Austin City Limits proudly announces additional guest performers for the 2023 ACL Hall of Fame Inductions & Celebration on October 26, 2023. Acclaimed singer-songwriters Brandy Clark, Valerie June, Nathaniel Rateliff and Grammy-winning duo Brothers Osborne will join the previously announced line-up of music luminaries slated to perform: Tyler Childers, Ronnie Dunn, Don Henley, Jo Dee Messina, Tommy Prine, Allison Russell and Kurt Vile. The all-star line-up will salute a pair of American originals—country superstar Trisha Yearwood and late, beloved singer-songwriter John Prine—with one-of-a-kind music performances and intimate tributes as they are inducted into the ACL Hall of Fame. All-star guests will handle induction honors on this epic night: Don Henley will induct Trisha Yearwood; renowned actor and filmmaker Ethan Hawke will induct John Prine posthumously.
The inductees will be honored at a star-studded ceremony at ACL’s studio home, ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame is produced by Austin PBS. Musical highlights and inductions from the celebration will air as a pair of companion Austin City LimitsHall of FameHonors installments dedicated to each inductee, set to air in January 2024 on PBS.
Co-founder of the Eagles Don Henley, will induct his longtime friend Trisha Yearwood and perform in tribute. Brandy Clark and Brothers Osborne join country greats Jo Dee Messina and Ronnie Dunn in saluting Yearwood; additionally, honoree Yearwood is slated to perform with Don Henley at the celebration. Actor and Austin native Ethan Hawke will induct John Prine, who passed away in 2020. Music great Nathaniel Rateliff and musician, artist, and bestselling author Valerie June join the musical salute as a stellar slate of guest artists take the stage to pay tribute to their friend, mentor and inspiration, including acclaimed singer-songwriter Tyler Childers, who performed with Prine during his final ACL taping in 2018 for Season 44, Americana great Allison Russell, and singer, songwriter and guitar ace Kurt Vile. John’s son, singer-songwriter Tommy Prine, will perform in honor of his father.
ACL Hall of Famer, renowned steel guitarist and producer Lloyd Maines, returns as Music Director, leading the ACL All-Stars house band featuring guitarist David Grissom, keyboardist Chris Gage, bassist Bill Whitbeck and drummer Tom Van Schaik.
Austin City Limits celebrates 50 years as a live music beacon with a yearlong milestone celebration beginning in 2024: on October 17, 1974, Willie Nelson taped the pilot episode and the trailblazing series premiered in 1975. Stay tuned for news on special concerts, fan events and activations as Austin City Limits salutes an incredible legacy of 50 golden years of American musical history and iconic performances.
Since its inception in 2014, the annual ACL Hall of Fame celebration honors the legendary artists who helped to build the legacy of the trailblazing music series as it nears a remarkable half-century milestone as a music institution. The inaugural awards honored Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The ninth class of inductees features two legendary acts: Multiple GRAMMY®, CMA® and ACM® Award-winner Trisha Yearwood debuted on the series in Season 17 in 1992. She went on to make two additional headlining appearances in 1996 and 2000 and returned in Season 41 in 2015 as a guest of Don Henley. The late singer-songwriter John Prine appeared regularly on ACL throughout his celebrated five-decade career. Prine made his first Austin City Limits appearance in 1978, in the third season of the nascent show, and returned for his eighth and final appearance forty years later in Season 44 in 2018. The influential artist appeared on a Songwriters Special in 1983 alongside peers including Guy Clark and Rodney Crowell, and made headlining appearances in 1988, 1992 and 1996; and in 2002 appeared as a special guest of Bonnie Raitt. Austin City Limits saluted Prine with a posthumous retrospective hour in 2020, which aired as the season premiere of Season 46 and highlighted classic gems from his catalog.
Established in 2014, the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame celebrates the legacy of legendary artists and key individuals who have played a vital part in the pioneering music series remarkable nearly half-century as a music institution. The Hall of Fame has inducted over twenty artists at eight previous ceremonies including Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, 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 and Alejandro Escovedo. The eighth annual Hall of Fame in 2022 welcomed Sheryl Crow and Joe Ely to its ranks.
Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by AXS Ticketing.
Austin City Limits is excited to announce an additional taping with a ringer to round out our Season 49: On September 25 we present breakout singer-songwriter Noah Kahan in his highly-anticipated ACL debut.
Over the past year, the Vermont singer & songwriter has exploded from his New England roots into the global mainstream and has been touted as one of 2023’s biggest and best new artists. At the core of his music are vulnerable lyrics and an unfiltered yet relatable honesty, as the critically acclaimed artist pens songs straight from the heart and cracks jokes with his signature, self-deprecating sense of humor. Across his three albums and an EP, Kahan has garnered global renown that includes more than two billion streams, a Platinum Certification for his hit single “Stick Season,” and collaborations with the likes of Post Malone, Joy Oladokun, and GRAMMY-nominated artists Julia Michaels and Wesley Schulz of The Lumineers. His widely adored album, Stick Season, is inspired by his New England roots and conveys a vivid representation of what he loves, fears, and struggles with most passionately. Noah has been on his sold-out “Stick Season Tour” across North America since the album’s release last year, selling half-a-million tickets to date and performing in the biggest venues of his career, with newly announced global dates on the horizon. In June, he released an extended version of Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever), which has gone on to surpass sales of the original and shows no signs of slowing down. His latest single, “Dial Drunk,” has already amassed millions of streams and a slew of critical acclaim, cementing Noah Kahan as one of the most successful breakout artists of the year.
We’re thrilled to welcome Kahan 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 the taping. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for notice of postings. The broadcast episode will air as part of our upcoming Season 49 which premieres this October on PBS.
Austin City Limits is proud to announce a stellar slate of fall tapings to complete our Season 49, featuring multiple Grammy-winning icons and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legends. On September 24, recent Rock Hall inductees Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo make their ACL debut performing rock gems and highlights from across their near five-decade career. We’re thrilled to welcome a pair of ACL Fest headliners and a highly-anticipated act featured on our namesake festival this October: we present country breakout Brittney Spencer on October 5 in her ACL debut; October 6 brings the first-ever appearance of superstar Alanis Morissette; and on October 12 we’re thrilled to welcome beloved rock giants Foo Fighters back to rock the ACL stage. And finally, on October 15, on the heels of a trio of 2023 Grammy wins, we welcome back an ACL Hall of Fame icon, the legendary Bonnie Raitt, for her first headlining appearance in over a decade, to showcase her triple Grammy-winning album Just Like That… Raitt will also be joined by a special guest, Nashville-based singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso Sunny War.
Photo by Travis Shinn.
In a pop culture world defined by its perpetual changes, the partnership of singer songwriter Pat Benatar and producer-musician Neil Giraldo has been a potent, steadfast union that has soared to the top of the charts and into fans’ hearts on their own terms. Her staggering vocals and take-no-prisoners attitude, along with his trailblazing artistry as a guitarist, producer and songwriter, forged the undeniable chemistry and unique sound that created eternal rock hits including “We Belong,” “Invincible,” “Love Is A Battlefield,” “Promises In The Dark,” “We Live For Love,” “Heartbreaker” and “Hell Is For Children.” Their stunning achievements are a testament to their vision. Together, Benatar and Giraldo have created two multi-platinum, five platinum and three gold albums, as well as 19 Top 40 hits. They have sold over 36 million records worldwide and have won an unprecedented four consecutive GRAMMY® awards. They have also been feted with three American Music Awards, a People’s Choice Award, a 2008 induction into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame, and capped off 2022 with a Rock & Roll Hall of Fameinduction.
Photo by Jimmy Fontaine.
