Category: New Broadcast

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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

New broadcast: The Best of Nanci Griffith

Nanci Griffith on Austin City Limits, Season 27. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits proudly wraps up Season 47 with a gem: a salute to late folk and country singer-songwriter legend Nanci Griffith. A beacon in the Texas music scene, the Austin original had a deep association with Austin City Limits, performing on the program eight times between 1984 and 2001. Sadly we lost Griffith in 2021, but ACL celebrates her life and legacy with twelve classic performances. “The Best of Nanci Griffith” offers a fascinating look at the renowned country-folk artist through her many appearances and premieres February 12 @ 8pm ET/7pm CT. Check local PBS listings for times. The episode will be available to music fans everywhere, streaming online the next day beginning February 13 @ 10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. The Peabody Award-winning 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. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to have delivered a full season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. In the following weeks, ACL will continue to broadcast fan-favorite encore episodes until the new season premieres this fall. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding future Season 48 tapings, encore broadcast schedules and select live stream updates.

One of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of her generation, Nanci Griffith released more than 20 albums, sold millions of records and won a Grammy. Her previously uncategorizable blend of folk music and country provided an early blueprint for Americana. She is recognized as a pioneer in the genre whose influence has been felt on nearly every Texas singer-songwriter who came afterward, and broke ground for countless artists including Lyle Lovett, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Robert Earl Keen. Her songs have been covered by a wide range of artists and she has earned worldwide recognition for her music.

Born in Central Texas and raised in Austin, Nanci Griffith became an early favorite on the Texas singer-songwriter circuit, and this poignant hour chronicles her times on the program from her ACL debut in Season 10 to her final appearance during Season 27 in 2001. For that first appearance on Austin City Limits she wore a bright yellow, flowered dress she made herself especially for the occasion, and showcased songs from her 1984 career breakthrough Once in a Very Blue Moon, including the title track, later covered by Dolly Parton. Joined by a mini-orchestra of Nashville and Austin luminaries (including a young singer-songwriter named Lyle Lovett on backing vocals), the sweet-voiced singer and storyteller wowed the hometown crowd. 

Nanci Griffith on Austin City Limits, Season 10. Photo by Scott Newton.

Upon her 1988 ACL return she tells the audience “It’s nice to be home again,” and performs selections from her 1986 folk-country classic The Last of the True Believers. A set highlight is her early rendition of the Julie Gold penned “From A Distance,” an anthem first recorded by Griffith that became her first international #1 hit, and was later famously covered by Bette Midler. She captivates the crowd with “Love at the Five and Dime,” a small-town tale featuring Austin’s original Woolworth’s at its centerpiece, filled with Griffith’s keen eye for detail and emotion. 

A frequent collaborator whose peers lined up to play with her, the hour also highlights her work alongside other artists. An outspoken social justice advocate, Griffith appears on a Songwriters Special in 1991, and performs her powerful social commentary, the anti-racism ode “It’s A Hard Life Wherever You Go,” joined by songwriters Mary Chapin Carpenter and Indigo Girls on harmonies. She appears in 1994 performing songs from Flyer, an album which featured guest appearances from members of R.E.M. and U2. For a 1997 appearance, she performs a pop-country set with her longtime heroes, Buddy Holly’s Crickets, as her backing band, and pays tribute to the songwriters of West Texas she credits as her earliest influences. She returns in 1997 for one of the most revered episodes in the ACL archives, a Celebration of Townes Van Zandt, appearing with fellow greats including Willie Nelson, Guy Clark, Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle, and sings the legendary Texas songwriter’s classic “Tecumseh Valley,” a version from her repertoire widely-known to have been favored by Townes himself, featured on her Grammy-winning 1993 all-covers album Other Voices, Other Rooms. Griffith’s influence transcended genre and generations: in 1999 she appears as a guest of Hootie & the Blowfish’s Darius Rucker for a gorgeous duet of her “Gulf Coast Highway,” singing the lyrics: “And when we die we say, we’ll; Catch some blackbirds wing; Then we will fly away to Heaven come; Some sweet blue bonnet spring.”

