limits with eighteen appearances on the series, more than any other performer; he last appeared in 2018 for Season 44. He was the inaugural inductee into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2014. Asleep at the Wheel, led by founder Ray Benson, and celebrating a 50-plus year run, also have a shared history with Austin City Limits, appearing eleven times over five decades, including a pair of appearances joined by Willie. Asleep at the Wheel was inducted into the ACL Hall of Fame in 2015, and honored in a 50-year career retrospective broadcast in 2020 as a special episode of Austin City Limits.

The anniversary concert also celebrates the city and community that plays a starring role in the series. The Austin skyline is the famous backdrop for the weekly show and Austin music fans comprise the audiences featured in each episode’s trademark crowd shots.

Austin’s Long Center concert lawn, situated on the banks of Lady Bird Lake and offering stunning views of the Austin skyline, will be the setting for this one-of-a-kind concert event. Austin City Limits 50th Birthday Bash featuring Willie Nelson & Family is produced by Austin PBS, the producing station of Austin City Limits and made possible by the generous support of Tejemos Foundation, Central Texas Chevy Dealers, Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Visit Austin.

As ACL turns 50, the series extends its legacy providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance. Austin City Limits continues its extraordinary five-decade broadcast run with its landmark Season 50 premiering September 28, 2024 on PBS featuring an hour with Kacey Musgraves. The upcoming season features an all-star slate of returning favorites and highly-anticipated debuts. ACL has earned its place in history.

About Austin City Limits: 

A monument to music, Austin City Limits has showcased iconic performances from legends and innovators in every genre of popular song for a remarkable five decades. The series is the flagship of the popular Austin City Limits Music Festival and has earned countless accolades for its quality presentation of live music performances, including a Peabody Award, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame designation and it remains the only TV series awarded the National Medal of Arts. In May 2024, the show’s longtime executive producer Terry Lickona was awarded public television’s highest honor, The Beacon Award, presented by Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl. The esteemed award pays tribute to individuals whose work inspires Americans and enriches our nation, in keeping with the mission of PBS. 

About Austin PBS:

Since 1962, Austin PBS has been a part of Central Texas, delivering programs that educate, entertain and inspire. As the only locally owned and operated nonprofit public television station in Central Texas, Austin PBS uses its unique position to serve as a bridge to the community and provide essential services to 3 million potential viewers in more than 20 counties across the region.

Willie Nelson:

With a seven-decade career, Willie Nelson has earned every conceivable award as a musician and amassed reputable credentials as an author, actor, and activist. He continues to thrive as a relevant and progressive musical and cultural force. In recent years, he has delivered more than a dozen new albums, released a Top 10 New York Times’ bestsellers book, again headlined Farm Aid (an event he co-founded in 1985), his annual Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic, been honored by the Library of Congress with their Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, received his 5th degree black belt in Gong Kwon Yu Sul, headlined the annual Luck Reunion food and music festival during SXSW as well as the annual Outlaw Music Festival Tour, launched his cannabis companies Willie’s Reserve and Willie’s Remedy, and graced the covers of Rolling Stone and AARP The Magazine. Nelson started this decade by releasing four albums of newly recorded music—First Rose of Spring (2020), That’s Life (2021), The Willie Nelson Family (2021), and A Beautiful Time (2022, GRAMMY Award winner for Best Country Album)—and three books—Me and Sister Bobbie: True Tales of The Family Band (2020), Willie Nelson’s Letters to America (2021), and Me and Paul: Untold Tale of a Fabled Friendship (2022). Throughout 2023, Willie celebrates his 90th birthday with multiple projects and events including a two-night star-studded concert at the famed Hollywood Bowl, Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90, that was released as a feature film and a televised broadcast special. The year began with the debut of “Wille Nelson & Family,” a new five-part film documentary series directed by Thom Zimny and Oren Moverman that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival as well as the release of a new album, I Don’t Know a Thing About Love, which features 10 performances that pay tribute to American songwriter Harlan Howard. Last year also welcomed two new releases: the GRAMMY nominated album, Bluegrass (with newly recorded studio performances of 12 Willie Nelson-penned classics showcasing Willie with a bluegrass ensemble), and a new book, Energy Follows Thought (with stories behind the lyrics of 160 of his favorite songs, along with never-before-seen photos and ephemera). To cap the momentous year, Nelson was inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In 2024, Nelson expands his depth of work with the release of two new albums and a new book. May saw the arrival of the studio album The Border (which includes Willie’s versions of 10 contemporary country songs, and four new compositions with Buddy Cannon). And this November a cookbook co-authored with his wife, Willie and Annie Nelson’s Cannabis Cookbook: Mouthwatering Recipes and the High-Flying Stories Behind Them, will debut (on 11/12), as well as another studio album (releasing on 11/1), Last Leaf on the Tree, which features close collaborations with Nelson’s son Micah. These creative endeavors as well as new songs and performances that add to his classic catalog, find Willie Nelson rolling at an artistic peak, writing and singing and playing with the seasoned wit and wisdom that comes from the road.

