American Airlines has partnered with Austin City Limits to bring the series on board American Airlines flights. The official airline of ACL, American Airlines offers ACL-branded video and audio channels featuring a variety of musical genres and artists. From early episodes featuring legendary artists such as Roy Orbison to recent seasons showcasing musical superstars Radiohead and the Pretenders, passengers can choose from eight different episodes each month. Megan Worley, Manager, Brand Actions, at American Airlines said, “We’re continuously looking to partner with brands that will engage and delight our passengers. Austin City Limits is a superb addition to our inflight entertainment, and will surely resonate with music lovers of all ages flying American.”
Category: Featured
Austin City Limits presents an hour with two extraordinary singer-songwriters, Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires. The husband and wife duo unite for a special double-bill as Americana star Isbell returns to the ACL stage to share an episode with his partner and collaborator Shires as she makes her solo ACL debut.
One of the finest American songwriters today, Jason Isbell returns with songs from his sixth studio album The Nashville Sound, which topped critics’ year-end best lists and is nominated for two 2018 Grammy Awards, including Best Americana Album. The Alabama native, already a two-time Grammy honoree, is joined by his band The 400 Unit for a masterful 6-song set that captures the artist at the peak of his creative powers. Kicking things off with the anthemic “Hope the High Road,” a set highlight follows with an exquisite version of the Grammy-nominated track “If We Were Vampires,” a haunting love song inspired by partner Shires, who joins him in close harmony. The ace songsmith displays his storytelling gifts, inhabiting his characters’ interior lives in the social gut-punch “White Man’s World” and detailing the tale of a homesick southerner in “Last of My Kind.”
A musical marvel from Nashville by way of Texas, Amanda Shires has been a fixture on the circuit since she began her career as a teenaged fiddler with renowned Western swing institution the Texas Playboys and has toured and recorded with outlaw country maverick Billy Joe Shaver, John Prine and most recently as a member of Isbell’s band The 400 Unit. She makes her ACL debut performing cuts from her acclaimed solo release My Piece of Land, showcasing intimate, confessional songs augmented by her powerful playing. Shires commands the spotlight on her own with rousing set-opener “My Love (The Storm)” wielding her fiddle to fiery effect. Isbell joins Shires for a duet on the crowd-pleasing rocker “Wasted and Rollin’,” a song she wrote about the early stages of their relationship, and the pair close out the set in beautiful harmony on the heartfelt duet “Pale Fire.”
“Jason Isbell is the finest American songwriter today, IMHO,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “He has the uncanny ability to write songs that are at the same time deeply personal and universal. Amanda Shires defies the traditional stereotype of male-dominated Texas songwriters with her own beautifully personal songs. Together they are a unique force in popular music of any genre.”
Tune in this weekend for this episode, and, as always, check your local PBS listings for the broadcast time in your area. Go to the episode page for more info, and don’t forget to click over to our Facebook, Twitter and newsletter pages for more ACL info. Join us next week for another brand new episode, featuring jazz legend Herbie Hancock.
Austin City Limits rings in the new year with a special broadcast, hosted by Chris Isaak, featuring one-of-a-kind performances and collaborations from the fourth annual Austin City Limits Hall of Fame Inductions & Celebration. The all-star celebration features music luminaries Elvis Costello, Neko Case, Ry Cooder, Brandi Carlile, Raul Malo, Dr. John, Trombone Shorty and more sharing the stage for one epic night to perform in honor of the newest class of inductees: Roy Orbison, Rosanne Cash and The Neville Brothers. This special hour, taped in Austin, Texas October 25, 2017 at ACL’s studio home ACL Live at The Moody Theater, honors the musicians who have played an instrumental role in helping the 43-year-old series become the longest-running music television program in history.
The special kicks off with a three-song musical salute to pioneering rocker Roy Orbison. Master of ceremonies Chris Isaak honors the Texas native, who made a memorable ACL appearance in 1983, calling him “an angel” and singling out his unique baritone-to-tenor range, while sharing personal stories of his own friendship with the late rock ‘n’ roll legend before launching into a show-stopping “Only the Lonely.” Guest performers Brandi Carlile and Raul Malo each pay vocal tribute to the music giant before joining Isaak in unison for a joyous rendition of Orbison’s signature “Oh, Pretty Woman”.