“Nanci was literally an Austin original, but besides being her hometown, she epitomized Austin’s influence on her generation of singer-songwriters,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Her songs were mini literary masterpieces, filled with vivid stories and imagery – all set to great melodies!”

The Best of Nanci Griffith setlist:

The Ballad of Robin Winter-Smith

Once In A Very Blue Moon

The Last of the True Believers

From A Distance

Love at the Five and Dime

It’s A Hard Life Wherever You Go

Listen to the Radio

These Days In An Open Book

This Heart

Tecumseh Valley

Gulf Coast Highway

Traveling Through This Part of You

Watch live, stream anytime, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding live streams, future Season 48 tapings and encore episode broadcast and streaming 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.

ACL’s Season 47 premiered in October 2021 with standout performances featuring many 2022 Grammy nominees, including New Orleans musician/bandleader Jon Batiste, multi-platinum Olivia Rodrigo, country superstar Miranda Lambert, bluegrass star Billy Strings, legendary Jackson Browne, R&B singer-songwriter Leon Bridges, indie-rock original Phoebe Bridgers, country standout Brandy Clark, alt.rock icon St. Vincent and Americana singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz alongside acclaimed performances from eclectic groove trio Khruangbin, celebrated singer Brittany Howard, UK singer-songwriter Jade Bird, “Gulf & Western” country sensation Charley Crockett, breakthrough singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun, superstars Duran Duran, cult songwriting favorite Terry Allen and more. ACL returned in January 2022 with a special installment, Austin City Limits 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors, celebrating a new class of inductees: Wilco, Lucinda Williams and Alejandro Escovedo, featuring all-star music salutes and collaborations from Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Japanese Breakfast, Rosanne Cash, Sheila E., John Doe, Lenny Kaye, Bill Callahan, Terry Allen and more. 

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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

New broadcast: Terry Allen & the Panhandle Mystery Band

Terry Allen on Austin City Limits, 2021. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits spotlights a Texas legend enjoying a late-career high-point, iconoclastic sculptor-songwriter Terry Allen, in a career-spanning hour, joined by his longtime Panhandle Mystery Band featuring all-stars including Lloyd Maines, Charlie Sexton and Shannon McNally. The new installment premieres January 29 at 8pm ET/7pm CT as part of  the series Season 47. Check local PBS listings for times. The episode will be available to music fans everywhere, streaming online the next day beginning January 30 @10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to deliver a full season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The Peabody Award-winning 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 following the initial broadcast.

Lubbock native, outlaw-country veteran, and groundbreaking visual artist Terry Allen makes his long-awaited return to the ACL stage in his first headline appearance since 1998. The 78-year-old cult favorite, recently profiled in The New Yorker, showcases songs from his acclaimed 2020 release Just Like Moby Dick, alongside influential classics from his storied five-decade career, including gems from his cinematic 1975 debut Juarez and the seminal 1979 Lubbock (on everything). The hour is a friends and family affair as Allen on keyboards is joined by his nine-piece Panhandle Mystery Band, featuring guitarists Charlie Sexton and Lloyd Maines, singer Shannon McNally, fiddler Richard Bowden, bassist Glen Fukunaga, drummer Davis McLarty, cellist Brian Standerfer, and his sons Bukka and Bale Allen on accordion/keyboards and percussion. 

