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Episode premiere: Sylvan Esso and Lucius

Sylvan Esso on Austin City Limits, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits returns with an entertaining hour you can dance to, featuring two different dynamic duos: electro-pop stars Sylvan Esso along with the versatile vocal powerhouses known as Lucius. Sylvan Esso present songs from their 2022 album No Rules Sandy and their Grammy-nominated Free Love; Lucius perform numbers from their recent album Second Nature alongside career highlights. The new Season 48 installment premieres October 15 at 8pm CT/9pm ET. The program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, 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 48 years as the music institution nears a 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 immediately following the initial broadcast.

Durham, North Carolina-based electronica duo Sylvan Esso, composed of singer/lyricist Amelia Meath and keyboardist/producer Nick Sanborn, make their ACL debut performing songs from their new album No Rules Sandy as well as favorites from 2020’s Free Love and 2017’s What Now, both of which received Grammy nominations for Best Dance/Electronic Music album. The pair create rapturous sounds with 21st century sensibilities, as Meath sings the irresistible hooks with a playful magnetism. Opening with two songs from their acclaimed Free Love, the duo shine on their pop-groove hit “Ferris Wheel.” They perform a suite of songs from the experimental No Rules Sandy, a platform for partner Sanborn’s animated manipulation of his electronics, triggering beats and sounds in the moment, even remixing Meath’s vocals live on the buoyant “Look At Me.”

Lucius on Austin City Limits, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Los Angeles-via-Brooklyn indie act Lucius’ versatility is on full display with their fourth album, 2022’s acclaimed Second Nature, as they shape-shift through synth-pop, country, melodic folk and dance-groove funk. Produced by pals Brandi Carlile and Dave Cobb, the album was made for joyful dancing through life’s unpredictable tangents — which has always been Lucius’s sunny mission in their decade-long career. Lucius leaders Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig deliver a highly stylized visual presentation that’s as much a part of their identity as their sound, sporting matching green ensembles and identical hair styles. Accompanied by a four-piece band, they open with a pair of highlights from Second Nature, first donning blinged out keytars and synchronized stage moves for the discofied “Next to Normal,” then stunning a rapt crowd with their entwined vocals on “The Man I’ll Never Find.” Wolfe and Laessig thrill with the early career gem “Dusty Trails” as they unite their soaring sopranos in perfect harmony, stepping back from the mic to sing in a capella glory. They close with highlights from 2013’s Wildewoman, the album that first brought them to wide attention. The duo stroll into the audience for a powerfully intimate moment on “Two of Us On the Run,” a tribute to their friendship and collaboration, for a shimmering set-closer.

“Both Sylvan Esso and Lucius represent what musical female empowerment is all about in the 2020’s,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Amelia, Holly and Jess write and sing about all the raw emotions of life, from darkness to light, sadness to joy, and ACL captures their electric live shows. You won’t be able to sit still for this hour!”

Sylvan Esso

WHAT IF

FERRIS WHEEL

DIE YOUNG

SUNBURN

LOOK AT ME

SOUND

COFFEE

ECHO PARTY

Lucius

NEXT TO NORMAL

THE MAN I’LL NEVER FIND

DUSTY TRAILS

TEMPEST

TWO OF US ON THE RUN

Season 48 Broadcast Line-up (first half of season)

October 1 Brandi Carlile

October 8 Japanese Breakfast/Arlo Parks

October 15 Sylvan Esso/Lucius

October 22 Allison Russell/The Weather Station

October 29 Parker McCollum/Robert Earl Keen

November 5 Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

November 12 Cimafunk and The Tribe

Watch live, stream anytime, The complete line-up for the full 14-week season, including seven new episodes to air beginning January 2023, 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 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 Featured New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: Spoon

Spoon on Austin City Limits, Oct. 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits turns up the volume with one of modern rock’s premier bands, Austin’s own Spoon, as the hometown heroes return to the ACL stage showcasing their celebrated tenth album, Lucifer On The Sofa, a 2023 Grammy nominee for Best Rock Album. The hourlong installment premieres February 18 at 7pm CT/8pm ET on PBS as part of ACL’s Season 48.  Following the broadcast, the episode will be available to stream at 11pm CT/12am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits for four weeks. 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.  The show’s official hashtag is #acltv.

