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Encore Broadcast Episode Recap News

ACL Encore: Sonic Youth & the Black Keys

This weekend Austin City Limits presents one of our most electrifying encore episodes featuring Sonic Youth and the Black Keys.

After sixteen studio albums and receiving critical acclaim in both the indie and mainstream worlds over the course of more than a quarter century, Sonic Youth really needs no introduction. With songs almost predominantly from the most recent album, The Eternal, Sonic Youth take no prisoners in this episode taped in 2010.

Watch Sonic Youth “No Way” (Preview) on PBS. See more from Austin City Limits.

Although not sharing in the same expansive catalog (yet), the Black Keys — with seven studio albums under their belts — are most certainly on their way to the same immortality. After garnering much attention from their 2010 album, Brothers, The Black Keys play most of the hits off this record, with a few older tunes mixed in.

Watch The Black Keys “Tighten Up” on PBS. See more from Austin City Limits.

While differing in genres and style, both Sonic Youth and the Black Keys have redefined the traditional sound of the guitar and have earned special places in rock history. Be sure to check your local listings for showtimes to see this special episode and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr to keep up with updates on tapings and airings!

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News

Earl Scruggs 1924-2012

We here at Austin City Limits were heartbroken to learn of the death of the great Earl Scruggs on March 28 at the age of 88. The pioneering bluegrass banjo player graced our stage three times, once during Season 2 in 1976 with the Earl Scruggs Revue (a band that included his sons) and twice during Season 25 in 2000 as the distinguished guest of both Marty Stuart and Bela Fleck.

Bill Arhos, co-creator and executive producer emeritus of Austin City Limits, had this to say about the passing of one of our favorite musicians:

I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Earl Scruggs. I listened to him and Lester Flatt as a young boy growing up in East Texas. In the early 70s, we were having a Public Television meeting at the Waldorf Astoria in New York and, during a break, I heard an incredible sound of a band coming from somewhere in the hotel and proceeded to try to track it down. I can only describe the sound as Bluejazz or Jazzgrass. It was a rehearsal in the ballroom but it broke up just as I was approaching it down a hallway, whereupon a man with a really elaborate banjo came walking toward me. I said, “Gee mister, you REALLY can play that thing” and he said, “Thank you, son.” Oh dear.

That night after dinner, the MC came out and said, “Ladies and gentleman, in their first performance as a group, please welcome THE EARL SCRUGGS REVUE.” Foot in mouth, I had told Earl Scruggs he could play a banjo. Then, with the band onstage, including three of his sons, out comes Earl to the front, and a few feet farther and he fell right off the front of the stage and crashed to the floor. His son, Gary, looked down at him and said, “That’s what you call charisma!”

I can hear “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” rolling along in my head.

We here at Austin City Limits believe Earl Scruggs was a musical titan. He will be missed by all of us and by music fans everywhere.

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Episode Recap Featured News

Coldplay takes ACL to Paradise

This weekend we are excited to present a special episode featuring Coldplay.  Recorded last September, the performance features the band debuting several new songs off their latest release Mylo Xyloto, including “Paradise,” “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” and “Hurts Like Heaven,” as well as old favorites like  “Viva La Vida.”

MTV News called it a special night “when a band with a major arsenal finds a way to take its giant energy and squeeze it down into a much smaller space, without losing any of their arena-packing magic.”

Originally presented as a New Year’s Eve special to ring in 2012, the Coldplay show was a milestone for Austin City Limits. Coldplay gave us an extra-special performance, and we’re thrilled to bring it back this spring.

Coldplay performs on Austin City Limits

You can see for yourself this Saturday – check your local listings for the time your PBS station will broadcast this awesome episode. You can also go here for biographical info, pictures and the setlist. Don’t forget to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr pages and to sign up for our newsletter for more ACL TV sweet stuff. Next week: a guitar-saturated encore episode with Sonic Youth and the Black Keys.

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Taping Recap

The Shins bring their best to Austin City Limits

What a whirlwind week it’s been here in Austin, TX.  And what better way to end our SXSW experience than with a taping of ACL with The Shins. Their new album Port of Morrow is out tomorrow and the band previewed a half dozen new tunes last night for our ACL fans.

