Role Model’s No Place Like Tour touches down in Austin and Austin City Limits (ACL) is thrilled to present a worldwide livestream of the in-demand musician’s full-set ACL debut on Tuesday, October 7. Riding high with his career-defining album Kansas Anymore and his first-ever Billboard No. 1 single, Role Model arrives on the ACL stage amid one of the year’s hottest tours, a featured slot on our namesake ACL Festival, and just days before his Saturday Night Live debut on October 11.
Fans everywhere can experience this highly anticipated taping live in its entirety from the iconic Austin City Limits stage in Austin, Texas. The taping performance streams free and live at YouTube.com/AustinCityLimitsTV, starting promptly at 9pm ET/8pm CT on Tuesday, October 7. The stream will only be available to watch in real time. The broadcast episode of this performance will air on PBS and stream nationwide on pbs.org/austincitylimits on December 13, 2025, as part of the television series’ upcoming Season 51, which launches October 4with a season premiere featuring Grammy-winning artist and producer FINNEAS.
Role Model—aka Tucker Pillsbury—first made waves with his 2022 debut album Rx, a confessional, genre-blurring pop record. His sophomore release Kansas Anymore expands his sound with 13 folk-tinged, lyrically driven tracks, including the viral hit “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out.” Praised by GQ for its “big-swing pop music” and Paper for its “folk-tinged, heart-heavy” sound, the album cemented his rise as one of music’s most exciting voices. Following his sold-out No Place Like Tour, which sold over 90,000 tickets worldwide, the Maine native released a deluxe edition, Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye), featuring four new songs that expand the emotional and sonic scope of the original album. Expanding his creative reach, he is also set to make his acting debut opposite Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo in Lena Dunham’s upcoming Netflix film Good Sex.
*UPDATE: GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED* Austin City Limits will tape a performance by Role Model on Tuesday, October 7th at 8 pm at ACL Live at The Moody Theater (310 W. 2nd Street, Willie Nelson Blvd). Austin City Limits Taping Giveaways are presented by AXS Events.
Winners will be chosen at random and a photo ID will be required to pick up tickets. Winners will be notified via email. Duplicate entries for a single taping will be automatically voided. Tickets are not transferable and will be voided if sold. Standing may be required. No photography, recording or cell phone use in the studio. No cameras, computers or recording devices allowed in the venue. While we do our best to accommodate all winners, we cannot guarantee admission. These passes are based on space available therefore you will be filling in spots available on the floor or balcony depending on the tickets that are available when you arrive.
Role Model, the performance name of Tucker Pillsbury, first made waves with his 2022 debut album Rx, a confessional and genre-blurring pop record that introduced him as a bold new voice in alternative music. With his sophomore album Kansas Anymore, Role Model showcases his evolution as a songwriter and performer with 13 folk-tinged, lyrically driven tracks. Working alongside Noah Conrad, Ian Fitchuk, Scott Harris, and Jonah Shy, he crafted standout pieces including the viral hit “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out,” which he performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. GQ praises the album’s “big-swing pop music” and Paper hails its “folk-tinged, heart-heavy” sound. Following the success of his No Place Like Tour, which sold over 90,000 tickets worldwide, the Maine native released a deluxe edition, Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye), featuring four new songs that expand the emotional and sonic scope of the original album. In addition to his musical accomplishments, Pillsbury is stepping into the world of acting with his debut role in Good Sex, the upcoming Netflix film from Lena Dunham, starring opposite Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo.
*UPDATE: GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED* Austin City Limits will tape a performance by Jon Batiste on Friday, October 3rd at 8 pm at ACL Live at The Moody Theater (310 W. 2nd Street, Willie Nelson Blvd). Austin City Limits Taping Giveaways are presented by AXS Events.
Winners will be chosen at random and a photo ID will be required to pick up tickets. Winners will be notified via email. Duplicate entries for a single taping will be automatically voided. Tickets are not transferable and will be voided if sold. Standing may be required. No photography, recording or cell phone use in the studio. No cameras, computers or recording devices allowed in the venue. While we do our best to accommodate all winners, we cannot guarantee admission. These passes are based on space available therefore you will be filling in spots available on the floor or balcony depending on the tickets that are available when you arrive.
