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Episode recap: Leon Bridges/Khruangbin

Leon Bridges, Austin City Limits, Season 47. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits showcases a pair of world-class acts that hail from Texas, Leon Bridges and Khruangbin, in a new hour-long installment premiering November 6 @9pm ET/8pm CT as part of the series Season 47. Grammy-winning Fort Worth R&B artist and songwriter Leon Bridges makes his second ACL appearance with highlights from his latest, Gold-Diggers Sound, and Houston eclectic groove trio Khruangbin make their ACL debut with standouts from their global sensation Mordechai. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to deliver a new season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The 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 immediately following the initial broadcast.  

“It’s an honor to bring Gold-Diggers Sound to Austin, Texas tonight,” hails Leon Bridges. The Fort Worth native returns to the ACL stage for the first time since his 2016 debut, showcasing his third album in six years, the acclaimed Gold-Diggers Sound, named after the East Hollywood studio where it was written and recorded. One of music’s most sought-after collaborators, Bridges has captured the world’s attention with his golden vocals and intimate songwriting, and the dynamic star returns to his home state to deliver a suite of songs from his recent collection backed by an ace seven-piece band. “Make some noise if you missed live music,” says Bridges. “I know I did.” A set highlight is the powerful anti-racism anthem “Sweeter,” released in the wake of George Floyd’s death. He closes out a magnetic set with a scorcher, the timely “Bad Bad News” from 2018’s Good Thing. 

Khruangbin, Austin City Limits, Season 47. Photo by Scott Newton.

The atmospheric Texan trio Khruangbin leads viewers on a spellbinding sonic journey in their ACL debut. The eclectic Houston act consisting of bassist Laura Lee Ochoa, guitarist Mark Speer and drummer Donald ‘DJ’ Johnson Jr. has generated a worldwide audience for their transportive sound that features a globally sourced sampler of psych and funk influences mixed with intoxicating grooves. The band opens with gems from their 2015 debut The Universe Smiles Upon You including “People Everywhere,” a song that highlights the stark contrast between Lee’s shimmering stage strut and Speer and Johnson Jr.’s laidback stoicism. “Still alive,” Lee repeats into the mic as an affirmation, adding the sly aside “after 2020.” Khruangbin visits their 2018 breakthrough LP Con Todo El Mundo for “Friday Morning,” an acid soul ballad that shifts from close harmony vocals to an epic guitar solo. They touch down with “First Class” from their widely-acclaimed Mordechai, an album that celebrates the city that raised them, Houston, one of the most diverse in the nation, a cultural nexus, and the hometown the band members fondly credit for their expansive sonic palette.

“This is Leon Bridges like you’ve never seen or heard him before,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “His new music is an immersive experience – both for him and the rest of us. Likewise, Khruangbin immerses themselves in musical rhythms and genres from around the globe, adding vocals for the first time. A must-see hour!”  

Leon Bridges

STEAM

BORN AGAIN 

MOTORBIKE

BLUE MESAS

SWEETER

BAD BAD NEWS

Khruangbin

PEOPLE EVERYWHERE (STILL ALIVE)

WHITE GLOVES

FRIDAY MORNING

FIRST CLASS 

Season 47 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately):

October 2 Miranda Lambert with Jack Ingram & Jon Randall

October 9 Jade Bird / Dayglow

October 16 Jon Batiste

October 23 Sarah Jarosz / Billy Strings

October 30 Brandy Clark / Charley Crockett

November 6 Leon Bridges / Khruangbin

November 13 Jackson Browne

November 20 Brittany Howard

Watch live, stream anytime, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. The complete line-up for the full 13-week season, including five new episodes to air beginning January 2022, 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 47th 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 and Cirrus Logic. 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: Sarah Jarosz/Billy Strings

photo by Scott Newton

Austin City Limits is proud to showcase a pair of American originals: Sarah Jarosz and Billy Strings in a new installment premiering October 23 at 9pm ET/ 8pm CT as part of the series new Season 47. The roots music stars share a spell-binding hour that forecasts the genre’s future: Sarah Jarosz makes her third appearance on the ACL stage with selections from World On the Ground, the 2021 GRAMMY-winner for Best Americana Album; while fan favorite Billy Strings delivers an electrifying set with songs from Home, his 2021 GRAMMY Award-winning Best Bluegrass Album and debuts new numbers from his latest release, Renewal. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to deliver a new season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The 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 immediately following the initial broadcast.  

