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Episode Recap Featured News

Episode premiere: Tanya Tucker/Brittney Spencer

Tanya Tucker and Brittney Spencer on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photos by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits is proud to spotlight a pair of country originals with Country Music Hall of Fame legend Tanya Tucker sharing an hour with breakout newcomer Brittney Spencer. The new installment premieres February 3 at 7pm CT/8pm ET as part of the series Season 49. 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. The show’s official hashtag is #acltv. 2024 marks the 50th Anniversary of the revered music institution, which continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for an incredible five decades.  A monument to music, ACL has showcased iconic performances from legends and innovators in every genre of popular song for 50 years.  Produced by Austin PBS, and recorded live at ACL’s studio home ACL Live in Austin, Texas, the show remains a required stopping point for the finest acts to deliver stellar performances from the venerable ACL stage. On October 17, 1974, the notoriously TV-shy Willie Nelson taped the pilot episode; the trailblazing series then premiered on PBS in 1975.  This Peabody Award-winning program has earned its place in history and will salute its golden anniversary and incredible legacy with a yearlong celebration featuring archival gems,  all-star tapings, a PBS special, live concerts and much more.

Tanya Tucker on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Living legend Tanya Tucker makes a triumphant return to the ACL stage, for the first time in nearly four decades, performing career classics and new gems. The Texas native became a star in 1972 at age thirteen with her first single “Delta Dawn,” and made her ACL debut in Season 11 in 1986; she now returns a 2023 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee. Tucker has been riding a late career highpoint with an acclaimed pair of recent releases, 2019’s comeback album While I’m Livin’, which earned the singer her first-ever career Grammy wins, and latest, Sweet Western Sound, alongside The Return of Tanya Tucker, a 2022 documentary that chronicles her remarkable career resurgence. She opens an irresistible set accompanied by her six-piece band, with a pair of highlights from While I’m Livin’, the 2020 Grammy-winning Best Country Album, produced by music luminaries (and fans) Brandi Carlile and Shooter Jennings. “I got a little story about my kind of luck,” sings the husky-voiced Tucker on rowdy set opener “Hard Luck.” “Lord knows I’m a hard luck girl”; she commands the stage on fan-favorite “Bring My Flowers Now,” a poignant meditation on mortality that scored a 2020 Grammy Award for Best Country Song. Tucker thrills with gems from 2023’s Sweet Western Sound, welcoming her boyfriend and fellow country singer Craig Dillingham onstage for harmonies on a song he originally penned, “When the Rodeo Is Over (Where Does the Cowboy Go?).” The irrepressible icon entertains the crowd with salty humor and the stories behind the songs. “It’s never too late to do the right thing,” smiles Tucker. “I’m a good example of that,” as she reaches back for her early ‘90s hit “It’s A Little Too Late.” The legend turns in a legendary performance, closing out the sparkling set with a smile as wide as Texas as she delivers her immortal country anthem “Texas (When I Die),” spotlighting each bandmember with great appreciation, as the ecstatic audience erupts in a crowd sing-along and standing ovation.

Brittney Spencer on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Recently named one of Rolling Stone’s “Future 25,” and the only country artist to make the list, Brittney Spencer is earning acclaim for her standout ability to mold life, truth, and wild imagination into open-hearted songwriting. “Her unerring honesty and empathy are a big part of what makes her music so appealing,” raves Rolling Stone. The rising star makes her ACL debut with selections from her 2024 debut My Stupid Life and dazzles with a five-song set that showcases her freewheelin’ country. “I moved to Nashville ten years ago,” the Baltimore native tells the crowd. “I love country music so, so much.” She pays tribute to her inspirations—Reba, Aretha, Dolly, Latifah, Maren, Whitney and more—on “Bigger Than the Song,” and delivers a knockout vocal performance on the slowburn “My First Rodeo.” Spencer thrills the crowd with a song especially for the occasion, the Willie Nelson signature “On the Road Again,” made all the sweeter in the house that Willie built.

“I can’t think of a better pairing that highlights the contrasts and continuity of Country music today than Tanya Tucker and Brittney Spencer,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Both have deep Country roots but an independent DIY flair that sets them apart from the mainstream. That’s what I love about good Country music.”

Tanya Tucker setlist:

Hard Luck

Bring My Flowers Now

Kindness

When the Rodeo Is Over (Where Does the Cowboy Go?)