“The Rifle’s Spiral” colored an epic pop tune with keyboardist Richard Swift’s electronic blips and swoops. “September” provided some Shinsized country music – it’s in much the same vein as their older tune “New Slang” (which was also performed).  “It’s Only Life” is a simply a brilliant song. “No Way Down,” “Bait and Switch” and “Simple Song” added a trio of magnificently shiny new pop gems to The Shins’ already stuffed jewel box.

The group rolled out plenty of classics as well, kicking the show off  with “Caring is Creepy,” the first song from their first album. “Australia” (“one of my favorites,” commented singer-songwriter Mercer) and the hit “Phantom Limb” upped the bouncy pop quotient, while “Mine’s Not a High Horse” and “So Says I” mined the band’s loud rock vein. The Shins really pushed themselves on “Kissing the Lipless,” which moved from quite to blasting and back, and “One By One All Day,” which closed out with a psychedelic guitar/pedalboard solo from guitarist Jessica Dobson. The band saved the best for last, bringing the show to a close (barring a redo of “Bait and Switch”) and the crowd to a roar with an amazing “Sleeping Lessons” – as @erinegg commented, “Holy rock n roll!”

This was The Shins second appearance on the ACL stage. (They last appeared in Season 30 in 2004). Perhaps one of our Twitter followers summed it up best:  @TStorm_Warning said: “New Shins is sounding as good as old Shins.”

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Featured Taping Recap

Crowd goes wild for Alabama Shakes

We love introducing you to your next favorite band. And we’re pretty sure Alabama Shakes is going to become that for you once you see their smoking hot soul.

While we had a few guests in the audience last night from out of town thanks to SXSW, it was a primarily Austin crowd – many getting to experience the Shakes for the first time.

The evening started off with “Going to the Party,” which flowed directly into “Hold On.” The power of “Hold On” was hard for the audience to resist,  as evidenced by Brittany Howard’s broken guitar string. “I think I was playing it too hard” she said as she switched to another guitar for “Hang Loose.”

The band continued with “I Found You” and “Always Alright,” which led  SoundcheckMag  to write, “You know a band is truly great when you feel like you’ve heard every song one thousand times before.”

Howard spent time introducing “Boys & Girls” to explain it was about a time in her childhood when she was told she could no longer be friends with a boy because they were too old. This touching song brought the energy in the room to a whole new level and sparked an amazing rendition of “Be Mine,” which will have people talking for years to come. ATXSocial said “Damn, Alabama Shakes just rocked it!”

They followed with “Rise to the Sun,” “You Ain’t Alone” and “I Ain’t the Same,” each one building off the last for a soulful storm of emotion. Once the crowd was in a frenzy, Alabama Shakes slipped into “Making Me Itch,” adding a little sexual tension to the set. They carried that over into the next song – just before “Heavy Chevy,” Howard demanded, “I want to see some shakers and some movers!”  And our ACL audience delivered.

The band returned to the stage for an encore, including “On Your Way.” And in just about an hour, the Alabama Shakes had won hundreds of new fans.

‏ @MatthewLillard “Watching the birth of a legend right now. @Alabama_Shakes. Buy stock early. A legend is born in Austin. No shit. Divine genius.”

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News

Season 37 Poster Auction – Another Round!

Thanks to everyone who bid on the signed posters we auctioned off last week – you helped raise $2,950! In case you didn’t have the winning bid, we want to give you another chance to get a piece of Season 37 memorabilia so we’re happy to announce the Poster Auction: Round Two!

New artists and signed posters from Season 37 are now up on eBay – the auction will close on Friday, March 16 so bid now and bid often! Posters up for grabs are: Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Fleet Foxes, Flogging Molly, Gomez, Head and the Heart, Mumford & Sons and Joanna Newsom (unsigned).

These posters are extremely rare – very few printed and even fewer signed! And while you’ll become the proud owner of some music history, you’ll also be giving back to your public television station because 100% of the proceeds go directly to support KLRU-TV!