Category: Taping Announcement

Cameron Crowe to Induct My Morning Jacket into Austin City Limits Hall of Fame

Post author By Lily Angelle
Post date July 16, 2025

Austin City Limits proudly announces that special guest Cameron Crowe will induct rock legends My Morning Jacket into the 2025 Austin City Limits Hall of Fame on Friday, August 1. The Oscar-winning filmmaker and best-selling author will be on hand to honor his friends as the American originals enter the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, joining the esteemed acts inducted since 2014.

In their return to the ACL stage for the first time in nearly a decade, My Morning Jacket will perform a full set taping for the occasion. In a new first, the show is open to all, and the Hall of Fame will not be a ticketed event. Fans will have the opportunity to win free passes to attend by signing up for a ticket giveaway on acltv.com beginning July 24 through July 29.

Cameron Crowe: “Thank you to Austin City Limits for the invitation to help honor My Morning Jacket. MMJ has the rarest kind of mastery. Their songs explode with passion and feeling on stage and in the studio. They’ve long been one of my favorite bands. I can’t wait for a chance to see them play again on the ACL stage.”

Jim James: “We are so excited to experience this ACL honor with the great Cameron Crowe! We have long loved his beautiful visions in the art of filmmaking, as well as his wisdom and humor in the world of music journalism. His art and friendship has enriched our lives so much over the years and we are so stoked to share the stage with him!”

One of America’s most iconic music journalists, Cameron Crowe helped define the job by becoming Rolling Stone’s youngest-ever contributor as a fifteen-year-old high school graduate. He went on to profile the likes of Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Elton John, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and The Who at the heady height of the album-oriented rock era.

Crowe became an acclaimed filmmaker writing and/or directing some of the most beloved films of the past forty years, from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Say Anything… and Singles, to Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky and Almost Famous.

Crowe’s long-awaited memoir, The Uncool, will be published by Avid Reader Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, on October 28, 2025. Hamburgers for the Apocalypse: The Music Journalism of Cameron Crowe, a companion collection of the author’s essential interviews and newly conducted follow-up conversations, will be published in 2026.

The Induction and taping will take place at ACL’s studio home, ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. The hourlong broadcast episode will air as a season highlight of Austin City Limits‘ upcoming Season 51, premiering this October on PBS. The series recently celebrated its milestone 50th Anniversary in 2024 with a landmark campaign honoring its legacy and future. The live music beacon is a public media institution that continues to champion artistry, authenticity and music discovery.

ACL is thrilled to welcome My Morning Jacket into the ACL Hall of Fame and to showcase their latest sonic adventure, is. The Louisville, KY-bred five-piece recently released is, their first album in nearly four years, and their 10th studio album. My Morning Jacket has made a trio of fan-favorite appearances on Austin City Limits over their 25+ year career, with revelatory performances that have earned the band a place in the ACL canon. They made their series debut in Season 31 (2006) and returned within the course of a decade during Season 34 (2008) and Season 42 (2016). Bandleader Jim James also appeared during that period with Monsters of Folk (S36/2010), and as a guest of Bright Eyes (S30/2005) and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band (S37/2011). Additionally, James also taped a solo appearance in 2013 for Season 39.

Since its inception in 2014, the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame has honored legendary artists who have played a pivotal role in the trailblazing music series’ remarkable half-century legacy as a music institution. The inaugural awards honored Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The Hall of Fame has inducted over twenty-five artists at ten previous ceremonies including Lloyd Maines, Asleep at the Wheel, Loretta Lynn, Guy Clark, Flaco Jiménez, Townes Van Zandt, Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King, Roy Orbison, Rosanne Cash, The Neville Brothers, Ray Charles, Marcia Ball, Los Lobos, Lyle Lovett, Buddy Guy, Shawn Colvin, Lucinda Williams, Wilco, Alejandro Escovedo, Sheryl Crow, Joe Ely, John Prine and Trisha Yearwood. The 10th Anniversary Hall of Fame welcomed Garth Brooks to its ranks.

