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Garth Brooks to perform benefit concerts in Austin City Limits original Studio 6A

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Austin PBS, KLRU-TV is thrilled to announce that Garth Brooks will bid farewell to legendary Studio 6A, longtime home to iconic music series Austin City Limits, with a pair of intimate performances on July 20 & July 21, 2021. This event, originally scheduled for May 24, 2020 and delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will now feature two nights with the country superstar. Garth Brooks returns to the original Austin City Limits stage where it all began for a memorable send-off to the historic Studio 6A on the University of Texas campus. Austin PBS’s Farewell to Studio 6A: An Evening with Garth Brooks will be a once-in-a-lifetime event celebrating the iconic institution and also a fundraiser for the public television station, Austin PBS, that produces the series.

“Thirty years ago, Garth made history when he stepped onto the Austin City Limits stage for the first time, and now he’s one of the biggest stars in music history,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “We are honored to have him return and make history once again, with the final performances on a stage that was the original home for the longest-running music series on television.”

After more than 50 years on the University of Texas Austin campus, Austin PBS is moving to a brand new home on the Austin Community College Highland Campus in 2022. The larger facility will be a modern, state-of-the-art broadcast studio as well as a community space that will allow Austin PBS to create new initiatives. The public television station will celebrate the move with this final musical salute in the historic Studio 6A. The intimate soundstage was the birthplace of the Peabody Award-winning series Austin City Limits, hosting the now-infamous 1974 debut taping with Willie Nelson, as well as the setting for history-making performances for its first 36 seasons, spotlighting hundreds of legendary artists and music innovators, including Ray Charles, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Leonard Cohen, Pearl Jam, B.B. King, Foo Fighters and more. Studio 6A was officially designated a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark in 2009 and was the featured location for the Austin installment of the Foo Fighters’ 2014 documentary series Sonic Highways. The final Austin City Limits episode in Studio 6A was taped in 2010, when the program moved to its current studio home for the last decade, ACL Live at The Moody Theater, in downtown Austin, where it will continue to be taped and is now in its 47th Season. Studio 6A has been used consistently throughout the years for community events, town hall discussions and many other Austin PBS programs including ATX Together, Central Texas Gardener and Overheard with Evan Smith. The studio also hosted tapings for the TNN/CMT programs Legends of Country Music and The Texas Connection, as well as CBS’s Willie Nelson: The Big Six-0 60th birthday special. 

A limited number of event packages are available to attend this historic event. All proceeds from the event will benefit Austin PBS’s Moving Forward Campaign to support funding for the new facilities. To find out more go to austinpbs.org/farewell. Individual seat packages start at $2,500 on either night – July 20th or 21st – with the same performance each night. The concerts are a fundraising event and will not be filmed for Austin City Limits broadcast. 

Garth Brooks has made two legendary Austin City Limits appearances in Studio 6A. He first appeared on the program in 1990, during Season 15. Just beginning his ascent to superstardom, Brooks performed his early hits “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)” and “The Dance.”  The hitmaker returned a decade later to both open and close ACL’s milestone 25th anniversary season with two hourlong episodes, performing career highlights and fan favorites, including “The Thunder Rolls,” “Two of a Kind (Workin’ On a Full House),” and leading a massive crowd singalong to “Friends in Low Places.” Brooks’ relationship with Austin City Limits  goes beyond that of a performer. He is also a longtime fan. “If we’re baseball players, this is the World Series,” he said during a post-show interview after his 2000 return appearance. “The thing I like about Austin City Limits is that it hasn’t changed, it’s still like getting around your family in your living room and playing music. I think that’s what I love most about it.”

Austin PBS

Austin PBS, KLRU-TV is dedicated to telling stories that entertain, inspire and change lives. This community-supported public television station highlights what makes Austin unique — whether music, arts or public issues — by creating and distributing award-winning original content. Austin PBS produces Austin City Limits, Arts In Context, Central Texas Gardener, Overheard with Evan Smith and more for PBS stations across the nation. We also create online-first projects like Decibel, a community journalism initiative that seeks to amplify diverse voices in Central Texas. As a nonprofit educational organization, Austin PBS also prepares children to succeed in school and creates lifelong learning opportunities for all. Find out more at austinpbs.org. 

