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Austin City Limits Celebrates 50 Years: A Special Anniversary Taping

The trailblazing live music series Austin City Limits (ACL) announces Austin City Limits Celebrates 50 Years, a night that’s a half-century in the making.  Music luminaries and some of the brightest stars in the show’s five-decade history will return to the fabled ACL stage on Thursday, November 21st for this milestone anniversary. The celebration will feature one-of-a-kind music performances with a stellar line-up featuring Leon Bridges, Gary Clark Jr. joined by Eve Monsees, Billy Strings featuring Sierra Hull and Zach Top, Indigo Girls, Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin, Brandy Clark, Rufus Wainwright, The Mavericks, Ángela Aguilar, Cam and Lloyd Maines & the ACL All-Stars, with appearances by Trio Los Panchos and Austin’s Tosca String Quartet. Longtime Austin City Limits supporters and Austin-based actors Jared and Genevieve Padalecki (Walker, Supernatural, Gilmore Girls) will co-host the celebratory evening. The music-filled night commemorates the series’ legacy as an American music institution for a remarkable half-century.

Join Austin City Limits in downtown Austin on November 21, 2024; the all-star event will take place at ACL’s studio home, ACL Live at The Moody Theater. Performances will be taped as part of a two-hour PBS primetime special saluting the program’s historic milestone, Austin City Limits Celebrates 50 Years, set to air on April 4, 2025. A fundraiser for Austin PBS, the program’s producing station, tickets for the concert event will be onsale to the public on Friday, November 1 @10am at ACL Turns 50. Support for Austin City Limits Celebrates 50 Years is made possible in part by PBS, Tejemos Foundation, Central Texas Chevy Dealers, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Visit Austin, AXS Events, Brane Audio and Dell Technologies. 

Austin City Limits Celebrates 50 Years represents what the program stands for, has always, and will continue to—a broad, diverse, inclusive spectrum of music from all genres, showcasing legends and emerging artists alike,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona.

The music-filled night will feature choice collaborations: Four-time Grammy-winning Gary Clark Jr. will salute fellow Texan six-string great Stevie Ray Vaughan’s 1983 and 1989 pair of iconic Austin City Limits performances in a tribute joined by Austin blues guitar standout Eve Monsees; Grammy Award-winning bluegrass superstar Billy Strings, one of music’s most popular live acts, will perform joined by celebrated bluegrass mandolin player Sierra Hull and country breakout Zach Top

A hallmark of the celebration will be a throwback to the renowned songwriter circles that became an ACL signature in the ‘80s and ‘90s and contributed to the pioneering show’s influential legacy. A trio of storyteller songwriting greats, folk-rock duo Indigo Girls, celebrated singer-songwriter Brandy Clark and Grammy-nominated artist and songwriter Cam, will take the ACL stage together in the round to trade songs and stories in the setting that showcased unforgettable moments with many ACL forebears, including Willie Nelson, John Prine, Townes Van Zandt, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings and Rosanne Cash. 

ACL Hall of Fame legends with longtime ties to Austin City Limits will return for the occasion: Acclaimed singer-songwriters Lyle Lovett and Shawn Colvin, both inducted into the ACL Hall of Fame in 2019, will perform. Lovett has appeared on Austin City Limits more times than any performer second to Willie Nelson. American original and longtime Austinite Shawn Colvin will reach into her catalog for a classic gem. Texas country music institution and pedal steel ace Lloyd Maines, inducted into the original ACL Hall of Fame class in 2014, will lead the ACL All-Stars house band.

Contemporary artists who have carved their name in ACL history will return for the occasion: A Lone Star original, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Leon Bridges, who has a pair of fan-favorite ACL appearances under his belt, returns for this celebratory night; Rufus Wainwright, an artist who made history on the ACL stage in Season 46 in 2020 with the show’s first taping minus a live audience due to the pandemic, returns this time for the communal ACL experience that is the series’ trademark. Rock and country trailblazers The Mavericks, who brought their first-ever all-Spanish language album to the ACL stage in Season 46, return for this special occasion.