One of America’s most celebrated musicians and entertainers, Jon Batiste delivered an electrifying and ecstatic performance in his 2021 Season 47 debut. He returns a seven-time Grammy Award winner and makes his highly anticipated return to the ACL stage with highlights from his ninth studio album, Big Money. A genre-defying body of work, Big Money (Verve/Interscope), features collaborations with artists including No I.D., Randy Newman, and Andra Day, and further deepens the New Orleans native’s exploration of the American musical canon. Expansive yet deeply personal, the album weaves together elements of soul, hip-hop, jazz, blues and pop, continuing Batiste’s tradition of blending innovation with emotional resonance. “We have such a profoundly rich cultural inheritance in America that many of us don’t know of, don’t fully embrace, don’t fully understand,” the artist recently told Rolling Stone. “And artists just have to keep making statements that point back to that and counter things that are trying to dilute that or erase it.” In support of the release, Batiste will bring his Big Money Tour across the U.S. with over 30 dates. A versatile and prolific artist, Batiste has released multiple albums since he made his ACL debut with songs from 2021’s landmark WE ARE. Batiste released his eighth studio album, Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1), in late 2024, which delivered his biggest debut sales week, debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Classical Albums chart and spending nine consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Classical Crossover, while entering the Billboard 200 at No. 64. The first installment in a solo piano series, that project showcased Batiste’s personal spin on some of Beethoven’s most iconic works, reimagined through an expansive lens. These reimagined classics embody the indomitable spirit of the blues, and – true to Batiste’s “message of open-armed inclusivity” (The New York Times) – embrace a broad genre spectrum. The release followed 2023’s World Music Radio, a globetrotting album of originals that drew inspiration from Batiste’s mission to create community and expand culture with the power of music. Featuring collaborators including Jon Bellion, Lana Del Rey, Lil’ Wayne and more, the album was praised by critics for its universal message and genre-defying sound. Hailed by NPR as “a sprawling exploration of what global music can sound like,” World Music Radio received a total of five Grammy nominations, including ‘Album of the Year.’
Austin City Limits is proud to announce a new round of tapings for Season 51, showcasing a trio of acclaimed artists making highly anticipated ACL debuts. On October 21, multifaceted star Reneé Rapp takes the stage amid her headlining arena tour, with songs from her latest release BITE ME. On November 2, Grammy Award-winning songwriter and R&B innovator Leon Thomas presents highlights from his chart-topping album MUTT; and on November 4,one of music’s most electrifying live acts, Marcus King Band, preview songs from the forthcoming collection Darling Blue.
Photo credit: Zora Sicher
Acclaimed multi-hyphenate Reneé Rapp is a force of nature with credits in music, film, television, and Broadway. Over a few short years, Rapp has solidified her position as a dynamo across multiple sectors, earning widespread critical acclaim while simultaneously cultivating a rapidly growing fan base. Rapp’s sophomore album BITE ME, has received rapturous reviews, including a 4.5 star rave from Rolling Stone, which hailed it as “one of the year’s most delightful pop blowouts.” Featuring kiss-off anthems and uproarious highlights such as “Leave Me Alone,” “Shy,” “Mad,” and “I Think I Like You Better When You’re Gone,” BITE ME has amassed over 22 million streams. The album earned Rapp her first-ever Number 1 in the UK, a Number 3 debut on the Billboard 200 and a Number 1 on the Billboard chart for Pure U.S. Album Sales. Rapp’s BITE ME North American headlining tour—her largest to date—kicks off September 23rd and includes arenas across the U.S. After landing her breakout role as Regina Georgein Mean Girls on Broadway, Rapp turned her attention to a solo music career in 2022 with the release of her debut EP, Everything to Everyone. Her first full-length studio album, Snow Angel, followed in 2023 and showcased powerful vocals, introspective songwriting, and an ability to connect with fans on a deeply emotional level, garnering the largest U.S. first-week sales for a female artist debut. Snow Angel marked a significant step in Rapp’s musical journey, establishing her as one of the most compelling and dynamic new artists in the pop landscape. BITE ME cements her status as a vital voice shaping the future of pop culture.
