Category: New Broadcast

The Mavericks bring the party to ACL En Español

Post author By michael
Post date November 18, 2020

photo by Scott Newton

Austin City Limits spotlights renowned rock and country trailblazers The Mavericks, showcasing their chart-topping, all Spanish-language album, En Español in their first appearance on the program in two decades. Widely celebrated as one of the great live bands, The Mavericks perform a mix of new and reimagined Spanish classics alongside career highlights from their three-decade career in a sparkling hour. Recorded in September 2020, The Mavericks’ taping reflects the second no-audience taping, due to the coronavirus pandemic, in the series near five-decade history,. With live music grounded, ACL continues to provide viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance. The series airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available online for a limited time at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast.

The GRAMMY, CMA & ACM award-winning roots rockers make their third appearance on the ACL stage showcasing a career milestone, their first Spanish-language album, En Español, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums Chart. The genre-bending Country, Americana and Tejano-infused Rock & Roll band, who celebrated their 30th Anniversary in 2019, return to their early Miami roots to mesh their uplifting eclecticism with a collection of Spanish language originals and traditional Latin tracks that inspired them. The four core Mavericks members—golden-voiced lead singer and songwriter Raul Malo, guitarist Eddie Perez, keyboardist Jerry Dale McFadden and drummer Paul Deakin—are augmented by horns, accordion and backing vocals for a powerhouse nine-musician combo. The band celebrate the diversity of cultures with their unique take on classic tracks from the vast Latin American songbook, opening with the Cuban country song “La Sitiera,” which builds into a thrilling full-band bloom complete with horns and accordion. Malo, a first-generation Cuban American, introduces his late grandfather’s favorite song, the early Julio Iglesias ballad, “Me Olvidé de Vivir,” made the Mavericks’ own in a country-folk rendition, and salutes one of his own favorite artists, Mexican star Juan Gabriel, with a mariachi-flavored take on the spirited “No Vale La Pena.” They deliver stirring performances of new originals, including the passionate “Recuerdos,” backed by full horns and “Suspiro Azul,” amplified by dazzling harmonies. In a nod to performing at the house that Willie built, Malo gives a gorgeous solo acoustic reading of the Willie Nelson classic “Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain.” The freewheeling outfit treat fans to standouts from their more recent catalog, including Latin-influenced numbers from their 2013 reunion album In Time, closing out the hour with a pair of highlights: the lush stunner “Come Unto Me,” a fan favorite performed with dueling guitar and accordion solos, and the high-energy rockabilly-flavored “As Long As There’s Loving Tonight.”

“Showcasing The Mavericks first all-Spanish album on Austin City Limits during the same week as the annual Latin Grammy Awards is perfect timing,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Since I became co-producer of the Latin Grammys, I’ve made it my mission to bring the joy and beauty of Latin music to the ACL stage every year. This show is a great ‘primer’ for that!”

The second half of ACL’s Season 46 broadcast line-up, including six new episodes to begin airing in January 2021 as part of the full 13-week season, will be announced shortly. 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.

Episode setlist:

La Sitiera

Recuerdos

Back In Your Arms Again

Easy As It Seems

No Vale La Pena

Me Olvidé De Vivir

Suspiro Azul

Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain

Come Unto Me

As Long As There’s Loving Tonight

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 46th 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.

Tags The Mavericks

Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Jackie Venson and Mavis Staples bring the soul to ACL this weekend

Post author By michael
Post date November 12, 2020

photo by Scott Newton

Austin City Limits is proud to spotlight a rising star, Austin singer-songwriter/guitar ace Jackie Venson, in her national television debut as a headliner. The hour also features a vintage performance by soul/gospel legend Mavis Staples from her 2012 showcase, joined by special guest Bonnie Raitt. The installment premieres November 14 at 8pm CT/9pm ET on PBS as part of the iconic series’ Season 46. With live music still on pause, ACL continues to provide viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance. The series airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available online for a limited time at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast.

