Category: Episode Recap

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Episode premiere: Japanese Breakfast/Arlo Parks

Japanese Breakfast plays Austin City Limits, Season 48. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits spotlights a pair of compelling acts making their ACL debuts: Japanese Breakfast, featuring acclaimed indie singer-songwriter Michelle Zauner and 21-year-old British singer-songwriter Arlo Parks. Philadelphia’s Japanese Breakfast play songs from their breakthrough Jubilee; while Parks performs numbers from her Mercury Prize-winning Collapsed in Sunbeams. These two celebrated acts both earned 2022 Grammy nods for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Album and both received raves for their deeply personal lyrics and powerful connection with audiences. The new hour-long installment premieres October 8 at 8pm CT/9pm ET. The program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home 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 48 years as the music institution nears a remarkable half-century milestone. 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.

Acclaimed pop-alternative act Japanese Breakfast performs highlights from Jubilee, their lauded 2021 album. Bandleader Michelle Zauner is also the New York Times bestselling author of Crying in H Mart, her powerful 2021 memoir about growing up Korean-American and dealing with the loss of her mother. The book paved the way for the band’s third release, Jubilee, an album about giving yourself permission to welcome joy back into your life after tragedy. Opening the set with the dreamlike “Paprika,” Zauner bangs a light-up gong at center stage to punctuate the lyrics. She smiles widely as she dances across the stage for the hit “Be Sweet,” a synthy, sparkly power-pop confection. The six-song set elicits a rush of feelings anchored by gorgeous song craft and probing lyrics, in an ultimate celebration of life and love. Zauner and her ace eight-piece band, augmented by horns and violin, provide sublime melodies for a radiant ACL debut. 

Arlo Parks performs on Austin City Limits, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Fast-rising West London singer-songwriter Arlo Parks showcases gems from her breakout debut Collapsed in Sunbeams. Parks blends poetic lyrics with music to create luscious vignettes via sweet, ruminative indie pop songs. Her thoughtful, relatable lyrics resonate emotionally with fans and foster connection and support. She captivates with her soft vocals and lush sonic palette in a magnetic ACL debut. Set opener “Caroline” sparks an audience singalong of the titular name throughout the chorus, and on the soul-pop “Eugene” the crowd belts the painful lyrics about unrequited love with collective emotion. “I guess my favorite songs that I’ve written come pouring out of me by accident…and this is one of them,” says Parks as she closes out with the electro-pop marvel “Softly,” a cathartic, upbeat anthem about bracing for impact in the face of a relationship’s inevitable demise. 

“We’re especially proud this season to be showcasing so many emerging young female singer-songwriters,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona, “And there will be more to come. In the case of both Michelle and Arlo, the fact that Grammy voters considered them worthy of a Best New Artist nominee speaks volumes.”

Japanese Breakfast setlist: 

Paprika

Be Sweet

Kokomo, IN

Savage Good Boy

Slide Tackle

Posing For Cars

Arlo Parks setlist:

Caroline

Eugene

Black Dog

Hurt

Too Good

Softly

Season 48 Broadcast Line-up (first half of season)

October 1 Brandi Carlile

October 8 Japanese Breakfast/Arlo Parks

October 15 Sylvan Esso/Lucius

October 22 Allison Russell/The Weather Station

October 29 Parker McCollum/Robert Earl Keen

November 5 Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

November 12 Cimafunk and The Tribe

Watch live, stream anytime, 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 and IG. 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 48th 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, Workrise, 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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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Season 48 premiere episode recap: Brandi Carlile

Brandi Carlile on Austin City Limits, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits launches a historic new season spotlighting an unprecedented line-up of diverse and eclectic female artists with a season premiere featuring celebrated singer-songwriter and six-time Grammy Award winner Brandi Carlile. The acclaimed Americana artist, accompanied by a nine-piece band, shines in a breathtaking hour, delivering an eleven-song set with selections from her latest In These Silent Days alongside fan-favorite classics. The hourlong season premiere airs October 1 at 8pm CT/9pm ET as part of the esteemed broadcast’s fourteen episode season. The program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home 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 48 years as the music institution nears a remarkable half-century milestone. 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. . 