Ten albums and nearly three decades into a remarkable tenure, Austin’s esteemed rock ambassadors Spoon return to Austin City Limits for their fifth appearance, joining the ranks of Willie, Merle and Lyle with the most appearances on the ACL stage since their series debut in 2003. “First (ACL) taping I ever saw was in 1989 with Stevie Ray Vaughan,” leader and Austin native Britt Daniel tells the crowd as Spoon carve their name in Austin history. The rock stalwarts continue to make music boldly on their own terms, always pushing forward to become one of the best bands of their generation. They perform gems from their lauded tenth studio album, Lucifer on the Sofa, written and recorded in Austin. Rolling Stone hails the work as “Spoon’s best record ever;” it finds the band continuing to explore new sonic territories through elevated guitar rock and switchblade sharp songwriting. With Lucifer as the centerpiece of a stellar 13-song set, the quintet perform new highlights alongside fan favorites from their impeccable catalog. 

Opening full-tilt with the jagged guitar stomp of Lucifer’s “The Hardest Cut,” Daniel & company demonstrate their showmanship as they segue into the shimmering, synth-driven “Inside Out” from 2014’s They Want My Soul. The rapt crowd thrills to new numbers, including the irresistible anthem “Wild,” the piano-fueled “My Babe” and the striking title track, a midnight ramble through Austin set to ghostly keyboards and augmented by a trio of saxophones and trombone. With fire guitar, tight drums and catchy choruses, the band perform career highlights, including the early, tension-filled gem “Utilitarian,” from their 1998 debut A Series of Sneaks, and the blazing “Got Nuffin” from 2010’s Transference.  “The Underdog,” a horn-driven marvel from their mid-Aughts breakthrough Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga thrills the crowd. “Did we have a good time Austin?” asks frontman Daniel. “We did too,” and they close the hour with the iconic riffs of “Rent I Pay,” from 2014’s They Want My Soul for an epic mic drop.

“Spoon is not only a proud ‘hometown band,’ but the best proof that rock music in the 2020’s is not ‘dead,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “They continue to stretch and define what rock music means in today’s world, and this ACL performance proves it.”

Spoon performs on Austin City Limits, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Spoon setlist: 

THE HARDEST CUT

INSIDE OUT 

THE UNDERDOG 

MY BABE 

WILD

MY MATHEMATICAL MIND

DON’T YOU EVAH 

GOT NUFFIN 

THE DEVIL AND MISTER JONES

FEELS ALRIGHT

UTILITARIAN

LUCIFER ON THE SOFA

RENT I PAY 

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

Fellow newly-minted Hall of Fame inductee Sheryl Crow was celebrated with a companion Hall of Fame tribute that kicked off the second half of ACL’s Season 48 in January 2023 and featured music greats Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Brittney Spencer and Lucius’ Jess Wolfe saluting the Grammy Award-winning artist. Season 48 premiered in October 2022 with a historic line-up spotlighting an unprecedented number of female artists, including a sterling season opener featuring singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, who recently earned a trio of 2023 Grammys. Season 48 also showcased many highly-praised acts who topped 2022 Year-End Best Lists, including electronic duo Sylvan Esso, Americana singer-songwriter Allison Russell and indie pop duo Lucius. Other highlights were ACL debuts from breakout artists including Japanese Breakfast, Arlo Parks and Cuban funk sensations Cimafunk and The Tribe along with deep-dive hours spotlighting acclaimed rock act The War on Drugs, country superstar Maren Morris and legendary alternative rock pioneers Pavement.

Watch live on PBS, or stream anytime. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding episode schedules, upcoming Season 49 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 Featured New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: Robert Glasper and DOMi & JD BECK

Photos by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits’ (ACL) Season 49 second half continues with a new hour spotlighting a pair of acts steering jazz in new directions: five-time Grammy Award-winner Robert Glasper, newly-nominated for a pair of 2024 Grammy Awards, brings his celebrated Black Radio series to life on the ACL stage joined by Grammy-decorated special guests; sharing the hour is eclectic, next-generation jazz duo DOMi and JD BECK, nominated for a 2023 Best New Artist Grammy; making their ACL debut with songs from their debut NOT TiGHT. The new installment premieres January 20 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.

The program, produced by Austin PBS and recorded live at ACL’s studio home ACL Live in Austin, Texas, 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 49 years as the music institution nears a remarkable half-century milestone. Austin City Limits celebrates 50 years as a live music beacon in 2024: on October 17, 1974, Willie Nelson taped the pilot episode and the trailblazing series premiered in 1975. Stay tuned for news on special concerts, fan events and activations as Austin City Limits salutes an incredible legacy of 50 golden years of American musical history and iconic performances.

Photo by Scott Newton.

