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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: Adrian Quesada’s “Boleros Psicodélicos”

Adrian Quesada performs with Girl Ultra on Austin City Limits, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits presents a Season 48 highlight with the first solo appearance of Grammy-winning producer/musician/bandleader Adrian Quesada, returning to the ACL stage to bring to life his acclaimed Spanish-language album, Boleros Psicodélicos, a love letter to the psychedelic Latin love songs or “baladas” of the 60s and 70s. Quesada performs with a nine-piece band joined by a hit parade of international guest vocalists from across the spectrum of contemporary Latin music, including Puerto Rico’s iconic iLe, Argentina’s Natalia Clavier, Mexico City’s Girl Ultra and Guatemala’s Tita. The new episode premieres January 21 at 7pm CT/8pm ET on PBS. The Peabody Award-winning program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history. ACL gives viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance as this American music institution nears its remarkable half-century milestone. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits following the initial broadcast.  

Multi-hyphenate and prolific multi-instrumentalist Adrian Quesada is known for his epic collaborations including the famed soul duo Black Pumas and Latin funk orchestra Grupo Fantasma. In a magical hour, restless creative Quesada returns with a labor of love, Boleros Psicodélicos, pouring his passion for the genre into an original tribute recreating the world of psychedelic Latin love songs with a set of Spanish-language gems of heartbreak, love and longing. The rare performance marks only the second time this music has been performed live, and Quesada is joined by multiple collaborators, eight of Latin music’s brightest stars, many hailing from Central and South America. These luminous performances celebrate the golden era of romantic bolero music and the psychedelic baladas that flourished beginning in the late 1960s, when Latin love songs began to sound even more grandiose than usual, bordering on the delirious. 

Mireya Ramos performs on Austin City Limits with Adrian Quesada, October 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

With Quesada on lead guitar, accompanied by an ace band featuring string section and horns, the bandleader takes viewers on a journey of Boleros Psicodélicos, which features a mix of classics and new originals. Quesada welcomes guest vocalist Mireya Ramos, the leader of New York’s all-female mariachi Flor de Toloache, for “Tus Tormentas,” a ballad with a laidback hip-hop backbeat and impassioned vocals and violin from Ramos. Mexican-American singer Rudy De Anda takes the stage for the swaying, melodramatic bossa nova “El León.” Mexico City’s sultry Latin R&B singer Girl Ultra wows with velvety vocals on the stunning original ballad “El Payas0,” featuring a ringing vibraphone coda. Quesada welcomes magnetic singer Angelica Garcia for a soaring pair of songs, the opulent “Puedes Decir De Mi,” from the catalog of Cuban superstar La Lupe and the sweeping, sensual original song “Ídolo.” Carrying a colorful paraguas (umbrella), Monterrey, Mexico-to-Austin vocalist Clemente Castillo joins the band for “El Paraguas,” an acid-tinged ballad in waltz time featuring a dynamic Quesada guitar solo. Quesada introduces Argentinian singer and Thievery Corporation vocalist Natalia Clavier, who wows with her rendition of the boleros “Esclavo y Amo,” a drama-filled 1975 hit by the Peruvian combo Los Pasteles Verdes, and the song that first got Quesada hooked on this music. She delivers a sprightly, synth-frosted, rock-accented “¡Adios!” before leaving the stage to wild applause. Rising young Guatemalan singer Tita takes centerstage to perform the sentimental, seductive balada gem “El Muchacho De Los Ojos Tristes,” a cover of Spanish singer Jeanette’s 1982 hit and a crowd favorite. 

The hour closes with the final guest and collaborator, iLe, former frontwoman of Puerto Rican powerhouse group Calle 13. The iconic singer takes the stage in a dazzling emerald green dress to perform a pair of highlights, including a stirring take on Cuban singer and queen of bolero Olga Guillot’s 1967 hit ballad “Bravo” before closing the show with the opening track on Boleros Psicodélicos, “Mentiras Con Cariño,” featuring the return of Mireya Ramos with an emotional violin solo to rapturous applause. 

