Austin City LimitsAustin City Limits will be taping a performance by Bon Iver on Wednesday, April 25, at 9 pm at ACL Live at The Moody Theater (310 W. 2nd Street, Willie Nelson Blvd). We will be giving away a limited number of space available passes to this taping. Enter your name and email address on the below form by 9 am Friday, April 20. Passes are not transferable and cannot be sold.
Wondering how you’re going to make it through this week knowing that the first weekend of the Coachella Music Festival is going on and you didn’t get tickets? Don’t be sad, get ready for an exciting performance on this week’s Austin City Limits encore episode that includes two of the biggest names in R&B, soul, and hip hop: John Legend and The Roots.
Legend and The Roots perform most of the songs off of their 2010 collaborative album Wake Up! Inspired by the 2008 Presidential election, Wake Up! features a collection of cover songs from the 60s and ‘70s that were originally written or performed by some of the most influential and timeless artists of the era, such as Donny Hathaway, Eugene McDaniels, Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers, and many others. Legend and The Roots both felt that something was needed in the stagnant atmosphere and lack of depth in music’s current state and that this album would deliver a sense of urgency and convey the change that was going on in the world at the time. Given the album’s themes/background and the upcoming Presidential election, this is an episode that still resonates.
A few breakthrough moments in the episode include when Legend breaks away from Wake Up! once to perform “Ordinary People,” arguably his most popular hit from his 2004 debut album Get Lifted. Following that, Legend introduces the song “I Can’t Write Left-Handed,” which he explains was written by Bill Withers during the Vietnam War. Withers dedicated it to a soldier he met who was shot in his right arm and forced to learn to use his left hand to write. The powerful and soulful ballad is heightened with ?ueslove’s brilliant and passionate drumming.
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. Next week: Alejandro Escovedo and Trombone Shorty!
WARNING: This Saturday’s encore episode may induce the following behavior: dancing/booty shaking, laughter, uncontrollable smiling, clapping, soulful singing, and bass throwing (if you have one nearby).
What are we talking about? This week’s episode featuring multi-instrumentalist and R&B veteran Raphael Saadiq and Austin’s own Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, of course.
Referring to journalists as “lazy” when they try to fit his musical style under genre specific labels (such as neo-soul), it’s clear from this performance and his albums that Raphael Saadiq draws inspiration from a wide array of artists. Featuring special guest Kim Wilson of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Saadiq covers hits from his 2011 album Stone Rollin’. Watch when Saadiq performs the title track, a song he initially wrote when he was 11 about a “full-figured, bluesy woman,” as his background vocalists show as much energy as Saadiq himself.
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears have been such a local favorite and “must-see” over the years that it wasn’t a shock when the group starting gaining national attention. In this performance you see the group at its finest, performing a mix of songs from its 2009 debut Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is! and their most recent release Scandalous. This performance is brimming with energy, soul and flying instruments that peaks at the end, when the group is joined by Dallas gospel group the Relatives for the fervid hit and crowd favorite “You Been Lyin’.”
Check your local listings for showtimes to see this episode and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr to keep up with updates on tapings and airings! Oh, and please watch out for the bass. Austin City Limits does not condone anyone throwing instruments in the living room, but if you do, let us know because that would be an awesome story worth sharing.
We’ve had our collective eye on Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela, who will appear on our stage on May 7, for some time – after all, Austin City Limits has a history of showcasing six-string magic. The pair has been riding high since they took the music world by storm with their self-titled LP back in 2006, raising eyebrows with flamenco takes on thrash metal tunes and forward-thinking originals. Now the duo is touring with C.U.B.A., a 13-piece Cuban orchestra, with whom they recorded their latest record Area 52. The time is right to invite them to their debut ACL performance for a show that’s sure to inspire as much dancing as air guitar.
Keep an eye on the blog, our Facebook page and Twitter feed for news on the public ticket giveaway. We hope to see you there!
We are thrilled to announced that Austin City Limits has won a prestigious Peabody Award. To quote the Peabody website:
“Austin City Limits receives a rare Institutional Peabody Award. Thirty-seven seasons on air make it the world’s longest running live music television program. Concerts by the likes of Coldplay, Widespread Panic and Randy Newman made 2011 a banner year for the Lone Star State’s music showcase.”
The mission of the Peabody Awards is “to recognize the most outstanding achievements in electronic media, including radio, television and cable” and has one criteria: excellence. The receipt of this award puts us not only next to our PBS and NPR peers, but also shoulder-to-shoulder with CNN, ABC, HBO, Showtime, Comedy Central and broadcasters around the world. Seriously, folks, check out the winners list – we’re in great company and proud to be there
Thanks to the University of Georgia, who curate the Peabodys, for this most excellent award, and to everyone – artists, producers, crew, behind-the-scenes folks and, of course, the fans – who make ACL the consistently remarkable show that it is.
Chris Thile – lead singer and mandolinist of the genre-busting band Punch Brothers, who will tape a show for us on May 1 — is no stranger to the Austin City Limits stage. The virtuoso musician has appeared twice with his former band Nickel Creek and once in Dolly Parton’s backup band. The Grammy–nominated Punch Brothers, which Thile formed six years ago, has released three albums, most recently Who’s Feeling Young Now?, and is currently on a sold-out US tour. The quintet’s boundary-less mix of indie-rock, bluegrass, classical music, jazz, folk, and pop has attracted critical acclaim, a slot opening for Paul Simon, two songs on the new T Bone Burnett–produced Hunger Games album, and a loyal, growing audience, including fellow musicians like Steve Martin, Elton John, and Marcus Mumford. We’re pleased to welcome the Punch Brothers to Austin City Limits.
Keep an eye on the blog, our Facebook page and Twitter feed regularly for news on the public ticket giveaway. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter as well.