Asleep at the Wheel:

For over fifty years, Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson has been traversing the globe as an ambassador of Western swing music and introducing its irresistible sound to generation after generation. More than 100 musicians have passed through the Wheel, but Benson remains the front man and the keeper of the vision, in the process racking up more than 30 albums, ten Grammy awards and literally millions of miles on the road. 

Categories
News

ACL Live Partners With Austin PBS to Expand Daytime Tours

AUSTIN, TX (Sept. 16, 2024) – ACL Live at the Moody Theater and Austin PBS announced an expanded and reimagined daytime tour celebrating 50 years of the legendary Austin City Limits, the longest-running music series in television history. The enhanced guided tours will run six times daily, seven days a week, starting Tuesday, Oct. 1, allowing fans of all generations to walk in the footsteps of music legends and hear insider stories about Austin City Limits’ most memorable moments. 

“Austin PBS has always been dedicated to celebrating the arts, music and community, and this collaboration with our friends and partners at ACL Live and Opry Entertainment takes that commitment to new heights,” said Luis Patiño, CEO of PBS Austin. “With the launch of the new and improved tour of ACL Live, where our legendary Austin City Limits television series is recorded, we’re offering fans an even more immersive experience. Together, we’re not only honoring the rich history of American music but also creating new opportunities to connect with younger audiences, ensuring this legacy continues to inspire for generations to come.” 

Tours start at 3TEN with a video that gives guests background on Austin City Limits history. Throughout the tour, guests can experience an interactive timeline, view artifacts showcasing 50 seasons of PBS’s ACL and browse the unparalleled music photography of Scott Newton, the official photographer of ACL since 1979. Tours will also visit the ACL control room so guests can watch how the ACL stage comes to life. Towards the end of the tour, guests can step in the spotlight for a fun photo opportunity featuring the notable ACL skyline and wood from the original stage of the first studio where the show was filmed. 

“We are honored to celebrate Austin City Limits’ 50th anniversary with this fan-forward experience,” said Patrick Moore, CEO of Opry Entertainment. “This partnership combines our expert knowledge of creating dynamic tour offerings in iconic venues with their vast collection of memorabilia and imagery to bring another dimension to the Austin City Limits story.”