Música Mexicana star Ángela Aguilar, a 2024 Latin Grammy nominee for the top honor of Album of the Year (alongside heavy-hitters including Karol G and Shakira), will make her ACL debut accompanied by her music producer, music director and pianist Cheche Alara, and Tosca String Quartet, Austin’s award-winning all-female string group, and Trio Los Panchos, the traditional bolero guitar-based legends.

Ready to write the next chapter in its storied history, ACL continues its mission of producing great television with landmark Season 50 currently airing on PBS. The anniversary broadcast season premiered on September 28, 2024 with a golden hour featuring Kacey Musgraves, and upcoming episodes feature an all-star slate of returning favorites and highly-anticipated debuts including Jelly Roll, Wynonna, Brittany Howard, Juanes, Chris Stapleton, Norah Jones, The Avett Brothers, Carin León, Johnny Blue Skies and more. The iconic live music television series was born on October 17, 1974, when Willie Nelson taped the pilot episode. That now legendary debut became the cornerstone for 50 years of groundbreaking, award-winning music television. Willie Nelson returned on the 50th anniversary of the pilot taping to commemorate Austin City Limits’ remarkable half-century milestone with a historic Texas-sized outdoor concert on October 17, 2024, on Austin’s Long Center lawn with the authentic Austin city skyline as the backdrop. Highlights from the performance will air February 15, 2025, on PBS, as a season highlight of ACL’s anniversary Season 50.

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Episode Recap New Broadcast News

Episode Premiere: Austin City Limits Showcases Brittany Howard in Electric Hour

Austin City Limits (ACL) presents an electric hour with one of music’s finest live acts, five-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Brittany Howard. The powerhouse vocalist and ACL favorite returns for Austin City Limits’ anniversary Season 50 to showcase new numbers from her latest album What Now alongside career highlights. The hourlong episode premieres Saturday, October 26 @8pm ET/7pm CT. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast.

2024 kicks off the yearlong 50th Anniversary of the revered music institution, which continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music series in television history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for an incredible half-century.

“Let’s have us a good time,” smiles Howard, taking the stage in a celestial, sparkling caftan. The Nashville-based musician (and frontwoman for four-time Grammy Award-winning Alabama Shakes) brings her singular musicality to a shapeshifting sound encompassing everything from psychedelia and dance music to dream-pop and avant-jazz in a 13-song set, with songs from her powerful second solo LP What Now as the centerpiece. Opening with a trio from the album, the songs are anchored in Howard’s inimitable and infinitely commanding voice—a supreme vessel for channeling raw emotional truth. Howard is backed by her stellar eight-piece band,  amplified by longtime backing vocalists Shanay Johnson and Karita Law. Howard throws it back to her 2019 solo debut Jaime for the radiant Grammy-winning radio hit “Stay High,” as the ecstatic crowd joins in on the soaring chorus. 

Brittany Howard on ACL, 2024. Photo by Scott Newton.
Brittany Howard on ACL, 2024. Photo by Scott Newton.

“Live music is such an important thing, you know,” shares Howard from the stage. “I saw my first live band play when I was eleven years old, and it was from that moment that I decided that this was what I wanted to do. And I studied hard and I worked real hard, taught myself how to play, and I taught myself how to write songs, and now I get to be here with all of ya’ll.”  With that, she dons an acoustic guitar and renders a mesmerizing, stripped-down “Short and Sweet,” before being rejoined by her full band with Howard on explosive guitar for the hard-funk title track “What Now” in a cathartic close.

“When Brittany Howard sets foot on a stage, she doesn’t really need a microphone,” said longtime ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “She owns that stage, and she owns the room. Her voice is the voice of power, and truth. We gave her the full hour, because she deserves it! See and hear for yourself.”

Brittany Howard setlist:

Earth Sign

I Don’t

Patience

Stay High

Red Flags

Samson

Prove It to You

To Be Still

Every Color in Blue

Power to Undo

Short and Sweet

Another Day

What Now

Season 50 Broadcast Line-Up (second half of season to be announced separately):