Recently named one of Rolling Stone’s “Future 25,” and the only country artist to make the list, Brittney Spencer is known for her free spirit and standout ability to mold life, truth, and wild imagination into songs. “Her unerring honesty and empathy are a big part of what makes her music so appealing,” raves Rolling Stone. With her debut album forthcoming from Elektra Records, the Baltimore native has earned praise from The New York Times and Vanity Fair to name a few, and she’s appeared on CBS Mornings with Anthony Mason, as well as performed on NBC’s Today Show, The Late Show (After Dark), the CMA Awards, ACM Awards and more. Spencer was featured as part of Victoria’s Secret Global “UNDEFINABLE” campaign, and she appeared in Amazon’s “For Love & Country” Documentary. Deemed a “one to watch” by PEOPLE Magazine, Spencer has shared stages with Jason Isbell, The Highwomen, Willie Nelson, Reba McEntire, Bobby Weir, and Maren Morris to name a few. She’s also performed the National Anthem at The 148th Kentucky Derby, the Preakness in 2022 alongside Megan Thee Stallion and Lauryn Hill, and the 2023 NFL Draft. As an outspoken advocate for her community and the planet, Brittney is an active supporter of many causes, including Habitat for Humanity, the Women’s March, CARE, and more. Spencer first-appeared on the ACL stage in 2022, at the 8th Annual ACL Hall of Fame Celebration, performing a sparkling rendition of Sheryl Crow’s “My Favorite Mistake,” to salute the music great’s ACL Hall of Fame induction. We’re thrilled to welcome her back for her headlining debut.
Photo by Dennys Ilic.
Since 1995, Alanis Morissette has been one of the most influential singer-songwriter-musicians in contemporary music. Her deeply expressive music and performances have earned vast critical praise and seven Grammy awards. Morissette’s landmark 1995 debut, Jagged Little Pill was followed by nine more eclectic and acclaimed albums. She has contributed musically to theatrical releases and has acted on the big and small screen. Outside of entertainment, she is an avid supporter of female empowerment, as well as spiritual, psychological and physical wellness. In 2001, Alanis was awarded the Global Tolerance Award by the Friends of the United Nations for her contributions to promoting tolerance through the arts. In 2016, Alanis launched Conversation with Alanis Morissette, a monthly podcast that features conversations with a variety of revered authors, doctors, educators, and therapists, covering a wide range of psychosocial topics extending from spirituality to developmentalism to art. On December 5, 2019, “JAGGED LITTLE PILL” the musical made its Broadway debut at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City. The show was nominated for fifteen Tony Awards and won two Tony Awards at the 2021 ceremony. In July of 2020, Alanis released her ninth studio album, Such Pretty Forks In The Road, to rave reviews. In August of 2021, Alanis kicked off her sold out world tour celebrating 25 years of Jagged Little Pill. The tour became the #1 female-fronted tour and also one of the Top Worldwide Tours of 2021. Alanis also stars in the Fox sitcom, “The Great North,” which just wrapped its third season, and has been picked up for a fourth season. Most recently, Alanis was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Since the 1995 release of their self-titled first album, no other band has carried the torch for rock & roll like Foo Fighters. Throughout the steady ascent to their indisputable status as the last great American rock band, they’ve raised stadiums, arenas and festival fields of voices in song with anthems like “This Is A Call,” “Everlong,” “Monkey Wrench,” “My Hero,” “Learn To Fly,” “All My Life,” “Times Like These,” “Best Of You,” “The Pretender,” “Walk,” “These Days,” “The Sky Is A Neighborhood,” “Shame Shame” and more. Foo Fighters’ 15-GRAMMY-Award-winning catalogue includes The Colour and the Shape, There Is Nothing Left To Lose, One By One, In Your Honor, Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace, Wasting Light, Sonic Highways, Concrete and Gold and Medicine at Midnight. Following a year of staggering losses, personal introspection and bittersweet remembrances, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers returned triumphantly with But Here We Are, released June 2, 2023 on Roswell Records/RCA Records. A brutally honest and emotionally raw response to everything Foo Fighters have endured in recent years, But Here We Are is a testament to the healing powers of music, friendship and family. Courageous, damaged, unflinchingly authentic and “driven by a fresh sense of pathos and urgency” (The New York Times), But Here We Are opens with the Alternative/Rock radio #1 “Rescued,” the first of 10 songs that run the emotional gamut from rage and sorrow to serenity and acceptance, and myriad points in between — including “a gruff, melodic rocker with bittersweet hooks” (Stereogum) in the form of “Under You,” the “totally unexpected foray into shoegaze and dream-pop territory” (Uproxx) that is “Show Me How,” the 10-minute epic “The Teacher,” and more. Produced by Greg Kurstin and Foo Fighters, But Here We Are is in nearly equal measure the 11th Foo Fighters album and the first chapter of the band’s new life. Sonically channelling the naiveté of Foo Fighters’ 1995 debut, informed by decades of maturity and depth, But Here We Are is the sound of brothers finding refuge in the music that brought them together in the first place 28 years ago, a process that was as therapeutic as it was about a continuation of life.