It’s A Little Too Late

Texas (When I Die)

Brittney Spencer setlist:

Deeper

Bigger Than the Song

My First Rodeo

I Got Time

On the Road Again

Season 49 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):

January 13 Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors John Prine

January 20 Robert Glasper | DOMi and JD BECK

January 27 Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo

February 3 Tanya Tucker | Brittney Spencer

February 10 Noah Kahan | Flor de Toloache

February 17 Alanis Morissette

February 24 Bonnie Raitt

March 2 Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Trisha Yearwood

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

Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 49th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012. ACL celebrates 50 years as an American music institution in 2024.  

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.

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Featured News Taping Announcement

New Season 50 tapings: Black Pumas, Juanes, Gary Clark Jr., and Brittany Howard

2024 marks the 50th Anniversary of Austin City Limits, kicking off a yearlong celebration saluting five decades of iconic performances. The trailblazing series is thrilled to announce the initial tapings of milestone Season 50, featuring an all-star slate of returning favorites: Eight-time Grammy nominees, Austin’s own Black Pumas make their long-awaited return on February 20 supporting their acclaimed sophomore release Chronicles of a Diamond; Colombian superstar Juanes returns to the ACL stage for the first time in over a decade on March 4, making his third appearance with songs from his smash Vida Cotidiana; Austin native/hometown hero Gary Clark Jr. returns March 26 for his fourth appearance to preview his powerful new offering JPEG RAW; and celebrated singer-songwriter Brittany Howard takes the ACL stage for her second solo headlining performance on April 29 to showcase her upcoming album What Now.

Photo by Jody Domingue.

When Black Pumas released their star-making self-titled debut in 2019, the Austin-bred soul duo set off a reaction almost as combustible and rapturous as their unbridled breed of psychedelic soul. Along with earning an astounding seven Grammy Award nominations (including Album Of The Year) and critical acclaim, singer/songwriter Eric Burton and guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada achieved massive success as a sensational live act, delivering a transcendent show Burton aptly refers to as “electric church.” The band’s meteoric rise  saw them playing thrilling sold-out shows across North and South America and Europe and selling more than one million albums worldwide.  Their breakout single “Colors,” a gold-certified anthem that resonated with audiences across the globe, received over 450 million streams. In creating the follow-up to one of the most celebrated debuts in recent years, the band broadened their sonic palette to include a dazzling expanse of musical forms: heavenly hybrids of soul and symphonic pop, mind-bending excursions into jazz-funk and psychedelia, and starry-eyed love songs that feel dropped down from the cosmos. Chronicles of a Diamond harnesses the lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry between Burton (a self-taught musician who got his start busking on beaches and subway platforms in his native Los Angeles) and Grammy Award-winning Quesada. Wilder and weirder and more extravagantly composed than its predecessor, Chronicles of a Diamond arrives as the fullest expression yet of Black Pumas’ frenetic creativity and limitless vision, bringing their singular vision to life with more power, passion, and daring originality than ever before. Pumas have already earned a 2024 Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance for the record’s irresistible opening track “More Than a Love Song,” along with widespread praise: “One of the most moving things about this record is his (Burton’s) voice…” says  NPR Music, adding it’s, “a little trippy, [and] a little gritty.” and the Austin American-Statesman declares “it will go down in history as one of the defining soul albums of our generation.”

Photo by Mario Alzate.

Juanes’ critically-acclaimed 10th studio album Vida Cotidiana (Everyday Life), his first album of original material in four years, is also his most personal, with the global icon reflecting on topics ranging from love, marriage, family, social concerns and more. The career highlight has earned press raves including NPR, Billboard, Rolling Stone and Variety declaring Vida Cotidiana among ‘The Best Latin Music of 2023’ and Juanes achieves  a new creative pinnacle in his distinguished two-decade career. Juanes recently received his 25th career LATIN GRAMMY award (extending the Colombian music icon’s status  as The Latin Recording Academy’s most honored solo artist of all time). He also received a 2024 GRAMMY nomination for “Best Latin Rock Or Alternative Album,” his ninth career nomination.  An electrifying guitarist and gifted songwriter, with a staggering 30 million albums sold worldwide, Juanes admits, “I think this is my best album as a musician, composer and performer. All my previous experiments were certainly valid—getting out of your safe zone and feeling uncomfortable can provide a transformative experience. But this new session returns to the places that are closely connected with my essence.” From the somber power-rock chords of “Gris” and the funky accents of the politically charged “Canción Desaparecida,” to the stately orchestral touches of “Mayo” and the infectious vibes of “Cecilia”—the Latin chart-topping duet with Dominican master Juan Luis Guerra informed by the spiraling grooves of Cuban son and Afrobeats—Vida Cotidiana confirms Juanes as one of the most soulful practitioners of sterling Latin pop-rock in the game. The superstar brings his widely praised Vida Cotidiana World Tour to the U.S. in early 2024, as The LA Times declares, “‘Juanes’ live show is… a daring rock production…  and  a ‘don’t miss’ event. His concerts confirm Juanes as the rare artist — in company with the likes of U2, and Bruce Springsteen — with the power to inspire beyond the [venue] walls.”