Photo Credit: Raymond Alva
Recently dubbed “R&B’s hottest ‘rock star’” by Billboard, Leon Thomas is a Grammy-winning artist, producer, and actor from Brooklyn who seamlessly fuses R&B, soul, and rock with fearless creativity. After signing to Ty Dolla $ign’s EZMNY Records in 2022, he made his debut with Electric Dusk (2023), featuring collaborations with Victoria Monét and Benny the Butcher, then earned a 2024 Grammy for his work on SZA’s smash single “Snooze.” His 2024 breakout sophomore release MUTT, fueled by live instrumentation and dizzying riffs, was named Billboard’s No. 1 R&B Album of the Year, with its Platinum-certified title track topping multiple charts and amassing more than 315 million streams. MUTT and its standout singles “Far Fetched” and “Vibes Don’t Lie” cemented his status as a rising force in modern R&B. In 2025, Thomas expanded his sonic universe with MUTT Deluxe: HEEL, a genre-bending extension featuring guest spots from Kehlani, Big Sean, and Halle. Exploring themes of singlehood, connection, and self-exposure with tightly crafted compositions and distinct creative clarity, the project brought performances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and a viral NPR Tiny Desk set. Honored as Billboard’s Chartbreaker and MTV PUSH’s Artist of the Month, Thomas capped off a banner year with a BET Award for Best New Artist and a sold-out MUTTS DON’T HEEL World Tour.
Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen
With Darling Blue, Grammy-nominated Marcus King reunites with his longtime live band for their first recorded album together since 2018’s Carolina Confessions. Inspired heavily by the Blue Ridge Mountains in his home state of South Carolina, the new album incorporates elements of country, folk, psychedelic rock and Motown-era R&B and continues the conversation on King’s experience with addiction and depression. Recorded at the legendary Capricorn Studios in Macon, Georgia, the album features collaborations with Billy Strings, Noah Cyrus, Jesse Welles, Jamey Johnson and Kaitlin Butts, with co-writes from the band Midland and Lainey Wilson. Tracks like “Carolina Honey,” “Heartlands” and “Honky Tonk Hell” pay homage to King’s Greenville roots and deep appreciation for his home state. Set for release September 26 on American Records/Republic Records, Darling Blue captures the spirit of a live band performance. “It truly felt like home,” King shares. “My band and I were just working out songs to perform live but ended up creating a piece of recorded music for our fans. More than anything I’ve done before, this album felt like a real concerted effort to make music for myself, and for ourselves as a band—creating for the love of creating and being as honest as we possibly can. We put everything we had into making something that we love and we have faith that the audience will feel that and love it too.” Following a successful run of critically acclaimed releases with the Marcus King Band, the singer and guitar phenom made his solo debut with the Grammy-nominated El Dorado in 2020, followed by Young Blood (2022) and Mood Swings (2024). This summer saw the return of King’s beloved Marcus King Band Family Reunion festival in Charleston, SC. King continues to tour internationally throughout 2025, sharing stages with Eric Church, Chris Stapleton and Cody Johnson.
We’re thrilled to welcome these innovators to the ACL stage. Want to be part of our audience? We will post information on how to get free passes a week in advance of the tapings. Follow us on IG and Facebook and X for notice of postings. The broadcast episodes will air and stream on PBS as part of ACL’s upcoming Season 51, stream previous seasons online or on your connected TV with the PBS App.
*Update: the giveaway is now closed* Austin City Limits will tape a performance by Wyatt Flores on Friday, September 19th at 8 pm at ACL Live at The Moody Theater (310 W. 2nd Street, Willie Nelson Blvd). Austin City Limits Taping Giveaways are presented by AXS Events.
Winners will be chosen at random and a photo ID will be required to pick up tickets. Winners will be notified via email. Duplicate entries for a single taping will be automatically voided. Tickets are not transferable and will be voided if sold. Standing may be required. No photography, recording or cell phone use in the studio. No cameras, computers or recording devices allowed in the venue. While we do our best to accommodate all winners, we cannot guarantee admission. These passes are based on space available therefore you will be filling in spots available on the floor or balcony depending on the tickets that are available when you arrive.
Austin City Limits is excited to welcome Wyatt Flores to the stage for the first time. Flores’ debut album, Welcome to the Plains, takes listeners to the corner of the world that this 24-year-old Red Dirt country songwriter knows best—Oklahoma. A 14-song trek through tales of fiery love, small-town truths and lighthearted mortality,the album captures the grounded, sincere storytelling forged by Flores partly during formative years in his hometown of Stillwater.