Photo by Shervin Lainez.
Bonnie Raitt returns for her fourth headlining appearance on the ACL stage. The American original first-appeared in Season 9 in 1984, returned in 2002 and 2012, and performed on the series’ 40th anniversary special in 2014. In 2016, Raitt was inducted into the ACL Hall of Fame by Mavis Staples, with musical salutes from Willie Nelson and Taj Mahal. Raitt is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose unique style blends blues, R&B, rock, and pop. After 20 years as a cult favorite, she broke through to the top in the early 90s with her GRAMMY-award-winning albums, Nick of Time and Luck of the Draw, which featured hits, “Something To Talk About” and “I Can’t Make You Love Me” among others. The thirteen-time GRAMMY winner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 and Rolling Stone named the slide guitar ace one of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and one of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time.”
2023 kicked off with Raitt earning three GRAMMY™ Awards at the 65th Annual ceremony; Song Of The Year and Best American Roots Song for the title track of her most recent album “Just Like That…”, and Best Americana Performance for “Made Up Mind.” Raitt was as well acknowledged for the Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award she was honored with the year prior. Raitt has been on tour for most of 2023 with stops in the U.S., Australia, the UK, Ireland, and an upcoming coast-to-coast tour of Canada. View all concert dates here. 2022 was an incredible year for Raitt with a 75-date headlining U.S. tour; the release of her critically acclaimed 21st album ‘Just Like That…,’ on her independent label, Redwing Records; receiving the Icon Award at the 2022 Billboard Women In Music Awards and seeing her breakthrough album, ‘Nick of Time’ added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry. ‘Just Like That…’ was #1 on six Billboard charts the week of release and was perched at #1 on the Americana Radio Album Chart for ten consecutive weeks. The album’s first single, “Made Up Mind” remained in the top three spots on the Americana Radio Singles Chart for 17 weeks.
As known for her lifelong commitment to social activism as she is for her music, Raitt has long been involved with the environmental movement, performing concerts around oil, nuclear power, mining, water, and forest protection since the mid-‘70s. She was a founding member of MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy), which produced the historic concerts, album, and movie NO NUKES, and continues to work on safe energy issues in addition to environmental protection, social justice, and human rights, as well as creator’s rights and music education.
We’re thrilled to welcome these music greats 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 the taping. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for notice of postings. The broadcast episodes will air on PBS as part of our upcoming Season 49.
Austin City Limits is happy to announce a brand new taping for late summer as part of our Season 49, featuring the extraordinary Latin Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated all-female Flor de Toloache on August 29.