Widely ranked among the greatest live bands of their generation, My Morning Jacket have long maintained their status as one of the most vital forces in American rock-and-roll. Known for their thrillingly expansive and eclectic sound, the five-piece – vocalist/guitarist Jim James, bassist Tom Blankenship, guitarist Carl Broemel, drummer Patrick Hallahan, keyboardist Bo Koster – has influenced an entire era of musicians, largely by staying one step ahead of mainstream pop culture and following their instincts toward endless innovation. For more than 25 years, My Morning Jacket has achieved an incredibly rare feat in the world of modern rock – upholding a long-established cultural legacy while sustaining all the curiosity and creative hunger of their earliest days.

Fans can enter a public giveaway to win free passes to be a part of the audience for this historic Hall of Fame taping. Visit us at acltv.com and follow @acltv on IG, Facebook and X for updates.

Austin City Limits and the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame are produced by Austin PBS. Austin PBS is a non-profit organization providing public television and educational resources to Central Texas as well as producing quality national programming.

Austin City Limits:

A monument to music, Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for more than 50 years. On October 17, 1974, Willie Nelson taped the pilot episode and the trailblazing series premiered on PBS in 1975. The public media mainstay has showcased iconic performances from legends and innovators in every genre of popular song. The series is the flagship of the popular Austin City Limits Music Festival and has earned countless accolades for its quality presentation of live music performances, including a Peabody Award, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame designation and it remains the only TV series awarded the National Medal of Arts. Austin City Limits writes the next chapter in its remarkable 50+ year broadcast run with the upcoming Season 51.

FINNEAS to Tape Austin City Limits in August

Post author By Lily Angelle
Post date July 14, 2025

Photo courtesy of artist management

Austin City Limits (ACL) is thrilled to announce a summer taping with FINNEAS in his headlining ACL debut on August 7. FINNEAS first appeared on the ACL stage in Season 45 in 2019 alongside his sister Billie Eilish and we’re thrilled to welcome the gifted artist back to the ACL stage for his solo debut as a highlight of ACL’s Season 51. Finneas makes his ACL debut showcasing songs from his sophomore solo album, For Cryin’ Out Loud!

Celebrated singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer FINNEAS has quietly emerged as a ubiquitous presence in popular music and culture. He achieved stratospheric success for his groundbreaking work with his sister Billie Eilish, including a history-making ten Grammy Awards for his work with her. His impact has also reverberated through film and television, whether it be writing Academy Award-winning songs for blockbuster films Barbie and No Time To Die or composing original scores for Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuarón’s Apple TV+ series Disclaimer and HBO Max’s The Fallout, Vengeance, and more.

FINNEAS introduced a heartfelt and hypnotic style for his 2019 debut solo outing, Blood Harmony, an EP highlighted by the gold-certified “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night.” 2021 saw him unveil his full-length debut, The Optimist, on Interscope Records. A restless creative, FINNEAS is always challenging himself. It’s why he opted to gather a handful of friends, head to the studio as “a band,” and make his second full-length solo album, For Cryin’ Out Loud! He set the stage for the record with the title track which Rolling Stone hailed “…the work of a popcraft savant with a light, versatile touch.”
We’re thrilled to welcome FINNEAS to our stage in his debut headlining appearance amid a sold-out world tour. Want to be part of our audience? We will post information on how to get free passes a week in advance of the taping. Follow us on IG and Facebook and X for notice of postings. The broadcast episode will air and stream this fall on PBS as part of ACL’s upcoming Season 51.