The left-of-center artist displays his signature dark wit and honesty with highlights from his catalog, including the fan favorite rocker “There Oughta Be A Law Against Sunny Southern California” and the tragicomic tale “Gimme a Ride to Heaven Boy.” Allen’s songwriting details vivid small-town characters and haunting and hilarious narratives as showcased on the beguiling new album highlight “Death of the Last Stripper.” The collaborative performance allows each bandmember to shine, and Americana artist Shannon McNally takes the lead on a new number, the slowburn “All These Blues Go Walkin’ By,” joined by ace guitarist Charlie Sexton. In a nod to his remarkable half century of work, Allen performs “Red Bird,” the first song he ever wrote, originally performed on the TV show Shindig! in 1965. The Texas legend and his longtime band of friends close the hour with the moving Moby Dick closer “Sailin’ On Through,” a mordant fare-thee-well that ruminates on the inevitable passing of time.

“Lubbock, Texas, has produced more than its share of music legends, but Terry Allen is an anomaly,“ says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “He’s a storyteller, he’s a poet, he weaves tapestries out of songs. In that respect he’s like the ‘Leonard Cohen of West Texas’.”

Terry Allen & the Panhandle Mystery Band on ACL, 2021. Photo by Scott Newton.

Terry Allen setlist:

Lubbock Tornado 

Death of the Last Stripper

All These Blues Go Walkin’ By

City of the Vampires

What of Alicia

There Oughta Be A Law Against Sunny Southern California

Red Bird

Flatland Boogie

New Delhi Freight Train

Gimme A Ride To Heaven Boy

Sailin’ On Through

Season 47 upcoming:

February 5 Olivia Rodrigo | Phoebe Bridgers

February 12 (season finale) The Best of Nanci Griffith

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.

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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

New episode: Duran Duran

Duran Duran, 2021. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits Season 47 rocks on with an epic hit-filled hour starring the great Duran Duran in their first-ever appearance on the ACL stage.  One of the most acclaimed and exciting live acts of all time, the music superstars deliver a thrilling, ten-song hit parade in a brand new installment premiering January 22 at 9pm ET/8pm CT. Check local PBS listings for times. The episode will be available to music fans everywhere, streaming online the next day beginning January 23 @10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to deliver a full season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The Peabody Award-winning 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 following the initial broadcast.

Influential British music icons Duran Duran light up the ACL stage as they kick off this entertaining hour with a new song: “INVISIBLE,” a synth-funk gem that fits right into the band’s canon, and the lead track from their 15th studio album and first record in six years, FUTURE PAST. Legendary frontman Simon Le Bon and longtime bandmates, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, bassist John Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor, showcase their undeniable chemistry in a career-spanning performance featuring fan-favorites including “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “A View To A Kill,” “Planet Earth” and “Girls on Film.” 

Hailing from Birmingham, England, Duran Duran first arrived on the UK scene with their critically acclaimed 1981 self-titled debut. Four decades on, these musical pioneers perform their latest single “ANNIVERSARY,” a pop banger that doubles as a nod to an incredible forty years of making music together. A set highlight is the 1993 smash “Ordinary World,” given new resonance in our current reality, which Le Bon dedicates to everyone who has been struggling to get back to ordinary life over the course of the pandemic. The band caps the swagger-fueled set with an anthem for the ages, “Save A Prayer,” from their 1982 landmark Rio, as the standing ovation crowd raises their cell phones in an appreciative sea of lights, with Le Bon letting the fans sing the chorus for a memorable close.  

Duran Duran on ACL, 2021. Photo by Scott Newton.

Duran Duran setlist:

INVISIBLE

A View To A Kill

ANNIVERSARY

Ordinary World

TONIGHT UNITED

(Reach Up For The) Sunrise

Planet Earth

Hungry Like the Wolf

Girls on Film / Acceptable in the 80’s

Save A Prayer

Season 47 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):