Photo by Mike Miller.

Anyone who has listened to a Gary Clark Jr. album or watched the four-time Grammy Award winner perform live knows that he’s a gifted multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and performer. And never more so than on his last album, 2019’s illuminating This Land. But while This Land signaled a breakthrough in displaying his musical versatility beyond the blues, his fourth studio album,JPEG RAW, represents a quantum leap. “Blues will always be my foundation,” says Clark. “But that’s just scratching the surface. I’m also a beat maker and an impressionist who likes to do different voices. I’ve always loved theater and being able to tell a story. At home when I play the trumpet, I think Lee Morgan, or John Coltrane when I play the sax. I’ve even got bagpipes just in case I need them. So while this is my most honest and vulnerable album about relating to the human condition, it’s also the most freeing.” The album’s title track—an acronym for Jealousy, Pride, Envy, Greed … Rules, Alter Ego, Worlds—examines the role cell-phone society plays in this chaos at the expense of real-life, one-on-one interaction. “I don’t love having a mobile device,” explains Clark of the song’s origin and the album’s overarching theme. “I miss being able to have more genuine interaction, looking someone in the eyes and learning something, getting a perspective. JPEG RAW is about showing the real and not the edit. We live in a world of edits, filters and redos. We only get one shot.” “When the album sequencing was finished, the band and I realized that we’d made an album into a movie,” he recalls. “That’s what I was going for sonically because that’s how the whole writing process played out. First, it’s about angst and confusion, the unknown. Next, it’s about looking at ourselves internally. And then it’s about what comes after: the hope and triumph.” 

Photo by Bobbi Rich.

There’s a double meaning to the title of What Now, the revelatory new album from singer/songwriter Brittany Howard. “With the world we’re living in now, it feels like we’re all just trying to hang onto our souls,” says the Nashville-based musician and frontwoman for four-time Grammy Award-winning Alabama Shakes. “Everything seems to be getting more extreme and everyone keeps wondering, ‘What now? What’s next?’ By the same coin, the only constant on this record is you never know what’s going to happen next: every song is its own aquarium, its own little miniature world built around whatever I was feeling and thinking at the time.” With five Grammy wins and sixteen nominations, Howard follows up her massively acclaimed solo debut Jaime—a 2019 LP that landed on best-of-the-year lists from the likes of Pitchfork, The New York Times and Rolling Stone – with What Now, drawing an immense and indelible power from endless unpredictability. Over the course of its 12 tracks, Howard brings her singular musicality to a shapeshifting sound encompassing everything from psychedelia and dance music to dream-pop and avant-jazz—a fitting backdrop for an album whose lyrics shift from unbridled outpouring to incisive yet radically idealistic commentary on the state of the human condition. Anchored in Howard’s inimitable and infinitely commanding voice—a supreme vessel for channeling raw emotional truth—the record is at turns galvanizing, cathartic, and wildly soul-expanding, and the result is a monumental step forward for one of the most essential artists of our time. “I think the gift I bring is to help people to be more introspective and ask themselves questions,” says Howard. “With a little self-examination, we can learn to be kinder, more compassionate, more understanding of each other. We can see that a lot of us are going through the same shit, and we all just want to be seen for who we really are.”

We’re thrilled to welcome these incredible artists to the ACL stage to launch our milestone season. Want to be part of our audience? We will post information on how to get free passes a week in advance of each taping. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for notice of postings. The broadcast episodes will air on PBS this fall as part of our upcoming Season 50.

Categories
Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo perform on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Get your lighters out for an entertaining, sing-along hour of Austin City Limits (ACL) as recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo make their first-ever appearance on the series with a thrilling, career-spanning hour of rock gems and highlights. The new installment premieres January 27 at 7pm CT/8pm ET as part of the series Season 49. 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. The show’s official hashtag is #acltv. 2024 marks the 50th Anniversary of the revered music institution, which continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for an incredible five decades.  A monument to music, ACL has showcased iconic performances from legends and innovators in every genre of popular song for 50 years.  Produced by Austin PBS, and recorded live at ACL’s studio home ACL Live in Austin, Texas, the show remains a required stopping point for the finest acts to deliver stellar performances from the venerable ACL stage. On October 17, 1974, the notoriously TV-shy Willie Nelson taped the pilot episode; the trailblazing series then premiered on PBS in 1975.  This Peabody Award-winning program has earned its place in history and will salute its golden anniversary and incredible legacy with a yearlong celebration featuring archival gems,  all-star tapings, a PBS special, live concerts and much more.

