Category: Episode Recap

Thanksgiving approaches, Halloween recedes into the background and Season 37 of Austin City Limits keep on truckin’ right along. Tune in this weekend on Saturday, November 5 to kick back and enjoy a pair of modern-day country rockers with stories to tell: Miranda Lambert and Jeff Bridges.

Miranda Lambert has been kicking tuchis and taking names for the past few years now, scooping up awards and racking up hit singles like crazy. Before fame beckoned, though, she appeared on Austin City Limits back in Season 31, when her major label debut was new and she was still known for her stint on the reality competition Nashville Star. (She appeared on the first season and came in third.) She’s definitely blasted past the old days, though, as you’ll see when she rocks the stage with the fiery “Kerosene,” the funky “Baggage Claim” and the fierce “Gunpowder and Lead.”

As a special treat, Lambert’s also brought along her self-described “girl band” Pistol Annies.  This trio, with her buds Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley, is “Hell On Heels,” to quote the song they perform on the show.

Lambert shares this episode with multi-talented actor/singer Jeff Bridges, who we all know from too many great movies to count – True Grit, Crazy Heart, The Big Lebowski, The Last Picture Show, Iron Man, Tron, etc, etc. You may not have known Bridges also leads a band in addition to acting. He’s pretty darn good at it too, starting at a young age and hooking up with super-producer T Bone Burnett and late Austin singer/songwriter Stephen Bruton in 1980 on the set of the notorious film Heaven’s Gate.

Bridges released the indie record Be Here Soon in 2000, but this year’s self-titled opus (produced by Burnett and featuring songs from Bruton) serves as his musical coming out party. Listen to him channel both Bad Blake and the Dude on “Fallin’ and Flyin’,” “The Quest” and “What a Little Bit of Love Can Do” and you’ll hear that this is no busman’s holiday – Jeff Bridges makes serious music.

As usual, you should head over to the episode page for more info, photos and clips. Be sure to chat it up with us on Facebook and Twitter during the episode, and check out our Tumblr and newsletter too, just because they’re awesome.

Check back with us next week for the skinny on the next all-new episode of ACL featuring the one and only Randy Newman.

All Hallow’s Eve is upon us, and as we get ready to put on our costumes, touch up our makeup and beg strangers for candy, we’ve got some news to pass on about the latest brand new episode of Austin City Limits.

We love to present new music and show off current artists hitting their prime. But we’re happy to honor the veterans and the lifers – the folks whose work has stood the test of time. In that light, we welcome Steve Miller Band and Preservation Hall Jazz Band to the ACL stage this Saturday, Oct. 29.

Steve Miller Band don’t need an introduction, do they? Lauded rock guitarist Steve Miller and his various partners-in-crime have been knocking around since the late 60s, leaving a string of indelible hits in their wake. Remember “Abracadabra?” “Fly Like An Eagle?” “Space Cowboy?” Of course you do, and you’ll hear them all on Saturday in front of an enthusiastic crowd that fills ACL Live at The Moody Theater to the gills.

Speaking of The Moody, we’d like to point out that the SMB show was the first-ever ACL taping in our new home. Thanks to the fantastic audience for coming out and making our maiden Moody voyage so memorable! Feel free, home viewers, to join the on-screen audience in singing along, which you’ll be doing it under your breath anyway, right?

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band has been around even longer than Miller – the group’s genesis coincides with the founding of the Hall itself back in 1961, and the style of New Orleans jazz the band plays goes back even further than that. History lives on in PHJB’s performances.

But don’t think that just because this group gets traditional means that they’re preserved in amber. Joining the band onstage this evening are Yim Yames from My Morning Jacket, James Petralli from White Denim and the ever-elegant Del McCoury Band to add their inimitable contemporary mojo. Once you hear “St. James Infirmary” sung by a high-voiced indie rock frontdude, you’ll realize it’s what you’ve always wanted.

Tune in this Saturday for your classic rock ‘n’ jazz fix – as always, check your local PBS listings for the broadcast time in your area. Toggle over to the episode page for biographical info, clips and photos.

Don’t forget to click over to our Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr pages for more Austin City Limits-flavored candy, or sign up for our newsletter. You don’t even have to say “trick or treat” to get it.

Here at ACL HQ we’re basking in a benevolent cold front. Fall weather prompts giddy excitement as the cool wind sweetly sings the words, “new episodes” in our ears.