There are few musicians in the current era more respected and beloved than Brandi Carlile, and this award-winning singer/songwriter/producer/author and activist makes her third appearance on the ACL stage with a stunning show centered around her seventh album In These Silent Days. Carlile first-appeared on Austin City Limits in 2010 and is now firmly established at the forefront of Americana music. A magnetic performer, she dazzles with numbers from her acclaimed album, including the hard-rocking set opener “Broken Horses,” and a joyful “You And Me On The Rock,” joined by a trio of guest vocalists. Carlile soars with a radiant take on the chart-topping “Right on Time,” a triple Grammy-nominated number named “Song of the Year” at the 2022 Americana Music Awards. Carlile pays tribute to her influences with inspired covers of choice classics, including David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” Radiohead’s “Creep” and Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock.” Carlile’s ace band features her longtime collaborators Tim and Phil Hanseroth, twin brothers on guitar, bass and harmonies, album co-producer Shooter Jennings joins on keyboards, along with a guest appearance from guitar ringer Celisse. Carlile’s remarkable showmanship is on full display throughout as she thrills with “The Joke,” the 2019 multiple Grammy-winning anthem of love and empowerment that’s become her signature tune, earning rapturous applause from the ACL audience. Accompanied by strings, piano, Hanseroth-brother harmonies and her own acoustic guitar, Carlile closes with the stripped-down benediction “Stay Gentle,” seguing beautifully into a potent solo rendition of the beloved standard “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

“All of us are so proud of Brandi’s incredible success story since her debut on the ACL stage 12 years ago,” said ACL Executive Producer Terry Lickona. “Her growth not only as a singer but as a superstar entertainer in every sense of the word is inspiring. She helped lead the way for a new generation of talented young female artists, many of whom will be showcased in future episodes.”

Episode setlist:

BROKEN HORSES

YOU AND ME ON THE ROCK

THIS TIME TOMORROW

MAMA WEREWOLF

SPACE ODDITY

CREEP

RIGHT ON TIME

THE JOKE

WOODSTOCK

STAY GENTLE

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW

Season 48 Broadcast Line-up (first half of season)

October 1 Brandi Carlile

October 8 Japanese Breakfast/Arlo Parks

October 15 Sylvan Esso/Lucius

October 22 Allison Russell/The Weather Station

October 29 Parker McCollum/Robert Earl Keen

November 5 Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

November 12 Cimafunk and The Tribe

Watch live, stream anytime, 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 and IG. 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 48th 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, Workrise, 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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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News Uncategorized

ACL Presents: Americana 20th Annual Honors

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 22: (L-R) Amanda Shires and Maren Morris of The Highwomen, Yola, Brandi Carlile of The Highwomen, Jason Isbell and Natalie Hemby of The Highwomen perform onstage at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

Austin City Limits returns to Nashville for a special broadcast featuring performance highlights from the 20th Annual Americana Honors. For two decades, the annual celebration of roots music has honored the best and brightest musicians in Americana music while showcasing one-of-a-kind 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): Fisk Jubilee Singers with Leon Timbo, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan & Joe Henry, Allison Russell, The Highwomen, featuring Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, Amanda Shires with Yola, Jason Isbell, Valerie June & Carla Thomas, Charley Crockett, Amythyst Kiah, Buddy Miller, Brandi Carlile & The Mavericks. The hourlong special premieres Saturday, April 2 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 3 @10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding upcoming Season 48 tapings, episode schedules and select live stream updates. 

Recorded live at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium in 2021, The Americana Music Association’s 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony is a celebration of the confluence of roots, blues, soul, folk and country music.  For the tenth 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.  

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 22: Fisk Jubilee Singers perform onstage at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

Lifetime Achievement Award honorees Fisk Jubilee Singers, the award-winning choir formed at Nashville’s HBCU Fisk University, open the hour and raise the Ryman roof with the stirring spiritual “I Believe” joined by gospel great Leon Timbo. Americana’s Artist of the Year Brandi Carlile delivers a gorgeous solo performance of her 2022 triple Grammy-nominated song “Right On Time” and also performs with her bandmates Maren Morris, Natalie Hemby and Amanda Shires in country supergroup the Highwomen, joined by greats Yola and Jason Isbell for the occasion. Multiple Americana Album of the Year nominees showcase highlights: Americana stalwart Sarah Jarosz performs “I’ll Be Gone,” a gem from her celebrated World on the Ground, joined by John Leventhal; Valerie June performs her Song of the Year-nominated “Call Me A Fool” from her The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers, joined by Stax great and Lifetime Achievement honoree Carla Thomas; and one of the genre’s top stars, Jason Isbell, is joined by wife and collaborator Amanda Shires for “Letting You Go,” a poignant song written for their young daughter from his acclaimed Reunions.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 22: Valerie June performs onstage at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

