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News

Giveaway: Janelle Monae

UPDATE giveaway is now over.

Austin City Limits will be taping a performance by Janelle Monáe on Monday, October 8th 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 noon on Thursday, October 4th.

Winners will be chosen at random and a photo ID will be required to pick up tickets. Winners will be notified by email. Passes are not transferable and cannot be sold. Standing may be required. No photography, recording or cell phone use in the studio. No cameras computers or recording devices allowed in venue.

Categories
News

Giveaway: Residente

UPDATE giveaway is now over.

Austin City Limits will be taping a performance by Residente on Sunday, October 7th 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 noon on Wednesday, October 3rd.

Winners will be chosen at random and a photo ID will be required to pick up tickets. Winners will be notified by email. Passes are not transferable and cannot be sold. Standing may be required. No photography, recording or cell phone use in the studio. No cameras computers or recording devices allowed in venue.

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News Taping Recap

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue turn ACL into one big party

Whither goeth New Orleans, there goeth the party. And no one better represents New Orleans in the new millennium than Trombone Shorty. Along with his stalwart band Orleans Avenue, the singer/songwriter/horn blower channels his hometown’s legacy of soul, funk, jazz, rock and hip-hop into an irresistibly delicious stew. We drank deeply from that gumbo back in 2010, when Shorty first appeared on the show. For this taping, he brought us something special: the Voodoo Threauxdown, an expanded version of the New Orleans experience that raised having a good time to an art form.  

As some pre-taped brass played, Orleans Avenue took the stage and launched into “Buckjump” with their trademark blend of funky N.O. rhythms and rock power chords. Once the groove began cooking, Shorty himself joined in, adding his raucous namesake instrument to the riffs. After that high energy start, the only thing to do was keep it hot, and they did with the rocking “The Craziest Things.” “What’s up, ACL? We meet again!” proclaimed Shorty, leading into the greasy funk of Allen Toussaint’s “On the Way Down,” featuring Peter Murano’s electrifying guitar solo. The horsepower didn’t let up an iota for “Here Come the Girls,” which added some New Orleans Indian second line to the intro, rap on the bridge and call-and-response from the crowd for another inexorable good time. Shorty drove the song home with circular breathing and an almost impossibly sustained trumpet blast, before conducting the band in extended rhythmic improvisation. The crowd went wild like it was the closing number. But the show wasn’t even halfway done.

Most performers would take this time for a breather, maybe a ballad. Not Shorty – while “Long Weekend” had a more relaxed, almost disco groove, the energy was just as relentless as it had been thus far, spiced with some phrases from Dr. John’s “Going Back to New Orleans” and a speed-demon conga solo from percussionist Weedie Braimah. Then the guitars cranked and Shorty got down with the funky rocker “Where It At?” as the bandleader traded licks with guitarist Joshua Connelly. Follow-up “Lose My Mind” accurately described what the audience was doing by that point, especially when the song became a showcase for powerhouse vocalists Tracci Lee and Chrishira Perrier. The group finally laid back – well, almost – with the nearly mid-tempo “Something Beautiful,” allowing the audience to catch its collective breath.

And a good thing, too, as Shorty brought up one of his New Orleans mentors: ACL Hall of Famer Cyril Neville. The nattily-dressed Neville Brother reached back to the Nevilles’ predecessor, though, burning through the legendary Meters’ “No More Okey Doke” and “Fiyo On the Bayou,” a certified New Orleans classic that made every pair of hips in the room move. After a warm embrace that felt like a passing of the torch, Neville left the stage, followed quickly by Shorty and Orleans Avenue. But let’s face it: we all knew it wasn’t really over. Sure enough, the band came back and ripped into first album steamroller “Hurricane Season,” segueing seamlessly into the unconquerable funk of “Do To Me.” Just as a reminder of where this all came from, Shorty and sax players BK Jackson and Dan Oestreicher dropped into “When the Saints Go Marching In” in the brass band tradition, leading the crowd into a giant singalong. Once the tune circled back to “Do To Me,” Shorty joined the audience, turning the room into a massive jumpfest. One band intro and flourish later, the song – and show – was over, band and crowd finally satiated.