Keyboardist Robert Glasper operates on parallel paths, one in which he’s one of the most celebrated jazz pianists of the last two decades, and the other in which he’s an acclaimed R&B producer and bandleader. An in-demand collaborator, he is the musician of choice for some of the world’s most iconic artists, notably playing keys throughout Kendrick Lamar’s landmark 2015 To Pimp A Butterfly. Combining his passions, his genre-shattering Black Radio series racked up multiple Grammy Awards, and found the Houston native collaborating with singers and rappers from across the musical spectrum. Glasper is joined for this performance by a trio of featured artists including R&B singers Emily King and Yebba, alongside rapper D Smoke, accompanied by his three-piece band of bass, drums and DJ. 2024 Grammy-nominee King takes the stage for the soulful ballad “What Love Can Do.” Glasper improvises a fleet-fingered piano intro that leads into “Shine,” from his Black Voices III, 2023’s Grammy-winner for Best R&B Album, as D Smoke delivers a shining verse. Grammy-winning Yebba takes the stage for the majestic “Over,” accented by funky grooves; King and Smoke add harmonies and freestyle rapping. Yebba makes the song’s refrain, “Hoping that this love ain’t over,” soar from hook to mantra, as the ensemble ends the set to wild applause from the crowd. 

Photo by Scott Newton.

As with any other venerable musical tradition, jazz welcomes the occasional shake-up. Mixing hip-hop inspired rhythms, lush chordings, and a singular sense of style, DOMi & JD BECK are the latest act to combine twenty-first century energy with old school improvisation. Featuring their acclaimed debut album NOT TiGHT as the centerpiece of a sparkling set, the irreverent pair bring virtuoso technique, accessible melodies, and an impish sense of humor to their ACL debut. Doubling on piano and keyboard, Paris-born DOMi and Dallas-native drum ace BECK perform highlights including the effervescent title track. The duo’s music finds both humor and greatness in harmonic complexity, rhythmic shiftiness, and speed. 

“Once again – as seems to happen every few years – jazz is experiencing a renaissance with a new generation of artists and fans,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Robert Glasper already has a reputation as a genius musician/producer/composer/collaborator, and DOMi and JD BECK bring a youthful energy and rebellious spirit to a sound that is truly all their own.”

Robert Glasper setlist:

What Love Can Do (w/Emily King)

Shine (w/D Smoke)

Over (w/D Smoke, Emily King & Yebba)

DOMI and JD BECK:

Whatup

Smile

Bowling

Not Tight

You Don’t Have to Rob Me

Medley: Thank You/Sniff

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.

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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: Pavement

Pavement on Austin City Limits, Oct. 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits showcases alternative rock innovators Pavement in their first appearance on the series for a rare television performance marking their 30th anniversary. The legendary band performs a 15-song fever dream career-spanning set filled with fan favorites and classics in a fascinating hour offering viewers an immersive dive into their influential artistry. The new installment premieres February 4 at 7pm CT/8pm ET on PBS as part of ACL’s Season 48.  Following the broadcast, the episode will be available to stream at 11pm CT/12am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits for four weeks. 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.  The show’s official hashtag is #acltv.

The veteran Northern California band fronted by singer-songwriter Stephen Malkmus, is one of the most popular and distinctive acts to come from the American underground in the 1990s. Pavement are Mark Ibold, Scott “Spiral Stairs” Kannberg, Stephen Malkmus, Bob Nastanovich and Steve West. The beloved band released five era-defining albums – Slanted And Enchanted (1992), Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994), Wowee Zowee (1995), Brighten The Corners (1997) and Terror Twilight (1999) – before disbanding in 1999. Pavement rewrote the rules of how rock could be presented, using a slacker veneer suffused in irony to disguise superior songcraft and musicianship, scoring both underground and bona fide hits. The celebrated band reunited in 2022 for its first shows in more than a decade to mark the 30th anniversary of their seminal 1992 debut.  

Pavement has lately garnered a new generation of fans and takes the ACL stage to wild applause for its free-wheeling set. The band performs career highlights and gems from across their catalog, including “Summer Babe,” the opener of Slanted And Enchanted, and a perfect example of the band’s patented tight-but-loose approach to guitar rock. The anthemic “Embassy Row” from 1997’s Brighten The Corners showcases percussionist/vocalist Bob Nastanovich prowling the stage with the microphone, his trademark discordant shouts a unique contrast to Malkmus’ laconic croon. B-side gem and viral smash “Harness Your Hopes,” a fan favorite with a laid-back melody and sharp lyrics, inspires a loud, ecstatic reaction from the crowd. The hits keep a-comin’ with “Spit On A Stranger,” a late period chestnut from 1999’s Terror Twilight and  “Painted Soldiers,” with guitarist Kannberg taking on vocals for the indie rock standout. The hour closes with the familiar “whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo” that signals “Cut Your Hair,” Pavement’s Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain signature tune, eliciting huge cheers from the Austin audience. 