With the cancellation of 2020’s SXSW earlier this year at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the opportunity for the audiences to witness many of music’s best and brightest was lost. One of the featured artists poised to perform on multiple stages at this year’s edition was Austin standout Jackie Venson. The breakout blues, rock, R&B & soul singer/guitar virtuoso has earned acclaim in her hometown and beyond for her singular skills. Venson was introduced to national audiences as a handpicked opener for guitar star Gary Clark Jr. in 2019, and has established a rapidly growing fan base as one to watch, recently landing in the Top 10 of Pollstar’s Top 50 Livestreamers, alongside established acts including Luke Combs and Norah Jones. Venson was also the subject of the fourth episode of Pause/Play, a new podcast from Austin public radio station KUTX about musicians during the pandemic. The podcast, which focuses on her ACL taping and also includes executive producer Terry Lickona, can be heard here, and a video preview can be watched here.

An innovative artist who brings passion, emotion and truth to her music, Venson performs highlights from her acclaimed 2020 album Vintage Machine and 2019’s Joy in her ACL debut. Wearing a black leather dress inscribed with 73 names of Black Americans who have died at the hands of police, Venson has become an important voice in raising awareness about racial inequality. She meets the moment with a powerful address: “Black lives matter. Not the hashtag, not the slogan, not the organization, but actual lives. Me, my family, my band. We matter.” She then launches into “Back to Earth,” showcasing her guitar bona fides with blazing fretwork and stunning solos. Venson welcomes “Austin’s Empress of Soul,” vocalist Tameca Jones, to the stage for a scorching slowburn rendition of the blues classic “Texas Flood” putting her own signature sound on her Stratocaster on the Lone Star anthem. With a smile as wide as Texas, Venson closes out the radiant debut with the buoyant rocker “Transcends.”

“Every so often a new ‘sensation’ arises from the fervid Austin music scene, and the moment right now belongs to Jackie Venson,” said Lickona. “There are many words to describe her music, but the one that rings loudest for me is ‘TRUTH.’”

photo by Scott Newton

The inspiring hour also features a timely encore performance from living legend Mavis Staples who delivers a clutch of powerful protest songs, including “Freedom Highway,” The Staple Singers’ 1965 classic, about the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till. Staples has been a part of history for more than half a century, at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement to presidential inaugurations. The 2012 appearance marked the iconic singer’s debut on the series, and she captivates with her famous low register vocals and magnetic energy, delivering soulful renditions of contemporary songs, as well as socially conscious anthems from her family band The Staples Singers-era. She is joined by longtime friend and collaborator Bonnie Raitt for a pair of classics, the emotional duet “Losing You” and the gospel standard “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” for a soaring close.

Jackie Venson setlist:

Make Me Feel

Back to Earth

Texas Flood (with Tameca Jones)

Transcends

Mavis Staples setlist:

Creep Along Moses

Wrote A Song For Everyone

You Are Not Alone

Freedom Highway

Losing You (with Bonnie Raitt)

Will the Circle Be Unbroken (with Bonnie Raitt)

Season 46 Broadcast Line-up (six new episodes to be announced):

October 3 The Best of John Prine

October 10 Yola

October 17 Stevie Ray Vaughan 30 Years On

October 24 Rufus Wainwright

October 31 ACL Presents: 50 Years of Asleep at the Wheel

November 7 John Legend & The Roots: Wake Up!

November 14 Jackie Venson | Mavis Staples w/Bonnie Raitt

November 21 The Mavericks

Tune-in, log on, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. The complete line-up for the full 13-week season 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.

About Austin City Limits

Tags Black Lives Matter, Bonnie Raitt, Jackie Venson, Mavis Staples

Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News Uncategorized

ACL Presents: 50 Years of Asleep at the Wheel

Post author By michael
Post date October 30, 2020

photo by Scott Newton

Austin City Limits celebrates 50 years of western swing legends Asleep at the Wheel as the two Austin music institutions team up for an hour-long retrospective. ACL Presents: 50 Years of Asleep at the Wheel offers a fascinating look at the Texas swing outfit’s evolution from the 1970s to the present via highlights from their many appearances on the ACL stage. The new installment premieres October 31 at 8pm CT/9pm ET on PBS. With live music still on pause, ACL continues to provide viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance. The series airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available online for a limited time at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast.

From the ever-changing cast of characters that make up Asleep at the Wheel, the 6’7” larger-than-life bandleader Ray Benson has been the one constant since the band’s inception in 1970. The ten-time Grammy Award-winners have released 31 albums and charted more than 20 singles on the country charts. Asleep at the Wheel has kept the western swing flame burning for five decades, and the revivalists are the chief practitioners, conspirators and caretakers of the genre, carrying the traditions well into the 21st century, reaching both their contemporaries and inspiring a new generation of artists.