If the Neville Brothers were New Orleans’ greatest musical ambassadors in the twentieth century, that honor goes to Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue for the twenty-first. You’ll see why when this episode airs early next year on your local PBS station.

Categories
News

Giveaway: Khalid 10/3

UPDATE giveaway is now over.

Austin City Limits will be taping a performance by Khalid on Wednesday, October 3rd 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 noon on Monday, October 1st.

Winners will be chosen at random and a photo ID will be required to pick up tickets. Winners will be notified by email. Passes are not transferable and cannot be sold. Standing may be required. No photography, recording or cell phone use in the studio. No cameras computers or recording devices allowed in venue.

Categories
News

Giveaway: Trombone Shorty 9/26

UPDATE giveaway is now over.

Austin City Limits will be taping a performance by Trombone Shorty on Wednesday, September 26th 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 noon on Monday, September 24th.

Winners will be chosen at random and a photo ID will be required to pick up tickets. Winners will be notified by email. Passes are not transferable and cannot be sold. Standing may be required. No photography, recording or cell phone use in the studio. No cameras computers or recording devices allowed in venue.

Categories
Featured News Taping Announcement

New tapings: Khalid, Residente, Janelle Monae, The Arctic Monkeys

Austin City Limits is beyond excited to announce a stellar slate of tapings featuring artists performing at our namesake Austin City Limits Music Festival this October. Please welcome for the first time: rising star Khalid on Oct. 3, Latin superstar rapper Residente on Oct. 7, boundary-smashing soul auteur Janelle Monáe on Oct. 8 and British modern rock icons Arctic Monkeys on Oct. 13.

Five-time Grammy® nominated artist Khalid has seen great success since he released his first single “Location” right before his high school graduation. The song’s domination led to Khalid’s major label deal with Right Hand Music Group/RCA Records followed by the release of his debut album American Teen. The album received mass critical acclaim with Rolling Stone calling Khalid a “pop prodigy” and TIME Magazine stating, ““His thoughtful, relatable reflections on modern youth culture and the limitations of love are just as pitch-perfect as his soulful, measured delivery.” American Teen shattered expectations, as it stayed in the Top 200 for 51 weeks, peaked at #4, and stayed in the Top 20 for 48 out of the 51 weeks it was in the Top 200. The singer-songwriter has over one billion streams worldwide across all partners, his first single “Location” is certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA, his previous single “Young Dumb & Broke” is certified 3X Platinum, and his album is now certified 2x Platinum. Since the album’s debut, Khalid has garnered five 2018 Grammy® nominations including Best New Artist and landed on the cover of Billboard’s 2018 Grammy® Preview issue. He recently won two 2018 Teen Choice Awards for Choice Breakout Artist and Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Song for “Love Lies” with Normani. He was also nominated for a 2017 BET Award for Best New Artist, a 2017 Teen Choice Award for Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Song for “Location”, and a 2017 American Music Award for Favorite Song-Soul/R&B for “Location.” Khalid also won Top New Artist at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, Best New Artist at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards and an MTV’s Woodie To Watch Award. In addition to American Teen, Khalid has collaborated with some of music’s biggest stars. He has been featured on a number of songs including mega hits like Calvin Harris’s “Rollin” with Future, “1-800-273-8255” with Logic and Alessia Cara, “Silence” with Marshmello, “Lovely” with Billie Eilish, “Youth” with Shawn Mendes, and many more. Khalid’s current singles “Love Lies”, a duet with Normani, and “OTW” featuring Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack are burning up the airwaves. Khalid recently wrapped up his third sold-out North American headlining tour.

