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Featured News

Kenny Rogers R.I.P.

photo by Scott Newton

Austin City Limits were surprised and saddened to learn of the death of country music icon Kenny Rogers. The Texas native and Country Music Hall of Famer, who appeared on ACL during our twenty-fifth anniversary season in 2000, was one of the most successful recording artists of all time, with an unbelievable 120 charting hits over the course of his long career. He was 81. 

Born in Houston, Rogers first recorded in the late fifties with a Houston-based group called the Scholars, releasing the song “The Poor Little Doggie.” By the mid-sixties, he had joined the folk act New Christy Minstrels as bassist and singer. Rogers and a handful of Minstrels then spun off into their own band First Edition, who scored a major pop hit in 1967 with the psychedelic pastiche “Just Dropped In (to See What Condition My Condition Was In).” Taking over leadership of the group, Rogers led them back to the charts with 1969’s “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town,” solidifying the country pop direction that would make him one of the biggest crossover stars of the seventies and eighties. 

We all know the songs: “Lucille,” “Coward of the County,” “We’ve Got Tonight,” “Lady,” “Music Man,” “Daytime Friends,” the massive Bee Gees-penned Dolly Parton duet “Islands in the Stream,” and, of course, “The Gambler,” his signature song – all of which he performed on the ACL stage. While he became less of a presence on the pop charts over time, he remained a fixture on the country charts with songs like “Crazy,” “Morning Desire,” “Make No Mistake, She’s Mine,” “If You Want to Find Love,” “The Greatest,” “Buy Me a Rose,” “I Can’t Unlove You,” and many, many more. 

photo by Scott Newton

“Kenny Rogers was one of the few country-pop icons to grace the ACL stage,” noted executive producer Terry Lickona, “which is a testament to how far and wide our reach had become even twenty years ago. His fans truly loved him, and it was a show like no other.” He will be missed.

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Encore Broadcast Featured News Uncategorized

Shelter at home with streaming episodes of Austin City Limits

photo by Scott Newton

Live music beacon Austin City Limits (ACL) is opening its archives as a gift to music fans during the current live music moratorium. Starting March 23, the perennial television series will make fan-favorite episodes from the recently broadcast Season 45 available for streaming, in addition to the entire slate of programs from the previous two seasons of the acclaimed concert showcase. Over 35 ACL installments will be available to stream free online at https://www.pbs.org/show/austin-city-limits/ offering a wide variety of music’s finest from every genre. The series has also created an upcoming broadcast programming block with highly-requested episodes from recent ACL archives to air weekly on PBS stations (check local listings for times) beginning March 28. 

Cited by USA Today as the lead option for streaming live music, Austin City Limits  has offered viewers a front-row seat to the best in performance for an incredible four-and-a-half decades from the Live Music Capital of the World, Austin, Texas; the series is the flagship of the popular ACL Music Festival. 

While live music is grounded and with the postponement and cancellation of countless tours and music festivals, ACL aims to keep its spirit alive, providing new viewing options for the house-bound. The program has fast-tracked popular episodes to stream at home, and the show goes on with a generous helping of performances to choose from. Favorites from ACL’s recent Season 45 will be available to stream beginning Monday, March 23 at https://www.pbs.org/show/austin-city-limits/. There’s something for everyone: an electrifying hour with guitar hero Gary Clark Jr.; an epic stage journey with 2020’s Grammy-winning global pop phenom Billie Eilish; supergroup The Raconteurs, featuring Jack White and Brendan Benson, in an all-out hour of pure rock and roll. The line-up also features many recent Grammy winners and nominees including powerhouse R&B sensation H.E.R.; breakout singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers; indie rock titans Vampire Weekend; standout Austin progressive soul act Black Pumas and a thrilling hour with celebrated Flamenco-fusion artist Rosalía. ACL’s renowned production is an industry leader, making it a required stopping point for legendary artists and innovators of all genres. Featuring unparalleled audio, and dynamic camerawork, ACL captures all the artistry and energy of live performance. 

ACL has also assembled an encore broadcast block featuring some of the most popular installments from recent ACL archives, set to air consecutively in the upcoming weeks, beginning on March 28 with an endorphin rush set from dance floor magnets LCD Soundsystem; the programming slate again offers something for all and continues through the end of June: choices include the euphoric funk of Janelle Monáe; country superstar Chris Stapleton; UK modern rock superstars Arctic Monkeys; celebrated jazz legend Herbie Hancock; folk hero John Prine; breakout R&B/pop star Khalid; left-of-center country queen Kacey Musgraves; Americana icon Steve Earle; laid-back indie rocker Mac DeMarco; and stripped-down roots music with Patty Griffin. These broadcast episodes will also be available to stream at https://www.pbs.org/show/austin-city-limits/.

Tune-in, log on, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. The power of music has sustained people in difficult times throughout history and ACL encourages fans and folks to please enjoy these gifts from their archives.

ACL Encore Broadcast Schedule 

March 28 LCD Soundsystem 

April 4 Patty Griffin / The Revivalists 

April 11 Janelle Monae  

April 18 John Prine  

April 25 Kacey Musgraves / Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real  

May 2 Gary Clark Jr. 

May 9 Herbie Hancock  

May 16 Maggie Rogers  

May 23 Khalid / Mac DeMarco  

May 30 Steve Earle & The Dukes: A Tribute to Guy Clark  

June 6 H.E.R.  