Inducted into the ACL Hall of Fame in 2015, Asleep at the Wheel and Austin City Limits go way back, beginning with the program’s first official episode in 1976 (following Willie Nelson’s 1974 pilot episode). Their 11 iconic appearances are highlighted by classic and latter-day collaborations with special guests including Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Johnny Gimble, Vince Gill and The Avett Brothers. The Wheel has woven a 50-year thread through Texas and American music history, and Austin City Limits has played a key role in documenting their remarkable run. The entertaining hour showcases the band’s rollicking journey through the decades ranging from their ‘76 performance of “The Letter That Johnny Walker Read,” to “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” from 2015. Willie Nelson joins the band for multiple performances, including a 2009 appearance billed as Willie & The Wheel, singing the classics “Hesitation Blues” and “Pancho & Lefty” alongside the band’s stellar line-up of musicians. A highlight is a rarely-seen performance featuring Willie, Freddy Powers, and Johnny Gimble on the Tin Pan Alley standard “After You’ve Gone” from a 1981 pledge special, Swingin’ Over the Rainbow. ACL opens up the original Studio 6A for Texas two-stepping during a vintage 1988 performance of the crowd pleaser “Boogie Back to Texas.” The late Texas Playboys’ singer Leon Rausch (then 88-years-old) joins the band for a show-stopping “Milk Cow Blues” during a 2015 outing. A few classic songs performed multiple times over the years, including “Take Me Back to Tulsa” and “Miles and Miles of Texas” are showcased in a compilation of the different performances.

In a recorded introduction to the special, fearless leader and founder Ray Benson remarks: “Forty-five years ago our band appeared on a newly formed show highlighting the Austin music scene called Austin City Limits…this was our introduction to the world.” “It was the beginning of what they would call the cosmic cowboy or outlaw music scene here in Austin where hippies and cowboys came together for some really amazing music. As we celebrate Asleep at the Wheel’s 50th Anniversary we thought it was appropriate to take a look back.”

ACL Presents: 50 Years of Asleep at the Wheel setlist:

“The Letter That Johnny Walker Read” – 1976

“Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens” – 1978

“Get Your Kicks on Route 66” – 1996

“Roly Poly” ft. The Texas Playboys – 1993

“Hesitation Blues” ft. Willie Nelson – 2009

“Nothing Takes The Place of You” – 1976

“Blues for Dixie” ft. Lyle Lovett – 2015 ACL Hall of Fame

“Let Me Go Home Whiskey” – 1976

“After You’ve Gone” ft. Willie Nelson, Freddy Powers, and Johnny Gimble – 1981

“I Can’t Give You Anything But Love ”- 2015

“Boogie Back to Texas” – 1988

“Milk Cow Blues” – 2015

“Miles and Miles of Texas” – 1996, 2002, and 1980

“Choo Choo Boogie” – 1978, 1988, and 1996

“Pancho and Lefty” ft. Willie Nelson – 2009

“Take Me Back to Tulsa” ft. The Avett Brothers and Vince Gill – 1996, 2015, 1978, and 1976

“Cotton Eyed Joe” – 1980

Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding Season 46 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.

About ACL Presents:

ACL Presents is music programming created by, or in association with, Austin PBS, KLRU-TV, 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: Americana Music Festival with the Americana Music Association and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass with KQED.

About Austin City Limits

Tags asleep at the wheel

Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News Uncategorized

New broadcast: Rufus Wainwright

Post author By michael
Post date October 23, 2020

photo by Scott Newton

In early September, in the midst of the global pandemic, Austin City Limits made history with its first-ever show in 46 years without a live audience. The unprecedented performance, featuring acclaimed singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright in his ACL debut, premieres October 24 at 8pm CT/9pm ET on PBS as part of the iconic series’ Season 46. Rufus performs highlights from Unfollow the Rules, his first new pop album since 2012. The songwriter delivers a breathtaking performance for troubled times, filled with signature razor-sharp lyrics and soaring vocals. With live music still on pause, ACL continues to provide viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance. The series airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available online for a limited time at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast.