January 15 St. Vincent | Joy Oladokun

January 22 Duran Duran

January 29 Terry Allen

February 5 Olivia Rodrigo | Phoebe Bridgers

February 12 The Best of Nanci Griffith

ACL’s Season 47 premiered on October 2021 with standout performances featuring many 2022 Grammy nominees, including New Orleans musician/bandleader Jon Batiste, country superstar Miranda Lambert, bluegrass star Billy Strings, legendary Jackson Browne, R&B singer-songwriter Leon Bridges, country standout Brandy Clark, alt.rock icon St. Vincent and Americana singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz alongside acclaimed performances from eclectic groove trio Khruangbin, celebrated singer Brittany Howard, UK singer-songwriter Jade Bird, “Gulf & Western” country sensation Charley Crockett, breakthrough singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun and more. ACL returned in January 2022 with a special installment, Austin City Limits 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors, celebrating a new class of inductees: Wilco, Lucinda Williams and Alejandro Escovedo, featuring all-star music salutes and collaborations from Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Japanese Breakfast, Rosanne Cash, Sheila E., John Doe, Lenny Kaye, Bill Callahan, Terry Allen and more. 

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.

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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

New broadcast: St. Vincent and Joy Oladokun

St. Vincent, Austin City Liimits, 2021. Photo by Scott Newton.

Live music beacon Austin City Limits spotlights a pair of distinctive artists in a new hour showcasing Grammy-winning St. Vincent and breakthrough singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun. St. Vincent makes her third appearance on the ACL stage in an electrifying performance, and shares the hour with a standout talent: Joy Oladokun, in a must-see ACL debut. The new episode premieres January 15 @ 9pm ET/8pm CT on PBS as part of the series Season 47. Check local PBS listings for times. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to deliver a full season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The Peabody Award-winning 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 following the initial broadcast. 

Dallas native Annie Clark, the musical shapeshifter known as St. Vincent, returns with selections from Daddy’s Home, her first new collection in four years, and a current Grammy nominee for Best Alternative Album. This ‘70s-inspired album references everything from Lou Reed to Joan Didion to Stevie Wonder, and has landed on many 2021 “year-end best-of” critics lists. “Our generation’s rock & roll chameleon, Annie Clark, delves into her formerly incarcerated father’s record collection to deliver Bowie- and Prince-esque tunes that are simultaneously utterly her own,” raves Rolling Stone of Daddy’s Home. Performing with an ace all-star band and a powerhouse trio of female backing singers, the indie vanguard delivers a revelatory six-song set, exposing the full spectrum of her sonic powers. “I would like to have a toast,” says St. Vincent, “to Austin City Limits and the third time being here, and more than anything, to all of us getting to be together again.”

Joy Oladokun, Season 47. Photo by Scott Newton.

Raised in a farming town in Arizona by Nigerian immigrant parents, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun melds a smooth R&B and pop sensibility into a deeply personal and affecting folk style. She showcases songs from her acclaimed in defense of my own happiness in a radiant ACL debut, opening with the sharp critique “I See America,” drawing from Nirvana’s iconic “Smells Like Teen Spirit” to powerful effect. Wearing a Prince t-shirt and a backwards baseball cap, Oladokun captivates with her warm, conversational style, anchored by a rich voice and poignant lyrics, and explains the origins of many of her numbers. “This next song is what happens when you go to Thai food with an ex, and honestly that’s more of an introduction than she deserves,” she cracks before launching into the acoustic stunner “Heaven From Here.” Oladokun returns to her own life experience for “Jordan,” a personal reckoning that deals with growing up gay while being raised in the church. Oladokun dedicates a pair of songs to two of her musical heroes:  she hails the late rapper Mac Miller “one of the greats in our lifetime” in her intro to “Taking the Heat,” then closes with a gorgeous song of redemption, Prince’s “The Cross,” from the late giant’s classic Sign O’ The Times. 

“St. Vincent and Joy Oladokun are very different artists, so they might seem like an odd match for the same episode,” notes ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “They forge their own paths, but they are both deeply personal songwriters, and both uplifting and inspiring in the way they connect with their fans. If you’re a fan of one, you’ll soon be a fan of both.”