Elvis Costello inducts his longtime friend, singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash, who made the first of her seven ACL appearances in 1983, and performs a powerful “April 5th,” a song originally co-written and performed with Cash and Kris Kristofferson. Neko Case salutes Cash with a radiant “What We Really Want,” before the honoree herself takes the stage, joined by guitar great Ry Cooder and her husband and collaborator John Leventhal for a stirring version of her acclaimed two-time 2015 Grammy-winning song “A Feather’s Not a Bird.” Case and Costello return to join forces with Cash on stage, trading verses on her early chart-topping anthem “Seven Year Ache”.
New Orleans sensation Trombone Shorty signals the induction of The Neville Brothers, the “first family of funk” who made the first of three unforgettable ACL appearances starting in 1979. Piano legend Dr. John performs alongside Shorty and members of the Nevilles Band (featuring many of the mothership’s offspring), for a scorching NOLA-style tribute to the influential funk ‘n’ soul collective. Elvis Costello joins in for the soaring grand finale “Down By the Riverside” and the live music beacon’s celebration of music comes in for an epic landing complete with fireworks, as the all-star cast returns to ring in the new year with the inspirational “Amen”.
Austin City Limits Hall of Fame New Year’s Eve Setlist:
Chris Isaak “Only the Lonely”
Brandi Carlile “It’s Over”
Chris Isaak, Brandi Carlile and Raul Malo “Oh, Pretty Woman”
Elvis Costello: “April 5th”
Neko Case: “What We Really Want Is Love”
Rosanne Cash, Ry Cooder and John Leventhal: “A Feather’s Not A Bird”
Rosanne Cash, Elvis Costello and Neko Case: “Seven Year Ache”
The Nevilles Band “Meet De Boys On the Battlefront”
All-Star Finale “Down By the Riverside”/”Amen”
In what has become an ACL holiday tradition, the program will encore Tom Waits legendary December 1978 performance, one of the most requested episodes in ACL’s 40+ year archive. Tune-in on December 23rd to see this classic Christmas episode.
ACL’s Season 43 returns in January with many recent Grammy-nominees, all new to the ACL stage, including indie-rock provocateur Father John Misty, powerhouse rap duo Run the Jewels, dance-rock band LCD Soundsystem and country phenom Chris Stapleton. Husband and wife team Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires unite for a special double-bill as Americana star Isbell returns to the ACL stage to share an episode with his partner and creative collaborator Amanda Shires. A season highlight is the first-ever appearance of jazz trailblazer Herbie Hancock in a thrilling hour of classics and new songs. Black Keys superstar and ACL veteran Dan Auerbach makes his solo debut showcasing new music from his first solo release in 8 years. The extended line-up features breakout red-dirt country band Turnpike Troubadours and Austin favorites Shinyribs in first-time ACL appearances, as well as the return of a standout, acclaimed Austin psych-rockers The Black Angels.
Season 43 | 2018 Broadcast Schedule
January 6 Father John Misty | The Black Angels
January 13 Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit | Amanda Shires
January 20 Herbie Hancock
January 27 Run the Jewels
February 3 LCD Soundsystem
February 10 Dan Auerbach | Shinyribs
February 17 Chris Stapleton | Turnpike Troubadours
The iconic television music series Austin City Limits announces the second half of Season 43, with seven all-new shows to begin airing January 6 as part of the program’s fourteen-episode season. The stellar slate of broadcast episodes features highly-anticipated debuts from today’s most talked-about live acts, continuing Austin City Limits’ run as the longest-running music television show in history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for over 40 years.
