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Encore Broadcast Featured New Broadcast

Jesse & Joy ACL taping to stream live Monday 6/17

For all of our fans who can’t join us for the Jesse & Joy taping on Monday, June 17 at 8 pm CST we’re happy to tell you that we will be livestreaming the show on our ACL TV YouTube channel.  Subscribe to our channel and join us for an evening with Mexico City’s favorite pop rock siblings. We’re excited to present this show to the duo’s fans around the world. See you then!

 

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News Taping Recap

British Soul Sensation Michael Kiwanuka’s Striking ACL Debut

From a number four album in his native U.K. to an opening slot on Mumford & Sons’ U.S. tour, Michael Kiwanuka has already quite a career arc. Now the 26-year-old singer/songwriter can add his first ACL taping to his resumé. “This is a real honor to do this show, to play Austin and do Austin City Limits,” he said at the top of the show, “So we’re gonna have as good a time as we can.”

Kiwanuka and his three-piece band opened with a new song, a breeze of 70s-style folky soul called “If You’d Dare.” From there he launched into the dazzling “Tell Me a Tale,” the groovy opening track of his debut album Home Again. Kiwanuka then went for a mellower vibe, essaying the countryish folk of “Always Waiting” and the Bill Withers-like “Worry Walks Beside Me,” the sweet folk pop of “I’m Getting Ready” and the mellow balladry of “Rest.” He shone a light on one of his other influences, Jimi Hendrix, with a perfect take on the pioneering guitarist’s pretty “May This Be Love.” Kiwanuka also stripped down to just himself and his guitar for the Tin Pan Alley pop of “Any Day Will Do Fine,” the brand new anthem-in-waiting “Running Through the Alleys” and the brooding darkness of Townes Van Zandt’s “Waiting ‘Round to Die.”

After bringing in the black clouds of Van Zandt, Kiwanuka brought the band back on for his radio hit “Home Again,” a jazzy pop tune that’s almost a lullaby. The quartet brought the house down with the funky pop/soul grooves of “I’ll Get Along,” waving to a crowd that definitely wanted more. Kiwanuka gave it to them, though not in the way he originally intended. Though the plan was for he and bassist Pete Randall to play the single “Lasan,” a call for “Bones” by an enthusiastic crowd member found Kiwanuka calling guitarist Miles James and drummer Graham Godfrey back onstage to acquiesce. The upbeat, jazzy groove ended up being the perfect way to end the evening.

Michael Kiwanuka made a striking debut on our stage. Tune in this fall to see the greatness for yourselves.

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Encore Broadcast Featured News

Encore: Jimmy Cliff

When it comes to reggae, Jimmy Cliff, whose ACL episode encores this weekend, is indisputably one of the greats. He first found fame as a teenager, with a string of hit singles in his native Jamaica. By the late 60s, reggae was spreading beyond the borders of his birthplace and Cliff became one of its first international stars with “Wonderful World, Beautiful People” and “Vietnam,” which Bob Dylan called “the best protest song I’ve ever heard.” In 1972 Cliff starred in the acclaimed film The Harder They Come, writing and singing the hit title song. Other Cliff compositions like “Many Rivers to Cross” and “You Can Get It If You Really Want” have also become often-covered, much-loved reggae standards. Cliff continues to record and tour all over the world, collaborating with Sting, the Clash’s Joe Strummer, Kool & the Gang, Wyclef Jean and the Rolling Stones along the way. As popular now as he ever was, Jimmy Cliff is the face of reggae, as you’ll see for yourself this Saturday – check your local PBS listings for the broadcast time and channel.

Check out the episode page for more details, and drop in on our Facebook and Twitter pages for more ACL info, or sign up for our newsletter. Next week: Spoon.

 

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News Taping Recap

Juanes’ triumphant return to ACL

Things got a lot hotter in ATX last night when global superstar Juanes made his triumphant return to ACL. The Colombian singer and songwriter made his ACL debut back in 2006, and since then his following has only gotten bigger, with a massive international fanbase. Juanes fans tend toward the passionate side, so when we filled our studio with them for the star’s ACL taping, it wasn’t so much a television production—it was a party.