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Featured Hall of Fame Important Feature Taping Announcement Uncategorized

My Morning Jacket will join Austin City Limits Hall of Fame

Post author By emily
Post date June 11, 2025

Austin City Limits is proud to announce the 11th Annual Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, welcoming a new inductee into its ranks: My Morning Jacket. The ACL veterans and fan-favorites get their flowers, joining the other legendary acts who have been inducted over the past decade. My Morning Jacket will return to the ACL stage on Friday, August 1, 2025, for the first time in nearly a decade, and perform a full set taping for the occasion. The 10th Anniversary ACL Hall of Fame in 2024 marked the first time a single artist was honored with a deep-dive celebration and this year’s Hall of Fame will follow suit. In a new first, the event will be open to all, and the Hall of Fame will not be a ticketed event; instead fans will have the opportunity to win free passes to attend.

ACL is thrilled to welcome My Morning Jacket back to the stage for a victory dance with their induction into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame. The taping will take place at ACL’s studio home, ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. The hourlong broadcast episode will air as a season highlight of Austin City Limits’ upcoming Season 51, premiering this October on PBS. More information about the guest induction and the ticket giveaway will be announced prior to the event.

”We are so beyond honored to be included alongside so many of our heroes and favorite legends in the ACL Hall of Fame!” said My Morning Jacket’s Jim James. “We can’t wait to hit that sacred ACL stage again on August 1st and celebrate this great honor with our beautiful fans.”

My Morning Jacket has made a trio of appearances on the series over their 25+ year career, with revelatory performances that have earned the band a place in the ACL canon. They made their series debut in Season 31 (2006) and returned within the course of a decade during Season 34 (2008) and Season 42 (2016). Bandleader Jim James also appeared during that period with Monsters of Folk (S36/2010), and as a guest of Bright Eyes (S30/2005) and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band (S37/2011). Additionally, James also taped a solo appearance in 2013 for Season 39.

Widely ranked among the greatest live bands of their generation, My Morning Jacket have long maintained their status as one of the most vital forces in American rock-and-roll. Known for their thrillingly expansive and eclectic sound, the Louisville, KY-bred five-piece – vocalist/guitarist Jim James, bassist Tom Blankenship, guitarist Carl Broemel, drummer Patrick Hallahan, keyboardist Bo Koster – has influenced an entire era of musicians, largely by staying one step ahead of mainstream pop culture and following their instincts toward endless innovation. For more than 25 years, My Morning Jacket has achieved an incredibly rare feat in the world of modern rock – upholding a long-established cultural legacy while sustaining all the curiosity and creative hunger of their earliest days.

“My Morning Jacket’s debut in 2006 was on the heels of their breakthrough album ‘Z,’ and they shook the rafters in ole Studio 6A,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Few acts can compare to their ability to take command of the stage – so much so that they appeared three times in ten years! Austin City Limits is proud to welcome them to our Hall of Fame, and I have a feeling the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is next!”

ACL is thrilled to welcome My Morning Jacket into the ACL Hall of Fame and to showcase their latest sonic adventure, is. The band recently released is, their first album in nearly four years, and their 10th studio album; the result is perhaps the most masterfully realized work yet from a band fully committed to their belief in music as a conduit for revelation of all kinds. is finds MMJ deviating from their typically self-produced approach by teaming up with 3x Grammy-winner Brendan O’Brien (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen), and represents a newfound willingness to expand the creative process and involve an outside force in shaping MMJ’s restlessly inventive yet nuanced form of psych-rock. New songs such as the sprawling, album-opening epic, “Out In The Open,” the ravishing love song “Time Waited,” (which soared to #1 on AAA radio), and the delightfully warped “Squid Ink” reveal a band whose voracious creative appetite is wholly matched by a deft command of their visionary musicality.

“All these songs came into existence out of an attempt to connect with something beyond the human experiment, which for me is the whole purpose of music – that connection with something larger than us, yet something we are all equally a part of,” says Jim James. is represents another milestone in the band’s ever-evolving body of work, as well as an opportunity to breathe new energy into their historically stunning and hard-driving live performances. James points to the “undeniable force of loving” as the most essential factor in the band’s longevity and unending enchantment with the process of musical creation.