The season returns in January with many recent Grammy-nominees, all new to the ACL stage, including indie-rock provocateur Father John Misty, powerhouse rap duo Run the Jewels, dance-rock band LCD Soundsystem and country phenom Chris Stapleton. Father John Misty delivers an epic performance backed by a 16-piece orchestra; Run the Jewels ignite the ACL stage in a rapid-fire, riveting showcase; LCD Soundsystem perform a career-spanning set for the ages; and country superstar Chris Stapleton, the reigning CMA Awards Male Vocalist of the Year, makes a stunning ACL debut, joined by his wife, singer Morgane Stapleton. Husband and wife team Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires unite for a special double-bill as Americana star Isbell returns to the ACL stage to share an episode with his partner and creative collaborator Amanda Shires, making her ACL debut. A season highlight is the first-ever appearance of jazz trailblazer Herbie Hancock in a thrilling hour of classics and new songs. Black Keys superstar and ACL veteran Dan Auerbach makes his solo debut showcasing new music from his first solo release in 8 years. The extended line-up features breakout red-dirt country band Turnpike Troubadours and Austin favorites Shinyribs in first-time ACL appearances, as well as the return of a standout, acclaimed Austin psych-rockers The Black Angels.
“As always, expect the unexpected as we deliver something for everybody – from psych-rock to Americana, modern jazz to hip hop and electronica,” says longtime ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “This is one of the most exciting collection of shows we’ve ever presented.”
Go behind the scenes with ACL Backstage, a new 10-part virtual reality video series, offering viewers immersive only-in-VR moments straight from the current season. The series premiered in November on the ACLTV YouTube Channel and continues to debut new installments to coincide with the Season 43 line-up, including Father John Misty, Run the Jewels, Dan Auerbach and Shinyribs. ACL Backstage offers viewers a chance to hang backstage with favorite artists and join them onstage with closer-than-front-row seats. The series was developed with Google’s Daydream team and in partnership with SubVRsive Media.
“In a season when we’re celebrating a significant milestone of longevity, I think it’s great that we’re staying on the cutting edge of technology and bringing ACL fans new and exciting ways to experience live music,” says ACL GM Tom Gimbel.
Season 43 | 2018 Broadcast Schedule
January 6 Father John Misty | The Black Angels
January 13 Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit | Amanda Shires
January 20 Herbie Hancock
January 27 Run the Jewels
February 3 LCD Soundsystem
February 10 Dan Auerbach | Shinyribs
February 17 Chris Stapleton | Turnpike Troubadours
ACL’s Season 43 premiered in October with unforgettable performances from Ed Sheeran, Miranda Lambert, Angel Olsen, The Pretenders, Zac Brown Band, Norah Jones, Benjamin Booker, The Head and the Heart and more. The award-winning series will continue to broadcast fan-favorite encore episodes through the end of 2017. In what has become an ACL holiday tradition, the program will encore Tom Waits legendary December 1978 performance, one of the most requested episodes in ACL’s 40+ year archive. Tune-in on December 23rd to see this classic Christmas episode.
A special broadcast of Austin City Limits Hall of Fame New Year’s Eve airs Sunday, December 31 at 10pm CT/11pm ET. Austin City Limits rings in the new year with the star-studded celebration, hosted by Chris Isaak, featuring one-of-a-kind performances and collaborations from the 2017 ACL Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. Performers include ACL royalty Rosanne Cash, Elvis Costello, Neko Case, Ry Cooder, Chris Isaak, Brandi Carlile, Raul Malo, Trombone Shorty, Dr. John and more.
Austin City Limits congratulates all the nominees for the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. We’d like to give special recognition to the nominees who have appeared on ACL. Big congratulations to Kendrick Lamar, a top contender with seven nominations. The Compton hip-hop trailblazer earned nods for Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap/Sung Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Album and Best Music Video.
