Category: New Broadcast

Episode recap: Jon Batiste

Post author By michael
Post date October 14, 2021

photo by Scott Newton

Austin City Limits is thrilled to present one of America’s most versatile musicians, Jon Batiste, in a dazzling must-watch hour. The New Orleans bandleader and composer, a Grammy and Oscar-winning musician, delivers a high-energy tour-de-force backed by an 18-piece band, performing highlights from his soulful album WE ARE. The new installment premieres October 16 at 9pm ET/ 8pm CT as part of the series new Season 47. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to deliver a new season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The 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 immediately following the initial broadcast.

Jon Batiste mixes his own brand of New Orleans jazz with soul, funk, R&B, gospel and hip-hop in an hour-long celebration of pure joy. Batiste may be best known as a television personality as the bandleader and musical director for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” but the scion of a New Orleans musical dynasty is a Grammy and Oscar-winning talent, and he lights up the stage in a performance for the ages in his first-ever ACL appearance. In a love letter to his southern roots and heritage, Batiste takes viewers on a journey through Black American music history from ragtime to trap. Taking the stage in a red leather suit and Stetson, he is backed by a 10-piece band for the ecstatic “We Are,” a celebratory anthem of the African diaspora and the title track to his acclaimed 2021 album. The leader’s contagious joy is on full display throughout the performance as he reveals, “This is not a concert for me—this is a spiritual practice.”

New Orleans’ Hot 8 Brass Band joins the party with a second line groove as the energy level soars and Batiste descends into the crowd. The showman thrills as he dances across the stage, moving seamlessly from piano, his main instrument, to guitar, saxophone, and melodica. Batiste is on guitar, leading the 18-piece band for the soulful raveup “Tell the Truth,” before moving to piano and ending the number on his knees center stage. “Boyhood,” a fond ode to growing up in the Big Easy, leads into a gorgeous snippet of Bill Withers “Lean On Me.” The unstoppable Batiste delivers a fascinating medley at the piano, playfully working in everything from classical to ragtime, demonstrating his remarkable genre-defying skills. A frequent collaborator, Batiste is joined by Austin guitar great Gary Clark Jr. for the slowburn bayou lament “Cry,” before closing the hour with a stunning solo finale at the piano featuring the ballad, “Don’t Stop,” from 2018’s Hollywood Africans.

“In my over 40 years with Austin City Limits, I have never seen a performance so joyful, so inspiring, so energizing, so spiritual as Jon Batiste. It was a magical night,” said executive producer Terry Lickona. “People were laughing, singing, crying, and of course dancing. Jon Batiste is a superstar!”

Jon Batiste setlist:

WE ARE

I NEED YOU

LOVE RIOT MOMENT

BOYHOOD

WHATCHUTALKINBOUT

TELL THE TRUTH

TELL THE TRUTH reprise

PIANO MEDLEY

CRY

FREEDOM

DON’T STOP

Season 47 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately):

October 2 Miranda Lambert with Jack Ingram & Jon Randall

October 9 Jade Bird / Dayglow

October 16 Jon Batiste

October 23 Sarah Jarosz / Billy Strings

October 30 Brandy Clark / Charley Crockett

November 6 Leon Bridges / Khruangbin

November 13 Jackson Browne

November 20 Brittany Howard

Watch live, stream anytime, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. The complete line-up for the full 13-week season, including five new episodes to air beginning January 2022, 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.

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 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.

Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, 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 Jon Batiste

Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News Uncategorized

Episode recap: Jade Bird/Dayglow

Post author By michael
Post date October 7, 2021

Jade Bird on Austin City Limits, Season 47. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits returns with a radiant hour showcasing a pair of next-generation singer-songwriters: UK native Jade Bird and Austin’s own Dayglow. The new installment premieres October 9 at 9pm ET/ 8pm CT as part of the series new Season 47. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to deliver a new season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The 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 immediately following the initial broadcast.