The Marías and Kelsea Ballerini to tape Austin City Limits in July

Post author By emily
Post date June 6, 2025

Austin City Limits is thrilled to announce a pair of July tapings for our Season 51: on July 8 we welcome the acclaimed, genre-blending indie pop band The Marías, making their ACL debut with songs from their sophomore release Submarine; and on July 10 celebrated country artist Kelsea Ballerini takes the ACL stage in her first-ever appearance with songs from her latest album Patterns.

The Marías are the psychedelic-soul lovechild of Puerto Rican-bred, Atlanta-raised María Zardoya and Los Angeles native, Josh Conway. The pair are joined by their closest friends, Jesse Perlman on guitar and Edward James on keys. The Marías’ undeniably intuitive musical chemistry is evident in their smooth blend of jazz percussion, hypnotic guitar riffs, smoke-velvet vocals and nostalgic horn solos. There’s something irresistibly sensual in their dreamlike fusion of jazz, psychedelia, funk and lounge. Since the 2021 release of their critically acclaimed debut, Cinema, which paid homage to their early days of writing for film and television, the Marías have earned countless accolades and collaborations with some of the biggest names in Latin music, including Bad Bunny and Tainy. Their highly anticipated follow-up, Submarine, represents the next phase of their fascinating sonic journey. Stepping back into the psychedelic indie rock roots that defined their 2017 breakout EP, Superclean, the recent album delivers on a feeling of nostalgia, a sense that you’ve been here before but the geography has evolved. The cinematic swells of their debut have been traded for a sonically matured return to form for an album that Josh calls the “bookend to their trilogy.” A study in aloneness, the evocative ache of Submarine feels, at times, inescapable, as one is faced with what it means to choose solitude, and the pain and beauty so inextricably interwoven within it. It embodies the grief in something as innately human as separation. María’s hypnotic vocals transport listeners to a place of solitude and exploration. The detail that defines their cinematic style off-stage is brought to life during ethereal live performances as the group delivers striking visuals that beautifully complement their dreamy songs, creating an indisputably unique and transportive experience. This bespoke live Submarine show was on full display to rapturous audiences in buzzed-about sets at 2024’s ACL Fest and their recent Coachella appearances. The Marías are currently on a sold-out extended U.S. headlining tour with upcoming festival dates including Lollapalooza, Shaky Knees, and All Things Go.

With a revelatory album, an arena-headlining tour, and a 2025 nomination for the CMA Awards’ top honor of Entertainer of the Year, Kelsea Ballerini is having a moment. A beloved artist known for sparkling live performances, the country hitmaker has had a remarkable decade-long run since arriving on the Nashville scene with her 2015 debut album, The First Time. Ballerini had hit singles right out of the gate, becoming the only female country artist to hit #1 with the first three consecutive singles from a debut album. This history-making feat earned her a Best New Artist Grammy nomination. With seven #1 singles and 36 certifications from the RIAA to date, her catalog boasts a string of essential smashes. Ballerini’s fourth album, Subject To Change, arrived in 2022. The gold-certified first single, “Heartfirst,” earned her a Grammy nomination for “Best Country Solo Performance.” She went on to surprise fans five months later with the release of the intimate six-song Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, which resonated with audiences and earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album. Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, along with an accompanying short film written and directed by Ballerini, marked the multi-platinum star’s most honest work to date and led to her Saturday Night Live debut, universal acclaim from critics including The New York Times, Variety, Rolling Stone, as well as the honor of gracing the cover of TIME Magazine. Her latest critically acclaimed Patterns, her fifth studio album, debuted in the fall of 2024 and topped the Country Albums chart and reached number four on the Billboard 200. The album found Ballerini purposefully surrounding herself with women, along with producer Alysa Vanderheym, and collaborators Jessie Jo Dillon, Karen Fairchild, and Hillary Lindsey. On the album she enlisted Best New Artist GRAMMY nominee Noah Kahan to appear on the tender and beautifully crafted RIAA certified-Gold, CMA Awards-nominated “Musical Event of the Year” and GRAMMY-nominated “Best Country Duo/Group Performance” – single “Cowboys Cry Too.” Most recently, she wrapped up her 35-date Kelsea Ballerini Live On Tour, performing in arenas across the country. Among dozens of accolades thus far, Ballerini has garnered five GRAMMY nominations, won two ACM Awards, picked up two CMA Awards, took home the iHeartRadio Music Awards honor for Best New Artist, and received multiple career nominations from the ACM Awards, American Music Awards, CMA Awards, CMT Awards and People’s Choice Awards. Ballerini was also inducted as a member of the famed Grand Ole Opry in 2019. At the time, she notably became the Opry’s youngest member in its nearly 100-year history. With these accolades, it is no wonder NPR proclaimed, “Kelsea Ballerini is definitely one of the most influential women in country right now… she’s defining the sound of the genre.”