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, KLRU-TV 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.

Garth Brooks

In May, Garth Brooks was one of five artists to receive one of the most prestigious honors an artist can receive, The Kennedy Center Honor. Garth is the first-ever seven-time recipient of the CMA Entertainer of the Year honor. Brooks is the first and only artist in history to receive nine Diamond Awards for the now nine diamond-certified albums at over 10 million album sales each. He remains the #1-selling solo artist in U.S. history, certified by the RIAA with 157 million album sales. He has received every accolade the recording industry can bestow on an artist. In 2020, Garth was awarded the esteemed Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, becoming the youngest-ever recipient of the honor. The same year Brooks received Billboard’s Icon Award, joining only eight other artists to ever receive the honor. Brooks’ 2017 tour with Tricia Yearwood sold over 6.3 million tickets, making it the biggest North American tour in history and the biggest American tour in the world. In 2019, Brooks launched the Garth Brooks Stadium Tour, which has broken stadium attendance records and which Pollstar named the bestselling country music tour of the year.

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Garth Brooks to Perform Benefit Concert in Austin City Limits Original Studio 6A

Austin PBS, KLRU-TV is thrilled to announce that Garth Brooks will bid a final goodbye to legendary Studio 6A, longtime home to iconic music series Austin City Limits, with an intimate performance on May 24, 2020. Austin PBS’s Farewell to Studio 6A: An Evening with Garth Brooks will be a once-in-a-lifetime event celebrating an iconic institution.

“Thirty years ago, Garth made history when he stepped onto the Austin City Limits stage for the first time, and since then he has become one of the biggest worldwide stars in music history,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “We are thrilled and honored to have him return and make history once again, with the final performance ever on a stage that was the original home for what’s become the longest-running music series on television.”

After more than 50 years on the University of Texas Austin campus, Austin PBS is moving to a brand new home on the Austin Community College Highland Campus in Fall of 2020. The larger facility will be a modern, state-of-the-art broadcast studio as well as a community space that will allow Austin PBS to create new initiatives. The public television station will celebrate the move with one final musical salute in the historic Studio 6A. The intimate soundstage was the birthplace of the Peabody Award-winning series Austin City Limits, hosting the now-infamous 1974 debut taping with Willie Nelson, as well as the setting for history-making performances for 36 years, hosting hundreds of legendary artists and music innovators, including Ray Charles, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Leonard Cohen, Pearl Jam, B. B. King, Foo Fighters, Dixie Chicks and more. Studio 6A was officially designated a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark in 2009 and was the featured location for the Austin installment of the Foo Fighters’ 2014 documentary series Sonic Highways. The final Austin City Limits episode in Studio 6A was taped in 2010, when the program moved to its current studio home, ACL Live at The Moody Theater, in downtown Austin, where it will continue to be taped and is now in its 46th Season. Studio 6A has been used consistently throughout the years for community events, town hall discussions and many other Austin PBS programs including ATX Together, Central Texas Gardener and Overheard with Evan Smith. The studio also hosted tapings for the TNN/CMT programs Legends of Country Music and The Texas Connection, as well as CBS’s Willie Nelson: The Big Six-0 60th birthday special. 

A limited number of event packages are available to attend this historic evening. All proceeds from the event will benefit Austin PBS’s Moving Forward capital campaign to support funding for the new facilities. To find out more go to austinpbs.org/farewell. Individual seat packages start at $2,500. 

