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Featured Hall of Fame News Uncategorized

ACL announces 2021 HOF guest performers

Austin City Limits announces an all-star slate of guest performers for the 2021 ACL Hall of Fame Inductions & Celebration on October 28, 2021. Music greats Jason Isbell, Margo Price, John Doe, Sheila E., Lenny Kaye, Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner, Rosanne Cash, Bill Callahan, Terry Allen and Del Castillo’s Alex Ruiz will take part in saluting the newest class of inductees with one-of-a-kind music performances and tributes. After an absence in 2020 due to the pandemic, the ACL Hall of Fame returns, celebrating a stellar new class of trailblazing artists with longtime ties to ACL: Lucinda Williams, Wilco and Alejandro Escovedo. The 2021 ACL Hall of Fame inductees will be honored at the star-studded ceremony on October 28th, 2021 at ACL’s studio home, ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Musical highlights and inductions from the celebration will air as a special Austin City Limits on January 8, 2022 on PBS.

The event is open to the public and a limited number of newly released tickets are on sale at acltv.com/hall-of-fame.  Sponsor packages are available now at acltv.com/hall-of-fame. All proceeds benefit Austin PBS. 

All-star guests will handle induction honors for this epic night: Jason Isbell will induct Lucinda Williams and perform in tribute along with Margo Price and Rosanne Cash. Cash will also induct Wilco, and indie legend Bill Callahan, Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner and Texas icon Terry Allen will salute the celebrated band. A godfather of punk, Lenny Kaye, will induct Alejandro Escovedo; joining the musical tribute will be John Doe, founder of seminal LA punk band X, Queen of percussion Sheila E. and Alex Ruiz, frontman for Austin Latin rock band Del Castillo. Inductees Lucinda Williams, Wilco and Alejandro Escovedo will all perform at the ceremony. ACL Hall of Famer, renowned steel guitarist and producer Lloyd Maines, returns as Music Director, leading the ACL All-Stars house band.

The seventh class of inductees represent the essence of everything ACL has stood for— originality, authenticity, virtuosity. Roots-music icon Lucinda Williams has made four classic appearances on ACL over a remarkable four-decade career, starting with her debut on Season 15 in 1990. Celebrated Chicago band Wilco has also appeared on ACL four times during their 25-year career, beginning in 2000 for the series’ 25th Anniversary season. Texas legend Alejandro Escovedo made his debut during the first decade of the series in Season 8 in 1983 with the band Rank and File, going on to make a total of five appearances including a star-studded return in 2017.

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 47 years as a music institution. The inaugural induction ceremony in 2014 honored Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, Lloyd Maines, program creator Bill Arhos and Darrell Royal. 2015’s second annual ACL Hall of Fame ceremony honored Asleep at the Wheel, Loretta Lynn, Guy Clark, Flaco Jiménez and Townes Van Zandt, along with the original crew of the show’s first season in 1974-75. The 2016 Hall of Fame honored Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt and B.B. King, alongside former ACL executive producer Dick Peterson.  2017’s Hall of Fame honored Roy Orbison, Rosanne Cash and The Neville Brothers, and the 50th Anniversary of the Public Broadcasting Act.  2018’s fifth anniversary class featured the inductions of Ray Charles, Marcia Ball and Los Lobos. The 2019 Hall of Fame welcomed Lyle Lovett, Buddy Guy and Shawn Colvin to its ranks.

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

Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 47th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.  

Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, the Austin Convention Center Department and Cirrus Logic. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News Uncategorized

Episode recap: Jon Batiste

photo by Scott Newton

Austin City Limits is thrilled to present one of America’s most versatile musicians, Jon Batiste, in a dazzling must-watch hour. The New Orleans bandleader and composer, a Grammy and Oscar-winning musician, delivers a high-energy tour-de-force backed by an 18-piece band, performing highlights from his soulful album WE ARE. The new installment premieres October 16 at 9pm ET/ 8pm CT as part of the series new Season 47. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to deliver a new season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The program continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for a remarkable 47 years. 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.   