Rufus Wainwright established himself as a daring, fearless new voice two decades ago with his much-lauded 1998 eponymous debut. Now one of the most distinctive voices in popular music, Rufus showcases songs from his widely acclaimed ninth studio album Unfollow the Rules. Inspired by middle age, married life, fatherhood, friends, loss, London and Laurel Canyon, the release captures the restless creative at the peak of his powers. Opening the intimate hour with the lush, witty pop tune “Trouble In Paradise,” he leans into the record’s Laurel Canyon influence with “Damsel In Distress,” a wonderfully melodic song inspired by his friend and neighbor Joni Mitchell. Backed for this appearance by members of North Texas bands Midlake and the Texas Gentlemen, Rufus’s resplendent vocals are at their soaring best and most exposed. He celebrates the content family man he has become with the domestic bliss gem “Peaceful Afternoon” written for his husband and the sparkling “My Little You” for his young daughter. His maturation into a seasoned artist is evident on the magnificently dramatic “Early Morning Madness” and the barbed “Devils And Angels (Hatred).” Rufus closes the stunning set with a personal-political song from his 2007 album Release the Stars, remarking with trademark caustic wit: “Here’s another uptempo number about everything’s so terrible,” before launching into “Going To A Town,” featuring the daringly outspoken chorus: I’m going to a town that has already been burnt down…I’m so tired of America.”

“I like to say we make history every time an artist makes their debut on Austin City Limits,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona, “but this was historic on a grand scale. Taping without an audience in the midst of the pandemic, uncertain whether it was even possible, was an emotional experience. Rufus delivered an epic performance like no other.”

Rufus Wainwright setlist:

Trouble In Paradise

Damsel In Distress

Unfollow The Rules

You Ain’t Big

Peaceful Afternoon

Only the People That Love

My Little You

Early Morning Madness

Devils And Angels (Hatred)

Alone Time

Going To A Town

Season 46 Broadcast Line-up (six new episodes to be announced):

October 3 The Best of John Prine

October 10 Yola

October 17 Stevie Ray Vaughan 30 Years On

October 24 Rufus Wainwright

October 31 ACL Presents: 50 Years of Asleep at the Wheel

November 7 John Legend & The Roots: Wake Up!

November 14 Jackie Venson | Mavis Staples w/Bonnie Raitt

November 21 The Mavericks

Tune-in, log on, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. The complete line-up for the full 13-week season 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.

About Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits 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 46th 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.

Tags Rufus Wainwright

Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Episode recap: Stevie Ray Vaughan 30 Years On

Post author By michael
Post date October 16, 2020

photo by Scott Newton

Austin City Limits celebrates an icon with Stevie Ray Vaughan 30 Years On, an epic hour featuring the guitar giant’s two classic appearances on the ACL stage, on the 30th Anniversary of his tragic death. Widely hailed as one of the premier blues-rock guitarists, the Grammy-winning Vaughan made magic in his ACL outings and the broadcast captures his magnetic performances. The installment premieres October 17 at 9pm ET/8pm CT as part of the live music beacon’s Season 46. With live music still on pause, ACL continues to provide viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance. The series airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available online for a limited time at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast.

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble’s two iconic appearances on the ACL stage in 1983 and 1989 rank among the most highly-requested episodes in the program’s archives. Stevie Ray Vaughan 30 Years On, an hour-long special, showcases the pair of performances in a rare broadcast, bookends of an incredible career cut short by the guitar hero’s tragic death in a helicopter crash at age 35 on August 27, 1990. The Texas bluesman’s towering command of the Fender Stratocaster was unparalleled, and Vaughan bridged the gap between blues and rock ‘n’ roll with an excitement that hadn’t been witnessed since Jimi Hendrix’s reign, sparking a rebirth of the blues, and inspiring a new generation of music fans. Three decades later, his lasting influence continues to resonate as countless musicians credit Vaughan’s ACL appearances as their inspiration to pick up the guitar. Vaughan and Double Trouble were inducted into the inaugural class of the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2014 and the hometown legend is forever memorialized with a bronze statue in Austin.

The thrilling hour opens with Vaughan’s December 1983 ACL debut, with the iconic riff of his signature “Pride and Joy,” as the virtuoso captivates with his passion-fueled guitar music and blistering Stratocaster solos. Performing alongside Double Trouble, featuring Chris Layton on drums and Tommy Shannon on bass, the guitar-slinger soars on a pair of inspired covers: the title track to his 1983 debut album Texas Flood, with a slowburn reading of the Lone Star classic, dazzling with his ability to play the guitar behind his back, and an epic interpretation of Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child” that is pure rock ‘n’ roll swagger.