Forty-plus years into a legendary career, singer-songwriter Pat Benatar and producer-musician Neil Giraldo remain one of rock’s favorite unions. Benatar’s staggering vocals and take-no-prisoners attitude, along with Giraldo’s trailblazing artistry forged an undeniable chemistry in the late ‘70s and a singular sound that delivered iconic rock anthems. In their ACL debut, the powerhouse pair and their two-piece band showcase their bonafides with a hit parade of fan-favorites including “Promises In The Dark,” “Shadows Of The Night,” “Hell Is For Children” and “Love Is A Battlefield.” Benatar tells the crowd “We love this song as much as you do, and the most important thing about it is it brings people together,” before delivering an intimate version of one of their biggest hits, the power ballad “We Belong,” with Giraldo trading his mighty guitar for piano. The classic rock MVPs reach back to 1979 for their breakthrough hit, “Heartbreaker,” “the song that started it all,” notes Benatar, and pay tribute to another famous union as they weave in the June and Johnny Cash immortal “Ring of Fire”; Benatar’s voice soars on the epic choruses as Giraldo shreds his guitar full-throttle with blistering solos and the ecstatic crowd erupts in a sing-along and standing ovation for a dazzling close.

“It’s rare to have a rock & roll legend light up the ACL stage, so it’s twice as special to have TWO,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Both Pat and Neil show they can still ‘fire up’ an audience with classic hits and blazing guitar solos.”

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo setlist:

All Fired Up

We Live For Love

Promises In The Dark

We Belong

Shadows Of The Night

Hell Is For Children

You Better Run

Love Is A Battlefield

Heartbreaker/Ring of Fire

Season 49 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):

January 13 Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors John Prine

January 20 Robert Glasper | DOMi and JD BECK

January 27 Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo

February 3 Tanya Tucker | Brittney Spencer

February 10 Noah Kahan | Flor de Toloache

February 17 Alanis Morissette

February 24 Bonnie Raitt

March 2 Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Trisha Yearwood

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

Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 49th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012. ACL celebrates 50 years as an American music institution in 2024.  

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.

Categories
Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: Robert Glasper and DOMi & JD BECK

Photos by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits’ (ACL) Season 49 second half continues with a new hour spotlighting a pair of acts steering jazz in new directions: five-time Grammy Award-winner Robert Glasper, newly-nominated for a pair of 2024 Grammy Awards, brings his celebrated Black Radio series to life on the ACL stage joined by Grammy-decorated special guests; sharing the hour is eclectic, next-generation jazz duo DOMi and JD BECK, nominated for a 2023 Best New Artist Grammy; making their ACL debut with songs from their debut NOT TiGHT. The new installment premieres January 20 at 7pm CT/8pm ET as part of the series Season 49. 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. The show’s official hashtag is #acltv.

The program, produced by Austin PBS and recorded live at ACL’s studio home ACL Live in Austin, Texas, continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for 49 years as the music institution nears a remarkable half-century milestone. Austin City Limits celebrates 50 years as a live music beacon in 2024: on October 17, 1974, Willie Nelson taped the pilot episode and the trailblazing series premiered in 1975. Stay tuned for news on special concerts, fan events and activations as Austin City Limits salutes an incredible legacy of 50 golden years of American musical history and iconic performances.

Photo by Scott Newton.

Keyboardist Robert Glasper operates on parallel paths, one in which he’s one of the most celebrated jazz pianists of the last two decades, and the other in which he’s an acclaimed R&B producer and bandleader. An in-demand collaborator, he is the musician of choice for some of the world’s most iconic artists, notably playing keys throughout Kendrick Lamar’s landmark 2015 To Pimp A Butterfly. Combining his passions, his genre-shattering Black Radio series racked up multiple Grammy Awards, and found the Houston native collaborating with singers and rappers from across the musical spectrum. Glasper is joined for this performance by a trio of featured artists including R&B singers Emily King and Yebba, alongside rapper D Smoke, accompanied by his three-piece band of bass, drums and DJ. 2024 Grammy-nominee King takes the stage for the soulful ballad “What Love Can Do.” Glasper improvises a fleet-fingered piano intro that leads into “Shine,” from his Black Voices III, 2023’s Grammy-winner for Best R&B Album, as D Smoke delivers a shining verse. Grammy-winning Yebba takes the stage for the majestic “Over,” accented by funky grooves; King and Smoke add harmonies and freestyle rapping. Yebba makes the song’s refrain, “Hoping that this love ain’t over,” soar from hook to mantra, as the ensemble ends the set to wild applause from the crowd. 

