Category: Episode Recap

Categories
Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: Foo Fighters

Foo Fighters perform on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits presents a Season 49 high point: Rock superstars Foo Fighters return to shake up Austin City Limits in an epic hour featuring classics alongside gems from their latest album But Here We Are, newly nominated for a trio of 2024 Grammy Awards, including Best Rock Album. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame icons make their mark in the annals of ACL history once again, having previously graced the ACL stage twice before, with unforgettable performances in 2009 and 2015. ACL saluted the band’s 25th Anniversary in 2021 with a fan-favorite hourlong special featuring beloved classics from both appearances, now one of the most requested episodes in the ACL archives. The highly-anticipated new installment premieres November 18 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 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. 

Foo Fighters perform on ACL, 2023. L-R: Josh Freese, Dave Grohl. Photo by Scott Newton.

American rock ‘n’ roll greats Foo Fighters bring a full tilt stadium show to the intimate Austin City Limits stage for their third headlining appearance, showcasing key tracks from their acclaimed eleventh studio album But Here We Are. In their first ACL appearance since 2015,  leader Dave Grohl guides the band through a blistering 10-song set, opening with the fan-favorite “Times Like These” and showcasing explosive new numbers, including “Rescued,” newly nominated for a pair of 2024 Grammys including Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance. The powerhouse set pauses as Grohl honors his late mother with the requiem “The Glass,” and dedicates “Aurora,” an early career highlight, to the band’s late drummer, Taylor Hawkins, saying it was his favorite Foos song. “It was the first song that we all wrote together, says Grohl. “So we like to do it every night for him.” Grohl doesn’t hold back in the emotionally raw hour, battered but not broken, head banging and hair flying, his impassioned vocals and primal howls anchoring the pummeling choruses as the mighty band rockets forward in another remarkable chapter. “I don’t like to say goodbye,” shares Grohl, “so I just say good night like this,” and closes the hour alone onstage with a stripped-down solo rendition of their signature “Everlong,” as the hushed crowd hang on to every word: a testament to the communal power of music.

“Foo Fighters are survivors and soldiers, in the great tradition of rock ‘n’ roll,” says longtime ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “They have become valued members of the ACL family, and this show captures them as they begin a new chapter and a new adventure.”

Foo Fighters take a bow after rocking Austin City Limits in 2023. L-R: Rami Jaffee, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear, Nate Mendel, Dave Grohl, Josh Freese. Photo by Scott Newton.

Foo Fighters setlist:

Times Like These

No Son Of Mine

Rescued

Under You

La Dee Da

Nothing At All

The Sky is a Neighborhood

The Glass

Aurora 

Everlong

Season 49 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced shortly):

November 25 | ACL Presents: 22nd Annual Americana Honors featuring 

Nickel Creek, Avett Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, The War and Treaty & more.

Watch new episodes live, stream online, or download the PBS App. The complete line-up for the full 14-week season, including eight new episodes to air beginning January 13, 2024, will be announced shortly.  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.

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.  

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: Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits presents a season highlight, an hour with one of the preeminent American singer-songwriters of our time, Jason Isbell, and his band The 400 Unit. Isbell takes his place in ACL history with this revelatory hour, showcasing a new collection of songs from 2023’s acclaimed Weathervanes, newly nominated for a trio of 2024 Grammys, including Best Americana Album. The new installment premieres November 11 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.

Jason Isbell with Sadler Vaden and Will Johnson on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Already a four-time Grammy honoree, Jason Isbell and his mighty band the 400 Unit, who made their ACL debut a decade ago in Season 39, return for a third appearance with their triple-nominated album Weathervanes as the centerpiece. Written and produced by the Nashville-based Isbell, the band’s much-lauded eighth offering is filled with expertly crafted, passionately performed songs that evoke the human experience. “I sure do love doing this show,” says Isbell. “Been watching this since I was a little kid.” Isbell opens the hour with the confessional “Save the World,” in which he contemplates his fears navigating parenthood during challenging times. One of music’s great live acts, the bandleader’s chemistry with his longtime 400 Unit is strong as the five-piece ensemble brings their songs to life. Set highlights include a pair of songs nominated for 2024 Grammy Awards: the melancholy yet soaring “King of Oklahoma” (nominated for Best Americana Performance), and the powerful acoustic gem “Cast Iron Skillet” (nominated for Best American Roots Song). The prodigious songwriter dips into his songbook for the gorgeous “Flying Over Water” from 2013’s breakthrough Southeastern. He polishes off this master class with the fiery Southern Rock-tinged “This Ain’t It,” as Isbell and guitarist Sadler Vaden’s fretboard interplay dazzles the Austin audience.