Acclaimed singer-songwriter-guitarist Jade Bird performs highlights from her recent album Different Kinds of Light, recorded in Nashville with red-hot producer Dave Cobb. The Welsh native and recent Austin transplant cut her teeth in London pubs and open-mic nights in her teens and has been earning acclaim in the U.S. since 2018, winning top honors at SXSW and scoring a nomination for the Americana Awards “Emerging Artist of the Year.” The seasoned, charismatic 23-year-old lights up the ACL stage in a magnetic debut. Opening the set with the melodic “Headstart,” Bird soars with irresistible new songs including “Now is the Time” and “Candidate” alongside early career gems including her 2018 breakthrough hit “Lottery,” a kiss-off to an ex set to a catchy rock melody, and the fiery “I Get No Joy,” which she cheekily dedicates to the year 2020. Bird pays tribute to an American musical hero, Dolly Parton, with a luminous rendition of her classic “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?” joined by Nashville singer Savannah Conley and guitarist Luke Prosser in gorgeous three-part harmony.

Dayglow on Austin City Limits, Season 47. Photo by Scott Newton.

21-year-old Sloan Struble, who records music as Dayglow, brings all the feels in an exuberant ACL debut that will have viewers smiling ear to ear. The genial pop wunderkind shines in an upbeat set filled with his sunny, smart indie-pop. His 2021 sophomore album, Harmony House, is earning critical raves, with the Austin American-Statesman calling it “one of the best albums of the year, an effervescent and wise-before-his-time collection of songs that will leave you crying on the dancefloor.” “Let’s freakin’ rock” enthuses Struble as he happily bounces around the stage for the set opener “Something,” then delivers a dose of pure ‘70s groove with the infectious “Medicine.” Struble got his start making music in his teenage bedroom and he delights with tunes from his 2018 debut album Fuzzybrain, including the viral single that launched his runaway career, “Can I Call You Tonight?” A set highlight is the smooth rock banger “Crying on the Dancefloor,” complete with sweet soprano saxophone and a heart-swelling melody. Dayglow’s love of new wave and ‘80s pop anthems is evident on the dreamy synthpop breakthrough single “Close to You,” and he displays the modern/nostalgic dichotomy that is a hallmark of his music with a feel-good cover of the Tear For Fears classic “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” that merges with his own, “Run the World!!!” for a memorable close.

“Jade Bird and Dayglow are two of the brightest stars in the pop firmament right now, and we’re proud that Austin is home base for both of them,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “They bring a fresh sensibility to classic songwriting, with a little bit of edge and plenty of catchy hooks.”

Jade Bird setlist:

Headstart

Prototype

Now is the Time

Candidate

I Get No Joy

Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?

Lottery

Going Gone

Dayglow setlist:

Something

Medicine

Crying on the Dancefloor

Can I Call You Tonight?

Close To You

Everybody Wants To Rule The World

Run the World!!!

Season 47 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately):

October 2 Miranda Lambert with Jack Ingram & Jon Randall

October 9 Jade Bird / Dayglow

October 16 Jon Batiste

October 23 Sarah Jarosz / Billy Strings

October 30 Brandy Clark / Charley Crockett

November 6 Leon Bridges / Khruangbin

November 13 Jackson Browne

November 20 Brittany Howard

Tags Dayglow, Jade Bird

Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Episode recap: Miranda Lambert with Jack Ingram and Jon Randall

Post author By michael
Post date September 29, 2021

photo by Scott Newton

Austin City Limits is thrilled to launch Season 47 with a gem: an intimate hour of songs and friendship with country superstar Miranda Lambert joined by songwriting partners Jack Ingram and Jon Randall. The trio showcase their acclaimed collaborative project The Marfa Tapes, an album recorded in the West Texas desert town of Marfa, in a new installment premiering Saturday, October 2 @9pm ET/8pm CT. This dazzling acoustic hour spotlights the three longtime friends and co-writers, and offers a fascinating look at the trio’s collaborative and creative process, filled with the stories behind the songs and late night tales behind the recording.

Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to deliver a new season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The 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 immediately following the initial broadcast.