Tickets are available now for $20 at acllive.com/tours. ACL Live offers free tour admission for children 12 and under. This tour expansion is part of a broader $60 million investment by Opry Entertainment in Block 21, further establishing the district as a must-visit entertainment hub in downtown Austin. Stay tuned for more updates on Block 21’s ongoing renovations and upgrades. For additional details about ACL Live and daytime tours, visit acllive.com

About ACL Live: 

Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater (ACL Live) is a state-of-the-art, 2,750-person capacity live music venue that hosts approximately 100 concerts a year. It serves as the permanent home for the taping of the acclaimed KLRU-TV-produced PBS series Austin City Limits, the longest-running music series in American television history. ACL Live is owned and operated by Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. as part of its Opry Entertainment division. For more information on ACL Live, please visit www.acllive.com

About Opry Entertainment:

Rooted in the unparalleled country music history of the Grand Ole Opry, Opry Entertainment Group produces multi-platform entertainment experiences through its growing portfolio of entertainment venues. This includes the world-famous Grand Ole Opry, the iconic Ryman Auditorium, ACL Live at the Moody Theater, Blake Shelton-inspired Ole Red brand and the Wildhorse Saloon, which will be reimagined as Category 10, the Luke Combs-inspired entertainment experience coming 2024. Through concerts, tours, music-inspired restaurants, digital content, and its WSM Radio and Circle Country platforms, Opry Entertainment Group connects millions of music fans to the artists they love through experiences they’ll never forget. Opry Entertainment Group is a subsidiary of Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP).   

About Austin PBS:

Since 1962, Austin PBS has been a part of Central Texas, delivering programs that educate, entertain and inspire. As the only locally owned and operated nonprofit public television station in Central Texas, Austin PBS uses its unique position to serve as a bridge to the community and provide essential services to 3 million potential viewers in more than 20 counties across the region. 

About Austin City Limits:

A monument to music, Austin City Limits has showcased iconic performances from legends and innovators in every genre of popular song for a remarkable five decades. The series is the flagship of the popular Austin City Limits Music Festival and has earned countless accolades for its quality presentation of live music performances, including a Peabody Award, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame designation and it remains the only TV series awarded the National Medal of Arts.

Categories
Hall of Fame News Taping Recap

Taping Recap: ACL 10th Annual Hall of Fame 2024

On the precipice of ACL’s 50th anniversary, folks filed into Austin City Limits’ studio home ACL Live at The Moody Theater on September 5 to witness Garth Brooks’ induction into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, thus kicking off 50th anniversary celebrations with a hoot and holler heard round our great state. We knew the 10th Anniversary Austin City Limits Annual Hall of Fame Honors was going to be special, but nothing could have prepared us for a night the Austin American-Statesman declared a “raucous hoedown,” evoking the spirit of old Austin drawn from late nights at honky tonks, sharing beers with friends and strangers.

For the first time in the decade-long history of the ACL Hall of Fame, only one inductee was honored, making it all the more special of a celebration. Established in 2014, the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame recognizes legendary musicians and key individuals who have been instrumental in making television’s longest-running popular music show an institution. The ACL HoF is a historical archive, educational resource and celebration of ACL and the Austin spirit, capturing milestones in the history of the show and celebrating the performers who have graced its iconic stage. A longtime friend of the show, Brooks made his ACL debut in 1990 during Season 15 at the beginning of his career, and anchored ACL’s 25th Anniversary broadcast season with a pair of appearances in 2000 (and closing down Studio 6A on the UT campus before ACL moved its studio downtown), and made his celebrated return almost a quarter of a century later to the ACL stage, something he and executive producer Terry Lickona spoke of doing way back in Season 25. 

Following remarks from Chet Garner of The Daytripper and Austin PBS CEO Luis Patiño, a video tribute took guests on a journey through Brooks’ past Austin City Limits appearances. Next, executive producer Terry Lickona took the stage to present Brooks with the award of the evening. Overwhelmed with emotion, Garth stood back from the award podium for a beat, taking in the unending cheers from the studio audience. Joking about putting his award next to wife Trisha’s Yearwood’s (Yearwood was inducted in 2023), Brooks gave a rollicking acceptance speech before posing with the studio audience behind him for a crowd selfie. 