Photo by Scott Newton.

As with any other venerable musical tradition, jazz welcomes the occasional shake-up. Mixing hip-hop inspired rhythms, lush chordings, and a singular sense of style, DOMi & JD BECK are the latest act to combine twenty-first century energy with old school improvisation. Featuring their acclaimed debut album NOT TiGHT as the centerpiece of a sparkling set, the irreverent pair bring virtuoso technique, accessible melodies, and an impish sense of humor to their ACL debut. Doubling on piano and keyboard, Paris-born DOMi and Dallas-native drum ace BECK perform highlights including the effervescent title track. The duo’s music finds both humor and greatness in harmonic complexity, rhythmic shiftiness, and speed. 

“Once again – as seems to happen every few years – jazz is experiencing a renaissance with a new generation of artists and fans,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Robert Glasper already has a reputation as a genius musician/producer/composer/collaborator, and DOMi and JD BECK bring a youthful energy and rebellious spirit to a sound that is truly all their own.”

Robert Glasper setlist:

What Love Can Do (w/Emily King)

Shine (w/D Smoke)

Over (w/D Smoke, Emily King & Yebba)

DOMI and JD BECK:

Whatup

Smile

Bowling

Not Tight

You Don’t Have to Rob Me

Medley: Thank You/Sniff

Season 49 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):

January 13 Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors John Prine

January 20 Robert Glasper | DOMi and JD BECK

January 27 Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo

February 3 Tanya Tucker | Brittney Spencer

February 10 Noah Kahan | Flor de Toloache

February 17 Alanis Morissette

February 24 Bonnie Raitt

March 2 Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Trisha Yearwood

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

Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 49th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012. ACL celebrates 50 years as an American music institution in 2024.  

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.

Categories
Episode Recap Featured Hall of Fame New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: ACL 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors John Prine

The cast takes a bow during the late John Prine's induction into the ACL Hall of Fame in 2023. L-R: Tyler Childers, Allison Russell, Tommy Prine, Nathaniel Rateliff, Kurt Vile, Valerie June. Photo by Scott Newton.

Iconic television series Austin City Limits (ACL) returns on Saturday, January 13 with a special broadcast: Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors John Prine, saluting the late legendary singer-songwriter and newest inductee John Prine and featuring an all-star slate of guest performers paying tribute to their friend, hero and inspiration: Tyler Childers, Valerie June, Tommy Prine, Nathaniel Rateliff, Allison Russell and Kurt Vile. The hour-long broadcast premieres Saturday, January 13 at 8pm ET/7pm CT on PBS. Check local PBS listings for times. The special will be available to music fans everywhere to stream online beginning Sunday, January 14 at 10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. A special companion Hall of Fame hour salutes fellow inductee Trisha Yearwood and will close out Season 49 on March 2. The series returns January 20 ringing in a new year with all-new episodes as part of its Season 49. The Peabody Award-winning program, produced by Austin PBS and recorded live at ACL’s studio home ACL Live in Austin, Texas, continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history. ACL provides viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for 49 years as this American music institution nears a remarkable half-century milestone this year. Willie Nelson taped the pilot episode in 1974 and the trailblazing series premiered in 1975. Stay tuned for news on special concerts, fan events and activations as Austin City Limits salutes an incredible legacy of 50 golden years of American musical history and iconic performances. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits following the initial broadcast.  

Since the inaugural 2014 ACL Hall of Fame honoring Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan, the music-filled salutes have become fan-favorites. Austin City Limits takes viewers inside the celebration with a pair of deep-dive presentations from this year’s Inductions, recorded live in Austin, Texas on October 26, 2023. The special installments, Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors, will bookend the second half of the season and salute newly-minted inductees John Prine and Trisha Yearwood with separate hours that showcase each artist’s Hall of Fame tribute, featuring musical performances, along with extended highlights including induction speeches and vintage clips from the honorees’ multiple appearances on Austin City Limits.