Under the dynamic leadership of Shae Fiol and Mireya Ramos, Flor de Toloache seamlessly combines tradition and innovation, breaking boundaries with their edgy, versatile, and fresh perspective on classic Latin American music. Much like the enchanting effects of the toloache flower in traditional Mexican love potions, the talented New York ensemble casts a spell over its audiences with stunning live performances showcasing striking vocals, musical virtuosity and enthralling stage presence. Boasting members from a myriad of ethnic and musical backgrounds, the ensemble continually pushes the boundaries, defying cultural and gender norms. NPR raves, “Flor de Toloache stuns at the crossroads of fusion and mariachi girl magic.” 2017 was a milestone year for the trailblazing group, as they clinched the Latin Grammy Award for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album, marking their place in history as the first all-female act to receive this accolade. Their 2019 third studio album, which featured collaborations with esteemed artists including John Legend, Miguel and Alex Cuba, further elevated their reputation, earning them a 2020 Grammy nomination. Flor de Toloache’s musical journey has taken them across continents, with memorable performances from Mexico to Europe, Latin America to Japan, and even a performance at The White House.
“Las Flores,” as their fans call them, recently released their groundbreaking fifth studio album, Motherflower, a fiercely feminist mosaic of genres inspired by mariachi. The innovative album masterfully crafts a genre-defying blend rooted in mariachi influences while embarking on a voyage of purely original compositions. Spearheading this sonorous journey is the highlight “Una Vida y Otra Más”, a track infused with samba rhythms and co-created with the distinguished Argentine composer Claudia Brandt. Motherflower emanates a boldness, an unyielding declaration of feminist vigor, channeled in a way that’s both commanding and unparalleled. This new auditory treasure aligns seamlessly with the band’s ongoing artistic evolution. Vocalist and violinist Mireya Ramos first appeared on our stage in Season 48, joining Grammy-winning producer Adrian Quesada to bring to life his acclaimed Spanish-language album Boleros Psicodélicos. We’re thrilled to welcome Flor de Toloache to the ACL stage in their headlining debut.
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 Facebook and Twitter for notice of postings. The broadcast episode will air on PBS this fall as part of our upcoming Season 49.
Austin City Limits is pleased to announce a trio of highly-anticipated tapings for our upcoming Season 49 to amplify your summer. On August 10, we welcome the ACL debut of innovative violinist and singer-songwriter Sudan Archives on the heels of her buzzed-about performances at Glastonbury and Coachella. On August 24, five-time Grammy-winning producer and musician Robert Glasper brings his groundbreaking, award-winning and genre-shattering Black Radio to the ACL stage alongside special guests including multiple Grammy-nominees rapper D Smoke and singer/guitarist Emily King, along with Grammy-winning R&B singer and songwriter Yebba. On August 28, acclaimed Grammy-and Americana Award-winning bluegrass iconoclast Molly Tuttle makes her ACL debut with her band Golden Highway.
Sudan Archives breakthrough second album Natural Brown Prom Queen is an epic record that is also her most personal, taking in race, womanhood, and the fiercely loyal, loving relationships at the heart of Sudan’s life with her family, friends, and partner. Born Brittney Denise Parks, Sudan burst onto the scene in 2017 with “Come Meh Way,” back when she was a violinist and loop maker producing beats in her Ohio bedroom. While her 2019 debut album Athena drew inspiration from divine Black feminine power, on Natural Brown Prom Queen Sudan is in character as Britt, the girl next door from Cincinnati who drives around the city with the top down and shows up to high school prom in a pink furry bikini with her thong hanging out her denim skirt. From first listen, it’s immediately apparent that Natural Brown Prom Queen is the one-woman instrumentalist’s most ambitious work to date, spanning 18 tracks – from the disco-influenced R&B of “Home Maker” to Afrocentric anthem “Selfish Soul,” hip-hop banger “OMG Britt,” the wild ride of “NBPQ (Topless)” and the ballad “Homesick (Gorgeous & Arrogant).” The acclaimed release was named an album of the year by Pitchfork, New York Times, The Guardian, The FADER, The Needle Drop, NPR, Vulture, Time Out, CNN, Slate, Paste, SPIN, Pop Matters, and many more; “Home Maker” was chosen by Barack Obama for his Favorite Songs of 2022 and Sudan Archives was handpicked by superstar Bad Bunny for Rolling Stone’s Future of Music issue. Fittingly for an album named for a homecoming event, Natural Brown Prom Queen is all about home: both Sudan’s adopted hometown of L.A. and Cincinnati, where she was raised. It’s intimate in all senses of the word, with Sudan unafraid to be vulnerable, tender and open about her insecurities. “Natural Brown Prom Queen is an album of many movements and ruminations, but almost all of them trace back to the multiple ways that a person can find and re-find home,” writes poet and Sudan’s fellow Ohio native Hanif Abdurraqib. “In flimsy, shifting geography, in the fights and triumphs that filter into interactions with beloveds and kinfolk, and, of course, the mighty work of home-making within oneself.” But the record is also about finding pleasure – after all, this is the artist who played violin upside-down on a pole in a music video. On Natural Brown Prom Queen, Sudan Archives invites you to join in and embrace shared joy.