“Welcome To The Plains is all about my fight to come home,” says the Mexican American artist. The project details Flores’ journey as he balances the struggle of leaving a small town versus the highs and lows of life on the road. Produced by Beau Bedford (Orville Peck, Shane Smith & The Saints), the album opens with the scene-setting title track, co-written by Old Crow Medicine Show bandleader Ketch Secor. Flores sketches a new take on home in the foot-stomping country-folk title tune.
The album has received widespread critical acclaim and earned Flores an Emerging Act of the Year nomination at the 2024 Americana Honors & Awards. At age 12, Flores’ sister passed him a copy of Turnpike Troubadours’ red-dirt masterpiece, Diamonds & Gasoline, unlocking a love for roots music that later led to artists such as Jason Isbell, 49 Winchester, and Sturgill Simpson. Flores established himself as one of country music’s most vital voices with a trio of EPs, his 2022 debut The Hutson Sessions, featuring the fan-favorite single “Please Don’t Go”; 2023’s Life Lessons and 2024’s Half Life, building a steadfast following of listeners who often heard echoes of their own lives in his honest songs. Gigs in tiny Oklahoma bars turned into packed club shows and, eventually, a contract with Island Records. An electric live performer, Flores comes to our stage from a run of tour dates supporting Post Malone in addition to his own headlining tour.
Trailblazing live music series Austin City Limits is proud to write the next chapter in its remarkable 50+ year run, forging ahead with the announcement of the series’ Season 51 broadcast season. ACL presents an all-star slate of highly-anticipated debuts and callbacks, including FINNEAS as the season opener and multiple 2025 Grammy nominees, including The Marías, My Morning Jacket, Charley Crockett, Waxahatchee, Samara Joy, Kelsea Ballerini, Cam and Jon Batiste. ACL will also celebrate the legendary Austin blues club Antone’s 50th anniversary as well as the series’ own 50+ year history of showcasing the blues in a special hour, Austin City Limits Celebrates Antone’s & the Blues, featuring a stellar slate of all-stars taking the ACL stage in a new installment.
ACL returns on Saturday, October 4 at 7pm CT/8pm ET with a revelatory hour showcasing ten-time Grammy-winning artist and producer FINNEAS making his solo headlining debut with a collection of songs from his critically acclaimed sophomore album For Cryin’ Out Loud! FINNEAS first appeared on the ACL stage in Season 45 in 2019 alongside his sister Billie Eilish and ACL presents the gifted singer and songwriter’s solo work in this outing.
Facing headwinds from the recent PBS funding cuts effective October 1, Austin City Limits’ longtime executive producer Terry Lickona recently spoke with Billboard magazine regarding the impact of the federal funding cuts to public media. Willie Nelson, who taped the series’ original pilot in 1974, and has appeared on the program more than any other performer, told Billboard: “Austin City Limits and PBS were and are an essential part of education, understanding, curiosity and empathy, which are the essentials and building blocks of humanity.” Beck, who has made multiple appearances on the series, commented: “Austin City Limits is one of the only film and TV outlets that documents great musicians at the peak of their powers. In decades to come, the shows are going to be some of the best documents and snapshots of this era of music.” To support Austin City Limits, donate to Austin PBS.
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. Austin City Limits recently celebrated its milestone 50th Anniversary in 2024, and ACL continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music series in television history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for an incredible half-century. Produced by Austin PBS, and recorded live at ACL’s studio home ACL Live in Austin, Texas, the live music beacon is a public media institution that presents quality live music performances featuring artists from all genres of popular music.
The Marías on ACL TV – Photo by Scott Newton
ACL’s Season 51 spotlights multiple fan-adored acts with epic hours: Groundbreaking singer, songwriter and producer FINNEAS takes center stage with new songs from his sophomore solo album For Cryin’ Out Loud! in a captivating season premiere. The hitmaker dazzles with highlights and new gems reflecting his compelling sonic journey in a must-see hour. Genre-blending LA indie pop band The Marías, a favorite of the festival circuit with buzzed about appearances at Coachella, Lollapalooza and ACL Fest, make their series debut in a spellbinding hour featuring songs from their acclaimed album Submarine. The bilingual group blends English and Spanish lyrics anchored by smoke velvet vocals, hypnotic guitar and lush jazz percussion. Jon Batiste makes his return to the ACL stage for the first time since his electrifying 2021 Season 47 debut. The seven-time Grammy-winner and Academy Award-winning musician and entertainer showcases a rootsy new collection of songs, Big Money, in an ecstatic, high-energy hour. NAACP Image Award winner and 5x Grammy winner Samara Joy shines with gorgeous vocals and exciting arrangements in her ACL debut, performing songs from her breakthrough album Linger Awhile and her latest studio album Portrait.