Jon Batiste mixes his own brand of New Orleans jazz with soul, funk, R&B, gospel and hip-hop in an hour-long celebration of pure joy. Batiste may be best known as a television personality as the bandleader and musical director for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” but the scion of a New Orleans musical dynasty is a Grammy and Oscar-winning talent, and he lights up the stage in a performance for the ages in his first-ever ACL appearance. In a love letter to his southern roots and heritage, Batiste takes viewers on a journey through Black American music history from ragtime to trap. Taking the stage in a red leather suit and Stetson, he is backed by a 10-piece band for the ecstatic “We Are,” a celebratory anthem of the African diaspora and the title track to his acclaimed 2021 album. The leader’s contagious joy is on full display throughout the performance as he reveals, “This is not a concert for me—this is a spiritual practice.” 

New Orleans’ Hot 8 Brass Band joins the party with a second line groove as the energy level soars and Batiste descends into the crowd. The showman thrills as he dances across the stage, moving seamlessly from piano, his main instrument, to guitar, saxophone, and melodica. Batiste is on guitar, leading the 18-piece band for the soulful raveup “Tell the Truth,” before moving to piano and ending the number on his knees center stage. “Boyhood,” a fond ode to growing up in the Big Easy, leads into a gorgeous snippet of Bill Withers “Lean On Me.” The unstoppable Batiste delivers a fascinating medley at the piano, playfully working in everything from classical to ragtime, demonstrating his remarkable genre-defying skills. A frequent collaborator, Batiste is joined by Austin guitar great Gary Clark Jr. for the slowburn bayou lament “Cry,” before closing the hour with a stunning solo finale at the piano featuring the ballad, “Don’t Stop,” from 2018’s Hollywood Africans.

“In my over 40 years with Austin City Limits, I have never seen a performance so joyful, so inspiring, so energizing, so spiritual as Jon Batiste. It was a magical night,” said executive producer Terry Lickona. “People were laughing, singing, crying, and of course dancing. Jon Batiste is a superstar!”

Jon Batiste setlist:

WE ARE

I NEED YOU

LOVE RIOT MOMENT

BOYHOOD

WHATCHUTALKINBOUT

TELL THE TRUTH

TELL THE TRUTH reprise

PIANO MEDLEY

CRY

FREEDOM

DON’T STOP

Season 47 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately):

October 2 Miranda Lambert with Jack Ingram & Jon Randall

October 9 Jade Bird / Dayglow

October 16 Jon Batiste

October 23 Sarah Jarosz / Billy Strings

October 30 Brandy Clark / Charley Crockett

November 6 Leon Bridges / Khruangbin

November 13 Jackson Browne

November 20 Brittany Howard

Watch live, stream anytime, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. The complete line-up for the full 13-week season, including five new episodes to air beginning January 2022, will be announced at a later date.  Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding live streams, future tapings and episode schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 47th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.  

Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, the Austin Convention Center Department and Cirrus Logic. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

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Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Phoebe Bridgers

Phoebe Bridgers, Austin City Limits, 2021. Photo by Scott Newton.

Few songwriters hit the level of acclaim earned by Phoebe Bridgers right out of the box. But the California native captured the hearts and minds of critics and music fans alike with her 2017 debut album Stranger in the Alps, not to mention her work with side bands boygenius (with Julien Baker and ACL alum Lucy Dacus) and Better Oblivion Community Center (with another ACL vet, Conor Oberst). But it was 2020’s Punisher that catapulted her into the ring of stardom, thanks to singles “Kyoto,” “Garden Song” and “Savior Complex” and a raft of Grammy nominations. So we were jazzed to host Bridgers for her debut Austin City Limits taping as she played Punisher from start to finish. 

“All right, let’s do it,” Bridgers said as she and her skeleton-costumed band took the stage, opening with “Motion Sickness,” a highlight from her debut. She moved over to Punisher, starting with the instrumental interlude “DVD Menu,” which led directly into the ethereal “Garden Song.” “This is our first indoor show in two years,” she noted, donning a B.C. Rich Warlock guitar for the sparkling power pop tune “Kyoto,” frosted with JJ Kirkpatrick’s trumpet fills. Putting aside her axe, she plucked the mic from its stand and joined pianist Nicholas White on his stand for the shimmering ballad that acts as the title track for Punisher. She kept the mood downcast and beautiful for “Halloween,”  a song keyed in on Bridgers’ three-part harmony with drummer Marshall Vore and violinist/guitarist Emily Kohavi. Guitarist Harrison Whitford contributed vocal counterpoint to the coda as well. 