Brooks kicked off the night with unrivaled energy in what would turn out to be a career-spanning stadium-worthy performance, clocking in at over two hours. Playing a medley of songs that influenced his roots and served as a music lesson for the audience, including “Unchained Melody” and “Hallelujah,” Brooks warmed the audience up before his incredible 9-piece band joined him onstage for “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old).” “We’re gonna have fun tonight,” laughed Brooks as he and his band tore through hit after hit, including crowd favorites “Two Piña Coladas,” and “Thunder Rolls.” 

Brooks picked up a stack of papers with previously submitted audience requests written on them. He theatrically called out the requesters, asked them to stand, and interacted with them in a heartfelt way before playing requests; “Unanswered Prayers,” “It’s Your Song,” and more. When Brooks reached the last request, he read it animatedly, “Garth, I love you but…. can you bring out Trisha?” The audience was out of their seats, cheering, at that point. Trisha Yearwood joined her husband and now fellow ACL Hall of Fame icon onstage for an acoustic version of their “In Another’s Eyes” and a rousing solo rendition of her fan-favorite “She’s in Love With a Boy.”

At that point the studio audience was probably wondering if it could get any better than that. Brooks took a pause to introduce his longtime band, calling out backing vocalist Robert Bailey Jr. A little lively back and forth revealed Bailey Jr. had appeared in the legendary movie Animal House (as a member of Otis Day & The Knights), and led to Bailey Jr. performing a roof-rattling cover of the movie’s iconic “Shout!” joined by the band. Brooks then paid moving tribute to the night’s other man of the hour, longtime ACL executive producer Terry Lickona, dedicating “The Dance,” to him and describing Lickona as “the beating heart of the show.” From there, the grand finale had everyone out of their seats, clapping, dancing in a joyous crowd-singalong. Brooks brought the house down with his biggest hit, “Friends in Low Places,” ending the unforgettable night on a perfect note with his Austin friends. Before exiting the stage, Brooks and band bowed and waved to the audience. It almost seemed like Brooks would have stayed onstage all night, taking requests. That’s how much he loves his fans. 

Highlights from Brooks’ Hall of Fame induction ceremony will air as a special hourlong Austin City Limits broadcast in early 2025 to celebrate the program’s golden anniversary Season 50. 

The series’ anniversary season launches on PBS on September 28, 2024 with a season premiere featuring an hour with Kacey Musgraves.

© 8 Ten, Inc.

© 8 Ten, Inc.

© 8 Ten, Inc.

© 8 Ten, Inc.

© 8 Ten, Inc.

Garth Brooks performs at 10th Annual ACL Hall of Fame, 2024. Photos courtesy of © 8 Ten, Inc.

SETLIST:

“Don’t Close Your Eyes”

“Three Wooden Crosses”

“Night Moves”

“Unchained Melody/Hallelujah/Girl Crush/perfect”

“Much Too Young to Feel This Damn Old”

“Two of a Kind”

“Beaches of Cheyenne”

“Two Pina Coladas”

“The River”

“Turn the Page”

“Thunder Rolls”

Request Songs:

“Unanswered Prayers”

“It’s Your Song”

“We Shall Be Free”

“In Another’s Eyes” (w/Trisha Yearwood)

“She’s in Love With the Boy” (w/ Trisha Yearwood)

“Calling Baton Rouge”

“Shout” (performed by Robert Bailey)

“The Dance”

“Piano Man”

“You Never Even Called Me by My Name”

“Friends in Low Places”

Categories
News Taping Recap

Taping Recap: Wynonna

September 3, 2024 – Country superstar Wynonna returned to the Austin City Limits stage Tuesday evening for the first time since her episode in 1997 for Season 22. “If you’re here for the first time, it’s about freakin’ time,” joked Wynonna to the exuberant studio audience. Bringing her vivacious showmanship and flair for onstage glam with her, Wynonna took the stage in a bejeweled velvet suit, with her unmistakable mane of perfectly coiffed red hair. Her career-spanning hour included classic chart-toppers from her legendary solo career, as well deeply personal new material, and tried-and-true hits from The Judds catalog. 