The award’s Emerging Artist honorees take the stage to showcase their talents: the year’s Emerging Artist Award-winner and “the pride of San Benito, Texas,” Charley Crockett, makes a sparkling debut with his singular brand of Gulf & Western music, performing the two-stepping “Are We Lonesome Yet.” Fellow nominee, genre-bending artist Allison Russell, delivers her 2022 double Grammy-nominated “Nightflyer,” a soulful number from her critically-acclaimed solo record Outside Child, also a 2022 Grammy nominee for Best Americana Album. Breakout singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah showcases her bonafides with a powerhouse “Fancy Drones (Fracture Me),” forecasting the future of the genre. 

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 22: Amythyst Kiah performs at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

The special pays tribute to a pair of Americana greats we lost in 2021: Country-folk legend Nanci Griffith, a trailblazer in the genre, is saluted with a gorgeous reading of her “Gulf Coast Highway,” performed by Aoife O’Donovan and Joe Henry;  country great Tom T. Hall is honored by famed musician Buddy Miller, who performs a memorable rendition of Hall’s classic “That’s How I Got to Memphis.” 

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 22: Aoife O’Donovan and Joe Henry perform at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

The show closes with the eclectic rock-country-Latin band the Mavericks, recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Trailblazer Award, celebrating the diversity of the genre with “La Sitiera,” from their acclaimed Spanish-language album En Español.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 22: Raul Malo of The Mavericks performs at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

Broadcast setlist:

Fisk Jubilee Singers ft. Leon Timbo “I Believe”

Sarah Jarosz ft. John Leventhal “I’ll Be Gone”

Aiofe O’Donovan & Joe Henry “Gulf Coast Highway” 

Allison Russell “Nightflyer”

The Highwomen (Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Amanda Shires, Natalie Hemby) ft. Yola & Jason Isbell 

Jason Isbell ft. Amanda Shires “Letting You Go”

Valerie June ft. Carla Thomas “Call Me A Fool”

Charley Crockett ”Are We Lonesome Yet” 

Amythyst Kiah “Fancy Drones (Fracture Me)”

Buddy Miller “That’s How I Got to Memphis”

Brandi Carlile “Right on Time”

The Mavericks “La Sitiera”

About AMERICANAFEST:

The 22nd annual AMERICANAFEST will take place September 13-17, 2022 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 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 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 Americana Music Festival with Nashville Public Television (NPT). 

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New broadcast: The Best of Nanci Griffith

Nanci Griffith on Austin City Limits, Season 27. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits proudly wraps up Season 47 with a gem: a salute to late folk and country singer-songwriter legend Nanci Griffith. A beacon in the Texas music scene, the Austin original had a deep association with Austin City Limits, performing on the program eight times between 1984 and 2001. Sadly we lost Griffith in 2021, but ACL celebrates her life and legacy with twelve classic performances. “The Best of Nanci Griffith” offers a fascinating look at the renowned country-folk artist through her many appearances and premieres February 12 @ 8pm ET/7pm CT. Check local PBS listings for times. The episode will be available to music fans everywhere, streaming online the next day beginning February 13 @ 10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. The Peabody Award-winning program 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 a remarkable 47 years. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to have delivered a full season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. In the following weeks, ACL will continue to broadcast fan-favorite encore episodes until the new season premieres this fall. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding future Season 48 tapings, encore broadcast schedules and select live stream updates.

One of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of her generation, Nanci Griffith released more than 20 albums, sold millions of records and won a Grammy. Her previously uncategorizable blend of folk music and country provided an early blueprint for Americana. She is recognized as a pioneer in the genre whose influence has been felt on nearly every Texas singer-songwriter who came afterward, and broke ground for countless artists including Lyle Lovett, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Robert Earl Keen. Her songs have been covered by a wide range of artists and she has earned worldwide recognition for her music.