Celebrated multihyphenate Robert Glasper is the leader of a new sonic paradigm with a career that bridges musical and artistic genres. With boundless innovation and elite technique as his signature, it’s no surprise that Glasper has an avalanche of accolades, awards, and achievements to his name—his contributions to music and culture span over two decades with 5 career Grammy wins and 12 nominations across 11 categories, along with a 2017 Emmy Award and a 2022 Peabody Award. The Houston native’s body of work is a masterclass in hip-hop, R&B and jazz fusion that sonically has influenced the decades to come. His breakout 2012 crossover album Black Radio changed the face of the genre and set a new expectation for what popular music could be. The album earned Glasper his first career Grammy for Best R&B Album and established him as the musician of choice for some of the world’s most iconic artists, notably playing keys throughout Kendrick Lamar’s landmark To Pimp A Butterfly, winning another Grammy for the elastic track “These Walls.” One of the most respected collaborators of his generation, the ongoing Black Radio series has since become Glasper’s calling card, upholding a place at the heart of a trailblazing community. In 2023 Glasper earned his fifth Grammy Award for Best R&B Album for Black Radio III. The album’s debut single “Better Than I Imagined,” featuring H.E.R. and Meshell Ndegeocello, previously won a 2021 Grammy Award for Best R&B Song. Black Radio III celebrates Black joy, love and resilience with a host of special guests, including Common (with whom Robert Glasper appeared during ACL Season 44 as part of their supergroup August Greene), Killer Mike, Esperanza Spalding, Q-Tip, Ty Dolla $ign, De La Soul’s Posdnuos and Jennifer Hudson. For this special ACL appearance, Glasper will be joined by Black Radio III family including a pair of triple Grammy-nominated acts, rapper D Smoke, and singer/guitarist Emily King, along with Grammy-winning R&B singer-songwriter Yebba. Glasper has formed an exceptional legacy that permeates contemporary art and advocacy. Above all, Robert Glasper is an artist at the heart of a moment – and a movement – to champion Black music, Black people, and the possibility of a better future. We welcome him back to the ACL stage in his second headlining appearance.
Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, musician and performer Molly Tuttle and her band, Golden Highway, make their ACL debut with the release of the highly-anticipated new album City of Gold, out July 21. The new record follows Tuttle’s acclaimed 2022 album, Crooked Tree, which won Best Bluegrass Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in 2023 and also led to a Best New Artist nomination. NPR Music calls her “a female flat picker extraordinaire with agility, speed and elegance who distinctively brings American roots music into the spotlight.” Produced by Tuttle and bluegrass legend Jerry Douglas and recorded in Nashville, City of Gold,—written primarily by Tuttle and Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show—captures the electric energy of Golden Highway’s live shows. Reflecting on the project, Northern California native Tuttle tells it best firsthand: “When I was a kid, we took a field trip to Coloma, CA to learn about the gold rush. I’ll never forget the dusty hills and the grizzled old miner who showed us the nugget around his neck. Just like gold fever, music has always captivated me, captured my heart, and driven me to great lengths to explore its depths. On my new album I dug deep as a songwriter and co-producer and surfaced with a record that celebrates the music of my heart, my life, the land where I grew up, and the stories I heard along the way. I made this record with my band Golden Highway after playing over 100 shows across the country last year. On the road and in the studio, we are inspired by artists such as John Hartford, Gillian Welch and Peter Rowan to name a few, whose records are like family albums to us. Just like them, on this album we chart some new territory along some old familiar ground. The songs span from breakdowns to ballads, fairytales and fiddle tunes, from Yosemite up to the Gold Country and out beyond the mountains. That visit to Coloma, site of California’s first gold strike is where I first heard about El Dorado, the city of gold. Playing music can take you to a place that is just as precious.” Tuttle moved to Nashville in 2015 and in the years since, the celebrated artist has been nominated for Best New Artist at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, won Album of the Year at the 2023 International Folk Music Awards, Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2022 International Bluegrass Music Awards, Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2018 Americana Music Awards and Guitar Player of the Year at the IBMAs in both 2017 and 2018, the first woman to receive the honor. Tuttle has performed around the world, including shows with Sam Bush, Béla Fleck, Hiss Golden Messenger, Jason Isbell, Old Crow Medicine Show and Dwight Yoakam, as well as at major festivals including Bonnaroo, Newport Folk Festival and Pilgrimage. In celebration of the new music, the band will tour throughout the summer including dates supporting Dave Matthews (who guests on the new record), Tommy Emmanuel, Greensky Bluegrass, Charley Crockett and Marcus King.
We’re thrilled to welcome these music innovators 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 the taping. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for notice of postings. The broadcast episodes will air on PBS this fall as part of our upcoming Season 49.
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, 2023. Photo by Danny Clinch.
Due to a schedule change, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit have to postpone their previously announced taping originally slated for June 14th. However, we are pleased to announce that Jason and the band will still be taping the show for our upcoming Season 49 and can confirm a rescheduled taping date of September 18th. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and look forward to the new date this fall.
A Jason Isbell record always lands like a decoder ring in the ears and hearts of his audience, a soundtrack to his world and, magically, to theirs, too. Weathervanes, Isbell and his GRAMMY®-winning band the 400 Unit’s eighth album, out June 9, carries the same revelatory power. This is a storyteller at the peak of his craft, observing his fellow wanderers, looking inside and trying to understand, reducing a universe to four minutes. Isbell shrinks life small enough to name the fear and then strip it away, helping his listeners make sense of how two plus two stops equaling four once you reach a certain age—and carry a certain amount of scars. “There is something about boundaries on this record,” Isbell says. “As you mature, you still attempt to keep the ability to love somebody fully and completely while you’re growing into an adult and learning how to love yourself.” Written and produced by Isbell, Weathervanes is a collection of grown-up songs: Songs about adult love, about change, about the danger of nostalgia and the interrogation of myths, about cruelty and regret and redemption. Some will make you cry alone in your car and others will make you sing along with thousands of strangers in a big summer pavilion, united in the great miracle of being alive. The record features the rolling thunder of Isbell’s fearsome 400 Unit, who’ve earned a place in the rock ‘n’ roll cosmos alongside the greatest backing ensembles, as powerful and essential to the storytelling as The E Street Band or the Wailers. They make a big noise, as Isbell puts it, and he feels so comfortable letting them be a main prism through which much of the world hears his art. He can be private but with his mighty band behind him he transforms, and there is a version of himself that can only exist in their presence. The roots of this record go back into the isolation of the pandemic and to Isbell’s recent time on the set as an actor on Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. There were guitars in his trailer and in his rented house and a lot of time to sit and think. The melancholy yet soaring track “King of Oklahoma” was written there. Isbell also watched the great director work, saw the relationship between a clear vision and its execution, and perhaps most important, saw how even someone as decorated as Scorsese sought out and used his co-workers’ opinions. “It definitely helped when I got into the studio,” Isbell says. “I had this reinvigorated sense of collaboration. You can have an idea and you can execute it and not compromise — and still listen to the other people in the room.”
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 Facebook and Twitter for notice of postings. The broadcast episode will air on PBS this fall as part of our upcoming Season 49.