Want to be part of our audience? We will post information on how to get free passes a week in advance of each taping. Follow us on IG and Facebook and X for notice of postings. The broadcast episodes will air this fall on PBS as part of our upcoming Season 51.

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News Taping Announcement

Samara Joy, Cam and MJ Lenderman announced for Season 51 Tapings

Post author By emily
Post date May 1, 2025

Austin City Limits (ACL) is thrilled to announce summer tapings featuring a trio of American originals in their ACL debuts for our Season 51: on May 25 we welcome five-time Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Samara Joy, making her debut with songs from her celebrated 2025 album Portrait; previously announced modern soul act Thee Sacred Souls comes to our stage on May 28, straight from their buzzed-about Coachella performances; country artist Cam joins us on June 2; riding a high after a 2025 Grammy win for her songwriting on the landmark Cowboy Carter, Cam makes her headlining ACL debut with songs from her upcoming new collection; and ascendant singer-songwriter MJ Lenderman takes the ACL stage on July 1 with highlights from his acclaimed Manning Fireworks.

Samara Joy is having a banner year, earning a remarkable fourth and fifth Grammy at this year’s Awards, taking home gold for both Best Jazz Performance and Best Jazz Vocal Album. The 25-year-old jazz vocalist’s latest studio album Portrait won the Outstanding Jazz Album Award at the NAACP Image Awards in February. Joy co-produced the acclaimed Verve release with veteran trumpeter/bandleader and multi-Grammy winner Brian Lynch. Portrait showcases the intimate, soulful chemistry she’s developed with her touring band and spotlights her burgeoning gifts as a lyricist in ingenious arrangements that meld her thoughtful words with music by Charles Mingus, Sun Ra and her late mentor Barry Harris. Joy continues to secure her status as perhaps the first Gen Z jazz vocal star: The New York Times praised the “silky-voiced rising star” for “helping jazz take a youthful turn,” while NPR named her a “classic jazz singer from a new generation.” Joy’s meteoric rise launched in 2022 with the release of her breakout Verve debut, Linger Awhile, which garnered critical raves and signaled the arrival of a once-in-a-generation vocalist. The album earned her a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album in addition to a headline-making win for Best New Artist. A native of the Bronx, Joy became entranced by classic R&B as a child and cut her teeth as a singer in her church’s gospel choir. And while her family history is deeply musical, Joy didn’t delve into the jazz tradition until college. During her studies she won the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, which introduced her to the larger jazz scene as a rising star to watch. She was heard, by audiences and critics alike, as a masterful interpreter of jazz standards and a rightful heiress of the sound, technique and charisma that defined her jazz heroines — including Vaughan, Betty Carter, Abbey Lincoln and Carmen McRae. Joy will tour across the globe throughout 2025, including a career high: her highly-anticipated Carnegie Hall debut this spring.