Born in Central Texas and raised in Austin, Nanci Griffith became an early favorite on the Texas singer-songwriter circuit, and this poignant hour chronicles her times on the program from her ACL debut in Season 10 to her final appearance during Season 27 in 2001. For that first appearance on Austin City Limits she wore a bright yellow, flowered dress she made herself especially for the occasion, and showcased songs from her 1984 career breakthrough Once in a Very Blue Moon, including the title track, later covered by Dolly Parton. Joined by a mini-orchestra of Nashville and Austin luminaries (including a young singer-songwriter named Lyle Lovett on backing vocals), the sweet-voiced singer and storyteller wowed the hometown crowd. 

Nanci Griffith on Austin City Limits, Season 10. Photo by Scott Newton.

Upon her 1988 ACL return she tells the audience “It’s nice to be home again,” and performs selections from her 1986 folk-country classic The Last of the True Believers. A set highlight is her early rendition of the Julie Gold penned “From A Distance,” an anthem first recorded by Griffith that became her first international #1 hit, and was later famously covered by Bette Midler. She captivates the crowd with “Love at the Five and Dime,” a small-town tale featuring Austin’s original Woolworth’s at its centerpiece, filled with Griffith’s keen eye for detail and emotion. 

A frequent collaborator whose peers lined up to play with her, the hour also highlights her work alongside other artists. An outspoken social justice advocate, Griffith appears on a Songwriters Special in 1991, and performs her powerful social commentary, the anti-racism ode “It’s A Hard Life Wherever You Go,” joined by songwriters Mary Chapin Carpenter and Indigo Girls on harmonies. She appears in 1994 performing songs from Flyer, an album which featured guest appearances from members of R.E.M. and U2. For a 1997 appearance, she performs a pop-country set with her longtime heroes, Buddy Holly’s Crickets, as her backing band, and pays tribute to the songwriters of West Texas she credits as her earliest influences. She returns in 1997 for one of the most revered episodes in the ACL archives, a Celebration of Townes Van Zandt, appearing with fellow greats including Willie Nelson, Guy Clark, Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle, and sings the legendary Texas songwriter’s classic “Tecumseh Valley,” a version from her repertoire widely-known to have been favored by Townes himself, featured on her Grammy-winning 1993 all-covers album Other Voices, Other Rooms. Griffith’s influence transcended genre and generations: in 1999 she appears as a guest of Hootie & the Blowfish’s Darius Rucker for a gorgeous duet of her “Gulf Coast Highway,” singing the lyrics: “And when we die we say, we’ll; Catch some blackbirds wing; Then we will fly away to Heaven come; Some sweet blue bonnet spring.”

“Nanci was literally an Austin original, but besides being her hometown, she epitomized Austin’s influence on her generation of singer-songwriters,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Her songs were mini literary masterpieces, filled with vivid stories and imagery – all set to great melodies!”

The Best of Nanci Griffith setlist:

The Ballad of Robin Winter-Smith

Once In A Very Blue Moon

The Last of the True Believers

From A Distance

Love at the Five and Dime

It’s A Hard Life Wherever You Go

Listen to the Radio

These Days In An Open Book

This Heart

Tecumseh Valley

Gulf Coast Highway

Traveling Through This Part of You

Watch live, stream anytime, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding live streams, future Season 48 tapings and encore episode broadcast and streaming schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

ACL’s Season 47 premiered in October 2021 with standout performances featuring many 2022 Grammy nominees, including New Orleans musician/bandleader Jon Batiste, multi-platinum Olivia Rodrigo, country superstar Miranda Lambert, bluegrass star Billy Strings, legendary Jackson Browne, R&B singer-songwriter Leon Bridges, indie-rock original Phoebe Bridgers, country standout Brandy Clark, alt.rock icon St. Vincent and Americana singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz alongside acclaimed performances from eclectic groove trio Khruangbin, celebrated singer Brittany Howard, UK singer-songwriter Jade Bird, “Gulf & Western” country sensation Charley Crockett, breakthrough singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun, superstars Duran Duran, cult songwriting favorite Terry Allen and more. ACL returned in January 2022 with a special installment, Austin City Limits 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors, celebrating a new class of inductees: Wilco, Lucinda Williams and Alejandro Escovedo, featuring all-star music salutes and collaborations from Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Japanese Breakfast, Rosanne Cash, Sheila E., John Doe, Lenny Kaye, Bill Callahan, Terry Allen and more. 