September 28 Kacey Musgraves

October 5 Gary Clark Jr. | Black Pumas

October 12 Maggie Rogers | Gracie Abrams

October 19 Jacob Collier | Nickel Creek

October 26 Brittany Howard

November 2 Jelly Roll | The War And Treaty

November 9 Wynonna

November 16 Juanes

2024 kicks off the 50th Anniversary of Austin City Limits, which taped its debut pilot episode with Willie Nelson on October 17, 1974; the pioneering series then premiered on PBS in 1975. That now legendary debut became the cornerstone for 50 years of groundbreaking, award-winning music television. ACL is proud to have Willie Nelson return on the 50th anniversary of the pilot taping to commemorate Austin City Limits’ remarkable half-century milestone with a Texas-sized outdoor concert that took place on October 17, 2024, at Austin’s Long Center. Musical highlights from the performance will air as a special hourlong broadcast of Austin City Limits scheduled for early 2025 as a season highlight of the program’s golden anniversary Season 50.

Watch new episodes live, stream online, or download the PBS App. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding upcoming Season 50 tapings, live streams and episode schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter, IG and TikTok. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

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News Ticket Giveaway Tickets Distributed

Giveaway: Sturgill Simpson

UPDATE: The giveaway is now closed. Austin City Limits will tape a performance by Sturgill Simpson on Monday, October 28th at 8 pm at ACL Live at The Moody Theater (310 W. 2nd Street, Willie Nelson Blvd). Austin City Limits Taping Giveaways are presented by AXS Events.

Winners will be chosen at random and a photo ID will be required to pick up tickets. Winners will be notified via email. Duplicate entries for a single taping will be automatically voided. Tickets are not transferable and will be voided if sold. Standing may be required. No photography, recording or cell phone use in the studio. No cameras, computers or recording devices allowed in the venue. While we do our best to accommodate all winners, we cannot guarantee admissionThese passes are based on space available therefore you will be filling in spots available on the floor or balcony depending on the tickets that are available when you arrive.


Passage Du Desir, the highly anticipated new studio album from Johnny Blue Skies, is out today on High Top Mountain Records (stream/purchase). The release marks the beginning of a new era for the artist—after promising to release only five studio albums under the name Sturgill Simpson—and was produced by Johnny Blue Skies and David Ferguson and recorded at Clement House Recording Studio in Nashville, TN and Abbey Road Studios in London, England.

Of the new chapter, Johnny Blue Skies shares, “You can turn the page or you can light the book on fire and dance around the flames. You can try to live above hell or you can just go raise some. Here’s to clean livin’ and dirty thinking.”

Simpson will return to the road this fall for his first full tour in over four years. The extensive “Why Not? Tour” headline run will feature Simpson and his band—Kevin Black (bass), Robbie Crowell (keys), Laur Joamets (guitar) and Miles Miller (drums)—and includes immediately sold-out shows in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Chicago (two nights), Oklahoma City, Asheville, Cary and Washington, DC among many others as well as headline festival slots at Outside Lands and Austin City Limits Music Festival. All tickets are now on-sale via sturgillsimpsonlive.com. See below for complete tour itinerary.

Of note, the “Why Not? Tour” has opted out of using dynamic ticket pricing with the intention of doing everything in their power to keep tickets in the hands of fans and out of the hands of scalpers. They are vetting pre-sale sign ups for bad actors, implementing Face Value Exchange (which is now live, FAQ here) and limited platinum ticketing to combat scalpers and out of control prices.

The new album follows the tenth anniversary reissue of Simpson’s Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, which came out earlier this spring. Originally released May 13, 2014, the album marked a career breakthrough for Simpson personally and proved to be a seismic shift-maker within the larger country music genre. The new special edition features a fully reimagined album cover and vinyl package, pressed on 180g Black Vinyl with an “Old-Style” Tip-On Jacket. Ushering in a new chapter within country music and setting the stage for countless other outsider artists to push the genre forward for years to come, the lasting impact of Metamodern continues to be felt today. In a recent piece reflecting on the album’s influence and importance, Marissa Moss writes in Rolling Stone, “Ten years since its release, Simpson’s 2014 masterpiece Metamodern Sounds in Country Music continues to redefine what’s possible in Nashville,” and continues, “Metamodern is an album that shows how the best music can come when you’re respectful of the past but fearless about the future.”