Bridgers strapped on her acoustic guitar for another Alps number, the melancholy “Funeral.” Electric guitar came back for the epic “Chinese Satellite,” a masterfully crafted blend of the personal and political. That was followed by the carefully detailed “Moon Song,” a heartbreaking portrait of a relationship’s slow disintegration. She followed with the equally emotionally fragile “Savior Complex,” before getting more assertive with “ICU,” a song inspired by a political argument in a Whole Foods parking lot. Her band recalibrated itself so that Vore could come forward to play banjo alongside Kohvai’s violin for the semi-acoustic beauty “Graceland Too.” “Thanks for coming,” Bridgers said as she prepped for the final song. “This is wild. It’s been a dream.” She and the band ended the set appropriately with “I Know the End,” the epic that concludes Punisher, going out in a hail of freeform noise and distortion. Bridgers kicked her mic stand over, waved to the crowd, and was gone as the amps fed back. The show was an auspicious debut for a remarkable singer/songwriter, and we can’t wait for you to see it when it airs later this December on your local PBS station. 

Phoebe Bridgers tapes Austin City Limits, October 2021. Photos by Scott Newton.
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Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Brittany Howard

Brittany Howard, Austin City Limits, 2021. Photo by Scott Newton.

Brittany Howard is no stranger to the Austin City Limits stage – she’s been on the show twice with her beloved band Alabama Shakes, plus appeared on our fortieth anniversary special. In 2019 she struck out on her own with her acclaimed debut solo record Jaime, named after her late sister, and garnered a fistful of Grammy nominations along the way. Originally scheduled to appear last year, before the pandemic put paid to that idea, Howard brought her long-awaited solo show to us at last, with a crack band, a setlist full of Jaime tunes and well-chosen covers, and an eclectic new sound. 

The eight-piece group of backing players arrived first, before the singer herself arrived in a glittering, sparkle-covered robe and bleached-silver hair. She picked up her guitar and went into a gutbucket take on Funkadelic’s “Hit It and Quit It,” featuring Howard and fellow axepeople Brad Allen Williams and Alex Chakour trading solos. She then dipped into Jaime for “He Loves Me,” her story of reconciling her sexuality with her spiritual upbringing. Howard discovered her inner Hi Studios groove for “Georgia,” singing about her desire for the titular entity over a mellow Memphis groove and organist Lloyd Buchanan’s foamy solo. She stuck with Southern soul for “Stay High,” her Grammy-winning radio hit. “Presence” upped the funk while keeping to the sensuous groove, and included more three-guitar action. Things got even greasier for “What I’m All About,” as Howard introduced the band, having them build up the song instrument by instrument, starting with jazz-soaked drummer Nate Smith. She and the band then kicked it old school, taking the Moody Theater to church with a rave-up cover of Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher.”  

“I wrote this song when I was on the low side of an 80/20 relationship,” Howard noted as she began “Baby,” a slow jam that explored the sorry side of love. Singers Karita Law and Shanay Johnson came over from stage left to join Howard up front for “Goat Head,” another Grammy-nominated track, and a forthright but danceable exploration of bi-racial identity. That midtempo groove continued with “Tomorrow,” a modern R&B showcase for how flexible and advanced Howard’s voice has become over the years. The funk came rumbling back for another Funkadelic cover, this time of the provocative “You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks” from Maggot Brain. The band followed with “13th Century Metal,” one of the most unique tracks on Jaime, a recitation on which she preached in defense of love and brother/sisterhood. She left the stage as she finished her proselytizing, as did most of the band, leaving the focus on Smith, a musician who knows how to make a drum solo compelling. Howard and her musicians came back to finish the song with exhortations to “Give it to love!” amongst Chakour and Howard’s guitar swirls. She left the stage again as the musicians brought the tune down in a psychedelic haze. 

That ended the first set, but not the show. Howard returned with a nylon-string acoustic guitar for another Grammy-nominated number, “Short & Sweet,” a jazzy ballad performed solo that was clearly an audience fave. The band returned to pluck another classic soul tune from the American repertoire, this time a faithful rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “For Once in My Life.” Howard went back to Jaime for the extra-funky, Grammy-nominated single “History Repeats,” featuring more synchronized dancing from Howard and the singers and plenty of audience participation. The momentum rolled on for “Revolution,” Howard’s unique psychedelic soul take on the late sixties Beatles hit, given an extra physical performance. The song sped up to “Shout” levels before crashing to a close to a hail of cheers and applause. “Y’all were a great crowd tonight,” she told the crowd. “I got charged all the way up!” With that, Howard quit the stage, ending a spectacular show that we can’t wait for you to see when it premieres November 20, 2021 as part of our new Season 47 on your local PBS station. 