“Welcome to Marfa” hollers Texas songwriting legend Jack Ingram, as he kicks off the captivating hour. “We’re on a journey together, to Marfa, Texas,” explains Miranda Lambert. “Thank you in advance for going down this songwriter trail with us—we hope you have some fun and cry a little and laugh a little and drink a lot.” The co-writers and longtime friends perform highlights from their recent trio record, The Marfa Tapes, alongside hits from their songwriting catalog including “Tin Man” and “Tequila Does.” The native Texan singer-songwriters, armed with acoustic guitars and intricate harmonies, take viewers on a “journey together out to the West side” of Texas where, Lambert says, “there’s a special kind of magic” and where the stripped-down songs were conceived, intentionally capturing the “dust, wind and the cactus” of the high desert. “Thanks for enjoying this campfire we’re trying to bring to you,” says ace guitarist Randall. The songwriters share the stories behind the songs: “There’s been some men in my life that have driven me to drink a little bit more,” confesses Lambert, introducing the soul-baring heartbreaker “Ghost.” The trio perform the first song they wrote on their initial trip to Marfa together in 2015, the gutpunch “The Wind’s Just Gonna Blow” with Lambert adding, “it started the whole shebang.” The entertaining hour offers laughter and levity with the country-cheater anthem “Am I Right or Amarillo,” and finds Lambert staring down a backstage temptress on “Geraldene,” with the takeaway “You’re trailer park pretty but you’re never gonna be Jolene.” Each songwriter shines in the spotlight, taking turns in the lead. The three trade verses on “Tin Man” for a stunning rendition of their 2018 ACM Song of the Year and close out the memorable hour with the rollicking ode to late nights and liquor with the spirited “Tequila Does.”

photo by Scott Newton

“This hour will take you out to the wide open spaces of West Texas, where these songs came to life, and give you a rare look at the creative process of three of Country’s best songwriters,” said ACL Executive Producer Terry Lickona. “The only thing missing is the tequila.”

Episode setlist:

Two-Step Down to Texas

Am I Right or Amarillo

Ghost

Anchor

In His Arms

Tin Man

Waxahachie

Geraldene

Wind’s Just Gonna Blow

Amazing Grace – West Texas

I Don’t Like It

We’ll Always Have the Blues

Tequila Does

Season 47 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately):

October 2 Miranda Lambert with Jack Ingram & Jon Randall

October 9 Jade Bird / Dayglow

October 16 Jon Batiste

October 23 Sarah Jarosz / Billy Strings

October 30 Brandy Clark / Charley Crockett

November 6 Leon Bridges / Khruangbin

November 13 Jackson Browne

November 20 Brittany Howard

Tags Jack Ingram, Jon Randall, Miranda Lambert

ACL announces Season 47 broadcast schedule

Post author By michael
Post date September 2, 2021

Iconic television series Austin City Limits proudly announces the fall return of the program and the initial Season 47 broadcast line-up with eight all-new installments to begin airing October 2 at 8pm CT/9pm ET as part of the blue-chip broadcast’s thirteen-episode season. ACL brings fans a full season, packed with a stellar slate of ACL legends and highly-anticipated debuts from some of today’s most talked-about live acts. Despite the challenges facing live music during the last year, ACL is proud to deliver brand new performances for fans, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The 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 immediately following the initial broadcast.

Austin City Limits returns this fall with a singular highlight as the season opener: country superstar Miranda Lambert joined by songwriting partners Jack Ingram and Jon Randall, showcase their acclaimed The Marfa Tapes, an album recorded in the West Texas desert town of Marfa. This dazzling acoustic hour spotlights the three longtime friends and co-writers, and offers a fascinating look at the trio’s collaborative and creative process, filled with the stories behind the songs and late night tales behind the recording.