Sarah Jarosz makes her third appearance on the ACL stage with highlights from her acclaimed World on the Ground, a collection of songs inspired by her formative years growing up in Central Texas.  The singer, songwriter and gifted multi-instrumentalist made her ACL debut in 2010 at the age of 19, and she returns as a four-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist. “I would say this is a good way to re-emerge into the world after the last year,” notes Jarosz. Accompanied by renowned producer/musician John Leventhal, who produced World on the Ground, Jarosz delivers the bittersweet “Hometown,” a gorgeous reflection on home and the 2021 GRAMMY-nominee for Best American Roots Song. She delivers a luminous set, acknowledging the emotional resonance of returning to her home state to perform the Texas-based songs. Jarosz displays her extraordinary range, with a sparkling solo rendition of U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” turning the rock anthem into a soulful folk song, amplified by her skillful mandolin playing.

photo by Scott Newton

Billy Strings makes his ACL debut holding bluegrass music’s hottest hand, with a newly-minted 2021 GRAMMY Award and the reigning Entertainer of the Year and Guitar Player of the Year from the International Bluegrass Music Association. The Michigan-born musician, now based in Nashville, is the genre’s new superstar, taking a progressive approach to string music, folding in influences from rock, jazz and psychedelia. Strings sings of modern American woes, and opens the breathtaking set with his early career breakout, 2013’s “Dust in a Baggie,” the parable of a meth addict who heeds warnings too late. The exuberant 29-year-old flatpicking virtuoso and his band of aces deliver highlights from the 2021 GRAMMY-winning breakthrough Home and new songs from his latest Renewal, showcasing the dazzling dexterity and boundary-pushing artistry that has earned him legions of fans.

“Sarah Jarosz and Billy Strings represent the past, present and future of American roots music, and no one else even comes close,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Billy is setting the bluegrass world on fire, and beyond. Meanwhile, in her own quiet and personal way, Sarah continues to expand the horizons of Americana music.”

Sarah Jarosz setlist:

PAY IT NO MIND

HOMETOWN

JOHNNY

MAGGIE

WHAT DO I DO

STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR

I’LL BE GONE

Billy Strings setlist:

DUST IN A BAGGIE

MUST BE SEVEN

RED DAISY

LOVE LIKE ME

AWAY FROM THE MIRE

Season 47 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately):

October 2 Miranda Lambert with Jack Ingram & Jon Randall

October 9 Jade Bird / Dayglow

October 16 Jon Batiste

October 23 Sarah Jarosz / Billy Strings

October 30 Brandy Clark / Charley Crockett

November 6 Leon Bridges / Khruangbin

November 13 Jackson Browne

November 20 Brittany Howard

Watch live, stream anytime, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. The complete line-up for the full 13-week season, including five new episodes to air beginning January 2022, 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 47th 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 and Cirrus Logic. 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

Episode recap: Jon Batiste

photo by Scott Newton

Austin City Limits is thrilled to present one of America’s most versatile musicians, Jon Batiste, in a dazzling must-watch hour. The New Orleans bandleader and composer, a Grammy and Oscar-winning musician, delivers a high-energy tour-de-force backed by an 18-piece band, performing highlights from his soulful album WE ARE. The new installment premieres October 16 at 9pm ET/ 8pm CT as part of the series new Season 47. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to deliver a new season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The 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 immediately following the initial broadcast.   

Jon Batiste mixes his own brand of New Orleans jazz with soul, funk, R&B, gospel and hip-hop in an hour-long celebration of pure joy. Batiste may be best known as a television personality as the bandleader and musical director for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” but the scion of a New Orleans musical dynasty is a Grammy and Oscar-winning talent, and he lights up the stage in a performance for the ages in his first-ever ACL appearance. In a love letter to his southern roots and heritage, Batiste takes viewers on a journey through Black American music history from ragtime to trap. Taking the stage in a red leather suit and Stetson, he is backed by a 10-piece band for the ecstatic “We Are,” a celebratory anthem of the African diaspora and the title track to his acclaimed 2021 album. The leader’s contagious joy is on full display throughout the performance as he reveals, “This is not a concert for me—this is a spiritual practice.” 

New Orleans’ Hot 8 Brass Band joins the party with a second line groove as the energy level soars and Batiste descends into the crowd. The showman thrills as he dances across the stage, moving seamlessly from piano, his main instrument, to guitar, saxophone, and melodica. Batiste is on guitar, leading the 18-piece band for the soulful raveup “Tell the Truth,” before moving to piano and ending the number on his knees center stage. “Boyhood,” a fond ode to growing up in the Big Easy, leads into a gorgeous snippet of Bill Withers “Lean On Me.” The unstoppable Batiste delivers a fascinating medley at the piano, playfully working in everything from classical to ragtime, demonstrating his remarkable genre-defying skills. A frequent collaborator, Batiste is joined by Austin guitar great Gary Clark Jr. for the slowburn bayou lament “Cry,” before closing the hour with a stunning solo finale at the piano featuring the ballad, “Don’t Stop,” from 2018’s Hollywood Africans.