“Honestly, this is one of the most beautifully staged and emotionally charged shows we’ve ever presented,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “With Latin music’s popularity exploding around the globe, Austin’s own Adrian Quesada has curated a unique mix of singers reimagining one of the most classic genres of Latin music – the bolero. It’s a mesmerizing hour!”

Episode setlist:

STARRY NIGHTS Instrumental

TUS TORMENTAS Mireya Ramos

El LEÓN Rudy de Anda

EL PAYASO Girl Ultra

PUEDES DECIR DE MÍ Angélica Garcia

ÍDOLO Angélica Garcia

EL PARAGUAS Clemente Castillo

ESCLAVO Y AMO Natalia Clavier

¡ADIOS! Natalia Clavier

EL MUCHACHO DE LOS OJOS TRISTES Tita

BRAVO iLe

MENTIRAS CON CARIÑO iLe

Season 48 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):

January 7   Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Sheryl Crow

January 14   Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats/ Adia Victoria

January 21   Adrian Quesada Boleros Psicodélicos

January 28   The War On Drugs

February 4   Pavement

February 11   Maren Morris

February 18   Spoon

February 25   Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Joe Ely

Watch live on PBS, or stream anytime. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding episode schedules, future tapings and select live stream updates 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 48th 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, Cirrus Logic and AXS Ticketing. 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 News

Episode recap: ACL Presents Americana Music Festival 2017

Austin City Limits returns to Nashville for a special broadcast offering performance highlights from this year’s Americana Honors & Awards. ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival 2017 premieres November 18 on PBS and features a stunning revue of unforgettable performances celebrating the finest artists in American roots music. The spirited hour is filled with standout performances from Americana legends and next generation stars, alongside many of the night’s award-winners and honorees, including: Old Crow Medicine Show, John Prine, Iris Dement, Rhiannon Giddens, Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Amanda Shires, The Lumineers, Drive-By Truckers, Graham Nash & The Milk Carton Kids, Margo Price, Jason Isbell, Van Morrison and Robert Cray and Hi Rhythm.

Recorded live at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium on September 13, 2017, The Americana Music Association’s 16th Annual Honors & Awards ceremony is a celebration of music that is authentic, diverse and original from many genres (including alternative country, folk, bluegrass, blues and R&B), both traditional and contemporary.

“Each year this show blows my mind.  If there was an infra-red device tracking creativity, Nashville would be the brightest light on the planet,” says Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association.  “I’m so grateful and truly humbled by the incredible artists and musicians who grace our stage.”

Iris DeMent and John Prine. Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Acclaimed string band Old Crow Medicine Show welcome the audience to “the mother church of country music,” Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, leading a marching drumline down the center aisle to kick off the broadcast with a riotous rendition of the Dylan classic “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35.”  Artist of the Year John Prine, recently hailed “the Mark Twain of American songwriting” by Rolling Stone, is joined by this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award honoree for Trailblazer, country-folk pioneer Iris DeMent, for a sparkling version of their legendary duet “In Spite of Ourselves.”  Album of the Year nominees give stellar performances including Rhiannon Giddens, who receives a standing ovation for her riveting “Julie,” a powerful meditation on slavery from her Freedom Highway.  Southern rockers Drive-By Truckers also sing for social justice, showcasing their protest anthem “What It Means,” a politically-charged statement named one of the Top 10 songs of the year by NPR, from their acclaimed album American Band.

The night’s Emerging Artist of the Year honoree Amanda Shires stuns in a solo debut and returns for the slowburning duet “If We Were Vampires” with her partner and creative collaborator, singer-songwriter Jason Isbell, one of the genre’s top stars.  The spectrum of Americana’s range  is in full view as chart-toppers The Lumineers light up the stage with the title track from their recent album Cleopatra and longtime country icon Marty Stuart and his band the Fabulous Superlatives, awarded Group of the Year, deliver a dose of blazing,  road-tested honky-tonk with crowd-pleasing new gem “Time Don’t Wait.”

Graham Nash & the Milk Carton Kids. Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images.