The first HOF episode premieres January 13 at 7pm CT/8pm ET, toasting the late singer-songwriter John Prine. Actor Ethan Hawke inducts the beloved icon posthumously as music greats Tyler Childers, Valerie June, Tommy Prine, Nathaniel Rateliff, Allison Russell and Kurt Vile salute the celebrated artist in a heartfelt hour featuring exclusive ACL intimate tributes alongside highlights from Prine’s eight appearances on the ACL stage. Rounding out Season 49 on March 2 at 7pm CT/8pm ET is a Hall of Fame tribute to country superstar Trisha Yearwood, Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Trisha Yearwood, with Don Henley handling induction honors and musical salutes featuring Henley, Brandy Clark, Ronnie Dunn, Jo Dee Messina and Brothers Osborne along with vintage clips from Yearwood’s four classic ACL appearances.

John Prine made his ACL debut in 1979, and the captivating hour opens with vintage highlights from his eight appearances, including a 2002 appearance joining Bonnie Raitt for one of his most iconic songs, “Angel from Montgomery,” and his final ACL appearance in 2018, showcasing gems from his late-career triumph The Tree of Forgiveness. Actor Ethan Hawke, a longtime fan, tips his hat to the revered songwriter and delivers a rousing, inspired induction, celebrating Prine’s “homespun genius,” saying, “To love John Prine and his songs is to be part of one of the greatest conversations imaginable,” and calls him “a vivid, beautiful example of a singer-songwriter who chased excellence and truth rather than fame.” John’s widow Fiona, joined by their three sons, accepts on his behalf, saying “Austin City Limits, in its 50th year, continues to uphold the songwriter and the song,” and “for John, getting that call (to appear) was a thrill every single time.” 

Prine’s youngest son Tommy kicks off the musical tribute with one of his favorite songs by his late father, “Souvenirs,” saying, “This song made it into every single setlist, pretty much every show he every played,” and closes with a poignant “I miss you Daddy.” A stellar slate of singer-songwriter aces take the stage to salute their hero in song: Prine’s cross-generational appeal is evident as indie songwriter-guitarist Kurt Vile performs a wistful, solo acoustic “How Lucky,” a Prine gem he recorded with Prine himself shortly before his 2020 passing; Allison Russell calls Prine “a foundational influence as a writer and as a human,” and renders a soaring “Storm Windows,” the title track of Prine’s 1980 album, backed by the ACL All-Stars house band, led by pedal steel ace Lloyd Maines; Nathaniel Rateliff hails, “We love you Handsome Johnny,” and regales the crowd with stories of Prine’s legendary wit and storytelling, before launching into a faithful rendition of “All the Best,” from Prine’s seminal 1991 album The Missing Years; Tyler Childers, who appeared as a guest of Prine during his final ACL appearance in 2018 for Season 44, performs one of his favorite John Prine songs, the honky-tonker “Yes I Guess They Oughta Name a Drink After You,” from the songwriter’s 1972 Diamonds in the Rough. Prine was “the gospel truth,” says Valerie June, and delivers a sparkling “Angel From Montgomery,” the Prine classic from his 1971 self-titled debut. The all-star cast returns for a poignant “Paradise,” trading verses on the Prine signature, with Tommy Prine taking his father’s last verse for a moving close and a standing ovation. 

The night’s performers are accompanied by the ACL All-Stars house band, led by ACL Hall of Famer, renowned steel guitarist and musical director Lloyd Maines, and featuring guitarist David Grissom, keyboardist Chris Gage, bassist Bill Whitbeck and drummer Tom Van Schaik.

“We had planned to induct John into the ACL Hall of Fame in 2020, before he tragically became an early victim of the Covid pandemic,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “There were many well-deserved tributes at the time, but this year finally felt like the right moment to recognize his long history with ACL. Working closely with John’s family, we created a special celebration of his impact on singers and songwriters across so many genres.”

Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors John Prine (in order of appearance):

Tommy Prine “Souvenirs”

Kurt Vile “How Lucky”

Allison Russell “Storm Windows”

Nathaniel Rateliff “All the Best”

Tyler Childers “Yes I Guess They Oughta Name a Drink After You”

Valerie June “Angel From Montgomery”

All-Star Finale “Paradise”