“Are you with me tonight?” Juanes called out, but he already knew the answer—the crowd sang the choruses of many of his songs for him. Juanes and his dozen-strong band came out rocking with “Fijate Bien,” the Latin Grammy-winning title track to his debut album. Audience installed in the palm of his hand, the singer proceeded to put Latin music through its paces, pulling in influences and styles from all over into his salsa/cumbia web. The busy pop of “La Camisa Negra” (his breakthrough smash) bounced alongside the Latin fusion of La Senal,” while the Cuban rhythm of the percussion-heavy “Rebelion” shooks the rafters in concert with the rock anthem “Nada Valgo Sin Tu Amor.” The Latin jazz explosion of “Me Enamora,” which showcased every member of the band, blazed in time with the Dixieland jazz flavor of “Azul Sabina.” It seemed like a dizzying array of stylistic detours, but in truth it all sounded like Juanes – his vision remained firm and fired up.

Juanes also paid tribute to his inspirations, covering Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved” early in the set, and treating the audience to his hit version of “Lo Noche,” a song composed and originally performed by pioneering Colombian salsa star Joe Arroyo. Of course, Juanes worked his well-established mojo with ballads, making the ladies swoon with “Para Tu Amor” and “Es Por Ti,” two of his biggest hits. Performed with just a piano, “Volverte A Ver,” the first song of the encore, brought the house down. The musicians ended on an impossibly upbeat note with the one-two-three punch of “Damelo,” “A Dios Le Pido” and “Mala Gente,” the audience often taking over on vocals for Juanes himself. Band and leader then came to the lip of the stage to receive the crowd’s enthusiastic adoration, with Juanes shooting video of his adoring fans.

Juanes made a believer out of everyone in the ACL audience last night and we can’t wait for you to see this unforgettable show when it airs this fall.

 

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Live Stream News

Juanes ACL taping on 6/4 to be streamed

On June 4th we welcome back electrifying guitarist and gifted songwriter Juanes to the ACL stage. We are excited to be livestreaming this taping so his fans around the world can be part of the ACL experience. Join us by subscribing to our ACLTV YouTube channel.

With six solo albums to his credit and multi-platinum sales of over 16 million copies, Juanes is the world’s leading all-Spanish language rock artist. Powered by DELL, the livestream will begin at 8 pm CT on Tuesday, June 4th. See ya then!

 

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Encore Broadcast Featured News

Encore: Radiohead

The day after we recorded Radiohead  back in March 2012, our reaction was, “Radiohead taped Austin City Limits last night. It almost feels like that’s all we need to say.” Even now we still feel the same sense of met anticipation. It was a happening that fans and we had personally been waiting for and it finally came to fruition. A band like Radiohead, (well, let’s be honest – there really isn’t a band out there like Radiohead) that can constantly challenge themselves and evolve to change their sound to continue to make beautiful and inspiring music is a rare gift. We are incredibly grateful to encore an episode featuring such progressive rock icons and modern day musical legends.

Radiohead open their set with “Bloom,” the busy and fitting song for the occasion that opens their 2011 self-released album The King of Limbs. From there the group goes to the piano-heavy and melodic “Daily Mail,” another new song from that year. The rest of the set features a collective mix of tracks from TKOL, Hail to the Thief, Kid A, OK Computer, and new singles. One highlight of the night is when they played a forgotten B-side, “The Amazing Sounds of Orgy.” Of course the essence of the night was captured at the very end when the band played the big hits and crowd favorites, “Idioteque” and “Paranoid Android.”

photo by Scott Newton

For those that missed seeing the taping live or the original broadcast last October, this is your opportunity to see what many described as being a passionate and “life-changing” performance. You can truly feel the energy of the band and the audience in this episode, and Thom Yorke’s dancing may even inspire you to flail around in your living room. (Seriously, if you don’t dance during “Idioteque” then there may be something wrong with your well-being.)

Don’t miss this weekend’s episode with Radiohead! And don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter for updates about ACL. Tune in next week for Randy Newman.