Multi-platinum country artist Cam turned heads when she performed on our 50th Anniversary special in 2024; she was featured in the program’s songwriter circle, trading songs and verses with Indigo Girls and Brandy Clark in what became a broadcast highlight. The singer and songwriter kicked off 2025 with a career highlight: she picked up her first Grammy win as a songwriter on Beyoncé’s genre-shattering Album of the Year Cowboy Carter. A sought-after collaborator, Cam penned five songs for the landmark album (“Ameriican Requiem,” “Protector,” “Daughter,” “Tyrant,” and “Amen”) and contributed production and backing vocals. On the heels of her big year so far with Beyoncé, Cam is now gearing up for the 2025 release of her highly anticipated new album with RCA Records. Prolific and adored, Cam stepped into the spotlight in a big way with her critically acclaimed debut, Untamed. The chart-topping, triple-platinum release featured the breakthrough smash “Burning House,” and notched Grammy, ACM, and CMA award nominations. She followed with her critically acclaimed sophomore release, The Otherside, which featured the international Jolene-in-reverse hit “Diane,” plus songwriting from Avicii, Harry Styles, Jack Antonoff, and Sam Smith. A captivating live performer with a soaring voice, Cam has consistently sold out shows across the globe, cementing her status as an international powerhouse. From the coveted sunset slot at Stagecoach to top venues across five continents, in recent years, she has been one of the few country acts to play Lollapalooza, ACL Fest, and Outside Lands while also supporting acts like Harry Styles, George Strait, Sam Smith, Loretta Lynn, the Indigo Girls, Eric Church, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill. A vivid storyteller, clever wordsmith, and committed visionary, fans have only just begun to scratch the surface of Cam’s many facets. As she bravely steps into her next era, she’s welcoming everyone into a space that’s inclusive, invigorating, and inspiring.

26-year-old singer-songwriter-guitarist MJ Lenderman makes his ACL debut after a busy couple of years. A rock-and-roll and basketball obsessed kid growing up in the mountain town of Asheville, NC, he put out the breakthrough solo set Boat Songs in 2022; the sleeper hit piled offhanded, Southern-inflected rock on wry, laconic bangers like “Hangover Game,” “Six Flags” and “Tastes Just Like It Costs.” With its barbed little jokes, canny sports references, and gloriously ragged guitar solos, the album became one of that year’s standouts, a ramshackle set of charms and chuckles. He followed with a stellar 2024, bookended by a memorable feature on Waxahatchee’s “Right Back To It,” a magnetic duet about romantic doubt that became one of the year’s biggest indie-rock anthems, and the release of his own highly anticipated solo album, Manning Fireworks. A laser-sharp study of misfits and the mistakes they make, where sympathy and sardonicism share the same ragged rock song, the acclaimed release features thumbnail character studies: “She’s Leaving You,” a half-sneering portrait of a dad cheating his way through a midlife crisis, at least until he gets caught and blasts Clapton in a rented Ferrari en route to Vegas; “On My Knees” finds Lenderman wondering what it means to have fun in a world where so many people seem full of shit; and muses on edgelords and alpha males on the standout “Wristwatch.” Manning Fireworks topped many critics’ year-end best lists, with Rolling Stone raving, “MJ Lenderman delivers a sad-guy indie-rock gem” and named him “a budding guitar great and ace storyteller”; The New York Times calls Lenderman “A young artist with an old soul and a keen eye for observational detail that makes his canted portraits of small-town life come alive”; NPR raves, “He’s a homespun magical realist, always throwing in something off-kilter to elevate his tales of lovable losers”; and the Guardian concurs, “Far from being dude-centric, Manning Fireworks’ sad sack anthems tap into something devastatingly, purely human.”

We’re thrilled to welcome these stellar acts to the ACL stage. The broadcast episodes will air on PBS this fall as part of our upcoming Season 51, stream previous seasons online or on your connected TV with the PBS App. Follow @acltv on socials for a chance to attend these tapings in person. Learn more about how to attend a taping here.