Brittany Howard tapes Austin City Limits, October 2021. Photos by Scott Newton.
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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News Uncategorized

Episode recap: Jade Bird/Dayglow

Jade Bird on Austin City Limits, Season 47. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits returns with a radiant hour showcasing a pair of next-generation singer-songwriters: UK native Jade Bird and Austin’s own Dayglow. The new installment premieres October 9 at 9pm ET/ 8pm CT as part of the series new Season 47. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to deliver a new season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The program continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for a remarkable 47 years. 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.  

Acclaimed singer-songwriter-guitarist Jade Bird performs highlights from her recent album Different Kinds of Light, recorded in Nashville with red-hot producer Dave Cobb. The Welsh native and recent Austin transplant cut her teeth in London pubs and open-mic nights in her teens and has been earning acclaim in the U.S. since 2018, winning top honors at SXSW and scoring a nomination for the Americana Awards “Emerging Artist of the Year.” The seasoned, charismatic 23-year-old lights up the ACL stage in a magnetic debut. Opening the set with the melodic “Headstart,” Bird soars with irresistible new songs including “Now is the Time” and “Candidate” alongside early career gems including her 2018 breakthrough hit “Lottery,” a kiss-off to an ex set to a catchy rock melody, and the fiery “I Get No Joy,” which she cheekily dedicates to the year 2020. Bird pays tribute to an American musical hero, Dolly Parton, with a luminous rendition of her classic “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?” joined by Nashville singer Savannah Conley and guitarist Luke Prosser in gorgeous three-part harmony. 

Dayglow on Austin City Limits, Season 47. Photo by Scott Newton.

21-year-old Sloan Struble, who records music as Dayglow, brings all the feels in an exuberant ACL debut that will have viewers smiling ear to ear. The genial pop wunderkind shines in an upbeat set filled with his sunny, smart indie-pop. His 2021 sophomore album, Harmony House, is earning critical raves, with the Austin American-Statesman calling it “one of the best albums of the year, an effervescent and wise-before-his-time collection of songs that will leave you crying on the dancefloor.” “Let’s freakin’ rock” enthuses Struble as he happily bounces around the stage for the set opener “Something,” then delivers a dose of pure ‘70s groove with the infectious “Medicine.” Struble got his start making music in his teenage bedroom and he delights with tunes from his 2018 debut album Fuzzybrain, including the viral single that launched his runaway career, “Can I Call You Tonight?” A set highlight is the smooth rock banger “Crying on the Dancefloor,” complete with sweet soprano saxophone and a heart-swelling melody. Dayglow’s love of new wave and ‘80s pop anthems is evident on the dreamy synthpop breakthrough single “Close to You,” and he displays the modern/nostalgic dichotomy that is a hallmark of his music with a feel-good cover of the Tear For Fears classic “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” that merges with his own, “Run the World!!!” for a memorable close.

“Jade Bird and Dayglow are two of the brightest stars in the pop firmament right now, and we’re proud that Austin is home base for both of them,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “They bring a fresh sensibility to classic songwriting, with a little bit of edge and plenty of catchy hooks.”

Jade Bird setlist:

Headstart

Prototype

Now is the Time

Candidate

I Get No Joy 

Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?

Lottery

Going Gone

Dayglow setlist:

Something

Medicine

Crying on the Dancefloor

Can I Call You Tonight?

Close To You

Everybody Wants To Rule The World

Run the World!!!

Season 47 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately):

October 2 Miranda Lambert with Jack Ingram & Jon Randall

October 9 Jade Bird / Dayglow

October 16 Jon Batiste

October 23 Sarah Jarosz / Billy Strings

October 30 Brandy Clark / Charley Crockett

November 6 Leon Bridges / Khruangbin

November 13 Jackson Browne

November 20 Brittany Howard

Watch live, stream anytime, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. The complete line-up for the full 13-week season, including five new episodes to air beginning January 2022, will be announced at a later date.  Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding live streams, future tapings and episode schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

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Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Duran Duran

Duran Duran, 2021. Photo by Scott Newton.

