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News Taping Recap

The Lumineers and Shovels & Rope: amazing

Last night we were thrilled to welcome a pair of bands that reflect two sides of the Americana coin: Shovels & Rope, with their DIY gritty, lo-fi take on countrified rock & roll, and The Lumineers, who offered their polished and elegant folk rock sound. The two bands couldn’t sound more different, but both had two important things in common: a deep understanding of American musical traditions and a knack for great songwriting.

Few bands have as much fun onstage than Shovels & Rope – the joy Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent get from playing together is palpable. “Man you can tell the way they look at each other,” commented Roger Hayhurst. on YouTube,“A lot of passion in this.” The Charleston, S.C. duo charged every song with the giddy energy of musicians that looooove being onstage. Opening with the Southern travelogue “Birmingham,” Hearst and Trent joyfully hopped from wild-eyed folk (“Bad Luck”) to chicken-pickin’ C&W (“Kemba’s Got the Cabbage Moth Blues”) to balls-out rock & roll (“O’Be Joyful”), switching off between guitar and drums along the way. Hearst wailed her way soulfully through the menacing folk rocker “Hollowpoint Blues” as easily as the duo rocked out gospel style on the blazing “Tell the Truth.” As Chistranger noted during our live stream of this show, “Every S&R song I hear I think, Oh! This one! This one’s my favorite! But then the next one comes on and I start all over again from the beginning.” After setting the place on fire with the rock ‘n’ vinyl celebration “Hail Hail,” the band left the stage to a standing ovation, having won a ton of new fans. “Fantastic!!” enthused Suzanne Day on the YouTube chat. “The BEST new music I have heard in such a long time!!!”

After such a barn-burning performance, The Lumineers had to rise to the occasion, and darned if they didn’t do it. Like S&R, the Denver quintet takes American roots music and strains it through its own distinctive filter; also like the Charleston duo, The Lumineers take the stage as if its their home. From the stripped-down folk rocker “Flowers in Your Hair” and the bluesy honkytonker “Ain’t Nobody’s Problem” to the acoustic pop tune “ Dead Sea” and the old-fashioned folk song “Charlie Boy,” the band easily engaged a crowd primed for their indie folk sound. Even a new song, tentatively titled “Duet” as leader Wesley Schulz and cellist Neyla Pekarek share the vocals, captivated the fans immediately. (“Call 911,” posted fan Matt Stigal, on YouTube “cause Neyla has officially stolen my heart.”) The group’s huge hit single “Ho Hey” arrived early in the set, which seemed surprising at first, but given the anthems that dominated the second half of the show, understandable: “Slow It Down,” “Big Parade” and especially “Stubborn Love” encouraged massive sing-a-longs. For the encore, the group ventured into the audience for an unamplified take on “Darlene,” complete with xylophone solo, while an audience member held up the xylophone. Closing the show with a pair of unexpected covers – Talking Heads’ lovely “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)” and the Violent Femmes’ raucous “American Music” – The Lumineers left the ACL stage in a state of bliss. “This is ‘genuine’ music,” declared fan Archangel Micael on YouTube.

“This entire concert is amazing,” proclaimed catperson74. “I don’t think I can wait until fall to watch again.” We can’t wait for you all to see it, either, but, alas, we’ll all have to be patient. Trust us, folks – the episode featuring these fantastic performances will be well worth the wait.

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News Taping Recap

The giddy energy of Delta Spirit’s ACL taping debut

It’s always fun for us to see the giddy energy of a first-time ACL performance, and Delta Spirit simply buzzed with it during its debut taping. “It’s so good to be here – oh my god!” exclaimed singer Matthew Vasquez before a note was struck. Then it was off into “Empty House,” the kind of anthem at which this band excels. Born in San Diego but based in Brooklyn, the quintet channels the spirit of Americana, particularly folk, through a modern indie rock prism. It’s a sound that will no doubt lead to the “Great American Record” that the group desires to work toward.

In the meantime, Delta Spirit gave us all it had with “Children,” “California” and “Bushwick Blues.” “Tear It Up” married a McCartneyesque melody to roots rock energy, as pretty harmonies and ringing guitars floated over pounding drums. “People C’mon” began with a classical piano flourish before expanding into a minor-key country rocker with a noisy ending. “Trashcan” found Vasquez playing a dissonant piano solo with his feet, before exhorting the crowd in a chorus of “Na-na-nas.” Indeed, it’s Vasquez’s rapport with Delta Spirit’s audience that’s at the heart of the band’s performance. “Money Saves,” “White Table” and “People C’mon” all featured audience participation, from the “Whoa-ohs” of “Money Saves” to the clapping of “White Table.”