Charley Crockett, ACL & Antone’s Celebrate the Blues, Waxahatchee and Thee Sacred Souls to Kick Off ACL’s 51st Season

Post author By emily
Post date March 13, 2025

Austin City Limits is ready to write the next chapter in its remarkable 50+ year broadcast run with the announcement of the initial tapings of Season 51: country maverick Charley Crockett returns to the ACL stage for his second appearance on April 1 to preview his new release Lonesome Drifter; ACL will celebrate 50 years of the blues and legendary Austin blues club Antone’s own 50th anniversary with a special taping “ACL & Antone’s Celebrate the Blues” on April 28, featuring an all-star line-up of blues standouts; on May 19, breakout singer-songwriter Waxahatchee makes her highly-anticipated ACL debut in support of her Grammy-nominated album Tigers Blood; and modern soul act Thee Sacred Souls take the ACL stage in their debut appearance on May 28 with highlights from their latest Got A Story To Tell.

Texas troubadour Charley Crockett made a sensational ACL debut in Season 47 in 2021 and we’re thrilled to welcome him back to our stage with his highly-anticipated new album Lonesome Drifter. After a decade of touring and more than a dozen independent albums under his belt, Lonesome Drifter marks his first for a major label, and will be released by Island Records on March 14. Hailing from the Texas bordertown of San Benito, Crockett has been on a helluva ride, tapping into a rebellious strain of country and defying the odds with a diehard work ethic; grinding from obscurity to garnering millions of streams and headlining some of the country’s most renowned venues, including the Greek Theater, Red Rocks and the Ryman. He capped 2024 with his first Grammy nomination for his acclaimed album $10 Cowboy. Lonesome Drifter was co-produced by Crockett and Shooter Jennings, and recorded at the legendary Sunset Sounds Studios in LA. “If you can hang on as long as I have, you’ll have some good stories to tell,” grins Crockett. Lonesome Drifter arrives with the single and title track, a slow-burning rocker that finds him telling the tale of a vagabond traveler. “I started writing the song back when I was still playing in subways in New York,” he recalls. “While I was waiting for the next train, I wrote songs. A few years later, I was in California working on the ganja farms, and I came up with the ‘Lonesome Drifter’ section…The burden of becoming a troubadour is you’re standing in a position that gives you a clear perspective of the struggles of humans.” Crockett tips his hat to his Texas roots on the album with a pair of choice covers: “Jamestown Ferry,” made famous by Tanya Tucker, along with George Strait’s country classic “Amarillo by Morning.”

Legendary Austin club Antone’s celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and Austin City Limits is proud to salute this milestone, along with our own history of showcasing blues music, with a special taping featuring a stellar slate of blues all-stars taking the ACL stage. Performers will include Jimmie Vaughan, Sue Foley, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Charlie Sexton, Big Bill Morganfield, Lil’ Ed Williams, Grace Bowers, Bobby Rush, Kam Franklin, John Primer, Benny Turner and Lurrie Bell. These blues all-stars will be backed by an incredible 14-piece house band featuring legendary players, including ACL Hall of Famer Chris Layton, Steve Bell, Joe Sublett, Rodd Bland, Jon Deas, Nick Connolly, Larry Fulcher, Derek O’Brien, Jay Moeller, Eve Monsees and The Texas Horns, all under the musical direction of Zach Ernst.

ACL featured blues acts on the series dating back to its early seasons, providing the first television exposure for many including Lightnin’ Hopkins, Gatemouth Brown, Miss Lavelle White, B.B. King, W.C. Clark, Elizabeth Cotten and Ruth Brown. ACL is thrilled to celebrate a kindred long-running music institution that has played an instrumental role in Austin’s reign as “the live music capital of the world.” Antone’s “Home of the Blues” was founded by the late Clifford Antone in 1975 as the first live music venue on the city’s now-famous Sixth Street, and quickly became a home away from home for a Mount Rushmore of blues musicians including Muddy Waters, Albert King, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Willie Dixon and B.B. King – as well as a broader tapestry of American roots music. The force behind all this was Clifford Antone, and under his guidance, his namesake club emerged as one of the most important blues joints and stages in the country. Throughout the venue’s remarkable five-decade run, Antone’s continued to define the present and shape the future of blues music, bolstering the careers of internationally-renowned artists including The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Doug Sahm, Charlie Sexton, Angela Strehli, Lou Ann Barton and many more. It remains a vital presence in the live music scene, with its legacy and influence carried forward by the next generation of trailblazing artists including Gary Clark Jr., Kam Franklin, Jackie Venson, Eve Monsees and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram.