“In my over 40 years with Austin City Limits, I have never seen a performance so joyful, so inspiring, so energizing, so spiritual as Jon Batiste. It was a magical night,” said executive producer Terry Lickona. “People were laughing, singing, crying, and of course dancing. Jon Batiste is a superstar!”

Jon Batiste setlist:

WE ARE

I NEED YOU

LOVE RIOT MOMENT

BOYHOOD

WHATCHUTALKINBOUT

TELL THE TRUTH

TELL THE TRUTH reprise

PIANO MEDLEY

CRY

FREEDOM

DON’T STOP

Season 47 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately):

October 2 Miranda Lambert with Jack Ingram & Jon Randall

October 9 Jade Bird / Dayglow

October 16 Jon Batiste

October 23 Sarah Jarosz / Billy Strings

October 30 Brandy Clark / Charley Crockett

November 6 Leon Bridges / Khruangbin

November 13 Jackson Browne

November 20 Brittany Howard

Watch live, stream anytime, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. The complete line-up for the full 13-week season, including five new episodes to air beginning January 2022, 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 47th 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 and Cirrus Logic. 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

Episode recap: Jade Bird/Dayglow

Jade Bird on Austin City Limits, Season 47. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits returns with a radiant hour showcasing a pair of next-generation singer-songwriters: UK native Jade Bird and Austin’s own Dayglow. The new installment premieres October 9 at 9pm ET/ 8pm CT as part of the series new Season 47. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to deliver a new season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The 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 immediately following the initial broadcast.  

Acclaimed singer-songwriter-guitarist Jade Bird performs highlights from her recent album Different Kinds of Light, recorded in Nashville with red-hot producer Dave Cobb. The Welsh native and recent Austin transplant cut her teeth in London pubs and open-mic nights in her teens and has been earning acclaim in the U.S. since 2018, winning top honors at SXSW and scoring a nomination for the Americana Awards “Emerging Artist of the Year.” The seasoned, charismatic 23-year-old lights up the ACL stage in a magnetic debut. Opening the set with the melodic “Headstart,” Bird soars with irresistible new songs including “Now is the Time” and “Candidate” alongside early career gems including her 2018 breakthrough hit “Lottery,” a kiss-off to an ex set to a catchy rock melody, and the fiery “I Get No Joy,” which she cheekily dedicates to the year 2020. Bird pays tribute to an American musical hero, Dolly Parton, with a luminous rendition of her classic “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?” joined by Nashville singer Savannah Conley and guitarist Luke Prosser in gorgeous three-part harmony. 

Dayglow on Austin City Limits, Season 47. Photo by Scott Newton.

21-year-old Sloan Struble, who records music as Dayglow, brings all the feels in an exuberant ACL debut that will have viewers smiling ear to ear. The genial pop wunderkind shines in an upbeat set filled with his sunny, smart indie-pop. His 2021 sophomore album, Harmony House, is earning critical raves, with the Austin American-Statesman calling it “one of the best albums of the year, an effervescent and wise-before-his-time collection of songs that will leave you crying on the dancefloor.” “Let’s freakin’ rock” enthuses Struble as he happily bounces around the stage for the set opener “Something,” then delivers a dose of pure ‘70s groove with the infectious “Medicine.” Struble got his start making music in his teenage bedroom and he delights with tunes from his 2018 debut album Fuzzybrain, including the viral single that launched his runaway career, “Can I Call You Tonight?” A set highlight is the smooth rock banger “Crying on the Dancefloor,” complete with sweet soprano saxophone and a heart-swelling melody. Dayglow’s love of new wave and ‘80s pop anthems is evident on the dreamy synthpop breakthrough single “Close to You,” and he displays the modern/nostalgic dichotomy that is a hallmark of his music with a feel-good cover of the Tear For Fears classic “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” that merges with his own, “Run the World!!!” for a memorable close.

“Jade Bird and Dayglow are two of the brightest stars in the pop firmament right now, and we’re proud that Austin is home base for both of them,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “They bring a fresh sensibility to classic songwriting, with a little bit of edge and plenty of catchy hooks.”

Jade Bird setlist:

Headstart

Prototype

Now is the Time

Candidate

I Get No Joy 

Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?