In true Americana style, the broadcast is packed with musical moments and one-of-a-kind collaborations from a diverse, multi-generational slate of roots luminaries: rock legend Graham Nash joins acoustic duo The Milk Carton Kids in sweet three-part harmony on The Everly Brothers classic “So Sad”.  Last year’s Emerging Artist winner Margo Price returns with a show-stopping new number, “Do Right By Me,” backed by the soaring vocals of gospel greats The McCrary Sisters.  The night’s Lifetime Achievement Honoree for Songwriting, rock icon Van Morrison, performs a soulful new song “Transformation” joined by his daughter Shana Morrison.  Famed bluesman Robert Cray and legendary Memphis soul sidemen Hi Rhythm, both Lifetime Achievement honorees, deliver a supercharged performance with a blistering blues/soul cut, “You Must Believe in Yourself,” from their acclaimed 2017 collaborative album.

The hourlong broadcast is hosted by esteemed songwriter and Americana wagonmaster Jim Lauderdale.  Multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell leads the ace house band and joins the host on vocals to salute late country giant Don Williams with a stirring rendition of his timeless hit “Tulsa Time” as the all-star cast returns for the singalong finale, bringing the hour to a moving close.

Americana Music Festival 2017 finale. Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images.
Americana Music Festival 2017 finale. Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images.

The show was co-produced by Two Talented Cats Entertainment’s Martin Fischer and Edie Hoback, Michelle Aquilato and ACL Executive Producer Terry Lickona.

Tune in this weekend for this special, and, as always, check your local PBS listings for the broadcast time in your area. Go to the show page for more info, and don’t forget to click over to our Facebook, Twitter and newsletter pages for more ACL info. Join us next week for an encore episode, featuring the electrifying ACL debut of R&B superstar Ms. Lauryn Hill.

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Featured Hall of Fame New Broadcast News

Episode recap: ACL 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow performs with Brandi Carlile, Lucius' Jess Wolfe, Brittney Spencer, and the ACL All-Stars during the 8th Annual ACL Hall of Fame Honors, 2022. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

Iconic television series Austin City Limits returns on Saturday, January 7 with a special installment: Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Sheryl Crow celebrates superstar singer-songwriter and new inductee Sheryl Crow and features all-star performances from music luminaries Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Brittney Spencer and Lucius’ Jess Wolfe. The hour-long broadcast premieres Saturday, January 7 at 8pm ET/7pm CT on PBS. Check local PBS listings for times. The special will be available to music fans everywhere to stream online beginning Sunday, January 8 at 10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. A special companion Hall of Fame hour salutes fellow inductee Joe Ely and will close out Season 48 on February 25. The Peabody Award-winning program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history. ACL provides viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance as this American music institution nears its remarkable half-century milestone.  The series returns January 14 ringing in a new year with all-new episodes as part of its Season 48. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits following the initial broadcast. 

Since the inaugural ACL Hall of Fame in 2014 honoring Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan, the music-filled salutes have become fan-favorites. For the first time, Austin City Limits takes fans inside the epic celebration with a pair of deep-dive one-hour specials from this year’s Inductions, recorded live in Austin, Texas on October 27, 2022. The special installments, Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors, bookend the second half of Season 48 and salute newly-minted inductees Sheryl Crow and Joe Ely with individual hours, featuring all-star guest performances showcasing each artist’s Hall of Fame tribute, along with extended highlights including memorable induction speeches and vintage clips from the inductees’ appearances on Austin City Limits. 

The first installment premieres January 7 at 7pm CT/8pm ET, and celebrates the music of Sheryl Crow. Music greats Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Brittney Spencer and Jess Wolfe (from the band Lucius), salute the nine-time Grammy Award-winning artist in an energetic hour featuring exclusive ACL collaborative performances. The captivating hour opens with highlights from Sheryl Crow’s Austin City Limits debut in 1997, performing numbers from her landmark debut Tuesday Night Music Club. Americana great and six-time Grammy winner Brandi Carlile then takes the stage to induct her friend with a heartfelt speech touching on both Sheryl’s humanity and her artistry; she cites her hero’s incredible catalog of “songs with substance,” saying Sheryl influenced her to be a better musician and songwriter. “I feel like a lucky girl because I get to sing the most fun Sheryl Crow song ever,” exclaims Carlile as the iconic riffs of “If It Makes You Happy” kick off the musical salute. 