St. Vincent setlist: 

Down

Birth In Reverse

…At The Holiday Party

Los Ageless

Pay Your Way In Pain

The Melting Of The Sun

Joy Oladokun setlist:

I See America / Smells Like Teen Spirit

Heaven From There

Taking the Heat

Jordan

The Cross

Season 47 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):

January 15 St. Vincent | Joy Oladokun

January 22 Duran Duran

January 29 Terry Allen

February 5 Olivia Rodrigo | Phoebe Bridgers

February 12 The Best of Nanci Griffith

ACL’s Season 47 premiered on October 2021 with standout performances featuring many 2022 Grammy nominees, including New Orleans musician/bandleader Jon Batiste, country superstar Miranda Lambert, bluegrass star Billy Strings, legendary Jackson Browne, R&B singer-songwriter Leon Bridges, country standout Brandy Clark and Americana singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz alongside acclaimed performances from eclectic groove trio Khruangbin, celebrated singer Brittany Howard, UK singer-songwriter Jade Bird, “Gulf & Western” country sensation Charley Crockett and more. 

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.

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Episode Recap Featured Hall of Fame New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: ACL 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors

The cast sings "California Stars" at the ACL 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

A special installment, Austin City Limits 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors, premieres January 8 at 8pm CT/9pm ET on PBS. Austin City Limits (ACL) celebrates the newest class of Hall of Fame Inductees, honoring a trio of Americana greats with longtime ties to ACL: Lucinda Williams, Wilco and Alejandro Escovedo, with best-in-class performances and highlights from the 2021 ACL Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony presented by PNC Bank, recorded live in Austin, Texas on October 28, 2021.  Music greats Jason Isbell, Rosanne Cash, Margo Price, Sheila E., Lenny Kaye, Japanese Breakfast and more salute the new class of inductees with one-of-a-kind collaborative performances and tributes. The hour-long broadcast premieres Saturday, January 8 at 8pm ET on PBS. Check local PBS listings for times. The special will be available to music fans everywhere to stream online beginning Sunday, January 9 at 10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. In addition, a streaming-only, 90-minute bonus installment featuring exclusive content from the celebration will be made available for fans the same day, including acclaimed performances by John Doe, legendary Los Angeles punk band X co-founder, iconoclastic Texas singer-songwriter Terry Allen and indie icon Bill Callahan. Providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for a remarkable 47 years, the series returns January 15 ringing in a new year with all-new episodes as part of its Season 47. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding future tapings, episode schedules and select live stream updates. 

Margo Price and Lucinda Williams sing “Changed the Locks” at the 2021 ACL 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors . Photo courtesy Austin City Limits

One of today’s finest songwriters, Jason Isbell, opens the hour to salute the night’s first honoree, legendary singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. “A lot of my songs wouldn’t exist if I hadn’t spent so much time trying to rip her off,” grins Isbell in a heartfelt induction, providing insightful examples of the way Williams uses detailed imagery to paint pictures with her lyrics. “She’s made a map,” he explains, for other songwriters, including himself, to follow. “Too rock for country and too country for rock,” Williams cracks in her acceptance, recalling the music industry’s early reaction to her sound. Isbell performs a gorgeous rendition of Williams’ “I Envy the Wind” from her Grammy-nominated 2002 album Essence. The pioneering artist takes the stage for a pair of collaborative performances featuring highlights from her groundbreaking self-titled 1988 classic. “I’m on cloud nine,” says the honoree as she is joined by her friend of 30 years, Rosanne Cash, for the gem “Crescent City.” Country star Margo Price joins Williams for her signature scorcher “Changed the Locks’ ‘ in an electrifying duet.