At a time when so many of their early eighties peers have succumbed to nostalgia tours and the revival circuit, Duran Duran has remained on top, not only popular but relevant. That’s partly because the Birmingham superstars still clearly enjoy what they do – no paycheck-cashing cynicism here. But it’s also because the band acknowledges its past while continuing to move forward, making new music with the same interest and passion as it has since its eighties beginnings. As they proved with their debut taping for Austin City Limits, and with new album Future Past imminent, Duran Duran still has the fire. 

When Terry Lickona introduced the band, the crowd gave a roar like a tidal wave, the likes of which we rarely hear. Following a couple of minutes of funky instrumental groove building anticipation, the superstar act took the stage and the roar returned, singer Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, bassist John Taylor, drummer Roger Taylor, joined by guitarist Dom Brown, saxophonist Simon Willescroft and singers Anna Ross and Erin Stevenson, reveling in the kind of attention a group that’s thrived for decades deserves. The Durans opened with new song “Invisible,” a minimalist synth funker from the upcoming record that bodes well for the new music to come. Bona fides thus established, the band went right into one of its biggest hits: the 1985 #1 smash “A View to a Kill,” the theme song for the James Bond film of the same name. The energy level went up even higher with “Notorious,” the song’s funk beat clearly galvanizing Le Bon and John Taylor, to the audience’s delight. “Anybody celebrating a birthday tonight?” the perpetually smiling singer asked. “We celebrate our birthday every night!” That was the lead-in to new single “Anniversary,” a pop banger that doubles as a nod to the forty years that have passed since the release of the Durans’ first album. 

Backup vocalist Ross joined Le Bon at the front of the stage to duet on the melodic 1993 top ten hit “Come Undone,” from the group’s second self-titled album (AKA “The Wedding Album”). Doffing his white jacket, Le Bon got his groove on for “Pressure Off,” a late-career high point from the 2015 LP Paper Gods that reminded everybody that this band has never forgotten how to be danceable, the vocalist leading the eager crowd into a disco clap-along. The Durans then dug deep into their catalog for the cheeky rocker “Friends of Mine,” a highlight of the band’s very first album, and a song Le Bon seemed to particularly enjoy singing. “This is one of the best little shows we’ve played all year!” he claimed after the song finished. The band then got serious for a minute, with Le Bon dedicating the next song to everyone struggling in the past eighteen months. That song was, of course, “Ordinary World,” the band’s massive, ice-melting ballad from 1993, given new resonance in 2020s reality. From that undeniable classic the Durans offered up another new song, another upbeat dance rocker entitled “Tonight United,” driven by John’s grooving bass. 

The band kept the energy level high with “(Reach Up For the) Sunrise,” a vibrant, guitar-heavy rock anthem from their 2004 album Astronaut. “Put your hands up,” the song demanded, and the audience eagerly acquiesced. Ross and Stevenson returned to the front of the stage to assist the band for their outside-the-box cover of Grandmaster Flash’s anti-cocaine protest tune “White Lines (Don’t Do It),” just in case anyone had forgotten Duran Duran’s essential eclecticism. The group then boomeranged back to the beginning, with the distinctive synth intro and new wave groove to the band’s first hit, the still-thrilling “Planet Earth.” The audience went wild, but really upped their game when Le Bon asked, “Did you drink your champagne and eat your caviar…or is anybody hungry?” That led, of course, into “Hungry Like the Wolf,” the band’s hit of all hits, and one that turned the Moody into a monster dance party. The band wasted no time going right into “Girls On Film,” taking the performance and the crowd straight up to nirvana. The song segued into an appropriate cover of Calvin Harris’ “Acceptable in the 80s,” the groove of which Le Bon used to introduce the band, before going into the song’s chorus of “shooting star” – as appropriate a send-off to the set as could be hoped. The Durans quit the stage to wild cheers and applause. 

They returned, of course, as Le Bon extolled the crowd to raise their cell phones and turn the lights on. Sea of lights thus established, the band performed “Save a Prayer,” letting the fans sing the chorus and taking them out on a wave of  beauty instead of the expected bombast. “Austin City Limits, thanks for having us!” John Taylor said, with firm agreement from Le Bon, and Duran Duran left the stage for the final time. It was a terrific show, one for the ACL ages, and we can’t wait for you to see it when it airs early next year as part of our Season 47 on your local PBS station. 

Duran Duran tapes Austin City Limits, Oct. 2021. Photos by Scott Newton.