June 13 Vampire Weekend  

June 20 Chris Stapleton / Turnpike Troubadours  

June 27 Arctic Monkeys / Wild Child 

You can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length interviews with our artists.

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Featured News Uncategorized

ACL TV, ACL Radio and ACL Fest team up for ACL Stands With Austin

Friday night at 8pm CT, Austin City Limits Radio (97.1 FM), Austin City Limits TV and The Austin City Limits Music Festival will host ACL Stands With Austin. It’s a two-hour telethon-style program dedicated to the folks who are hardest hit by not just SXSW’s cancellation but also the ensuing health crisis—the music and service industry pros who literally have made our city famous. We’ll raise money for the Austin Community Foundation’s Stand With Austin fund, while you enjoy special performances live on the radio on 97.1FM ACL Radio, acl-radio.com, acltv.com and additional platforms from a series of Austin mainstays and friends of our town.

Among the artists who’ve shared with us exclusive work-at-home performances: Britt Daniel of Spoon, Shakey Graves, The Texas Gentlemen, David Ramirez, Bob Schneider, Jackie Venson, Abraham Alexander, Guy & Jeska Forsyth and some longtime friends of Austin City Limits Radio from across the country, including Hanson, Lisa Loeb, and Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem.

Also, as part of this web/radio-athon, we’ll talk about the crisis and its impact on musicians, restaurateurs, and service industry professionals with:

Austin Mayor Steve Adler

HAAM’s Reenie Collins

The Red River Cultural District’s Cody Cowan and Antone’s Will Bridges

Holly Roller’s Callie Spears

LISTEN LIVE ON

97.1FM AUSTIN CITY LIMITS RADIO

WATCH IT AT

ACL-RADIO.COM & ACLTV.COM

https://www.facebook.com/aclradio
https://www.facebook.com/austincitylimitstv/
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Featured News Taping Cancelled Ticket Giveaway

ACL tapings with Luke Combs and the Avett Brothers postponed

Photo (c) 2019 David Bergman for Sony Records Nashville -- Luke Combs photo shoot near Nashville, TN on May 1, 2019.

Austin City Limits will be postponing previously announced April tapings with Luke Combs, originally scheduled for April 27, and The Avett Brothers, originally on April 29, due to ongoing concerns regarding COVID-19. We take the safety and well-being of our guests, artists, staff, and community very seriously and we thank you for your patience as we navigate this evolving situation.  We are looking at options to reschedule both tapings and as soon as we have new information, we will share on acltv.com and via Austin City Limits social media channels #acltv.

We remain committed to delivering fans a new Season 46 of unforgettable performances from the Live Music Capital of the World as we have for four-and-a-half decades. Austin PBS and Austin City Limits stand with the City of Austin and Travis County in taking all precautions to protect the well-being of our community and implementing any health-based criteria set forth for public events.

Many thanks to our wonderful fans and supporters and stay safe. 

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Featured News Taping Cancelled Ticket Giveaway Uncategorized

ACL taping with Tyler Childers cancelled

photo by David McClister

Dear Friends,

In light of current events around COVID19, the Austin City Limits taping with Tyler Childers on March 24th has been cancelled. Our goal is to reschedule for a future date.

We will continue to work closely with the city, our partners and artists to proceed with new dates and artists for Season 46. When there are updates to share, we will communicate via posting public-facing information on Austin City Limits social media channels and website event pages.

Austin PBS and Austin City Limits are committed to supporting the City of Austin and Travis County in implementing any health-based criteria set forth for public events, and to protecting the well-being of our fans, supporters, guests, staff and artists. 

Thank you for your support and understanding.

Be well,

Austin PBS and Austin City Limits

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Featured News

Eric Taylor 1949-2020

photo by Scott Newton

We here at Austin City Limits were saddened to learn of the death of Texan singer/songwriter Eric Taylor on Monday, March 9, after months of ill health. He was 70. 

Though born in Georgia, Taylor was a key figure in the Texas singer/songwriter scene of the early 1970s. Having stranded himself in Houston in 1970 on the way to California by running out of money, he integrated himself into the folk clubs, honing his craft in thrall to Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt. In turn, he inspired the next generation, bridging the gap between the Clark/Van Zandt era and that of Robert Earl Keen and Lyle Lovett, on whom he had a particularly deep influence. 

After making his recording debut in 1976 on the Houston songwriters compilation Through the Dark Nightly, Taylor released his first album Shameless Love in 1981. It would be another fourteen years before his second, eponymous LP, released in 1995 on Austin label Watermelon Records. Seven more records followed, including 2001’s Scuffletown, which occasioned his first headlining appearance on Austin City Limits. His songs were covered by Lovett and Nanci Griffith, who called him “the William Faulkner of songwriting in our time.” 

“Taylor’s great gift was characters who he’d enliven with enough mythology to where the real and the fictional could be indistinguishable,” wrote Andrew Dansby in the Houston Chronicle. “The reality of a given name didn’t matter: the themes of searching and endurance mattered.”
Taylor first appeared on Austin City Limits as a guest on Lyle Lovett’s twenty-fifth season episode in 2000, in which the latter paid tribute to the Texas songwriters who inspired him. Here are Taylor and Lovett doing “Hemingway’s Shotgun.”