My Morning Jacket on ACL TV – Photo by Scott Newton
In an epic installment, rock legends My Morning Jacket return for the first time in nearly a decade on the occasion of their induction into the 11th Annual ACL Hall of Fame, joining the esteemed acts inducted since 2014. Special guest Oscar-winning filmmaker and best-selling author Cameron Crowe honors the fan-favorite Kentucky band, and MMJ take the stage with classics and new highlights from their latest album is in a thrilling hour with one of music’s great live acts.
Two standout country artists dazzle with their genre-bending sounds in a revelatory hour: The celebrated and chart-topping Kelsea Ballerini is luminous in her first-ever appearance performing a selection of hits and highlights from her acclaimed Patterns; Singer and songwriter Cam (who kicked off 2025 with a Grammy win for her songwriting contributions to Beyoncé’s landmark Cowboy Carter) shares the hour, in a sublime ACL debut showcasing heartfelt songs from her upcoming new collection All Things Light.
Another trailblazing pair of Grammy-nominated and road-tested roots acts get the ACL treatment in a magnetic hour: Texas troubadour Charley Crockett, who made a sensational ACL debut in 2021’s Season 47, carves his name in ACL history once again performing songs from Lonesome Drifter, the first installment of his Sagebrush Trilogy (followed by recently released Dollar A Day). He shares the episode with breakout singer-songwriter Waxahatchee in a sparkling ACL debut showcasing the best of her acclaimed Tiger’s Blood.
The legendary Antone’s “Home of the Blues” celebrates its half-century legacy in 2025, and ACL is proud to salute this influential Austin music institution’s milestone, along with the series’ own 50-year history of blues love, with a special Texas-sized installment, Austin City Limits Celebrates Antone’s & the Blues.This supercharged hour features a murderers’ row of blues all-stars and torchbearers who ignite the ACL stage with epic performances. Guest performers include Jimmie Vaughan, Kingfish, Charlie Sexton, Bobby Rush, Big Bill Morganfield, Grace Bowers and more, backed by a 14-piece house band of legendary players.
“As public media and PBS face severe funding cuts, ACL continues to lay the groundwork for the future in our 51st season,” said executive producer Terry Lickona. “A new generation of artists showcases their remarkable talents, mixed with a touch of down-and-dirty blues celebrating Austin’s iconic music venue, Antone’s.”
Season 51 2025 Broadcast Line-Up (second half of season to be announced separately):
October 4
FINNEAS
October 11
The Marías
October 18
Austin City Limits 11th Hall of Fame Honors My Morning Jacket
October 25
Charley Crockett | Waxahatchee
November 1
Samara Joy
November 8
Austin City Limits Celebrates Antone’s & the Blues
November 15
Kelsea Ballerini | CAM
November 22
Jon Batiste
Watch new episodes live, stream online, or download the PBS App. The complete line-up for the full 14-week season, including five new episodes to air beginning January 2026, 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. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.
Austin PBS broadcasts 35,000 hours of curated content across four channels, devoted to education, arts and culture, and news and public affairs. We also provide a safe space for kids to learn and grow through our Austin PBS KIDS 24/7 channel. The station is home to beloved, award-winning Austin PBS Original series such as Austin City Limits, Overheard with Evan Smith, Central Texas Gardener, and its new weekly news program, Austin InSight, which blends in-depth reporting, incisive interviews, and Austin PBS’s unique approach to storytelling in an expanded commitment to news and public affairs content.
Tune into Austin PBS through one of our 4 channels, or stream online with the PBS App. Become a member and receive Austin PBS Passport, which gives station supporters access to even more content online—binge entire series before they air or catch up on programs you may have missed.