Jason Isbell on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

“There’s no better songwriter on the planet today than Jason Isbell,” says longtime ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “His songs can be gut-wrenching, wistful, or shine light in dark places, but they are always genuine.”

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Save the World

King of Oklahoma

Strawberry Woman

Middle of the Morning

Overseas

Cast Iron Skillet

Flying Over Water

Miles

This Ain’t It

Season 49 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately)

Oct. 7 Rodrigo y Gabriela featuring the Austin Symphony Orchestra

Oct. 14 Jenny Lewis / MUNA

Oct. 21 Lil Yachty / Sudan Archives

Oct. 28 Margo Price / Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

Nov. 4 Jorge Drexler

Nov. 11 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Nov. 18 Foo Fighters

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 2023, 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.

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.  


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 News

Episode premiere: Margo Price/Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

Margo Price and Molly Tuttle on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photos by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits showcases a pair of dynamic live acts in a revelatory new hour: country iconoclast Margo Price returns for her second headlining appearance with her latest album Strays as the centerpiece; and next-generation bluegrass musician Molly Tuttle and her band Golden Highway dazzle in their ACL debut with gems from their 2023 Grammy-winning Best Bluegrass Album Crooked Tree and latest City of Gold. The new installment premieres October 28 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.

Margo Price returns tapes Austin City Limits, March 19, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Margo Price takes the ACL stage to the strains of a Willie ‘n’ Waylon classic before launching into “Been To the Mountain,” the hard-rocking opener of her celebrated fourth album Strays.  Setting the pace with the opening line “I got nothing to prove,” the powerful number details her struggles and resilience. Strays is a proclamation of freedom for Price, who surmounts a lifetime of loss (as chronicled in her best-selling 2022 memoir Maybe We’ll Make It) with songs that prove her place as a singular storyteller and restless creative. The Nashville-based artist wears a blue flowered Loretta Lynn-style dress as she puts her own stamp on country music, delivered entirely on her own terms. She leads her six-piece band the Pricetags into “Change of Heart,”  its themes of self-assertiveness and defiance emphasized as Price moves deftly from guitar to drums. She performs a pair of highlights from her 2020 release That’s How Rumours Get Started, including the psychedelic folk rock of the title track and the sparkling country-rocker “Twinkle Twinkle,” commanding the stage as she continues to blaze her own remarkable trail.

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

A rising star in bluegrass and beyond, Molly Tuttle and her band Golden Highway, make their ACL debut on the heels of a pair of celebrated releases. Tuttle’s acclaimed 2022 album, Crooked Tree won Best Bluegrass Album at the 2023 Grammy Awards and also led to a Best New Artist nomination, and was recently named Album of the Year at the 2023 International Bluegrass Music Awards. NPR Music calls the Northern California native “a female flat picker extraordinaire with agility, speed and elegance who distinctively brings American roots music into the spotlight,” and the virtuoso has racked up countless accolades from the Bluegrass, Americana and Folk awards circuit. Tuttle and her four-piece band captivate with their 21st-century bluegrass, opening with a pair of gems from City of Gold. A set highlight is “Crooked Tree,” an anthem that celebrates uniqueness, as the singer, who suffers from lifelong alopecia universalis, removes her wig for the luminous performance. “I’m proud to be a crooked tree,” she sings, and the Austin audience responds in adulation.

“Margo Price and Molly Tuttle represent the cutting edge of both Country and Bluegrass,” said ACL executive producer, Terry Lickona “…and that includes both attitude and of course their music. They both love to break new ground, and bring along a new generation of fans while they’re at it.”

Margo Price setlist:

Been to the Mountain

Change of Heart

That’s How Rumors Get Started

Twinkle Twinkle

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway setlist:

El Dorado

Yosemite

Dooley’s Farm 

Where Did All the Wild Things Go?

Crooked Tree

San Joaquin

Season 49 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately)

Oct. 7 Rodrigo y Gabriela featuring the Austin Symphony Orchestra

Oct. 14 Jenny Lewis / MUNA

Oct. 21 Lil Yachty / Sudan Archives

Oct. 28 Margo Price / Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

Nov. 4 Jorge Drexler

Nov. 11 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Nov. 18 Foo Fighters

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 2023, 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.

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.  
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 New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: Lil Yachty/Sudan Archives

Lil Yachty and Sudan Archives on ACL. Photos by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits spotlights a pair of innovators making ACL debuts in a captivating double-bill: rap star Lil Yachty showcases his genre-bending album Let’s Start Here joined by special guests; violin savant and emcee Sudan Archives performs songs from her Natural Brown Prom Queen. The new installment premieres October 21 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 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.