Born René Pérez Joglar, Residente is a Puerto Rican rapper, writer, producer and co-founder of the trailblazing alternative rap group Calle 13. He has won a record-breaking 28 Grammy® Awards (four Grammys® and 24 Latin Grammys®). Residente studied fine art for eight years before launching an independent career as a lyricist, performer and director of many of his own music videos. He was inspired to create his self-titled 2017 debut solo album after a DNA test showed that he had roots all over the world. Thus galvanized, he traveled the globe, visiting the different countries where his roots could be found and recording with local musicians in Siberia, Moscow, China, Ghana, Burkina Faso, France, and many more. The resulting album includes guest performances from Broadway star Lin-Manuel Miranda (Residente’s distant cousin), Tuareg world music star Bombino, French pop singer SoKo, At the Drive-In/Mars Volta guitarist Omar Rodriguez-López and members of the Peking Opera. Rolling Stone notes “Each song is its own new genre, sourced from regional sounds and specially tailored to reflect the diversity of his DNA,” while Remezcla remarks that “at the heart is Residente’s belief that knowledge of our fellow global citizens is power.” Billboard simply describes the album as “exciting, thought-provoking, touching and shocking.”  Residente has been recognized for his commitment to social justice, championing educational and native rights across Latin America. The superstar received the prestigious Nobel Peace Summit Award in 2015 for his efforts to promote social awareness and peace. He has also served as the spokesperson for UNICEF and Amnesty International campaigns, and in 2018 was awarded the BMI Champion Award for his musical career and humanitarian work – the first Latin American artist to receive this recognition.  

photo by JUCO

Janelle Monáe is a Grammy® nominated singer-songwriter, performer, producer, activist and actress. She recently released her critically-acclaimed third solo album Dirty Computer and the accompanying film Dirty Computer: An Emotion Picture by Janelle Monáe, earning widespread praise for her cinematic range and vision.  The L.A. Times calls the record “a warm and vibrant tribute to the marginalized people, especially women and those with fluid ideas about gender and sexuality, whom Monáe sees as the true embodiment of America’s promise.” Q describes it as “fierce, honest and a challenge to the forces of obsolescence,” while The A.V. Club simply says “she’s outdone herself in both the execution of this vision and its resonance.” Rolling Stone put it more bluntly: “It’s a sexy MF-ing masterpiece.” The UK’s Guardian hailed her current world tour as “euphoric funk at the edge of megastardom.”  Immersed in the performing arts at a young age, the Kansas City native founded her own record label, Wondaland Arts Society, releasing the 2008 EP Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase). Monáe went on to release 2010’s acclaimed The ArchAndroid and 2013’s The Electric Lady. Additionally, she took her talents to the silver screen, starring in the 2017 Academy Awards Best Picture Moonlight and the Oscar-nominated hit Hidden Figures. Monáe is set to star in Robert Zemeckis’ Welcome to Marwen for release in winter 2018.  The visionary artist launched Fem the Future in 2016, an initiative to create more opportunities to advance the awareness, inclusion and opportunities for women and those who identify as women through music, arts, mentorship and education.

photo by Zachary Michael

One of music’s biggest live acts, Arctic Monkeys make their ACL debut in the midst of a sold-out world tour and a headlining spot on ACL Fest. After springing to international attention in 2006 when their first album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not became the fastest selling debut LP in British chart history, Arctic Monkeys have released a string of critically acclaimed albums. The band’s sixth studio album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, follows the Sheffield, U.K. quartet’s most commercially successful LP to date, 2013’s A.M., which reached #1 on charts in a dozen countries, achieved platinum status in the U.S. and has sold approximately five million copies worldwide. Tranquility Base is a bold and brilliant album reflecting singer/songwriter/bandleader Alex Turner’s ever more comprehensive creative vision. The core ideas for Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino took root in L.A. in the early months of 2017, as Turner began recording demos in his modest home studio. Though he’d rarely written on anything other than guitar, piano-led songs began pouring out of him. After Turner tracked as much as he could at home on his Tascam, Arctic Monkeys reconvened at France’s storied La Frette studio, a converted 19th-century mansion, to spend five weeks recording with their longtime producer James Ford. “There’s a definite vibe about that place,” says guitarist Jamie Cook. “We were really home there…I would probably say it was the best recording session we’ve ever done.” The result is the most unusual record in the band’s six-record repertoire. Q calls it “a strange, wonderful album,” while Spin notes that “the more you give in to these vibes, the more the vibes give back.” “The first listen may be surprising,” says PopMatters, “but repeated listens illuminate that Arctic Monkeys remain progressive and energetic even when style and mood shift dramatically.”

Want to be part of our audience? We will post information on how to get free passes about a week before each taping. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for notice of postings. The broadcast versions will air on PBS as part of our upcoming Season 44.