Sheila E. congratulates her uncle Alejandro Escovedo at the ACL 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

Punk pioneer Lenny Kaye recounts how he first met Alejandro Escovedo in 1974, and inducts his longtime friend with wit and wisdom, capturing the essence of what makes the genre-defying Mexican-American artist’s eclectic, expansive body of work important to the world. Joined by his niece, the incomparable Queen of Percussion Sheila E. behind the drum kit, Lenny Kaye on guitar, and his veteran backing singers and string section, Escovedo opens the music salute with a Spanish-language song from his acclaimed 2018 immigrant-themed album The Crossing, bringing out Alex Ruiz, frontman for Austin Latin-rock band Del Castillo for the occasion. Escovedo completes his victory lap with a titanic take on “Put You Down,” his 1996 orchestral-rock anthem with which he opened his 2006 ACL appearance, guitar-windmilling his way through the thrilling performance.

Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner joins Wilco for “Jesus, etc.” at the ACL 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

ACL Hall of Famer Rosanne Cash inducts Wilco with deep accolades, referring to the celebrated Chicago band as “heartland laborers in the tower of song, with thick skins and open hearts” and champions them for being “subversive without being destructive” with a humanity that “somehow breaks us and heals us at the same time.” With Wilco’s music, Cash says, “we don’t need certainty when we love the questions.” Bandleader Jeff Tweedy, guitarist Nels Cline, bassist John Stirratt, keyboardists Pat Sansone and Mikael Jorgensen and drummer Glenn Kotche take the stage to perform early career highlight “Shot in the Arm.” A 2022 Grammy nominee and superfan, Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner is backed by the band for a radiant spin on the pop charmer “Jesus, Etc.” from the 2002 landmark Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

The stars come out en masse for a stellar reading of Wilco’s breakout “California Stars” from 1998’s collaborative classic Mermaid Avenue, with Jeff Tweedy, Rosanne Cash and Alejandro Escovedo trading verses and the all-star ensemble of performers singing-along. Jason Isbell trades licks on the song’s solo with Wilco guitar great Nels Cline, bringing the luminous hour to an epic close.

“California Stars” via the cast of the ACL 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

The seventh class of ACL Hall of Fame inductees represent the essence of everything ACL has stood for— originality, authenticity, virtuosity. Roots-music icon Lucinda Williams has made four classic appearances on ACL over a remarkable four-decade career, starting with her debut on Season 15 in 1990. Celebrated Chicago band Wilco has also appeared on ACL four times during their 25-year career, beginning in 2000 for the series’ 25th Anniversary season. Texas legend Alejandro Escovedo made his debut during the first decade of the series in Season 8 in 1983 with the band Rank and File, going on to make a total of five appearances including a star-studded return in 2017.

Austin City Limits 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors setlist:

Jason Isbell “I Envy the Wind”

Lucinda Williams & Rosanne Cash “Crescent City”

Lucinda Williams & Margo Price “Changed the Locks”

Alejandro Escovedo, Alex Ruiz, Sheila E. & Lenny Kaye “Algo Azul”

Alejandro Escovedo, Alex Ruiz, Sheila E. “Put You Down”

Wilco “Shot In the Arm”

Wilco & Japanese Breakfast “Jesus, Etc.”

Wilco “California Stars” (All-Star Finale)

Bonus performances (streaming-only):

John Doe “Sally Was A Cop” (Alejandro Escovedo tribute)

Bill Callahan “Sky Blue Sky” (Wilco tribute)

Terry Allen “One Sunday Morning” (Wilco tribute)

Austin City Limits Hall of Fame

In 2014, Austin PBS established the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame (ACL HoF) to recognize legendary musicians and key individuals who have been instrumental in making television’s longest-running popular music show an institution. The ACL HoF is a historical archive, educational resource and celebration of ACL and the Austin spirit, capturing milestones in the history of the show and celebrating the performers who have graced its iconic stage. The annual ACL HoF Induction and Celebration is Austin PBS’ largest fundraising event with performances taped for broadcast on PBS stations nationwide. The 7th Annual Austin City Limits Hall of Fame Inductions and Celebration is presented by PNC Bank with additional support for the broadcast from AXS.

Austin City LimitsAustin 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.