The season continues with highly-anticipated debut appearances: New Orleans bandleader Jon Batiste, a Grammy and Oscar-winning musician, delivers a high-energy tour-de-force backed by an 18-piece band, performing selections from his soulful album WE ARE in a must-see hour. ACL spotlights next-generation standouts: acclaimed young British singer-songwriter Jade Bird brings songs from her new album Different Kinds of Light; she shares an hour with Austin indie-pop breakout artist Dayglow, who performs songs from his Harmony House. A pair of country sensations shine in a captivating double-bill with CMA Award-winner and eight-time Grammy nominee Brandy Clark showcasing her 2021 Grammy-nominated Your Life is a Record; while rising star Texas country singer Charley Crockett debuts songs from his new Music City USA. Grammy-winning bluegrass stars share a spell-binding hour that forecasts the genre’s future: Sarah Jarosz makes her third appearance on the ACL stage with selections from World On the Ground, the 2021 Grammy-winner for Best Americana Album; while fan favorite Billy Strings delivers an electrifying debut with songs from Home, his 2021 Grammy Award-winning Best Bluegrass Album and debuts new numbers from his upcoming Renewal. Two Texas originals share a highly-anticipated hour: Grammy-winning Fort Worth R&B artist and songwriter Leon Bridges makes his second ACL appearance with highlights from his latest, Gold-Diggers Sound, and Houston eclectic groove trio Khruangbin make their ACL debut with standouts from their global sensation Mordechai.

A season highpoint is the ACL return of legendary singer-songwriter Jackson Browne for the first time in nearly 20 years, as he showcases a chart-topping new collection of songs, Downhill From Everywhere, alongside career highlights from his five decade career. Celebrated singer and multiple Grammy recipient Brittany Howard rounds out the first half of Season 47, returning to the ACL stage for a long-awaited solo debut with songs from her 2021 Grammy-winning gem Jaime.

“The world is still fighting its way out of this pandemic, but Austin City Limits is back – without missing a beat,” says longtime executive producer Terry Lickona. “As always, we love to mix things up with some remarkable new talent as well as fan favorites, along with a few surprises. ACL celebrates the return of live music!”

Season 47 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately):

October 2 Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram & Jon Randall: The Marfa

Tapes

October 9 Jade Bird / Dayglow

October 16 Jon Batiste

October 23 Sarah Jarosz / Billy Strings

October 30 Brandy Clark / Charley Crockett

November 6 Leon Bridges / Khruangbin

November 13 Jackson Browne

November 20 Brittany Howard

Austin City Limits

Tags Billy Strings, Brandy Clark, Brittany Howard, Charley Crockett, Dayglow, Jack Ingram, Jackson Browne, Jade Bird, Jon Batiste, Jon Randall, Khruangbin, Leon Bridges, Miranda Lambert, Sarah Jarosz

Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

ACL brings classic Allen Toussaint episode back to air

Post author By michael
Post date February 11, 2021

photo by Scott Newton

Austin City Limits closes out Season 46 with one of the most-requested episodes in the ACL archive: a vintage hour with the late New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint, performing iconic gems from across his over half-century career. Originally broadcast over a decade ago in 2010, the installment remains one of the most enduring, entertaining hours in ACL’s history. The encore broadcast premieres Saturday, February 13 at 8pm CT/9pm ET, as the final offering for Season 46. The episode will be available to music fans everywhere to stream online beginning Sunday, February 14 @10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. With live music on hold, ACL continues to provide viewers a front-row seat to the best in performance. The program airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings for times) and full episodes are made available online for a limited time at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding future Season 47 tapings, broadcast schedules and select live stream updates.

On the eve of Mardi Gras, ACL celebrates the exceptional life and career of Allen Toussaint on the heels of what would have been his 83rd birthday. Born and raised in New Orleans, Mr. Toussaint built a legendary career alongside America’s finest musicians, sustaining his beloved city’s rich tradition of rhythm, blues and jazz, lifting it to the national stage. The songwriting legend/musician/arranger/producer was a fixture of modern New Orleans music since the 1950s, penning or producing hits for Ernie K-Doe (“Mother-In-Law”), Lee Dorsey (“Working in the Coal Mine”), Glen Campbell (“Southern Nights”), the Pointer Sisters (“Yes We Can Can”) and LaBelle (“Lady Marmalade”), among many, many others. Toussaint was a de facto musical ambassador for the Crescent City, playing Nola’s Jazzfest virtually every year since the mid-1970s until his death in 2015. He wrote countless hit songs recorded by artists from all genres, produced hundreds of fantastic recordings, and created a steady stream of hits over the years, earning the unanimous respect of both artists and fans in New Orleans and beyond.