Lottery

Going Gone

Dayglow setlist:

Something

Medicine

Crying on the Dancefloor

Can I Call You Tonight?

Close To You

Everybody Wants To Rule The World

Run the World!!!

Season 47 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately):

October 2 Miranda Lambert with Jack Ingram & Jon Randall

October 9 Jade Bird / Dayglow

October 16 Jon Batiste

October 23 Sarah Jarosz / Billy Strings

October 30 Brandy Clark / Charley Crockett

November 6 Leon Bridges / Khruangbin

November 13 Jackson Browne

November 20 Brittany Howard

Watch live, stream anytime, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. The complete line-up for the full 13-week season, including five new episodes to air beginning January 2022, 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.

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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Episode recap: Miranda Lambert with Jack Ingram and Jon Randall

photo by Scott Newton

Austin City Limits is thrilled to launch Season 47 with a gem: an intimate hour of songs and friendship with country superstar Miranda Lambert joined by songwriting partners Jack Ingram and Jon Randall. The trio showcase their acclaimed collaborative project The Marfa Tapes, an album recorded in the West Texas desert town of Marfa, in a new installment premiering Saturday, October 2 @9pm ET/8pm CT. This dazzling acoustic hour spotlights the three longtime friends and co-writers, and offers a fascinating look at the trio’s collaborative and creative process, filled with the stories behind the songs and late night tales behind the recording. 

Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to deliver a new season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The 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 immediately following the initial broadcast. 

“Welcome to Marfa” hollers Texas songwriting legend Jack Ingram, as he kicks off the captivating hour. “We’re on a journey together, to Marfa, Texas,” explains Miranda Lambert. “Thank you in advance for going down this songwriter trail with us—we hope you have some fun and cry a little and laugh a little and drink a lot.” The co-writers and longtime friends perform highlights from their recent trio record, The Marfa Tapes, alongside hits from their songwriting catalog including “Tin Man” and “Tequila Does.” The native Texan singer-songwriters, armed with acoustic guitars and intricate harmonies, take viewers on a “journey together out to the West side” of Texas where, Lambert says, “there’s a special kind of magic” and where the stripped-down songs were conceived, intentionally capturing the “dust, wind and the cactus” of the high desert. “Thanks for enjoying this campfire we’re trying to bring to you,” says ace guitarist Randall. The songwriters share the stories behind the songs: “There’s been some men in my life that have driven me to drink a little bit more,” confesses Lambert, introducing the soul-baring heartbreaker “Ghost.” The trio perform the first song they wrote on their initial trip to Marfa together in 2015, the gutpunch “The Wind’s Just Gonna Blow” with Lambert adding, “it started the whole shebang.” The entertaining hour offers laughter and levity with the country-cheater anthem “Am I Right or Amarillo,” and finds Lambert staring down a backstage temptress on “Geraldene,” with the takeaway “You’re trailer park pretty but you’re never gonna be Jolene.” Each songwriter shines in the spotlight, taking turns in the lead. The three trade verses on “Tin Man” for a stunning rendition of their 2018 ACM Song of the Year and close out the memorable hour with the rollicking ode to late nights and liquor with the spirited “Tequila Does.” 

photo by Scott Newton

“This hour will take you out to the wide open spaces of West Texas, where these songs came to life, and give you a rare look at the creative process of three of Country’s best songwriters,” said ACL Executive Producer Terry Lickona. “The only thing missing is the tequila.”

Episode setlist:

Two-Step Down to Texas

Am I Right or Amarillo

Ghost

Anchor

In His Arms

Tin Man

Waxahachie

Geraldene

Wind’s Just Gonna Blow

Amazing Grace – West Texas

I Don’t Like It 

We’ll Always Have the Blues

Tequila Does

Season 47 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately):

October 2 Miranda Lambert with Jack Ingram & Jon Randall

October 9 Jade Bird / Dayglow

October 16 Jon Batiste

October 23 Sarah Jarosz / Billy Strings

October 30 Brandy Clark / Charley Crockett

November 6 Leon Bridges / Khruangbin

November 13 Jackson Browne

November 20 Brittany Howard

Watch live, stream anytime, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. The complete line-up for the full 13-week season, including five new episodes to air beginning January 2022, 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 is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, the Austin Convention Center Department and Cirrus Logic. 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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ACL brings classic Allen Toussaint episode back to air

photo by Scott Newton

Austin City Limits closes out Season 46 with one of the most-requested episodes in the ACL archive: a vintage hour with the late New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint, performing iconic gems from across his over half-century career. Originally broadcast over a decade ago in 2010, the installment remains one of the most enduring, entertaining hours in ACL’s history. The encore broadcast premieres Saturday, February 13 at 8pm CT/9pm ET, as the final offering for Season 46. The episode will be available to music fans everywhere to stream online beginning Sunday, February 14 @10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. With live music on hold, ACL continues to provide viewers a front-row seat to the best in performance. The program airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings for times) and full episodes are made available online for a limited time at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding future Season 47 tapings, broadcast schedules and select live stream updates. 