It’s with great pride that we welcome every featured artist to our hallowed halls, be they up-and-comers or grizzled veterans. This weekend’s new, primo episode of Austin City Limits fits in the latter category. Please tune in this Saturday to join us in welcoming back ACL veterans The Decemberists and Gillian Welch.

Portland’s finest take our stage for the second time, having last visited in Season 33 supporting The Crane Wife. Now they’re back with a terrific set highlighting their most excellent LP The King is Dead. Highlights include a rousing “Calamity Song,” a lovely “Rise to Me” and a cheeky “The Rake’s Song” (the sole non-King track, for those keeping score). And just to add to the folk rock goodness, the Decemberists perform a countrified “All Arise!” and the ridiculously catchy “Down By the Water” with Welch and her partner David Rawlings singing and stringing along.

Speaking of Welch and Rawlings, they make their third appearance on ACL in the second half of this episode. Brandishing the brilliant new record The Harrow & the Harvest, the duo take us back to a timeless place where superior songcraft and hushed emotion rule. Whether it’s the elegiac “Look at Miss Ohio,” the lively “Six White Horses” or the defiantly beautiful “Hard Times” (song of the year, we’re tellin’ ya), the performance presents an artist hitting her stride and still moving forward. The pair’s uplifting take on the bluegrass standard “I’ll Fly Away” brings it all back home.

Make sure to tune in Saturday to catch this instant classic. In the meantime head on over to the episode page for a gaggle of clips, photos, additional information and for your local PBS listings.

While you’re at it, hit us up on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr or sign up for our newsletter for the latest happenings in the wonderful world of ACL. That’s where we’ll be posting about next week’s episode: some classic rock and old-school jazz with the Steve Miller Band and Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Get outside; go on a walk and tune in this weekend!

So far in Season 37 of ACL we’ve pumped your blood with the passionate folk rock of Mumford & Sons and Flogging Molly and twitched your hips with the slinky grooves of Raphael Saadiq and Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears. Now it’s time to blow your minds with the amazing musicianship of Widespread Panic.

Be sure to check your local listings to get broadcast times for ACL on the PBS station closest to you. And if you are a good friend be sure and share this post!

The long-running Athens (that’s Georgia, not Greece) jam band is no stranger to the ACL stage – you’ve seen them on the show twice before. But this performance is different. It was shot during the South By Southwest Music Festival on St. Patrick’s Day – so you know the crowd was in the mood. Plus the band celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and we’re thrilled they included us in the year-long party.

Like any good band, Panic promotes its recent work, with burning takes on “Saint Ex” and “Dirty Side Down” and a shimmering drift through the ballad “May Your Glass Be Filled.” But the group digs deep into its catalog here, treating y’all to fiery jams on fan faves “Junior,” “Pigeons” and even “Chilly Water” – the first song on their very first album Space Wrangler. Now that’s closing a circle.

As ACL TV head honcho Terry Lickona put it, “This was a night I’ll never forget – Widespread Panic making their debut at SxSW, celebrating their 25th anniversary and the first season in our new ACL home. We all know how wild Panic fans can be, so throw in the fact that it was St. Patrick’s Day and you can only begin to imagine how over the top this show was!”

Want a little taste? Head over to the episode page for performance and interview clips, band info, the set list and the usual batch of cool photos. Then check the listings of your local PBS station to find out when you can get in on the jams.

And hit us up on Facebook and Twitter for the latest ACL scuttlebutt, check out our Tumblr page for a trip through our back pages and sign up for the monthly newsletter for even more ACL goodness.

Tune in next week for another couple of ACL vets – the brilliant Gillian Welch and the ever-awesome Decemberists. Details coming soon.

Howdy folks,

The new season of Austin City Limits hit airwaves last weekend featuring rocking performances by Mumford & Sons and Flogging Molly. If you missed it check it out here, but stay tuned because we’re just getting started….

Tonight, Saturday, October 8th, we cordially invite you to join us for our second episode featuring Raphael Saadiq and Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears – and it’s a killer lineup if we do say so.

Tune-in by checking your local listings for air times on PBS affiliate stations closest to you, and get in the mood with a little behind the scenes video we dug up just for you…

Veteran R&B genius Raphael Saadiq and his crack band kick things off with a set heavy on his most recent and most excellent record Stone Rollin’. Few artists translate old-school soul moves into contemporary R&B magic quite like this Oakland native.