In this exuberant hour, Toussaint’s timeless standards live on as he performs a career-spanning set and shares the stories behind many of his best-known songs. Opening appropriately with the funky “There’s A Party Going On,” Toussaint cuts a dapper figure in a canary yellow suit and pocket square. He greets the crowd with a jovial “Tonight we’ll be doing songs that I’ve written for various folk over the years, and a few I wish I’d written.” He performs a thrilling medley of early highlights, including “A Certain Girl” and “Fortune Teller,” made famous in the 1960s by iconic acts such as The Yardbirds and The Rolling Stones. Toussaint dazzles on the piano, performing instrumental numbers from his acclaimed 2009 album The Bright Mississippi, demonstrating his love of jazz and what a magnificent left-handed pianist he was. “ Toussaint launches into “St. James Infirmary,” introducing it as “A tune that’s been floating around N’awlins forever, but it’s a wonderful song.” A set high point is the funky anthem “Yes We Can Can,” with unity conscious lyrics that continue to resonate today. He closes the sparkling hour with a vivid, spoken word intro to “Southern Nights,” the title track of his acclaimed 1975 solo album, inspired by childhood memories of the Louisiana countryside where his Creole cousins lived.

photo by Scott Newton

Allen Toussaint setlist:

There’s A Party Going On

Medley:

A Certain Girl

Mother-In-Law

Fortune Teller

Working in the Coal Mine

Egyptian Fantasy

St. James Infirmary

Solitude

Yes We Can Can (w/We Are America intro)

Get Out of My Life Woman

Southern Nights

ACL’s Season 46 premiered in October 2020 with standout performances including 2021 Grammy nominees Rufus Wainwright and blues-soul luminary Ruthie Foster. In a year of profound loss, ACL saluted a trio of ACL greats we lost during 2020: legendary singer/songwriters John Prine, Jerry Jeff Walker and Billy Joe Shaver. Season 46 featured many must-see ACL debuts including UK country-soul sensation Yola, 1970s outlaw country legend Ray Wylie Hubbard, acclaimed Austin breakout singer-songwriter/guitar ace Jackie Venson and dynamic husband-and-wife Americana duo The War And Treaty. The diverse season also featured the return of rock and country trailblazers The Mavericks for the first time in two decades with their first-ever Spanish language album. ACL celebrated iconic acts that have made history on the ACL stage with special hourlong retrospectives: Stevie Ray Vaughan: 30 Years On, celebrating the blues-rock guitar giant on the 30th anniversary of his tragic death, a silver anniversary celebration of rock superstars Foo Fighters, a five-decade career retrospective of western swing legends Asleep at the Wheel and Best of Spoon, spotlighting the acclaimed Austin band, now one of modern rock’s premier bands.

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 future Season 47 tapings, live streams 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 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 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 Allen Toussaint, New Orleans

Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

ACL salutes Jerry Jeff Walker and Billy Joe Shaver

Post author By michael
Post date February 4, 2021

Austin City Limits fondly salutes a pair of American originals: Jerry Jeff Walker and Billy Joe Shaver in an hour loaded with honky tonk charm. ACL tips our hat and celebrates these two Texas trailblazers, pioneers of Austin’s cosmic cowboy and outlaw country movement, who passed away within days of each other in October 2020. The hour-long installment features historic highlights from the influential troubadours’ multiple appearances on the ACL stage. The broadcast premieres Saturday, February 6 at 8pm CT/9pm ET, as part of the iconic series Season 46. The episode will be available to music fans everywhere to stream online beginning Sunday, February 7 @10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. With live music on hold, ACL continues to provide viewers a front-row seat to the best in performance. The program airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings for times) and full episodes are made available online for a limited time at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding future tapings, episode schedules and select live stream updates.