Sheryl Crow accepts her induction into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, Oct. 27, 2022. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

Backed by the ACL All-Stars led by music director Lloyd Maines, and joined by Sheryl’s longtime guitarist Peter Stroud, a hit parade of artists sing her praises: country breakout Brittney Spencer recounts first meeting Sheryl in an airport coffee shop and credits Sheryl with helping her find her artistic voice before rendering a sparkling “My Favorite Mistake”; Next, in a hilarious intro, ACL favorite Jason Isbell claims most rock stars “are real goddamn weird” before praising Crow as one of the exceptions: “a complete and unbroken human being.” Isbell then launches into a scorching performance of Crow’s “Run, Baby, Run,”  the album opener of Crow’s 1993 debut, with his tenor vocals and stellar guitar skills proving a perfect match for the soulful pop tune. Crow herself takes the stage as a duet partner with Jess Wolfe from Lucius on the standout “Strong Enough” and then joins Brandi Carlile for the irresistible “Everyday Is A Winding Road,” as the two trade verses on the classic. The finale features Sheryl seated center stage on organ for “I Shall Believe,” the moving closer from Tuesday Night Music Club, with Carlile, Spencer, Wolfe and Isbell joining in on gorgeous backing vocals and guitar.

“The whole idea behind our annual Hall of Fame celebration is to honor the artists who helped to build the legacy of Austin City Limits for almost half a century,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “There’s a special magic that happens with these annual shows, and it’s just too much to pack in a single one-hour episode, so we decided to give each honoree their own hour and not sacrifice a single word or note of music.”

Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Sheryl Crow setlist:
Brandi Carlile “If It Makes You Happy” 

Brittney Spencer “My Favorite Mistake”

Jason Isbell “Run, Baby, Run” 

Sheryl Crow & Lucius’ Jess Wolfe “Strong Enough“  

Brandi Carlile & Sheryl Crow “Everyday Is A Winding Road”

Sheryl Crow & All-Star Finale “I Shall Believe” 

Sheryl Crow and friends perform “I Shall Believe” as the finale for the ACL Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Oct. 27, 2022. L-R: Lloyd Maines, Peter Stroud, David Grissom (behind Stroud), Jason Isbell, Tom Van Schaik, Bill Whitbeck, Crow, Jess Wolfe, Brandi Carlile, Brittney Spencer and Chris Gage. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

The second half of Season 48 continues in January with a diverse slate spotlighting multiple 2023 Grammy nominees in full-hour performances: One of modern rock’s premier bands, and first-time Grammy nominees, Austin’s own Spoon, return to the ACL stage for their fifth appearance, showcasing their celebrated tenth album, Lucifer On The Sofa, Grammy-nominated for Best Rock Album; multi-platinum, award-winning country star and Texas native Maren Morris makes a highly-anticipated ACL debut in a radiant, career-spanning hour with the hitmaker showcasing gems from her latest Humble Quest, which earned a trio of 2023 Grammy nominations, including Best Country Album; acclaimed rock act The War on Drugs return for their second appearance with selections from the Grammy-nominated I Don’t Live Here Anymore. Legendary alternative rock pioneers Pavement make their first-ever appearance on the series in a career-spanning hour marking their thirtieth anniversary. Rocking soul act Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats return for their second appearance with their latest The Future in an ecstatic live performance; sharing the hour is soulful Nashville singer-songwriter Adia Victoria, making her ACL debut with numbers from her acclaimed A Southern Gothic, a 2022 Americana Music Awards nominee for Album of the Year.

A Season 48 highlight is the first solo appearance of multi-hyphenate Adrian Quesada, returning to the ACL stage to bring to life his acclaimed Spanish-language album, Boleros Psicodélicos, a love letter to the psychedelic Latin love songs “baladas” of the sixties and seventies; Quesada performs with a nine-piece band joined by an international line-up of guest vocalists from across the spectrum of contemporary Latin music, including iLe, Natalia Clavier, Girl Ultra and Clemente Castillo, in a thrilling must-see hour.