Lil Yachty, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Rap star Lil Yachty makes a highly-anticipated ACL debut with his acclaimed release Let’s Start Here as the centerpiece. The 26-year-old Atlanta rapper brings to life the experimental, psychedelic rock-inspired album backed by an ace all-female, six-piece band dressed in all-black. Yachty, sparkling in all-white, with his signature beads and braids, glides onto the stage to album opener “the BLACK seminole,” a trippy opus featuring hard rock guitar riffs. Yachty is joined by a trio of guest artists featured on the album for this appearance: Rising star Texas rapper Teezo Touchdown delivers a thrilling rap verse on “the ride-,” contrasting Yachty’s soft, ethereal vocals for a blissed-out performance. A frequent collaborator, Yachty is joined by guest vocalist Fousheé on the stunner “pRETTy” and Justine Skye’s shimmering R&B vocals shine on “THE zone.” The performance closes with the climactic dance-groove of “drive ME crazy!” as Yachty sails to new directions with the fervent Austin audience onboard for the ride.

Sudan Archives on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Sudan Archives, the performance name of Brittney Parks, delivers a commanding performance in her ACL debut, showcasing highlights from her sophomore album Natural Brown Prom Queen. The Cincinnati, Ohio-born, LA-based innovator and violin prodigy is a natural born entertainer and party-starter as she signals a call to action: “One question Austin, where my freaks at??” diving into synth-funk jam “Freakalizer” and making her first foray into the audience to dance. She prowls the stage playfully as she performs her 2017 breakout “Come Meh Way,” a song originally recorded in her Ohio bedroom. Parks has her violin strapped to her chest with a quiver of bows slung over her shoulder, and the experimental electro fiddler wields her instrument with ease, fusing modern musical influences of hip-hop and R&B with traditional Celtic and west African beats. “Who in here is Irish?” she calls out. “I love your culture. I joined the fiddle club and my life hasn’t been the same,” as she delights the crowd with a spontaneous Irish jig. The Afrocentric anthem “Selfish Soul” is a set highlight, and weaves a powerful commentary on femininity, the female appearance and self-worth. For set-closer “Limitless,” a soulful manifesto on materialism and superficiality, she asks the audience to illuminate the room with their phone lights as she wades into the crowd and they sing along with the lyric, “All we have is the internet,” for a striking close.

“Both Lil Yachty and Sudan Archives take ACL into very different directions,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Lil Yachty shakes up the world of hip hop by exploring an entirely different sound. As for Sudan Archives, there is no one quite like her in today’s world of contemporary music. Always expect the unexpected from Austin City Limits!”

Lil Yachty setlist:

the BLACK seminole.

the ride-

pRETTy

THE zone˜ 

WE SAW THE SUN!

drive ME crazy!

Sudan Archives

Nont For Sale

Freakalizer

OMG BRITT

Jig

Come Meh Way

Selfish Soul

Limitless

Season 49 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately)

Oct. 7 Rodrigo y Gabriela featuring the Austin Symphony Orchestra

Oct. 14 Jenny Lewis / MUNA

Oct. 21 Lil Yachty / Sudan Archives

Oct. 28 Margo Price / Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

Nov. 4 Jorge Drexler

Nov. 11 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Nov. 18 Foo Fighters

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 2023, 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.

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.  

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: Jenny Lewis/MUNA

Jenny Lewis and MUNA on Austin City Limits. Photos by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits (ACL) newly-launched Season 49 continues with a double-bill showcasing a pair of Los Angeles-based acts: acclaimed singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis returns to the ACL stage for her first appearance in a decade with selections from her latest Joy’All and breakthrough indie-pop band MUNA deliver a revelatory set in a radiant ACL debut. The new episode premieres October 14 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. 

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. 

Jenny Lewis on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

“What a joy to be back here at ACL,” says Jenny Lewis as she opens a joy-filled set in her second appearance as a solo artist on the ACL stage, two decades into a prolific career. Clad in a black leather jumpsuit, and fronting an all-female band of ringers, Lewis perches on a circular mini-stage for “Joy’All,” the irresistible title track of her acclaimed fifth album, produced by Nashville ace Dave Cobb. The clarion quality of Lewis’ voice soars as she switches between a guitar and a Wurlitzer. She sits at the keyboard for the soulful “Heads Gonna Roll,” from 2019’s On the Line, a tumultuous road trip anthem fueled by a fire of unrequited love. Revered by fans for her confessional, narrative lyrics, a set highlight is the country-rock kiss-off “Psychos,” featuring a lush melody, pedal steel arrangement and the fan-favorite line “I’m not a psycho, I’m just tryna get laid.” The set closes with the joyous rock tune “Love Feel,” earning rapturous cheers from the crowd as she namechecks forebears Waylon and Wilie, Marvin Gaye, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and another ACL inspiration: “A little shout-out to John Prine there!” as Lewis closes out a sparkling set with a smile. 