Jerry Jeff Walker and Billy Joe Shaver each appeared on ACL four times over the years. The hour captures standout performances from the two hard-livin’, freewheelin’, influential artists across the decades. Walker blazed a trail with his landmark 1973 live album Viva Terlingua!, and became a touchstone of the cosmic cowboy movement in the ‘70s. Jerry Jeff and his peers used their rowdy yet laid back sound to bring together both sides of the Texas cultural divide, with hippies and rednecks, liberals and conservatives, finding common ground through their love of good tunes and a good time. Walker helped pioneer a style of singing and songwriting that flavored its country with folk introspection and rock & roll energy. ACL dips into the archives for some primo vintage clips, including a 1986 performance of Walker’s boozing, brawling, signature anthem “Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother,” showcasing his affable, singalong style. Jerry Jeff made his debut in the first season of ACL in 1976 and the appearance features the artist and his Lost Gonzo Band performing the classic “Mr. Bojangles,” a song Walker wrote, made famous by artists as far-ranging as Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Sammy Davis Jr. He showcases his inimitable storytelling style on ”Stoney,” before closing out with a breezy “Bye buckaroos,” to the Austin audience, adding “It’s been one of them high-flying days.”

One of the most revered country music singer-songwriters of the last century, Billy Joe Shaver helped launch the outlaw country uprising in Austin in the early 1970s and made his share of definitive Texas outlaw recordings over the course of his storied career. A larger-than-life figure, nobody wrote songs about hard living and redemption like Billy Joe Shaver. Whether he was talking about falling off the wagon or getting back on, the Texas native’s plain-spoken eloquence found beauty in the rough times, and expressed it with optimism for the future. Widely-respected by peers (among them: Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash), his breakthrough came after penning the majority of songs on Waylon Jennings’ classic 1973 album Honky Tonk Heroes.

photo by Scott Newton

ACL pays tribute to the down-to-earth icon and his remarkable legacy with a retrospective showcasing many of his greatest tunes starting with his ACL debut in 1980. A compelling, charismatic performer, Billy Joe performs catalog highlights including “Georgia On A Fast Train” (a song still featured in Willie Nelson’s repertoire), “Ride Me Down Easy” and “Black Rose” (featuring Shaver’s classic couplet “The Devil made me do it the first time/ The second time I done it on my own”). Accompanied by his beloved son, guitarist Eddy Shaver on all his ACL outings, the country songwriting giant performs “I’m Just An Old Chunk of Coal (But I’m Gonna Be a Diamond Someday)” in 1985 and joins Waylon and Willie and the boys as part of a 1997 Songwriters Showcase with a moving acoustic performance of a signature tune, the gem “Live Forever,” with the line “‘Just like the songs I leave behind me/ I’m gonna live forever now.’” Ride on Cowboy.

“Far more than Willie or Waylon, Jerry Jeff and Billy Joe were the true outlaws of Country music – and they lived the lives to prove it,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Jerry Jeff had as much to do as Willie with putting Austin on the musical map, and Billy Joe pretty much launched Waylon’s career with his songs. They both carried the Outlaw tradition straight into the 21st century, and really didn’t give a damn what anybody else thought!”

Jerry Jeff Walker setlist:

Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother (1986)

L.A. Freeway (1976)

Mr. Bojangles (1976)

Stoney (1986)

Gettin’ By (1976)

Billy Joe Shaver setlist:

Georgia On A Fast Train (1985)

Black Rose (1980)

Honky Tonk Heroes (1980)

Ragged Old Truck (1980)

Ride Me Down Easy (1985)

Willy the Wandering Gypsy and Me (1985)

I’m Just An Old Chunk of Coal (But I’m Gonna Be a Diamond Someday) (1985)

Live Forever (1997)

You Asked Me To (1980)

Season 46 Broadcast Schedule:

January 9 Foo Fighters Rock Austin City Limits

January 16 The War And Treaty | Ruthie Foster

January 23 Ray Wylie Hubbard

January 30 The Best of Spoon

February 6 Texas Icons: Jerry Jeff Walker & Billy Joe Shaver

February 13 Allen Toussaint: New Orleans Legend

ACL’s Season 46 premiered in October with standout performances from 2021 Grammy nominee Rufus Wainwright, UK country-soul sensation Yola, rock and country trailblazers The Mavericks, acclaimed Austin standout Jackie Venson, salutes to late ACL legends John Prine and Stevie Ray Vaughan, a celebration of 50 years of Asleep at the Wheel 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.

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 Billy Joe Shaver, cosmic cowboy, Jerry Jeff Walker, outlaw country