Austin City Limits* ticket giveaway is now over
Austin City Limits will be taping a performance by Vampire Weekend on Sunday, March 17th, at 8 pm at ACL Live at The Moody Theater (310 W. 2nd Street, Willie Nelson Blvd). We will be giving away a limited number of space available passes to this taping. Enter your name and email address on the below form by 9 am Tuesday, March 12.
Passes are not transferable and cannot be sold. Standing may be required.
No photography, recording or cell phone use in the studio.
Texas has more than its fair share of music of every stripe, but one of its most (in)famous strains is the Lone Star singer/songwriter. This week we have two of the best: Robert Earl Keen and Hayes Carll.
The Houston-born Keen is an old ACL pal – this episode is his fifth appearance on our stage. Supporting his album Rose Hotel, Keen runs through a set of his humorous and poignant slices of life, from the statement of purpose “Throwin’ Rocks” to the spoken-word fantasia “The Great Hank” to the Levon Helm tribute “Man Behind the Drums.” Backed by his longtime band, plus guests Lloyd Maines, Danny Barnes and Bukka Allen, Keen reminds us why he’s considered the premier Texas songwriter of our age.
A relatively young buck on the Americana scene, Hayes Carll has garnered multiple awards with his steady country/folk melodies and sardonic sense of humor. Here he draws from both his album Trouble in Mind and his stash of then-unreleased tunes for the unabashed “Wild As Turkey,” the cheeky “Another Like You” (a duet with bassist Bonnie Whitmore that would appear on his next record KMAG YOYO) and the artist’s anthem “Drunken Poet’s Dream,” on which he’s joined by his co-author, Texas singer/songwriter legend Ray Wylie Hubbard.
Check out the episode page for more info, and join us on your local PBS station for the best in Texas songsmithery. Keep up with ACL goings-on with our Facebook and Twitter pages and our newsletter. Next week: The National and Band of Horses.
Widespread Panic has spent time on the ACL stage before, visiting us in Seasons 26 and 31. But we never had a show quite like this. Not only was the Georgia band on a tour celebrating its 25th anniversary, but this Season 37 gem was recorded on St. Patrick’s Day during Austin’s venerable South By Southwest Music Festival. In other words, this episode treats fans to a retrospective show recorded in a party atmosphere. The south’s most resilient jam band performs not only recent material like “Dirty Side Down,” “Up All Night” and the salutatory “May Your Glass Be Filled,” but also reaches deep into its sizeable catalog. Highlights include the choogling “Pigeons,” from its 1991 self-titled second record, the Junior Kimbrough cover “Junior,” from its reputation-solidifying 1994 LP Ain’t Life Grand, and the concert staple “Chilly Water,” from all-the-way-back-in 1988’s debut Space Wrangler. Add a feisty take on Tom Waits’ “Goin’ Out West” to the party and we’ve got a special Widespread Panic show.
Check out the episode page for more pertinent info, and check your local listings for showtimes. Don’t forget to check in with our Facebook and Twitter pages and newsletter for ACL news. Next week: Robert Earl Keen and Hayes Carll.
For the past decade, Austin City Limits has been the best source for indie rock on television. This spring, we’ll keep that particular brand of goodness coming with new tapings featuring Grizzly Bear and Jim James. Grizzly Bear has been on the rise for all of their decade-long existence, and we’re happy to finally bring their visceral, majestic indie rock to our stage on April 10 as they support their acclaimed latest LP Shields. Brilliant My Morning Jacket leader James is no stranger to ACL – this May 5 show celebrating his eclectic, atmospheric solo album Regions of Light and Sound of God will be his sixth appearance on our stage.
We’ve got more great music on the way to our studio – stayed tuned for information on how to be in the audience for one of these tapings by following us on Facebook and Twitter and in this space.
Triple Grammy-winning artist Esperanza Spalding makes her return to Austin City Limits this weekend as the full-hour headliner in the program’s season finale. A mesmerizing performance from an artist who transcends jazz, in a touching tribute Spalding dedicates the episode to legendary guitarist Jef Lee Johnson, who passed away January 28, 2013. The appearance marks their final performance together.