Since his debut, Simpson has released five full-length studio albums—2013’s High Top Mountain, 2014’s Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, 2016’s A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, 2019’s Sound & Fury and 2021’s The Ballad of Dood and Juanita—along with the 2020 projects, Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. Throughout his singular career, Simpson has relentless pushed against expectations, earning widespread acclaim and countless accolades including a Grammy Award in 2017 for Best Country Album and six Grammy nominations across four genres: country, rock, bluegrass and americana.In addition to his work as a musician, Simpson has acted in film and television, including roles in The Dead Don’t Die, Queen & Slim, Killers of the Flower Moon and The Righteous Gemstones.


For entry to Austin City Limits tapings, you agree to abide by the Taping Health & Safety Protocols based on the current COVID-19 Community Risk Stage in effect at the time of the event. By attending the ACL tapings, you agree to the Terms & Conditions.

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News Special event

Austin City Limits Marks 50th Anniversary Milestone on October 17 

The trailblazing live music series Austin City Limits (ACL) kicks off its 50th celebrations with a week of highlights leading up to the October 17th anniversary of Willie Nelson’s landmark 1974 pilot episode taping. Iconic Austin institutions and music venues will tip their hat to the fabled music program with salutes on their signs and marquees to celebrate the series’ half-century mark. El Arroyo, Austin Motel, Paramount Theatre, Hole in the Wall, Saxon Pub, Q2 Arena, Moody Center and more will participate throughout the celebratory week to show their appreciation and toast the longest-running music series in TV history, which helped secure Austin’s reputation as “the live music capital of the world.”

Austin City Limits will receive a Texas-sized salute with proclamations from both the state and the Austin City Council to officially declare October 17th “Austin City Limits Day” state and citywide in recognition of the music institution’s contributions to Austin’s live music culture and identity, and for broadcasting legendary performances into homes across America and beyond for a remarkable five decades. The proclamations will be announced from the stage at the Austin City Limits 50th Birthday Bash celebration. Adriana Cruz, Executive Director of Texas Economic Development & Tourism for the state of Texas, along with Chip Adams, Director of the Texas Music Office, will announce the Lone Star State’s proclamation; Austin Mayor Kirk Watson will declare “Austin City Limits Day” on behalf of the city of Austin.

Austin City Limits will livestream the golden anniversary concert performances by Willie Nelson & Family, along with an opening set from Austin’s own Asleep at the Wheel, live from Austin City Limits’ 50th Birthday Bash. Fans worldwide can join in the celebrations with a free livestream of the event, which will stream live in its entirety on aclturns50.com and Austin City Limits TV’s YouTube channel beginning at 7pm CT on Thursday, October 17, 2024—exactly 50 years to the day that Willie Nelson taped the show’s pilot debut. The outdoor concert, on the lawn of Austin’s Long Center, will feature Willie and Asleep at the Wheel performing in front of the city skyline that has inspired the show’s trademark set for decades. The stream will only be available live; the performance will be taped, and musical highlights will air early next year on PBS as a season highlight of the program’s anniversary Season 50.  

ACL is proud to partner with Armadillo World Headquarters (AWHQ) as the official Watch Party partner for the event. The legendary live music venue recently relaunched as a purpose-driven brand supporting Austin musicians. AWHQ will livestream the show at multiple venues across Austin, including the newly opened Armadillo Forever space at the South Congress Hotel, Pershing and Deep Eddy Cabaret.

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News Taping Recap

Taping Recap:  Carín León

On the first Saturday of ACL Festival, energy downtown was already high. Coming off his headlining performance at the festival on Friday, Carín León and his amazing backing band of talented musicians took the ACL TV stage by storm, performing career-spanning highlights including “Primera Cita” and “Que Vuelvas.”

The night was a boot-stomping singalong that may have been one of the most fun tapings to date. León engaged with the studio audience throughout his spirited performance, throwing multiple hats and, toward the end of the night, his belt, into the audience. León ended the night with covers “Don’t Stop Believing,” and “Free Fallin’,” showcasing his incredible vocal range, then taking us home with “La boda del Huitlacoche.” Everyone was out of their seats, dancing and clapping along.

Catch Carín León’s Season 50 episode on PBS in early 2015, in celebration of 50 years of Austin City Limits. 

Carín León performs on Austin City Limits, October 5, 2024. Photos by Scott Newton.