We’re thrilled to be showcasing many of this year’s nominees during our current Season 43, stay tuned for new episodes and congratulations to Chris Stapleton, earning top honors with nominations for Best Country Album, Best Country Song and Best Country/Solo Performance; LCD Soundsystem, for Best Dance Recording and Best Alternative Music Album; Father John Misty, for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Recording Package; Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, for Best Americana Album and Best American Roots Song and Run the Jewels for Best Rap Song for their collaboration with Danger Mouse. You can see all of these artists’ brand new episodes in early 2018. We’re also chuffed for fellow nominees whose episodes kicked off the first half of our 43rd season: Ed Sheeran, for Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album; Miranda Lambert, for Best Country/Solo Performance and Best Country Song; and Zac Brown Band, for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
Additional congratulations to the talented ACL veterans who received top nominations: Foo Fighters, for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song; Coldplay, for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance; CeCe Winans for Best Gospel Album and Best Gospel Performance/Song; the Allman Brothers’ Gregg Allman (R.I.P.) and the Mavericks, both for Best Americana Album and Best American Roots Song; Alison Krauss for Best Country/Solo Performance and Best American Roots Performance; The National, for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Recording Package; Ladysmith Black Mambazo for Best World Music Album and Best Children’s Album; Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds for Best Music Film and Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package and the late Leonard Cohen for Best Rock Album and Best American Roots Performance. We’re proud to note that four of the five noms for Best Alternative Music Album comes from ACL vets: Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, Father John Misty and The National.
Shout-outs as well to Queens of the Stone Age, Sarah McLachlan, Beck, Arcade Fire, Juanes, The War On Drugs, Alabama Shakes, Reba McEntire, Blind Boys of Alabama, Rodney Crowell, Damian Jr. Gong Marley, Aimee Mann, Randy Newman, Robert Cray, Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’, Natalie LaFourcade, Portugal. The Man, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Iron & Wine, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Punch Brothers’ Noam Pikelny and the late Glen Campbell for their nominations.
A full list of all nominees can be found here – good luck to them all. Co-produced by ACL executive producer, Terry Lickona, the 60th Annual Grammy Awards will telecast on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018.
Celebrating its 43rd season on public television, Austin City Limits partners with Google’s Daydream team and virtual reality content producers SubVRsive to create ACL Backstage, an immersive 10-part VR series that brings new and exclusive premium performances and behind-the-scenes content to viewers everywhere. Now the longest running music show in television history, the lauded PBS television program remains committed to using cutting edge technology to bring live music performance to fans. Premiering November 16, ACL Backstage offers viewers amazing, only-in-VR moments straight from the current season. Get closer than front row seats with intimate performances and personal interviews from favorite superstars like Ed Sheeran and Zac Brown Band and many more.
The series tells the story of the musicians, the crew, the city, and the fans that make it all possible – all in virtual reality. Unparalleled access gives an up-close look at some of the season’s most iconic performances and takes viewers backstage to hear from the artists before they step under the lights at Austin City Limits studio home: ACL Live at the Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Stay tuned for 360° from a slate of stellar acts showcased in ACL’s new season: Father John Misty, Run the Jewels, Dan Auerbach and more highlights.
The first three episodes feature pop superstar Ed Sheeran, Southern country-rock band Zac Brown Band and the unsung heroes of ACL for four decades – our crew.
ACL Backstage premieres on Nov. 16 on ACL’s YouTube channel. While anyone can watch on YouTube, the content is even more immersive when viewed in Daydream or Cardboard. The trailer is available below or here. Additional episodes will be released in January 2018.
ACL Backstage is hosted and directed by Nathan Christ, an award-winning filmmaker and director of acclaimed documentary Echotone, which explored music culture in Austin. The series is produced by SubVRsive, an Emmy-nominated XR company based in Austin, TX that focuses on creating impactful 360 Video, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality experiences.
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. The program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL 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.
ACL is produced by KLRU-TV and funding is provided in part by Dell, the Austin Convention Center Department, Shiner Beers and HomeAway.com. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.
About SubVRsive
SubVRsive is an Emmy-nominated XR company based in Austin, TX focused on creating impactful 360 Video, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality experiences for brands and agencies. Partnering with renowned directors, producers, content creators and developers at the forefront of the medium, SubVRsive has created captivating interactive experiences for some of the world’s leading brands and media companies, including Lionsgate Entertainment, Procter & Gamble, and Showtime Networks. Read more at www.subvrsive.com.