It wasn’t all widescreen rock, however. Bringing it down in intensity (but not in quality), Vasquez paid tribute to his grandmother in the tender “Vivian” with just two guitars and a soulful vocal. The set-closing “People, Turn Around” channeled the folk spirit of Woody Guthrie, mixing a humanist message with indie rock energy. The encore “Crippler King,” from the band’s first EP, blazed at a frisky country rock pace, absorbing Blind Willie Johnson’s “John the Revelator” along the way and bringing the evening to a crashing close.

The Delta Spirit show was a testament not only to the continued resilience of American rock & roll, but also the power brought on by the excitement of playing ACL for the first time. We know you’ll enjoy this episode when it airs early next year.

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Taping Recap

The Civil Wars Take ACL to Barton Hollow

Last night, we formally kicked off Season 38 of Austin City Limits with a taping of the Grammy Award-winning The Civil Wars. The duo made an appearance last year in the ACL Presents special Americana Music Festival 2011, which is when we knew we had to have them do their own episode of ACL. Their performance exceeded our expectations.

Despite having met only three years ago, Joy Williams and John Paul White sound as if they were born to play together. “We couldn’t be more different – in every way,” remarked Williams, but it doesn’t inhibit their musical chemistry. Since she’s not tied down to an instrument (except on “Poison & Wine” and “C’est La Mort,” on which she plays piano), Williams could let the music take her wherever it could – her dances and gestures were, pardon the pun, a joy to watch. White is quite a picker, using his guitar as both melodic and rhythm instrument on the rocking “Oh Henry” (an as yet unrecorded song), the waltzing “Forget Me Not” and the bluesy “Barton Hollow.” The way the pair wove their voices around each other on “Falling,” “Tip of My Tongue” and “20 Years” was magical – as @timbasham commented on Twitter, “one guitar, two voices, an enormously beautiful sound.”

While they won Grammys for Best Country Duo/Group and Best Folk Act, they showed that they’re comfortable with more than just Americana during a fascinating range of covers. Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” (the second time that song has been performed on the ACL stage – see the Mos Def episode) became a bluesy, playful ramble, while the Jackson 5’s great pop tune “I Want You Back” transmuted into a slow, heartfelt plea. The pair’s version of Smashing Pumpkins’ “Disarm” – “the one place we do kinda cross,” remarked White after explaining how different the pair’s musical tastes are – stayed true to the original recording’s intensity. Their take on Leonard Cohen’s “Dance Me to the End of Love” was simply transcendent.

And we have to give a shout-out to the beautiful ACL audience. The Civil Wars’ music is quiet and austere, and the crowd showed their love without talking over the songs or the pair’s charming and witty between-songs patter. (“The @thecivilwars comedy is almost as good as their sound,” remarked @atxgingerman on Twitter.) The band went on a special journey and the audience was right there with them the entire time.

“This is one of many things on our bucket list,” said Williams between songs. “We are so amped to be here.” And we were so happy to have them. We don’t have an airdate lined up yet for this episode, but we can’t wait for you to see The Civil Wars on Austin City Limits.

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News Taping Recap

The Black Keys deliver a knockout show

Here at ACL we’re always pleased to see our alumni come back bigger and better than before, and that is certainly the case with the Black Keys, who returned to our stage for a knockout show. Since the Akron duo’s last visit in 2010, they’ve added a staggering number of radio hits, Grammy awards and arena tours to its arsenal.  Thus energized, the band delivered a charged performance that we also streamed live around the world.

Augmented by keyboardist John Clement Wood and bassist Richard Swift (last seen on our stage playing keyboards for the Shins), the powerhouse pair of guitarist/singer Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney launched into “Next Girl” with a squeal of feedback. The riffy rocker set the tone for the rest of the evening, as the band rarely let up. From the ripping “Strange Times” and the rumbling “She’s Long Gone” to the countrified “Gotta Get Away” and the stomping “Gold On the Ceiling,” the Keys kept the hooks flowing and the energy level burning. The band dipped into its first album for the rawboned “Leavin’ Trunk” and covered Scottish pop pioneer Edwin Collins’ hit “A Girl Like You.” The bluesy ballad “Too Afraid to Love You” provided slight respite, but it was just the pause to refresh. Soulful riffs and memorable rockers ruled, especially when the band essayed its patented blues/glam hybrids a la the devilishly catchy “Money Maker” and the smash hit “Lonely Boy,” which had the crowd dancing in the aisles.

Declining to leave the stage, the Keys went straight into the encore with a pair of psychedelic soul tunes from its latest LP Turn Blue. “Weight of Love” boasted a dreamy feel reminiscent of Pink Floyd, while “Turn Blue” itself could easily have fit onto a Philly soul comp. But the band really brought the house down with its final number. Auerbach provided an extended resonator guitar intro to “LIttle Black Submarines” before launching into the first verse, on which the audience joined him. Once the tune kicked into its electric half the place exploded, providing a perfect, powerful end.