The second half of ACL”s Season 49 continues in January with a diverse slate spotlighting multiple 2024 Grammy nominees: Five-time Grammy Award-winning innovator Robert Glasper, newly-nominated for a pair of 2024 Grammy Awards, brings his celebrated Black Radio series to life on the ACL stage joined by a trio of multiple Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning special guests, including R&B singers Emily King and Yebba, along with rapper D Smoke; sharing the hour is eclectic, next-generation jazz duo DOMi and JD BECK, nominated for a 2023 Best New Artist Grammy, making their ACL debut with songs from their debut Not Tight. Breakout Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, nominated for a 2024 Best New Artist Grammy, makes a highly-anticipated debut on the ACL stage with songs from his acclaimed Stick Season; sharing the hour is the groundbreaking all-female mariachi act Flor de Toloache, with numbers from their 2024 Grammy-nominated album Motherflower. A season highlight is the long-awaited comeback, after nearly four decades, of country icon and Texas native Tanya Tucker for a must-see performance of career classics and new gems from her Sweet Western Sound; sharing the hour is country breakout Brittney Spencer with selections from her upcoming debut My Stupid Life. 

ACL spotlights a number of popular acts with career-spanning hours: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legends Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo make their first-ever appearance on the series with an epic hour of classic rock highlights with the hitmakers showcasing gems from across their career; modern rock superstar Alanis Morissette makes her ACL debut with an hour of classics in an ecstatic live performance; ACL Hall of Fame icon Bonnie Raitt returns for the first time in a decade with a selection of favorites and highlights from her triple 2023 Grammy-winning album Just Like That… in a sterling new hour.

Season 49 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):

January 13 Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors John Prine

January 20 Robert Glasper | DOMi and JD BECK

January 27 Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo

February 3 Tanya Tucker | Brittney Spencer

February 10 Noah Kahan | Flor de Toloache

February 17 Alanis Morissette

February 24 Bonnie Raitt

March 2 Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Trisha Yearwood

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

Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 49th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012. ACL celebrates 50 years as an American music institution in 2024.  

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.

Austin City Limits Hall of FameIn 2014, Austin PBS, KLRU-TV — creator and producer of the legendary PBS show Austin City Limits — established the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame to recognize legendary musicians and key individuals who have been instrumental in making television’s longest-running popular music show an institution. Each year a new class of honorees are inducted and celebrated at a live event taped to air on PBS. It is also a historical archive, educational resource and celebration of Austin City Limits —telling the story of the show through photos, a timeline/anthology mural and in the near future, an interactive database of vintage Austin City Limits performances and video footage of interviews, behind-the-scenes and never before seen performances throughout the decades. Honorees to-date include Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, Lloyd Maines, Asleep at the Wheel, Loretta Lynn, Flaco Jiménez, Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, B.B. King, Rosanne Cash, The Neville Brothers, Roy Orbison, Marcia Ball, Ray Charles, Los Lobos, Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin, Buddy Guy, Lucinda Williams, Wilco, Alejandro Escovedo, Joe Ely, Sheryl Crow, John Prine and Trisha Yearwood.

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Featured New Broadcast News

ACL announces 2nd half of Season 49 broadcast schedule

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Iconic television series Austin City Limits (ACL) proudly announces the second half of Season 49, with eight new episodes that begin airing in January 2024 as part of the esteemed program’s fourteen-episode season. ACL returns with a stellar slate of all-new broadcast episodes, showcasing electric performances that feature some of today’s most talked-about live acts including several recent Grammy Award nominees. As a bonus preview of the season, ACL is thrilled to offer fans everywhere the one-time-only opportunity to stream Grammy Best New Artist nominee Noah Kahan’s Austin City Limits 16-song taping in its entirety on December 13 at 8pm CT/9pm ET on ACLTV’s YouTube Channel ahead of Kahan’s broadcast debut on the legendary series premiering February 10, 2024. The program returns on Saturday, January 13, 2024 at 7pm CT/8pm ET with a special broadcast: Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors John Prine, saluting the late singer-songwriter with an all-star slate; a special companion Hall of Fame hour salutes fellow inductee Trisha Yearwood and will close out Season 49 on March 2. The Peabody Award-winning program, produced by Austin PBS and recorded live at ACL’s studio home ACL Live in Austin, Texas, continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history. ACL provides viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for 49 years as this American music institution nears a remarkable half-century milestone in 2024. Willie Nelson taped the pilot episode in 1974 and the trailblazing series premiered in 1975. Stay tuned for news on special concerts, fan events and activations as Austin City Limits salutes an incredible legacy of 50 golden years of American musical history and iconic performances. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits following the initial broadcast.