Vaughan made his final ACL appearance on October 10, 1989, less than a year prior to his untimely death, newly sober and at the height of his powers, in a performance for the ages. Delivering back to back highlights from his acclaimed 1989 final album In Step, including “Tightrope,” “Cold Shot” and “Leave My Girl Alone,” Vaughan’s performance is extraordinary, displaying a combination of raw power, deep emotion and technical brilliance with note perfect solos. Augmented by the addition of keyboardist Reese Wynans, Double Trouble and Vaughan sizzle with an exhilarating performance of their 1989 smash “Crossfire,” punctuated by the guitar icon’s scorching runs. “This one goes out to anyone who’s still suffering in any way,” says the all-time great as he launches into the shimmering instrumental “Riviera Paradise,” pushing the guitar to new heights and continuing to explore new boundaries.

“30 years after his tragic death, these performances serve as bookends to Vaughan’s brilliant career with Double Trouble,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona, “showing a striking contrast between ‘zero self-confidence’ and ‘pure magic,’ but in both cases you can see a master at work.”

“My brother was so incredibly talented,” says Jimmie Vaughan. “Austin City Limits captured many of his best performances.”

Stevie Ray Vaughan 30 Years On setlist:

Pride and Joy

Texas Flood

Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

Tightrope

Leave My Girl Alone

Cold Shot

Crossfire

Riviera Paradise

Season 46 Broadcast Line-up (six new episodes to be announced):

October 3 The Best of John Prine

October 10 Yola

October 17 Stevie Ray Vaughan 30 Years On

October 24 Rufus Wainwright

October 31 ACL Presents: 50 Years of Asleep at the Wheel

November 7 John Legend & The Roots: Wake Up!

November 14 Jackie Venson | Mavis Staples w/Bonnie Raitt

November 21 The Mavericks

Tune-in, log on, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. The complete line-up for the full 13-week season 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.

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 46th 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.

Tags Chris Layton, Double Trouble, Reese Wynans, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tommy Shannon

Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

British singer/songwriter Yola makes her ACL debut

Post author By michael
Post date October 9, 2020

This weekend, Austin City Limits showcases a rising star, UK singer-songwriter Yola in a new installment. Performing songs from her 2020 Grammy-nominated Walk Through Fire, along with sparkling renditions of choice classics, the country-soul sensation delivers a 12-song tour-de-force in her ACL debut. Her show was taped in February at ACL’s studio home ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin, Texas, before a live audience – like every other show in ACL’s 45-year history. Shortly after, the COVID pandemic hit and ACL ceased all production, only recently resuming tapings – without a live audience. With live music still on pause, ACL continues to provide viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance. The series airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available online for a limited time at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast.

Hailing from the English port city of Bristol, the single-named Americana artist Yola delivers a knockout performance in an hourlong set featuring highlights from her acclaimed debut Walk Through Fire, which earned her four 2020 Grammy nominations, including one for best new artist. She recorded the album with in demand producer (and ACL three-timer) Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys at his Nashville studio. Backed by a quartet, Yola performs almost the entirety of the record in her ACL debut, dazzling with her arresting vocals on an emotion-filled catalog of heartbreak songs that inhabit the sweet spot between 1970s Southern soul and country. Donning her acoustic guitar, she performs “Ride Out in the Country” and unleashes the full power of her magnificent voice for the slowburn “Faraway Look.” The chatty and cheery singer charms the crowd with the stories behind her songs, including the house fire that inspired the album’s title track, transformed into a smoldering love song.

Yola reveals her fondness for 1970s pop classics, captivating the crowd with a deeply soulful reading of the Hollies’ “The Air That I Breathe” and a powerhouse rendition of Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” Yola brings the house down for the closer, showcasing her gorgeous vocals on the Aretha Franklin gem “You’re All I Need to Get By.”

“Yola may well be the best pure singer on the pop music scene today,” according to ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “She has such an incredible dynamic range, a certain mystical spirit about her, and a devilish sense of humor. What’s not to love?”

Episode setlist:

Lonely the Night

Ride Out in the Country

Shady Grove

Walk Through Fire

Air That I Breathe

Faraway Look

Love is Light

Still Gone

It Ain’t Easier

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

I Don’t Wanna Lie

You’re All I Need to Get By

Tune-in, log on, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. The complete line-up for the full 13-week season 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.

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 46th 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.

Tags Dan Auerbach, Yola