Rounding out Season 48 on February 25 st 7pm CT/8pm ET is a Hall of Fame tribute to Texas legend Joe Ely, Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Joe Ely, featuring a musical salute from revered Lone Star musicians and Ely’s longtime collaborators in Texas supergroup The Flatlanders, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, along with fellow Texans Rodney Crowell and Marcia Ball. The hour features a memorable induction by renowned Texan author Lawrence Wright along with historic highlights from the influential Ely’s eleven appearances on the ACL stage.

Season 48 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):

January 7   Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Sheryl Crow

January 14   Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats/ Adia Victoria

January 21   Adrian Quesada Boleros Psicodélicos

January 28   The War On Drugs

February 4   Pavement

February 11   Maren Morris

February 18   Spoon

February 25   Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Joe Ely

Watch live on PBS, or stream anytime on PBS.org. The series will continue to air fan-favorite encore episodes through the end of 2022. 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 48th 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, Cirrus Logic and AXS Ticketing. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

Austin City Limits Hall of Fame

In 2014, Austin PBS, KLRU-TV — creator and producer of the legendary PBS show Austin City Limits — established the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame to recognize legendary musicians and key individuals who have been instrumental in making television’s longest-running popular music show an institution. Each year a new class of honorees are inducted and celebrated at a live event taped to air on PBS. It is also a historical archive, educational resource and celebration of Austin City Limits —telling the story of the show through photos, a timeline/anthology mural and in the near future, an interactive database of vintage Austin City Limits performances and video footage of interviews, behind-the-scenes and never before seen performances throughout the decades. Honorees to-date include Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, Lloyd Maines, Asleep at the Wheel, Loretta Lynn, Flaco Jiménez, Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, B.B. King, Rosanne Cash, The Neville Brothers, Roy Orbison, Marcia Ball, Ray Charles, Los Lobos, Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin, Buddy Guy, Lucinda Williams, Wilco, Alejandro Escovedo, Joe Ely and Sheryl Crow.

Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by AXS Ticketing, American Honda Motor Company, Netspend Corporation and YETI.

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Episode Recap Featured Hall of Fame New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: ACL 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors

The cast sings "California Stars" at the ACL 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

A special installment, Austin City Limits 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors, premieres January 8 at 8pm CT/9pm ET on PBS. Austin City Limits (ACL) celebrates the newest class of Hall of Fame Inductees, honoring a trio of Americana greats with longtime ties to ACL: Lucinda Williams, Wilco and Alejandro Escovedo, with best-in-class performances and highlights from the 2021 ACL Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony presented by PNC Bank, recorded live in Austin, Texas on October 28, 2021.  Music greats Jason Isbell, Rosanne Cash, Margo Price, Sheila E., Lenny Kaye, Japanese Breakfast and more salute the new class of inductees with one-of-a-kind collaborative performances and tributes. The hour-long broadcast premieres Saturday, January 8 at 8pm ET on PBS. Check local PBS listings for times. The special will be available to music fans everywhere to stream online beginning Sunday, January 9 at 10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. In addition, a streaming-only, 90-minute bonus installment featuring exclusive content from the celebration will be made available for fans the same day, including acclaimed performances by John Doe, legendary Los Angeles punk band X co-founder, iconoclastic Texas singer-songwriter Terry Allen and indie icon Bill Callahan. Providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for a remarkable 47 years, the series returns January 15 ringing in a new year with all-new episodes as part of its Season 47. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding future tapings, episode schedules and select live stream updates. 