ACL is proud to welcome Katie Crutchfield, the indie musician who performs as Waxahatchee (the name of a creek she grew up near in Alabama). She’s been releasing albums as Waxahatchee since 2012 and recently scored a career high with Tigers Blood, which earned a 2025 Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album. Recorded at Sonic Ranch in the Texas bordertown of Tornillo with producer Brad Cook, the Kansas City-based Crutchfield wrote most of the songs on the album during a self-described “hot hand spell” while on tour in 2022. Tigers Blood features her most potent songwriting to date and includes the breakout single “Right Back To It,” a lo-fi gem that features southern indie-rock ace MJ Lenderman on harmony vocals and guitar, nominated for Song of the Year at the 2024 Americana Music Awards. Album highlights include the spellbinding opener “3 Sisters”; “365,” a powerful meditation on co-dependency and addiction; and “Bored,” a blazing number on diverging friendships in your 30s. Tigers Blood is Waxahatchee’s first release in four years since 2020’s acclaimed Saint Cloud, a pandemic era standout and turning point that found Crutchfield steering away from indie rock and leaning into Americana and roots music, a sound with deep ties to her southern upbringing. The road-tested artist is touring throughout 2025, including a special Luck Ranch show on March 14 with one of her primary influences, Lucinda Williams. Waxahatchee will also join Willie Nelson on his 2025 Outlaw Music Festival.

It’s been a tremendous couple of years for fast-rising Southern California sweet soul trio Thee Sacred Souls. Their sophomore release Got A Story To Tell (Daptone Records) features 12 original tracks that further cement the band’s status as masters of modern soul. The follow-up to their breakout 2022 self-titled debut, the album was recorded at Penrose Recorders in Riverside, CA, with producer and Daptones Records co-founder Gabriel Roth at the helm. Got A Story To Tell reflects the band’s artistic growth and deep connection to the soul tradition that inspires them. Richly layered with strings, smooth guitar, piano, congas, and horns, the album creates an immersive soundscape, unfolding like a novella filled with evocative tales of love, struggle, and triumph. NPR praises their “satin vocals and vintage melodies;” The LA Times raves, “One of the top acts in contemporary soul revival music. Thee Sacred Souls count fans among older enthusiasts of 1960s-style sweet soul as well as Gen Z listeners who vibe with the group’s grooving messages of romanticism, introspection, and empowerment.” Written by Thee Sacred Souls founding members Alejandro Garcia, Salvador Samano, and Josh Lane, the trio found inspiration in Brazilian legend Arthur Verocai, the Delfonics, Jamaican rocksteady and Motown siren Mary Wells. It’s a soaring statement of exquisite craftsmanship from a young band whose own story grows bigger by the day. Millions of monthly listeners on Spotify. In just two years, an ever-growing list of celebrity fans including SZA, Alicia Keys, Leon Bridges, and Kylie Jenner, and festival debuts at Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Newport Folk and Lollapalooza; the band make their Coachella debut this spring.

We’re thrilled to welcome these stellar acts to the ACL stage. Want to be part of our audience? We will post information on how to get free passes a week in advance of each taping on our website. Follow us on socials – Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for taping announcements and latest episode news, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for even more. The broadcast episodes will air on PBS this fall as part of our upcoming Season 51, stream previous seasons online or on your connected TV with the PBS App.