Garth Brooks has made two legendary Austin City Limits appearances in Studio 6A. He first appeared on the program in 1990, during Season 15. Just beginning his ascent to superstardom, Brooks performed his early hits “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)” and “The Dance.”  The hitmaker returned a decade later to both open and close ACL’s milestone 25th anniversary season with two hourlong episodes, performing career highlights and fan favorites, including “The Thunder Rolls,” “Two of a Kind (Workin’ On a Full House),” and leading a massive crowd singalong to “Friends in Low Places.” Brooks’ relationship with Austin City Limits  goes beyond that of a performer. He is also a longtime fan.  “Buddy, this is ACL, ok?” he said during a post-show interview after his 2000 return appearance. “If we’re baseball players, this is the World Series.” He continued: “The thing I like about Austin City Limits is that it hasn’t changed, it’s still like getting around your family in your living room and playing music. I think that’s what I love most about it.”

About Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks, the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, is the first-ever seven-time recipient of the honor. Brooks is the first and only artist in history to receive eight Diamond Awards for eight diamond-certified albums at over 10 million album sales each. He remains the #1-selling solo artist in U.S. history, certified by the RIAA with 156 million album sales. He has received every accolade the recording industry can bestow on an artist. In March 2020, Brooks will be awarded the esteemed Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, becoming the youngest-ever recipient of the honor. In April, Brooks receives Billboard’s Icon Award, joining only eight other artists to ever receive the honor. Brooks’ 2017 tour with Tricia Yearwood sold over 6.3 million tickets, making it the biggest North American tour in history and the biggest American tour in the world. In 2019, Brooks launched the Garth Brooks Stadium Tour, which has broken stadium attendance records and which Pollstar named the bestselling country music tour of the year. 


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Taping Recap

Future Islands’ charismatic synth pop

A few months ago, Future Islands was a cult band with a strong critical following. Now, thanks to the songwriting talents of musicians Gerrit Welmers, Mike Lowry and William Cashion and the indisputable charisma of frontman Samuel Herring, the band is on everyone’s lips. Herring, who mentioned that he grew up watching the show in North Carolina, called Future Islands’ livestreamed ACL debut a “ten-fold honor – I can’t even make sense of it.”

“Back in the Tall Grass” served as a low-key opener, a midtempo pop tune that allowed the singer to build up to his signature stage moves. The band hit its stride immediately with the classicist British synth pop of “A Dream of You and Me,” which found the restless Herring beginning his sweep across the stage. The band stayed out of the singer’s way literally and figuratively, the stripped-down music giving Herring plenty of room to move. From the high kicks in “Balance” to the stripper hips of “Doves” and the reach for the stars in “The Great Fire,” Herring was in near constant motion, augmenting his croon-to-growl vocal gymnastics with completely unselfconscious movement. “His dance moves ARE the best,” enthused livestream viewer Monique Jewett-Brewster. The disco rhythms of “Walking Through That Door” and “Long Flight” seemed particularly conducive to Herring’s flamboyance, as he pulled out all the vocals stops.

Future Islands ended the main set with the uplifting “Spirit,” which Herring revealed is about the “inner flame that keeps us going.” But it was the final song of the encore that really underscored what this band is all about – “Little Dreamer,” from the group’s first album Wave Like Home, featured music even more austere and minimalist than the rest and plenty of room for Herring to emote. “One of the best performers of our time,” commented Chad Parker. You can see for yourselves when Future Islands hit the PBS airwaves in early 2015.

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Taping Recap

Fun. creates a unique experience

For some artists, a performance is about self-expression, a way to reveal themselves in a creative fashion. Nothing wrong with that – that approach has given us great art. But for some musicians, a show is all about that distinctive bond with the audience, the magnificent meld of action and reaction that creates a unique experience for band and crowd.

Fun. reveled in that bond during their debut Austin City Limits taping. The band enjoyed a devoted fanbase even before they scored Grammys and number one hits with their LP Some Nights, and their widespread success meant a bigger, more enthusiastic crowd than ever before. The trio and their backing musicians used the marching “One Foot” and the piano popping “All Alone” to prime the pump, so when singer Nate Ruess engaged the audience in some call-and-response lessons before the very Queen-like “At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used to Be),” they were ready. But the group teased a bit more with the rocking “All the Pretty Girls,” before bringing the crowd in for “Barlights,” Ruess exhorting the people to join in on the song’s cathartic chorus of “I feel alive!”