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Encore: Olivia Rodrigo and Phoebe Bridgers

Olivia Rodrigo on Austin City Limits, 2021. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits spotlights a pair of next-generation singer-songwriters making highly-anticipated ACL debuts: multi-platinum Olivia Rodrigo and indie-rock original Phoebe Bridgers. Rodrigo, a seven-time 2022 Grammy nominee, showcases songs from her chart-topping debut SOUR, which dominated 2021 “year-end best-of” critics lists, and Bridgers performs gems from her acclaimed Punisher.  The must-see episode, a fan-favorite from the current ACL season, is back by popular demand, and music lovers will have the opportunity to revisit this instant classic or catch it for the first time. The installment, which previewed in December 2021 as a midseason gift to viewers, will encore Saturday, February 5 @8pm ET/7pm CT as part of the series Season 47 on PBS and vary by market. Check local PBS listings for times. The episode will be available to music fans everywhere, streaming online the next day beginning Sunday, February 6 @10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to have delivered a full season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The Peabody Award-winning program 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 a remarkable 47 years. 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.

18-year-old singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo dominated the charts and smashed streaming records in a breakout year, earning multiple No. 1 hits with her self-penned, record-breaking, platinum debut album SOUR, nominated for seven 2022 Grammy Awards, including the coveted “Big Four” categories: Best New Artist, Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year. The L.A. based rising star has struck a chord with insightful songs about relationships and heartbreak that resonate with her legions of fans. Rodrigo makes her first full-set performance in front of a live audience in this appearance on the ACL stage. The celebrated album SOUR is the centerpiece of her irresistible, eight-song set as the stoked crowd sings-along to every word of her lyrics. Backed by an all-female band, Rodrigo bounds onto the stage barefoot to the spiky pop-punk of “brutal,” a song that rages against the pressures of public scrutiny and social media shame.  Set highlights include the piano ballad “drivers license,” the breakup anthem and debut single that skyrocketed her to fame in early 2021, now nominated for three Grammy Awards, and the bitter stomp of another No. 1 megahit, “good 4 u.”

Phoebe Bridgers on Austin City Limits, 2021. Photo by Scott Newton.

Phoebe Bridgers’ celebrated album Punisher was one of 2020’s best-loved records, earning four 2021 Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist. The Pasadena, California-born and raised singer-songwriter doesn’t write love songs as much as songs about the impact love can have on our lives, personalities, and priorities. Bridgers has emerged as a defining musical force for a generation beset by doom and open about its mental health journeys. To say Bridgers writes about heartbreak is to undersell her blue wisdom; to say she writes about pain erases all the strange joy her music emanates. Joined by her skeleton-costumed six-piece band, Bridgers performs Punisher highlights, including the sparkling power pop gutpunch “Kyoto,” a 2021 double-Grammy nominated track. She stuns with the title track, a haunting rock heartbreaker detailing a relationship’s slow disintegration. She and her band close the set fittingly with the introspective “I Know The End,” amplified by trumpet fills and violin, ablaze in a hail of freeform noise and distortion, with Bridgers erupting in a primal scream. Bridgers makes an epic exit as she kisses her guitarist, kicks the mic stand over, and drops her guitar to the ground. 

“In so many ways, Phoebe and Olivia are cut from the same musical cloth,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Phoebe’s songs are edgy, mixing pain with joy in a weird but clever way. Olivia’s songs are much the same – bold, but sensitive at the same time. They are two of the most inspiring young singers to cross the ACL stage in years.” 