Margo Price and Lucinda Williams sing “Changed the Locks” at the 2021 ACL 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors . Photo courtesy Austin City Limits

One of today’s finest songwriters, Jason Isbell, opens the hour to salute the night’s first honoree, legendary singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. “A lot of my songs wouldn’t exist if I hadn’t spent so much time trying to rip her off,” grins Isbell in a heartfelt induction, providing insightful examples of the way Williams uses detailed imagery to paint pictures with her lyrics. “She’s made a map,” he explains, for other songwriters, including himself, to follow. “Too rock for country and too country for rock,” Williams cracks in her acceptance, recalling the music industry’s early reaction to her sound. Isbell performs a gorgeous rendition of Williams’ “I Envy the Wind” from her Grammy-nominated 2002 album Essence. The pioneering artist takes the stage for a pair of collaborative performances featuring highlights from her groundbreaking self-titled 1988 classic. “I’m on cloud nine,” says the honoree as she is joined by her friend of 30 years, Rosanne Cash, for the gem “Crescent City.” Country star Margo Price joins Williams for her signature scorcher “Changed the Locks’ ‘ in an electrifying duet.

Sheila E. congratulates her uncle Alejandro Escovedo at the ACL 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

Punk pioneer Lenny Kaye recounts how he first met Alejandro Escovedo in 1974, and inducts his longtime friend with wit and wisdom, capturing the essence of what makes the genre-defying Mexican-American artist’s eclectic, expansive body of work important to the world. Joined by his niece, the incomparable Queen of Percussion Sheila E. behind the drum kit, Lenny Kaye on guitar, and his veteran backing singers and string section, Escovedo opens the music salute with a Spanish-language song from his acclaimed 2018 immigrant-themed album The Crossing, bringing out Alex Ruiz, frontman for Austin Latin-rock band Del Castillo for the occasion. Escovedo completes his victory lap with a titanic take on “Put You Down,” his 1996 orchestral-rock anthem with which he opened his 2006 ACL appearance, guitar-windmilling his way through the thrilling performance.

Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner joins Wilco for “Jesus, etc.” at the ACL 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

ACL Hall of Famer Rosanne Cash inducts Wilco with deep accolades, referring to the celebrated Chicago band as “heartland laborers in the tower of song, with thick skins and open hearts” and champions them for being “subversive without being destructive” with a humanity that “somehow breaks us and heals us at the same time.” With Wilco’s music, Cash says, “we don’t need certainty when we love the questions.” Bandleader Jeff Tweedy, guitarist Nels Cline, bassist John Stirratt, keyboardists Pat Sansone and Mikael Jorgensen and drummer Glenn Kotche take the stage to perform early career highlight “Shot in the Arm.” A 2022 Grammy nominee and superfan, Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner is backed by the band for a radiant spin on the pop charmer “Jesus, Etc.” from the 2002 landmark Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

The stars come out en masse for a stellar reading of Wilco’s breakout “California Stars” from 1998’s collaborative classic Mermaid Avenue, with Jeff Tweedy, Rosanne Cash and Alejandro Escovedo trading verses and the all-star ensemble of performers singing-along. Jason Isbell trades licks on the song’s solo with Wilco guitar great Nels Cline, bringing the luminous hour to an epic close.

“California Stars” via the cast of the ACL 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

The seventh class of ACL Hall of Fame 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.

Austin City Limits 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors setlist:

Jason Isbell “I Envy the Wind”

Lucinda Williams & Rosanne Cash “Crescent City”

Lucinda Williams & Margo Price “Changed the Locks”

Alejandro Escovedo, Alex Ruiz, Sheila E. & Lenny Kaye “Algo Azul”

Alejandro Escovedo, Alex Ruiz, Sheila E. “Put You Down”

Wilco “Shot In the Arm”

Wilco & Japanese Breakfast “Jesus, Etc.”

Wilco “California Stars” (All-Star Finale)

Bonus performances (streaming-only):

John Doe “Sally Was A Cop” (Alejandro Escovedo tribute)

Bill Callahan “Sky Blue Sky” (Wilco tribute)

Terry Allen “One Sunday Morning” (Wilco tribute)

Austin City Limits Hall of Fame

In 2014, Austin PBS established the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame (ACL HoF) to recognize legendary musicians and key individuals who have been instrumental in making television’s longest-running popular music show an institution. The ACL HoF is a historical archive, educational resource and celebration of ACL and the Austin spirit, capturing milestones in the history of the show and celebrating the performers who have graced its iconic stage. The annual ACL HoF Induction and Celebration is Austin PBS’ largest fundraising event with performances taped for broadcast on PBS stations nationwide. The 7th Annual Austin City Limits Hall of Fame Inductions and Celebration is presented by PNC Bank with additional support for the broadcast from AXS.