In her highly-anticipated return to ACL, Esperanza Spalding, along with a stellar 11-piece band, performs songs from her latest release Radio Music Society, which recently scored two 2013 Grammy Awards, including Best Jazz Vocal Album. The album represents a celebratory vision of the artists who helped cultivate and inspire Spalding’s career throughout the years. Radio Music Society has received high praise from critics, who hail the album’s “journey through soul, gospel, balladry and big-band swing” [The New York Times] and “torchy swaggers, world-jazzy guitar grooves propelling smoky saxes, and political songs with only a Hammond organ for company” [The Guardian].
Spalding made her ACL debut back in Season 35, performing tracks from her 2008 breakthrough Esperanza, and wowed an audience largely unfamiliar with her music. Her appearance continues to be one of ACL’s most popular encore episodes. She has since gone on to capture the attention of audiences around the globe, leading to her stunning 2011 Grammy win as the first jazz artist to win for Best New Artist. Spalding’s dynamic relationship with her acoustic double bass has cemented her presence in musical history as a modern jazz virtuoso with “a light, fizzy, optimistic drive that’s in her melodic bass playing and her elastic, small-voiced singing” [The Times].
“The first time Esperanza appeared on ACL, she was a best-kept secret,” admits ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “But now the word is out, and the world is her stage. This time she also brings a stage full of incredible jazz musicians, and an hour full of new music. People will be writing about this show 50 years from now.”
Check out the episode page for more information. Don’t forget to keep up with ACL goings-on on our Facebook and Twitter pages, or via our newsletter. While our new episodes may be over, we’ve still got a lot of great music to come, starting next week with an encore of Widespread Panic.
This weekend, ACL presents two game-changers bringing modern blues and soul to a new generation: Gary Clark Jr. and Alabama Shakes. The power of live performance is front and center as Austin’s own rock ‘n’ soul phenomenon Clark and soulful rockers Alabama Shakes take the ACL stage in separate showcases.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for sixteen years” says a stoked Gary Clark Jr. from the stage. “It feels so good to be here right now.” Long Austin’s favorite son, the twenty-eight year old bluesman exploded onto the music scene when he delivered an incredible debut performance at Eric Clapton’s 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival. Born and raised in Austin, Clark began playing guitar at age 12, tearing up hometown stages since he was a teenager. He made a name for himself across the globe with the release of his critically-acclaimed 2012 major label debut Blak and Blu, and kicked off 2013 with a performance for President and Mrs. Obama at The White House. Clark has earned across-the-board raves for his singular talent, with The New York Times hailing Clark as “a guitarist of deep magnetism and tremendous feel.” The guitar virtuoso flaunts his six-string chops in his ACL appearance, thrilling the audience with a bold mix of blues, rock, soul and funk. Clark made his auspicious ACL debut back in Season 33 as part of the Tribute to Bluesman Jimmy Reed, with Jimmie Vaughan and Omar Dykes, and with his own set Clark proves he’s the one to watch.
“He’s already shared the stage with the likes of the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton, but Gary is the essence of what his hometown Austin’s music is all about, “says executive producer Terry Lickona. “He learned from the best in every genre from the age of 12, and remains true to his heart and his roots. He’s our pride and joy.”
Raucous newcomers Alabama Shakes combine the old and the new to create gritty, joyous and soulfully raw music. Muscle Shoals-inspired and hailing from Athens, Alabama, the foursome enthusiastically blend rock with soul, country, blues and roots. The rock quartet has attracted widespread praise, including their recent Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. Alabama Shakes’ style is marked by lead singer Brittany Howard’s powerful vocals—which have been compared to those of Janis Joplin and Otis Redding—and the group’s irresistible energy. Performing tracks from their breakthrough release Boys & Girls, the band open their ACL debut with the breakout hit “Hold On,” and launch into an ecstatic, transcendent, rafter-shaking set.
“There’s a reason Grammy voters nominated them for Best New Artist of the Year, the same reason we taped this show before they had even released their first record,” declares Lickona. “Raw talent is hard to miss, and a vocal talent like Brittany Howard comes along once in a decade – if that.”
Check out the episode page for more info on this great show. You can keep up with ACL events via our Facebook and Twitter pages and our newsletter. Next week: the return of Esperanza Spalding.