The Black Keys have become rock stars the old-fashioned way: by earning it show by show. We can’t wait for you to see this one when it airs early next year as part of our milestone 40th season. Stay tuned.

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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

The Black Keys and J. Roddy Walston & the Business get loud on ACL’s 40th season

It might get loud when two of contemporary rock’s best live bands hit the Austin City Limits stage with the return of six-time GRAMMY winners The Black Keys and the debut of rowdy southern rockers J. Roddy Walston & The Business.

“We’re The Black Keys from Akron, Ohio,” says frontman Dan Auerbach, but no introduction is needed. The powerhouse duo of singer/guitarist Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney have spent the better part of a decade building a huge following through relentless touring and word of mouth to become one of music’s biggest live acts, headlining festivals and arenas and earning worldwide acclaim for their irresistible rock and roll. They first appeared on ACL in Season 36 playing one of the last shows in ACL’s original, historic Studio 6A in support of their 2010 breakout album Brothers. The steel-belt rockers return for their second appearance with songs from the triple Grammy-nominated Turn Blue, which debuted at #1 on Billboard‘s album chart, was widely acclaimed as one of 2014’s best records and is a 2015 GRAMMY contender for Best Rock Album. The band reach back to their roots to kick things off in their blistering six-song ACL set, and proceed to tear through soulful tracks from Turn Blue including “Fever,” one of this year’s GRAMMY nominees for both Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance. With their charged rock and unapologetic guitar riffs, The Black Keys command the ACL stage in a knockout performance.

“I remember seeing The Black Keys for the first time at ACL Fest and wondering, ‘how could just two guys make such great music?’” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “They pour their heart and soul into it, that’s how, and they can excite a crowd more than most bands five times bigger.”

With a scrappy yet sublime sound that honors both their Southern roots and punk spirit, J. Roddy Walston & The Business deliver a must-see ACL debut, performing songs from their acclaimed LP Essential Tremors.  The Baltimore-based quartet’s high-intensity five-song set features singer/pianist/guitarist Walston tossing his long mane while headbanging out songs celebrating that great and terrible burden of being human.  Their anthems “Heavy Bells”, “Brave Man’s Death” and “Don’t Break the Needle” are some of the sweatiest, ballsiest rock ‘n’ roll ever featured on the ACL stage.  It’s all a warm-up, though, for the colossal closer “Used to Did,” on which the band pulls out all the stops for a piano-pounding, guitar-wailing, hair-whipping photo finish.

photo by Scott Newton

“J. Roddy Walston is the perfect warm up for the Keys,” Lickona added. “They are very old-school but also in-the-moment at the same time. Sometimes you just got to let it all hang out!”

Tune in this weekend for this episode, and, as always, check your local PBS listings for the broadcast time in your area. Go to the episode page for more info, and don’t forget to click over to our Facebook, Twitter and newsletter pages for more ACL info. Tune in next week for a brand new episode with the return of Foo Fighters.

 

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Taping Recap

The Black Angels’ Texas psychedelic tradition

While the West Coast got all the press in the 60s, music lovers often forget that psychedelic rock has its roots as much in the Lone Star State as in California, thanks to acid rock heroes the 13th Floor Elevators, who were the first band to apply the term “psychedelic” to rock & roll. As Eddie Contreras commented on Twitter, Austin’s own Black Angels “are keeping up the tradition of legends like Roky Erickson at #acltv right now – good ol psychedelic music from Texas!”

If any band could be described as being bathed in a sea of reverb, it’s The Black Angels. (Their record label is called the Reverb Appreciation Society, after all.) With a few whammy barred chords drenched in cavernous echo, the band launched into “The Sniper,” swirling together melody and drone. That blend defines the band’s aesthetic, which was in full flower on the ACL TV stage. The set leaned most heavily on the band’s later, more melodic work on Phosphene Dream and this year’s Indigo Meadow – gems like “Evil Things,” “I Hear Colors” and the overtly 60s-worshipping “Yellow Elevator” moved the band close to pop without compromising its essential psychedelic brood. But The Black Angels indulged in plenty of its signature drone rock, as the dark, propulsive brooding of “Mission District,” “You On the Run” and “Black Grease” (the song that put the band on the map seven years ago) set the controls for the heart of the sun. “Twisted Light” ended the main set with layers of guitar and organ compote.

For the encore, they kicked off with “Telephone,” the poppiest song in its repertoire, sounding almost like a lost Small Faces classic. Then it was into the sardonic drone of “Bad Vibrations,” before bringing it all back home with the mysterious and powerful “Young Men Dead,” the first song on their first album Passover. The Black Angels took Austin City Limits into the psychedelic heart of darkness and back out into the light. We can’t wait for our fans to see them in action this fall – stay tuned.