Wynonna kicked the hour off with “What It Takes” and “I Saw The Light,” from her 1992 self-titled solo debut. Pausing between songs to tell stories and check in with the audience, it was clear the intimate studio setting offered a place where Wynonna’s humility and care for her fanbase could shine. “I have a fan who’s been with me since 1984. She’s been to 47 states. In country music, we stick with one another,” said the singer/songwriter. 

“I’ve sung a lot of songs about love,” said Wynonna ahead of “Cry Myself To Sleep” from 1984 album Wynonna & Naomi. “This isn’t one of them. I’d like to dedicate this to my first ex-husband,” she continued to the cheering crowd. 

She then gave a raw and heartfelt account of personal hardships she’s endured over the last two years, including the loss of her mother and second half of The Judds.“I thought I would die of a broken heart, but instead I went on tour,” said Wynonna, describing the healing power of music and the unyielding support of her fans. She went on to introduce “It’s All Downhill From Ashland,” and “Broken And Blessed,” written alongside husband and drummer Cactus Moser, and never before performed live. Though candid with the audience about being nervous to perform them, she delivered the two new songs beautifully to an enraptured audience, people standing from their seats after each song in two impassioned standing ovations. Wynonna bowed, taking in the love from the audience, visibly moved. 

The second half of the hour was an electric joyride through some of the greatest hits from The Judds and Wynonna’s solo careers, including “Tell Me Why,” “Grandpa,” Why Not Me,” and, to close out the set, “No One Else on Earth.” By the end of the night, the studio audience was on their feet yet again giving the country legend standing ovation after standing ovation. You can catch Wynonna’s Austin City Limits episode when it airs on PBS later this year as part of our anniversary Season 50.

Wynonna performs on Austin City Limits, September 3, 2024. Photos by Scott Newton.

Listen to the full set list from the Austin City Limits taping below:

BAND CREDITS:

Wynonna Judd – Lead Vocals, Guitar

Cactus Moser – Drums, BV

Dow Tomlin – Bass

Justin Weaver – Guitar, BV

Aaron Currie – Guitar

KC Martin – Keys, Organ 

Josh Shilling – Keys, Organ, Accordion, BV

Jay Carlile – BV, Percussion 

Matt Combs – Fiddle 

Carlos Sosa – Sax

Fernando Castillo – Trumpet 

Raul Vallejo – Trombone

Categories
Coming Soon Featured New Broadcast News

ACL Announces First Half of Season 50 Broadcast Schedule

Five decades ago on October 17, 1974, Willie Nelson taped the pilot for the show that holds the title “the longest-running music program in television history.” The trailblazing live music series Austin City Limits (ACL) is proud to announce its landmark 50th Anniversary broadcast season, featuring an all-star slate of returning favorites for the half-century milestone including Chris Stapleton, Juanes, Gary Clark Jr., Brittany Howard, Nickel Creek, Black Pumas, Maggie Rogers and The War And Treaty, alongside highly-anticipated debuts from Gracie Abrams, Jelly Roll and Jacob Collier. Providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in music performance for 50 years, ACL returns on Saturday, September 28th at 7pm CT/8pm ET with a luminous hour from an American original, seven-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves.

50 Years of Music Austin City Limits featured artists

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. 
Produced by Austin PBS, and recorded live at ACL’s studio home ACL Live in Austin, Texas, the program has earned its place in history. In May 2024, the show’s longtime executive producer Terry Lickona was awarded public television’s highest honor, The Beacon Award, presented by Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl. The esteemed award pays tribute to individuals whose work inspires Americans and enriches our nation, in keeping with the mission of PBS. 