Listen to the set list from the Austin City Limits taping below:

BAND CREDITS:

Óscar Armando Díaz de León Huez (a.k.a. Carín León) – Lead Vocals

Antonio de Jesus Zepeda Rivera – Bass

Alan Roberto Daniel Ortega – Steel Guitar

Luis Carlos Garcia Perez – Drums

Arturo Adolfo Garcia Gonzales – Guitar

Luis Alfredo Diaz de León Huez – Guitar

Abraham Noe Reyes Valdez – Requinto Guitar

Miguel Abraham Nuyares Moreno – Guitar

Abel Alexis Anguiano Martinez – Trombone

José Angel Avila Llunez – Trumpet

Javier Humberto Rivera – Bajo Quinto

Gilberto Antonio Romo – Tuba

Tohana Paola Salazar – Vocals

Roco Paloma Morales Ledgard – Vocals

Sebastian Verduzco Quintero – Sax

Luis Fernando Herrera – Accordion

Carlos Canizales – Vocals

Braulio Andres Ibarra Soberanes – Bass Fifth

Daniel Alejandro Fuentevilla Topete – Piano

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Episode Recap New Broadcast News

Episode Premiere: Grammy-Nominated Singer-Songwriters Maggie Rogers & Gracie Abrams

Austin City Limits has all the feels in a heartfelt new installment showcasing two gifted singer-songwriters: Maggie Rogers and Gracie Abrams. Both artists create honest, personal music and prioritize connection with the audience, encouraging listeners to feel all the feelings. In her second appearance on ACL, Grammy-nominated Rogers shines with gems from Don’t Forget Me; she’s followed by 2024 Grammy Best New Artist nominee Abrams making her program debut with standouts from her chart-topping The Secret of Us. The hourlong episode premieres Saturday, October 12 @8pm ET/7pm CT. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast. 2024 marks the 50th Anniversary of the revered music de institution, which continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music series in television history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for an incredible half-century.

Producer/songwriter/performer Maggie Rogers made her Austin City Limits debut in Season 45 with songs from 2019’s Heard It In a Past Life and returns as a must-see live act amid her first arena tour. Rogers takes viewers on a journey of her cinematic songs, featuring highlights from her third LP Don’t Forget Me, a road trip album written from the perspective of someone leaving home for the first time. Accompanied by a six-piece band, Rogers has her foot on the gas for the raw emotion of the opener “So Sick Of Dreaming,” a lovestruck kiss-off with a spoken-word interlude to an ex-partner. “This song is a love song,” smiles Rogers in the intro to her 2019 hit “Love You For A Long Time.” She dances ecstatically across the stage and inspires a genuine connection with her audience, as the adoring Austin crowd sings along passionately. She reaches back to her 2020 sophomore release Surrender for “Anywhere With You,” and closes out the exuberant set awash in good vibes for this year’s big-hearted title track “Don’t Forget Me.”

Los Angeles native Gracie Abrams was handpicked by Taylor Swift to open on select dates of her blockbuster Eras Tour, and rejoins Swift on the final leg of that tour this fall, in addition to playing her own sold-out headlining tour. The 25-year-old Abrams has amassed a devoted fanbase of ecstatic fans who chant her name and sing-along to every word of her emotionally intimate lyrics. In her ACL debut, Abrams performs with her latest album The Secret Of Us as the centerpiece. She opens a captivating set with a trio of songs from the album, including fan-favorite single “Risk,” and “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” as the stoked crowd screams out every lyric. Abrams revisits the 2020 EP that started her meteoric rise for the tender ballad “Friend.” She wears her heart on her sleeve and engages with fans by waving and mouthing messages mid-song. Abrams has struck a chord with vulnerable tunes that speak of modern love, songs with millions of streams that resonate with a new generation.

“Maggie Rogers and Gracie Abrams are part of a new generation of women songwriters who share their stories in powerful, intimate ways, and these stories come to life in this special hour,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “They are both also powerful performers who take command of the stage and their audience. It’s an emotional experience for everyone.”

Maggie Rogers episode setlist:

So Sick Of Dreaming

The Kill

Love You For A Long Time

Anywhere With You

Don’t Forget Me

Gracie Abrams episode setlist:

Risk

Blowing Smoke

I Love You, I’m Sorry

Friend

Let It Happen

Free Now