In anticipation of tomorrow you can look forward to “Heart Attack,” “Day Dreams” and the bluesy strut “Stone Rollin,” featuring special guest Fabulous Thunderbirds’ frontman and blues legend Kim Wilson on harmonica – if your hips don’t move in a way illegal in most states, you might want to check your pulse.

Our advice: for this show keep the lights down low and your sweetheart nearby.

Also featured in episode two, get ready for Austin’s own Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears. The band’s blazing blend of North Mississippi Hill Country blues, New York punk rock and Stax/Volt soul inspires as much air guitar as dancing, especially when Joe’s overdriven Telecaster gets into it with the bursting horn section.

The Honeybears spread the love across their career with the roiling “Bobby Booshay,” the groovin’ “I’m Broke” and an amp-frying cover of the Dead Boys’ “What Love Is.” And don’t miss the epic closer “You Been Lyin,” featuring roof-raising gospel soul group the Relatives.

And yes – for our sharp-eyed viewers, you are correct – that is indeed Spoon drummer and Honeybears producer Jim Eno shaking the maracas and tambourine in the background. 

Just can’t wait until Saturday? Mosey on over to the episode page for performance and interview clips, bio info, the full set list, a pile of cool photos and more. Then hit up your local PBS listings for the broadcast date nearest you.

And don’t forget, you can get the latest and greatest ACL news by following us on Twitter and Facebook, or signing up for our snazzy monthly newsletter, and check out our “Experience ACL” Tumblr blog while you’re at it.

What’s on tap for episode 3? Tune in next week for a return engagement from jamming rock favorites who need little intro, Widespread Panic. Check back in here for more details.

Ahem… Is this thing on?

Ladies and gentlemen, the time to tune in has come. Wait no more – the season opener is upon us!

Tomorrow we proudly kick off the 37th season of Austin City Limits on PBS, and what a better way to do it than with two of the rowdiest, most enthusiastic bands around: folk rockers Mumford & Sons and Celtic punkers Flogging Molly. Both bands performed at ACL for the first time — and they did not disappoint.

The groups showed up ready to rock and they put on killer performances. It’s going to be one heck of an
inaugural episode and we highly recommend you don’t miss it.

Be sure to check your local listings to get air times for ACL on PBS affiliate stations closest to you. Here’s what you can expect…

Mumford & Sons “The Cave” from Austin City Limits on Vimeo.

Kicking off the first episode of season 37, Mumford & Sons will dazzle viewers with fan favorites “The Cave” and “Roll Away Your Stone.” Additionally, poignant ballads like “Timshel” and “Awake My Soul” will be featured. And, if you’re a super fan, you’re in for a special treat with “Lover of Light,” a previously unrecorded track.

The energy the night of the taping was truly amazing, especially considering the band was in the midst of the Railroad Revival Tour (btw, did you catch their Austin show? Remember that crazy cloud?).

Flogging Molly “Saints and Sinners” from Austin City Limits on Vimeo.

But that’s not all. Also featured in the first episode of season 37 — Flogging Molly.

Bandleader Dave King called their ACL taping “the most important live performance they’ve ever done.” During the taping Flogging Molly stormed the stage with astounding melodies and put on one amazing show with their unique brand of Celtic punk that has captured a dedicated fan base for the past decade.

We hope you tune in with us tomorrow to enjoy a lively rendition of “Requiem For A Dying Song,” “Tobacco Island,” “Devil’s Dance Floor,” and “Likes of You Again.”

If you’re a first-time ACL viewer – welcome — we’re confident these two bands will get you hooked and have you coming back to tune in for the rest of the awesome lineup we’ve masterminded this season.

Get excited ya’ll — in anticipation of the new episode we invite you to dig into video clips, special interviews, a slew of photos, set list information and more at the episode page for the show. We went ahead and included a few below for you to enjoy.

Check our blog again next week for more information on our second episode featuring a killer R&B matchup with Raphael Saadiq and local favorites Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears (October 8).

Follow us on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook for more info. Also, we also have a most-excellent, newly designed newsletter you can sign up for here. Just sayin’…

If you haven’t checked it out yet, you should visit our “Experience ACL” Tumblr where we’re spotlighting some of our best photos from the ACL vault— interestingly, we kicked it off with one of our favorite photos from the Mumford & Sons taping. The blog is a look-back at our heritage and a little walk through ACL history: http://experienceacl.tumblr.com/.