Alanis Morissette on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Since the inaugural 2014 ACL Hall of Fame honoring Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan, the music-filled salutes have become fan-favorites. Austin City Limits takes viewers inside this year’s celebration with a pair of deep-dive presentations from this year’s Inductions, recorded live in Austin, Texas on October 26, 2023. The special installments, Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors, will bookend the second half of the season and salute newly-minted inductees John Prine and Trisha Yearwood with separate hours that showcase each artist’s Hall of Fame tribute, featuring musical performances, along with extended highlights including induction speeches and vintage clips from the honorees’ multiple appearances on Austin City Limits.

The first HOF episode premieres January 13 at 7pm CT/8pm ET, toasting the late singer-songwriter John Prine. Actor Ethan Hawke inducts the beloved icon as music greats Tyler Childers, Valerie June, Tommy Prine, Nathaniel Rateliff, Allison Russell and Kurt Vile salute the celebrated artist in a must-see hour featuring exclusive ACL musical collaborations alongside highlights from Prine’s nine appearances on the ACL stage. Rounding out Season 49 on March 2 at 7pm CT/8pm ET is a Hall of Fame tribute to country superstar Trisha Yearwood, Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Trisha Yearwood, with Don Henley handling induction honors and musical salutes featuring Henley, Brandy Clark, Ronnie Dunn, Jo Dee Messina and Brothers Osborne along with vintage clips from Yearwood’s four classic ACL appearances.

Season 49 continues in January with a diverse slate spotlighting multiple 2024 Grammy nominees: Five-time Grammy Award-winning innovator Robert Glasper, newly-nominated for a pair of 2024 Grammy Awards, brings his celebrated Black Radio series to life on the ACL stage joined by a trio of multiple Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning special guests, including R&B singers Emily King and Yebba, along with rapper D Smoke; sharing the hour is eclectic, next-generation jazz duo DOMi and JD BECK, nominated for a 2023 Best New Artist Grammy, making their ACL debut with songs from their debut Not Tight. 

Noah Kahan on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Breakout Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, nominated for a 2024 Best New Artist Grammy, makes a highly-anticipated debut on the ACL stage with songs from his acclaimed Stick Season; sharing the hour is the groundbreaking all-female mariachi act Flor de Toloache, with numbers from their 2024 Grammy-nominated album Motherflower. A season highlight is the long-awaited comeback, after nearly four decades, of country icon and Texas native Tanya Tucker for a must-see performance of career classics and new gems from her Sweet Western Sound; sharing the hour is country breakout Brittney Spencer with selections from her upcoming debut My Stupid Life.

ACL spotlights a number of popular acts with career-spanning hours: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legends Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo make their first-ever appearance on the series with an epic hour of classic rock highlights with the hitmakers showcasing gems from across their career; modern rock superstar Alanis Morissette makes her ACL debut with an hour of classics in an ecstatic live performance; ACL Hall of Fame icon Bonnie Raitt returns for the first time in a decade with a selection of favorites and highlights from her triple 2023 Grammy-winning album Just Like That… in a sterling new hour.

Flor de Toloache on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

“‘Eclectic’ doesn’t even begin to describe the kaleidoscopic mix of music that fills our 49th season from top to bottom,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “From Rock and Roll Hall of Famers to today’s avante-garde and the best of their genres, you’ll be able to enjoy some favorites and discover some new ones at the same time.”

Season 49 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):

January 13 Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors John Prine

January 20 Robert Glasper | DOMi and JD BECK

January 27 Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo

February 3 Tanya Tucker | Brittney Spencer

February 10 Noah Kahan | Flor de Toloache

February 17 Alanis Morissette

February 24 Bonnie Raitt

March 2 Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Trisha Yearwood

Trisha Yearwood and Don Henley at the 2023 ACL Hall of Fame. Photo courtesy of Austin City Limits.

ACL’s Season 49 launched in October 2023 with an unprecedented season premiere featuring guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela joined by the Austin Symphony Orchestra. The first half of the season featured ACL debuts from breakout artists including indie-pop trio MUNA, rap star Lil Yachty, violinist and singer-songwriter Sudan Archives, next-generation bluegrass star Molly Tuttle and her band Golden Highway, current Grammy nominees for Best Bluegrass Album, and Latin music powerhouse Jorge Drexler in an all-Spanish language hour. ACL shone a spotlight on singer-songwriters with the return of country standout Margo Price, indie favorite Jenny Lewis and showcased newly-minted triple Grammy nominees Jason Isbell and his band The 400 Unit in a revelatory hour. Rounding out the first half of Season 49 was the return of rock superstars Foo Fighters, currently nominated for a trio of 2024 Grammys, carving their name in ACL history yet again in an epic hour. 

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

Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 49th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012. ACL celebrates 50 years as an American music institution in 2024.  
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.