MUNA perform on Austin City Limits, April 25, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

In their ACL debut, LA trio MUNA perform a supercharged set showcasing gems from their self-titled third album. The group consists of lead singer and songwriter Katie Gavin, multi-instrumentalist Naomi McPherson and lead guitarist Josette Maskin. The trio are enjoying a meteoric rise and a banner year, becoming one of music’s must-see live acts, landing 2023 arena dates opening for Taylor Swift and boygenius, in addition to high-profile festival appearances at Coachella and Bonnaroo, and their own sold-out “Life’s So Fun” tour. MUNA have earned legions of fervent fans and widespread acclaim for their propulsive pop-rock melodies and hook-filled queer anthems. MUNA’s songwriting touches on the joys, longings and complexities of life in the LGBTQ community. The band radiates electric energy as their followers in the MUNAverse thrill to the empowering singalongs of “Kind of Girl” and “Anything But Me.” The performance reaches a fever pitch with “Home By Now,” a dancefloor banger, as Katie Gavin dances across the stage for a euphoric close.

“‘Joy’ is the operative word for this powerful combo,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Jenny Lewis showcases a new chapter in her prolific career, proving that she continues to break musical boundaries, and MUNA’s anthemic songs prove that everything is possible when people connect to each other.”

Jenny Lewis setlist:

Joy’All

Heads Gonna Roll

Cherry Baby

Psychos

Puppy And A Truck

Love Feel

MUNA setlist:

Loose Garment

Winterbreak

Kind Of Girl

Taken

Anything But Me

Home By Now

Season 49 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately)

Oct. 7 Rodrigo y Gabriela featuring the Austin Symphony Orchestra

Oct. 14 Jenny Lewis / MUNA

Oct. 21 Lil Yachty / Sudan Archives

Oct. 28 Margo Price / Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

Nov. 4 Jorge Drexler

Nov. 11 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Nov. 18 Foo Fighters

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 2023, 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.

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.  

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

Broadcast debut: ACL Presents the Americana 21st Annual Honors

Austin City Limits returns to Nashville for a special broadcast featuring performance highlights from the 21st Annual Americana Honors. For over two decades, the annual celebration of roots music has honored the leading lights of Americana music while showcasing unique performances and collaborations. The program is filled with musical highlights from many of the event’s award-winners and honorees, among them (in order of appearance): Phosphorescent, Brandi Carlile, Lucius, The Fairfield Four, James McMurtry, The War And Treaty, Lukas Nelson, JP Harris, Sierra Ferrell, Chris Isaak, Buddy Miller, Lyle Lovett, The Milk Carton Kids, Allison Russell, and The McCrary Sisters. The hourlong special premieres Saturday, April 1 at 7pm CT/8pm ET on PBS and varies by market (check local listings for times).  Check PBS listings for local airtimes. The special will be available to music fans everywhere to stream online beginning Sunday, April 2 @10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding upcoming Season 49 tapings, episode schedules and select live stream updates. The program’s official hashtags are #acltv and #americanafest. 

Recorded live at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium in September 2022, The Americana Music Association’s 21st Annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony is a celebration of the confluence of roots, blues, soul, folk and country music.  For the eleventh year, the producers of Austin City Limits, in conjunction with producers Martin Fischer, Michelle Aquilato, and Jed Hilly for the Americana Music Association, proudly deliver a special ACL Presents.

One of the genre’s biggest stars, Song of the Year-winner Brandi Carlile, takes the stage joined by indie-folk duo Lucius for an exuberant performance of Carlile’s gem “You and Me On the Rock,” a triple 2022 Grammy nominee for Record of the Year, Best Americana Performance and Best American Roots Song, from her 2022 Grammy-winning Best Americana Album In These Silent Days. Husband and wife duo The War and Treaty, named Duo/Group of the Year, deliver an electrifying performance of their soulful duet “That’s How Love Is Made,” that brings the Ryman audience to its feet. Americana stalwart Sarah Jarosz introduces “one of her all-time favorites,” Texas songwriter James McMurtry, who sings a sterling rendition of his Song of the Year nominated “Canola Fields.” The Awards’ Emerging Act of the Year honoree Sierra Farrell makes a sparkling debut with her buoyant hot jazz number “At the End of the Rainbow.” Album of the Year winner, singer-songwriter Allison Russell, performs her empowering anthem “You’re Not Alone” from her celebrated debut solo record, Outside Child; she is joined by frequent collaborator Brandi Carlile backed by an all-female ensemble of musicians featuring cellist and Instrumentalist of the Year Larissa Maestro. 