“Carry On” brought the audience completely into the fold, as it sang along without prompting to one of fun.’s best-known anthems. “The Gambler,” Ruess’s tender ode to his parents’ relationship, provided a brief respite, but with “We Are Young,” fun.’s Grammy-winning number one hit, the place exploded. Crowd and band became one, as the former sang along with every word, sometimes louder than the band itself. A cover of the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” kept the energy level high, and the encore of “Some Nights” revived the audience singalong, as they provided the massed choral vocals from the recording with the energy of Ruess himself. “Stars” concluded the show with more singing during the bridge, providing a gentle comedown like a cup of coffee after an amazing dessert.

The exuberance came as much from the band’s excitement at being with us as from its rapport with the crowd. “We’re on a stage right now that means the most for us to be here,” remarked guitarist Jack Antonoff. “This is a special, special evening for us,” enthused Ruess. “This is a dream come true – thank you so much for being with us.” We feel it’s safe to say it was a special night for Austin City Limits as well. We can’t wait for everybody to see this episode – check your local listings this fall!

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Episode Recap Featured News

fun. and Dawes keep ACL 39 rolling

Austin City Limits presents multiple Grammy Award-winning band fun. and folk-rockers Dawes making their ACL debuts in a new episode showcasing their distinctive brands of modern rock.

Opening the episode, fun. takes to the ACL stage for the first time to perform their epic hits, including “We Are Young”, “Some Nights” and “Carry On” from the landmark album Some Nights. The breakthrough band was awarded Best New Artist and Song of the Year (for “We Are Young”, their best-selling single and one of the year’s most memorable tracks) at the 2013 Grammy Awards. Despite fun.’s seemingly overnight success, it’s been a slow and steady build of over a decade for frontman Nate Ruess, who joined forces with bandmates Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff to create the melodic anthems that connected with audiences everywhere and propelled the indie rockers to international success. “Something feels really special about tonight,” says Ruess from the ACL stage, engaging the Austin audience in a dynamic, energetic performance complete with sing-alongs. The acclaimed band delivers an uplifting, memorable debut, closing out the set with their modern classic “Some Nights”, with the Austin crowd providing the “whoa-oh-oh’s.”

“As expected, fun. lives up to its name, but their music has a depth that goes beyond their Broadway-like showmanship,” says executive producer Terry Lickona. “Nate is a 21st century rock star.”

The Los Angeles rock quartet known as Dawes share the bill, performing songs that span their three critically-acclaimed albums, including the latest, Stories Don’t End, which hit the Top 5 on Billboard‘s independent albums chart. The band made waves with its 2009 debut and gained a reputation for their impressive classic rock-infused songs that evoke the past while embracing the present. The LA Times raves of the new release, “Dawes strums and shuffles its way through a dozen handcrafted folk-rock tunes that sound as if they were nourished on classics such as Jackson Browne’s self-titled debut and the Band’s Music From Big Pink.” Having already toured with the likes of Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Robbie Robertson and Mumford & Sons, and gracing the stages of music’s most prestigious festivals, Dawes’ appeal crosses all age barriers and has no boundaries.  In their ACL debut, Dawes delivers a raw and glorious set, highlighted by rich harmonies, for a crowd-pleasing performance.

photo by Scott Newton

“Despite all the references to their California folk-rock sound, Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith writes songs that sometimes cut to the bone,” Lickona says. “You’ll be replaying these songs in your head for days.”

Check out the episode page for more details. Be sure and visit our Facebook and Twitter pages or sign up for our newsletter for more ACL goodies. Next week: Portugal. The Man and Local Natives.

 

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News

fun.: September 13

On Sept. 13 we welcome fun. The New York trio had a whirlwind year last year, releasing an inescapable brace of singles, the success of which contrasts with the band’s humble beginnings. …. more