Austin City LimitsAustin 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.

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Coming Soon Featured New Broadcast News

Austin City Limits Spotlights Country Music Hall of Fame Icon Wynonna in Powerful Hour

This Saturday, November 9, Austin City Limits (ACL) spotlights country superstar Wynonna in an uplifting, revelatory hour. The Country Music Hall of Fame icon delivers an epic, career-spanning performance filled with solo hits, Judds classics and new gems. The celebrated singer/musician shares heartbreak, joy and stories behind the songs in this truly “must-see” installment. The new episode premieres Saturday, November 9 @8pm ET/7pm CT as part of Austin City Limits anniversary Season 50. 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 kicked 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.

Wynonna performs on Austin City Limits. Photo by Scott Newton.

With fringe on her mic stand, sparkling in a bejeweled black velvet suit with her distinctive mane of perfectly coiffed red hair, the one and only Wynonna lights up the Austin City Limits stage in an unforgettable hour. A musical force like no other, the charismatic singer with a giant voice takes the audience on a journey through her celebrated 40-year career. “I’ve sung a lot of songs about love,” winks Wynonna ahead of the early-career hit “Cry Myself To Sleep.“ “And this ain’t one of ‘em…I’d like to dedicate this to my first ex-husband.”

“So this is where it gets real y’all,” shares an emotional Wynonna about the 2022 death of mother Naomi, her longtime partner in the Judds. “I am a woman of faith, and that has been tested these past two years. I lost my momma to suicide and when she died I thought I would die of a broken heart. So instead I went on tour—a lot of people didn’t understand why—I now understand it’s because the music healed me and the fans supported me through a very difficult time in my life.” Despite the personal heartache, she fondly adds, “I shared a bus with her for 10 freakin’ years, try it sometime…We were something weren’t we,” Wynonna beams with pride to cheers. “So different, and yet those Kentucky harmonies is what drove us and that’s what this next song is about.” She then performs the deeply personal new number, “All Downhill From Ashland,” about the Kentucky town they came from and the crowd rises to its feet. 

“It’s about to get country up in here,” announces the singer, and with vivacious, dazzling showmanship, she takes fans on a hit-filled joyride through classics from the Judds catalog and her own solo career, including “Why Not Me,” “Tell Me Why,” and “What It Takes.” Her ace eight-piece band is joined by Austin’s own Grooveline Horns for an ecstatic close as she thrills the crowd with a pair of fan-favorites, “Rock Bottom” and “No One Else on Earth,” proving there’s no one else like Wynonna.

“Wynonna is the perfect example of the healing power of music – whether it’s personal or political,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Life is an emotional roller coaster ride, and Wynonna’s songs and her very persona make that ride just a little bit smoother.”

Wynonna setlist:

What It Takes 

Tell Me Why 

Ain’t No Thing

Cry Myself To Sleep

Broken and Blessed

Give A Little Love

Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout The Good Old Days) 

Why Not Me 

All Downhill From Ashland

Rock Bottom 

No One Else On Earth 

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

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

Categories
Episode Recap Featured News

Episode premiere: Tanya Tucker/Brittney Spencer

Tanya Tucker and Brittney Spencer on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photos by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits is proud to spotlight a pair of country originals with Country Music Hall of Fame legend Tanya Tucker sharing an hour with breakout newcomer Brittney Spencer. The new installment premieres February 3 at 7pm CT/8pm ET as part of the series Season 49. 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. The show’s official hashtag is #acltv. 2024 marks the 50th Anniversary of the revered music institution, which 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 an incredible five decades.  A monument to music, ACL has showcased iconic performances from legends and innovators in every genre of popular song for 50 years.  Produced by Austin PBS, and recorded live at ACL’s studio home ACL Live in Austin, Texas, the show remains a required stopping point for the finest acts to deliver stellar performances from the venerable ACL stage. On October 17, 1974, the notoriously TV-shy Willie Nelson taped the pilot episode; the trailblazing series then premiered on PBS in 1975.  This Peabody Award-winning program has earned its place in history and will salute its golden anniversary and incredible legacy with a yearlong celebration featuring archival gems,  all-star tapings, a PBS special, live concerts and much more.