On the eve of Mardi Gras, ACL celebrates the exceptional life and career of Allen Toussaint on the heels of what would have been his 83rd birthday. Born and raised in New Orleans, Mr. Toussaint built a legendary career alongside America’s finest musicians, sustaining his beloved city’s rich tradition of rhythm, blues and jazz, lifting it to the national stage. The songwriting legend/musician/arranger/producer was a fixture of modern New Orleans music since the 1950s, penning or producing hits for Ernie K-Doe (“Mother-In-Law”), Lee Dorsey (“Working in the Coal Mine”), Glen Campbell (“Southern Nights”), the Pointer Sisters (“Yes We Can Can”) and LaBelle (“Lady Marmalade”), among many, many others. Toussaint was a de facto musical ambassador for the Crescent City, playing Nola’s Jazzfest virtually every year since the mid-1970s until his death in 2015. He wrote countless hit songs recorded by artists from all genres, produced hundreds of fantastic recordings, and created a steady stream of hits over the years, earning the unanimous respect of both artists and fans in New Orleans and beyond. 

In this exuberant hour, Toussaint’s timeless standards live on as he performs a career-spanning set and shares the stories behind many of his best-known songs. Opening appropriately with the funky “There’s A Party Going On,” Toussaint cuts a dapper figure in a canary yellow suit and pocket square. He greets the crowd with a jovial “Tonight we’ll be doing songs that I’ve written for various folk over the years, and a few I wish I’d written.”  He performs a thrilling medley of early highlights, including “A Certain Girl” and “Fortune Teller,” made famous in the 1960s by iconic acts such as The Yardbirds and The Rolling Stones. Toussaint dazzles on the piano, performing instrumental numbers from his acclaimed 2009 album The Bright Mississippi, demonstrating his love of jazz and what a magnificent left-handed pianist he was. “ Toussaint launches into “St. James Infirmary,” introducing it as “A tune that’s been floating around N’awlins forever, but it’s a wonderful song.”  A set high point is the funky anthem “Yes We Can Can,” with unity conscious lyrics that continue to resonate today. He closes the sparkling hour with a vivid, spoken word intro to “Southern Nights,” the title track of his acclaimed 1975 solo album, inspired by childhood memories of the Louisiana countryside where his Creole cousins lived.

photo by Scott Newton

Allen Toussaint setlist:

There’s A Party Going On

Medley:

A Certain Girl

Mother-In-Law

Fortune Teller

Working in the Coal Mine

Egyptian Fantasy

St. James Infirmary

Solitude

Yes We Can Can (w/We Are America intro)

Get Out of My Life Woman

Southern Nights

ACL’s Season 46 premiered in October 2020 with standout performances including 2021 Grammy nominees Rufus Wainwright and blues-soul luminary Ruthie Foster. In a year of profound loss, ACL saluted a trio of ACL greats we lost during 2020: legendary singer/songwriters John Prine, Jerry Jeff Walker and Billy Joe Shaver. Season 46 featured many must-see ACL debuts including UK country-soul sensation Yola, 1970s outlaw country legend Ray Wylie Hubbard, acclaimed Austin breakout singer-songwriter/guitar ace Jackie Venson and dynamic husband-and-wife Americana duo The War And Treaty. The diverse season also featured the return of rock and country trailblazers The Mavericks for the first time in two decades with their first-ever Spanish language album. ACL celebrated iconic acts that have made history on the ACL stage with special hourlong retrospectives: Stevie Ray Vaughan: 30 Years On, celebrating the blues-rock guitar giant on the 30th anniversary of his tragic death, a silver anniversary celebration of rock superstars Foo Fighters, a five-decade career retrospective of western swing legends Asleep at the Wheel and Best of Spoon, spotlighting the acclaimed Austin band, now one of modern rock’s premier bands. 

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 future Season 47 tapings, live streams and episode schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter, IG and TikTok. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

About 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 47th 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 KLRU 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, KLRU-TV and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, RigUp, the Austin Convention Center Department and Cirrus Logic. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.