Olivia Rodrigo setlist:

brutal

happier

jealousy, jealousy

drivers license

traitor

favorite crime

enough for you

good 4 u

Phoebe Bridgers setlist:

DVD Menu

Garden Song

Kyoto

Punisher

Savior Complex

I Know The End

Watch live, stream anytime, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding live streams, future Season 48 tapings and encore episode broadcast and streaming schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

ACL’s Season 47 premiered on October 2021 with standout performances featuring many 2022 Grammy nominees, including New Orleans musician/bandleader Jon Batiste, country superstar Miranda Lambert, bluegrass star Billy Strings, legendary Jackson Browne, R&B singer-songwriter Leon Bridges, country standout Brandy Clark, alt.rock icon St. Vincent and Americana singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz alongside acclaimed performances from eclectic groove trio Khruangbin, celebrated singer Brittany Howard, UK singer-songwriter Jade Bird, “Gulf & Western” country sensation Charley Crockett, breakthrough singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun, superstars Duran Duran, cult songwriting favorite Terry Allen and more. ACL returned in January 2022 with a special installment, Austin City Limits 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors, celebrating a new class of inductees: Wilco, Lucinda Williams and Alejandro Escovedo, featuring all-star music salutes and collaborations from Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Japanese Breakfast, Rosanne Cash, Sheila E., John Doe, Lenny Kaye, Bill Callahan, Terry Allen and more. 

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New broadcast: Terry Allen & the Panhandle Mystery Band

Terry Allen on Austin City Limits, 2021. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits spotlights a Texas legend enjoying a late-career high-point, iconoclastic sculptor-songwriter Terry Allen, in a career-spanning hour, joined by his longtime Panhandle Mystery Band featuring all-stars including Lloyd Maines, Charlie Sexton and Shannon McNally. The new installment premieres January 29 at 8pm ET/7pm CT as part of  the series Season 47. Check local PBS listings for times. The episode will be available to music fans everywhere, streaming online the next day beginning January 30 @10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to deliver a full season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The Peabody Award-winning program 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 a remarkable 47 years. 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.

Lubbock native, outlaw-country veteran, and groundbreaking visual artist Terry Allen makes his long-awaited return to the ACL stage in his first headline appearance since 1998. The 78-year-old cult favorite, recently profiled in The New Yorker, showcases songs from his acclaimed 2020 release Just Like Moby Dick, alongside influential classics from his storied five-decade career, including gems from his cinematic 1975 debut Juarez and the seminal 1979 Lubbock (on everything). The hour is a friends and family affair as Allen on keyboards is joined by his nine-piece Panhandle Mystery Band, featuring guitarists Charlie Sexton and Lloyd Maines, singer Shannon McNally, fiddler Richard Bowden, bassist Glen Fukunaga, drummer Davis McLarty, cellist Brian Standerfer, and his sons Bukka and Bale Allen on accordion/keyboards and percussion. 

The left-of-center artist displays his signature dark wit and honesty with highlights from his catalog, including the fan favorite rocker “There Oughta Be A Law Against Sunny Southern California” and the tragicomic tale “Gimme a Ride to Heaven Boy.” Allen’s songwriting details vivid small-town characters and haunting and hilarious narratives as showcased on the beguiling new album highlight “Death of the Last Stripper.” The collaborative performance allows each bandmember to shine, and Americana artist Shannon McNally takes the lead on a new number, the slowburn “All These Blues Go Walkin’ By,” joined by ace guitarist Charlie Sexton. In a nod to his remarkable half century of work, Allen performs “Red Bird,” the first song he ever wrote, originally performed on the TV show Shindig! in 1965. The Texas legend and his longtime band of friends close the hour with the moving Moby Dick closer “Sailin’ On Through,” a mordant fare-thee-well that ruminates on the inevitable passing of time.

“Lubbock, Texas, has produced more than its share of music legends, but Terry Allen is an anomaly,“ says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “He’s a storyteller, he’s a poet, he weaves tapestries out of songs. In that respect he’s like the ‘Leonard Cohen of West Texas’.”

Terry Allen & the Panhandle Mystery Band on ACL, 2021. Photo by Scott Newton.

Terry Allen setlist:

Lubbock Tornado 

Death of the Last Stripper

All These Blues Go Walkin’ By

City of the Vampires

What of Alicia

There Oughta Be A Law Against Sunny Southern California

Red Bird

Flatland Boogie

New Delhi Freight Train

Gimme A Ride To Heaven Boy

Sailin’ On Through

Season 47 upcoming:

February 5 Olivia Rodrigo | Phoebe Bridgers

February 12 (season finale) The Best of Nanci Griffith

Tune-in, log on, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. 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.