Tanya Tucker on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Living legend Tanya Tucker makes a triumphant return to the ACL stage, for the first time in nearly four decades, performing career classics and new gems. The Texas native became a star in 1972 at age thirteen with her first single “Delta Dawn,” and made her ACL debut in Season 11 in 1986; she now returns a 2023 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee. Tucker has been riding a late career highpoint with an acclaimed pair of recent releases, 2019’s comeback album While I’m Livin’, which earned the singer her first-ever career Grammy wins, and latest, Sweet Western Sound, alongside The Return of Tanya Tucker, a 2022 documentary that chronicles her remarkable career resurgence. She opens an irresistible set accompanied by her six-piece band, with a pair of highlights from While I’m Livin’, the 2020 Grammy-winning Best Country Album, produced by music luminaries (and fans) Brandi Carlile and Shooter Jennings. “I got a little story about my kind of luck,” sings the husky-voiced Tucker on rowdy set opener “Hard Luck.” “Lord knows I’m a hard luck girl”; she commands the stage on fan-favorite “Bring My Flowers Now,” a poignant meditation on mortality that scored a 2020 Grammy Award for Best Country Song. Tucker thrills with gems from 2023’s Sweet Western Sound, welcoming her boyfriend and fellow country singer Craig Dillingham onstage for harmonies on a song he originally penned, “When the Rodeo Is Over (Where Does the Cowboy Go?).” The irrepressible icon entertains the crowd with salty humor and the stories behind the songs. “It’s never too late to do the right thing,” smiles Tucker. “I’m a good example of that,” as she reaches back for her early ‘90s hit “It’s A Little Too Late.” The legend turns in a legendary performance, closing out the sparkling set with a smile as wide as Texas as she delivers her immortal country anthem “Texas (When I Die),” spotlighting each bandmember with great appreciation, as the ecstatic audience erupts in a crowd sing-along and standing ovation.

Brittney Spencer on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Recently named one of Rolling Stone’s “Future 25,” and the only country artist to make the list, Brittney Spencer is earning acclaim for her standout ability to mold life, truth, and wild imagination into open-hearted songwriting. “Her unerring honesty and empathy are a big part of what makes her music so appealing,” raves Rolling Stone. The rising star makes her ACL debut with selections from her 2024 debut My Stupid Life and dazzles with a five-song set that showcases her freewheelin’ country. “I moved to Nashville ten years ago,” the Baltimore native tells the crowd. “I love country music so, so much.” She pays tribute to her inspirations—Reba, Aretha, Dolly, Latifah, Maren, Whitney and more—on “Bigger Than the Song,” and delivers a knockout vocal performance on the slowburn “My First Rodeo.” Spencer thrills the crowd with a song especially for the occasion, the Willie Nelson signature “On the Road Again,” made all the sweeter in the house that Willie built.

“I can’t think of a better pairing that highlights the contrasts and continuity of Country music today than Tanya Tucker and Brittney Spencer,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Both have deep Country roots but an independent DIY flair that sets them apart from the mainstream. That’s what I love about good Country music.”

Tanya Tucker setlist:

Hard Luck

Bring My Flowers Now

Kindness

When the Rodeo Is Over (Where Does the Cowboy Go?)

It’s A Little Too Late

Texas (When I Die)

Brittney Spencer setlist:

Deeper

Bigger Than the Song

My First Rodeo

I Got Time

On the Road Again

Season 49 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):

January 13 Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors John Prine

January 20 Robert Glasper | DOMi and JD BECK

January 27 Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo

February 3 Tanya Tucker | Brittney Spencer

February 10 Noah Kahan | Flor de Toloache

February 17 Alanis Morissette

February 24 Bonnie Raitt

March 2 Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Trisha Yearwood

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.

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 49th 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. ACL celebrates 50 years as an American music institution in 2024.  

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