Golden, Texas native Kacey Musgraves returns for Austin City Limits golden anniversary season in her third series appearance. Musgraves shines in a radiant season premiere, with a collection of songs from her latest Deeper Well, alongside career highlights and songwriting tales. Two great Austin acts, Gary Clark Jr. and Black Pumas, get the ACL treatment in a thrilling hour of next-generation rock and soul. Grammy-winner Gary Clark Jr. makes his fourth appearance on the program with highlights from his powerful latest offering JPEG RAW and eight-time Grammy nominees Black Pumas sparkle with selections from their sophomore release Chronicles of a Diamond. Breakthrough singer-songwriters Maggie Rogers and Gracie Abrams share a buoyant hour: the Grammy-nominated Rogers illuminates with bountiful gems from Don’t Forget Me in her second appearance while 2024 Grammy Best New Artist nominee Abrams makes her ACL debut with standouts from her chart-topping The Secret of Us.

Black Pumas on Austin City Limits, 2024. Photo by Scott Newton.
Black Pumas on Austin City Limits, 2024. Photo by Scott Newton.
Gracie Abrams holds a guitar and smiles
Gracie Abrams on Austin City Limits, 2024. Photo by Scott Newton.

A pair of virtuoso acts wow in an innovative hour: In his ACL debut, six-time Grammy-winning UK phenom, multi-instrumentalist and singer Jacob Collier performs highlights from his Djesse suite of albums and formative bluegrass trio Nickel Creek returns for the first time in a decade to showcase songs from their acclaimed Celebrants.

Brittany Howard performs on Austin City Limits, 2024.
Brittany Howard performs on Austin City Limits, 2024. Photo by Scott Newton.

Powerhouse singer-songwriter Brittany Howard makes her second solo performance, dazzling with highlights from her recent What Now along with career gems in an epic hour. Grammy-nominated Nashville sensations Jelly Roll and The War And Treaty thrill in an electrifying installment. Jelly Roll makes a must-see ACL debut with highlights from his breakthrough smash Whitsitt Chapel and celebrated husband-and-wife duo The War And Treaty raise the roof with powerful vocals in their second appearance on the ACL stage. 


Country superstar Chris Stapleton returns with a scorching, hourlong set of country-rock classics and new gems in a performance for the ages. Colombian icon Juanes returns for the first time in over a decade for an arena-worthy, hourlong performance, delivering an irresistible career-spanning set featuring selections from his acclaimed smash Vida Cotidiana, his 10th studio album and a career highpoint.

Join ACL as it kicks off its yearlong 50th anniversary celebration with a trio of Austin-based events: the 10th Anniversary Austin City Limits Hall of Fame honoring Garth Brooks taping on September 5, 2024; Austin City Limits 50th Birthday Bash on October 17, 2024, a Texas-sized outdoor concert event featuring a music legend; and on November 21, the program will tape a primetime special, ACL Celebrates 50 Years, an all-star celebration featuring some of the brightest stars in the show’s 50-year history as they return to the ACL stage for the occasion, set to air on PBS in 2025. The anniversary events are open to the public and celebrate the city and community that plays a starring role in the series. The Austin skyline is the famous backdrop for the weekly show and Austin music fans comprise the audiences featured in each episode’s trademark crowd shots.

Season 50 Broadcast Line-Up (second half of season to be announced separately):

September 28: Kacey Musgraves

October 5: Gary Clark Jr. | Black Pumas

October 12: Maggie Rogers | Gracie Abrams

October 19: Jacob Collier | Nickel Creek

October 26: Brittany Howard

November 2: Jelly Roll | The War And Treaty

November 9: Chris Stapleton

November 16: Juanes

Watch new episodes live, stream online, or download the PBS App. The complete line-up for the full 14-week season, including seven new episodes to air beginning January 2024, will be announced at a later date.  Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding live streams, future tapings and episode schedules or by following 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.


A monument to music, Austin City Limits has showcased iconic performances from legends and innovators in every genre of popular song for a remarkable five decades. The series is the flagship of the popular Austin City Limits Music Festival and has earned countless accolades for its quality presentation of live music performances, including a Peabody Award, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame designation and it remains the only TV series awarded the National Medal of Arts.