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Featured New Broadcast News

ACL announces the second half of Season 47

Wilco with Japanese Breakfast at the ACL Hall of Fame ceremony, Sept. 2021. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

Live music beacon Austin City Limits announces the second half of Season 47, with five new episodes to begin airing in January 2022 as part of the program’s thirteen-episode season. ACL returns with a stellar slate of new broadcast episodes, showcasing iconic performances featuring legends and highly-anticipated debuts from some of today’s most talked-about live acts. The program returns on Saturday, January 8 at 8pm CT/9pm ET with a special broadcast, Austin City Limits 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to deliver a full season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The Peabody Award-winning 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 following the initial broadcast.

A special installment, Austin City Limits 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors, premieres January 8 at 8pm CT/9pm ET. Austin City Limits celebrates the newest class of Hall of Fame Inductees, honoring a trio of Americana greats: Lucinda Williams, Wilco and Alejandro Escovedo, with best-in-class performances and collaborations from the 2021 ACL Hall of Fame induction ceremony, recorded live in Austin, Texas on October 28, 2021.  Music greats Jason Isbell, Rosanne Cash, Margo Price, Sheila E., Lenny Kaye, Terry Allen, Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner and more salute the newest class of inductees with one-of-a-kind collaborative performances and tributes. 

Season 47 returns in January with a line-up showcasing multiple 2022 Grammy nominees, including seven-time nominee, multi-platinum Olivia Rodrigo; the chart-topper shares the hour with a fellow LA act making her ACL debut, indie-rock original Phoebe Bridgers in a captivating double-bill showcasing two of today’s most acclaimed singer-songwriters. (The installment had an initial airing in December 2021 as a mid-season bonus for fans). Grammy-winning art-rock icon St. Vincent, nominated for a 2022 Grammy, makes her third appearance on the ACL stage, in an electrifying performance, sharing an hour with breakthrough singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun in a must-see ACL debut. A Season 47 highlight is the first-ever appearance by international superstars Duran Duran in an epic hour-long installment, performing a hit-filled set along with new gems. ACL spotlights a Texas legend enjoying a late-career high-point, iconoclastic sculptor-songwriter Terry Allen, in a must-see hour, joined by his longtime Panhandle Mystery Band featuring all-stars Lloyd Maines, Charlie Sexton, Shannon McNally and more. ACL salutes one of songwriting’s finest talents and closes out the season with a tribute to a Texas icon we lost during 2021, Nanci Griffith. The Best of Nanci Griffith features historic highlights from the influential songwriter’s seven appearances on the ACL stage. The hour-long installment offers a fascinating look at the late ACL legend’s evolution dating back to her debut on the series in 1985 through her multiple appearances on the ACL stage. 

Duran Duran on ACL, 2021. Photo by Scott Newton.

“ACL kicks off the new year with a mix that celebrates the past, present and future,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “As always, we love to celebrate the great music of the past while showcasing the most exciting and inspiring new music of today. ACL continues to bring out the best in artists across genres and generations!”

Season 47 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):

January 8 Austin City Limits 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors

January 15 St. Vincent | Joy Oladokun

January 23 Duran Duran

January 29 Terry Allen

February 5 Olivia Rodrigo | Phoebe Bridgers

February 12 The Best of Nanci Griffith

ACL’s Season 47 premiered on October 2021 with standout performances featuring many 2022 Grammy nominees, including New Orleans musician/bandleader Jon Batiste, country superstar Miranda Lambert, bluegrass star Billy Strings, legendary Jackson Browne, R&B singer-songwriter Leon Bridges, country standout Brandy Clark and Americana singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz alongside acclaimed performances from eclectic groove trio Khruangbin, celebrated singer Brittany Howard, UK singer-songwriter Jade Bird, “Gulf & Western” country sensation Charley Crockett and more. The series will continue to broadcast fan-favorite encore episodes through the end of 2021. 

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.

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.