Lifetime achievement honorees showcase their incredible legacies: Fairfield Four, a harmony singing group that originated in the 1920s at Nashville’s Fairfield Baptist Church, are honored with the Legacy of Americana Award for preserving traditional Black a cappella gospel music; they perform a stirring a capella “Rock My Soul.” Americana great Lyle Lovett introduces Chris Isaak, lifetime achievement honoree for performance, calling him “a remarkable artist and remarkable human being” and Isaak delivers a spirited rendition of his classic “Somebody’s Crying.” Rock legend and Americana champion Robert Plant makes a surprise appearance to honor genre icon and long-standing Americana house band leader Buddy Miller with a Lifetime Achievement Award; Miller takes the stage to perform an emotional rendition of Americana forebear Levon Helm’s “Wide River to Cross,” a song Miller co-wrote. Lukas Nelson pays homage to an influential late country great, Don Williams, the gentle giant of country music, with a moving version of the Texas-born singer and songwriter’s “Lord, I Hope This Day is Good.”

The hour celebrates a trio of seminal American roots music albums marking their 50th anniversary: Phosphorescent, the stage name of singer-songwriter Matthew Houck, opens the hour in salute to Neil Young’s landmark Harvest with a rendition of Young’s classic “Are You Ready for the Country?” Lyle Lovett takes the stage to perform an acoustic version of the Little Feat ballad “Willin’” in tribute to the band’s Sailin’ Shoes, joined by Little Feat’s Bill Payne on piano; Americana’s dynamic acoustic duo The Milk Carton Kids salute Jackson Browne’s 1972 self-titled debut with a gorgeous rendition of the singer-songwriter legend’s “Something Fine.”

The special also pays tribute to Americana greats lost in 2022: Iconic gospel group The McCrary Sisters, longtime performers at the Americana Awards, honor their late sister and bandmate Deborah McCrary with the powerful elegy “Amazing Grace.” Luke Bell, a gone-too-soon cult favorite among indie country fans, is saluted by roadhouse country singer JP Harris. Harris performs Bell’s “The Bullfighter,” saying “Luke never got a chance to sing this song himself from this stage like he should’ve, so I’m going to do my damnedest in your stead, little brother.”

Broadcast setlist:

Phosphorescent “Are You Ready for the Country”

Brandi Carlile ft. Lucius “You and Me on the Rock”

The Fairfield Four “Rock My Soul”

James McMurtry “Canola Fields”

The War And Treaty “That’s How Love is Made”

Lukas Nelson “Lord I Hope This Day is Good”

JP Harris “Bullfighter”

Sierra Ferrell “At the End Of the Rainbow”

Chris Isaak “Somebody’s Crying”

Buddy Miller “Wide River To Cross”

Lyle Lovett “Willin’”

The Milk Carton Kids “Something Fine”

Allison Russell ft. Brandi Carlile “You’re Not Alone”

About the Americana Music Association:

The Americana Music Association is a professional not-for-profit trade organization whose mission is to advocate for the authentic voice of American roots music around the world. The Association produces events throughout the year; including AMERICANAFEST and the critically acclaimed Americana Honors & Awards program. The Americana Music Association receives enormous support from the Tennessee Department of Tourism, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, ASCAP, BMI, SESAC.

About AMERICANAFEST:

The 23rd annual AMERICANAFEST will take place September 19-23, 2023 in Nashville, Tenn., once again bringing together music industry professionals and fans alike for five days of discovery, insight and connections. Declared a “veritable juggernaut” by American Songwriter, AMERICANAFEST showcases hundreds of artists and bands throughout many notable venues in Nashville, TN. The destination event also features a first-rate industry conference, bringing together the top tier of the music business to discuss current industry topics and issues. Musical festivities are kicked off by the critically acclaimed Americana Honors & Awards, which celebrates luminaries and welcomes the next generation of trailblazers while offering one-of-a-kind performance pairings at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium. For more information, please visit www.americanamusic.org.

About ACL Presents:

ACL Presents is music programming created by, or in association with, Austin PBS, the producers of Austin City Limits (ACL). ACL Presents programming includes television specials, live events, web series and recorded music presentations and is made in the spirit and standards of the legendary PBS series Austin City Limits, the longest-running live music series in television history. ACL Presents collaborations have included: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass with KQED and AMERICANAFEST with Nashville Public Television (NPT).