Pavement on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Pavement setlist:

GROUNDED 

SUMMER BABE 

STEREO

BLACK OUT

EMBASSY ROW 

ZURICH IS STAINED

TRIGGER CUT 

TWO STATES 

TYPE SLOWLY

HARNESS YOUR HOPES

SPIT ON A STRANGER 

UNFAIR 

WE DANCE 

PAINTED SOLDIERS

CUT YOUR HAIR 

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 Featured New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo perform on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Get your lighters out for an entertaining, sing-along hour of Austin City Limits (ACL) as recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo make their first-ever appearance on the series with a thrilling, career-spanning hour of rock gems and highlights. The new installment premieres January 27 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.

Forty-plus years into a legendary career, singer-songwriter Pat Benatar and producer-musician Neil Giraldo remain one of rock’s favorite unions. Benatar’s staggering vocals and take-no-prisoners attitude, along with Giraldo’s trailblazing artistry forged an undeniable chemistry in the late ‘70s and a singular sound that delivered iconic rock anthems. In their ACL debut, the powerhouse pair and their two-piece band showcase their bonafides with a hit parade of fan-favorites including “Promises In The Dark,” “Shadows Of The Night,” “Hell Is For Children” and “Love Is A Battlefield.” Benatar tells the crowd “We love this song as much as you do, and the most important thing about it is it brings people together,” before delivering an intimate version of one of their biggest hits, the power ballad “We Belong,” with Giraldo trading his mighty guitar for piano. The classic rock MVPs reach back to 1979 for their breakthrough hit, “Heartbreaker,” “the song that started it all,” notes Benatar, and pay tribute to another famous union as they weave in the June and Johnny Cash immortal “Ring of Fire”; Benatar’s voice soars on the epic choruses as Giraldo shreds his guitar full-throttle with blistering solos and the ecstatic crowd erupts in a sing-along and standing ovation for a dazzling close.

“It’s rare to have a rock & roll legend light up the ACL stage, so it’s twice as special to have TWO,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Both Pat and Neil show they can still ‘fire up’ an audience with classic hits and blazing guitar solos.”

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo setlist:

All Fired Up

We Live For Love

Promises In The Dark

We Belong

Shadows Of The Night

Hell Is For Children

You Better Run

Love Is A Battlefield

Heartbreaker/Ring of Fire

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.

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Episode premiere: Parker McCollum/Robert Earl Keen

Parker McCollum performs on Austin City Limits in 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits presents a spectacular hour of country music, Texas-style, featuring rising star Parker McCollum and legendary singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen. McCollum makes his ACL debut with songs from 2021’s Gold Chain Cowboy; and, in a special appearance, ACL veteran and Americana great Robert Earl Keen, who recently retired from touring, returns for a triumphant final bow showcasing beloved classics from his four-decade career. The new Season 48 installment premieres October 29 at 8pm CT/9pm ET. The program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, 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 48 years as the music institution nears a 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 immediately following the initial broadcast.  

Breakout country artist Parker McCollum is having a big year: he scored a best-selling album with his major label debut, Gold Chain Cowboy, won New Male Artist of the Year at the ACM Awards and received a coveted nomination for New Artist of the Year at this year’s upcoming CMA Awards. Raised in the East Texas town of Conroe, the charismatic performer wears his Lone Star roots proudly on his sleeve, and performs Gold Chain Cowboy highlights, including the album’s double-platinum single “Pretty Heart,” and the fan-favorite “To Be Loved By You.” With a smile as wide as Texas, McCollum thrills the crowd with a pair of new songs, “Handle on You,” and “Stoned,” then closes with the heartfelt power ballad “I Can’t Breathe.”

Robert Earl Keen during his final taping for Austin City Limits in 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

A true Texas original, Robert Earl Keen first appeared on the ACL stage in 1989 as part of a Texas showcase. One of the Lone Star state’s most beloved songwriters and performers, the Houston native returns for his seventh appearance, accompanied by his longtime band and joined, for this occasion, by a special guest, pedal steel guitarist Lloyd Maines. A road warrior who has easily played over 180 dates in any given year, appearing at roadhouses, dance halls, theaters and fairgrounds, Keen caps his remarkable musical journey with this ACL swan song as he retires from live performance. He delivers gems from across his legendary career in an emotional set, opening with early highlights “Feelin’ Good Again” and “Gringo Honeymoon.” For the bittersweet send-off, Keen begins with his “I’m Comin’ Home,” which evolves into a full audience singalong; he then notes “You can take this one with ya,” before wrapping up with “I Gotta Go,” after which he sets down his guitar, tips his hat and waves goodbye to the emotional crowd.

“A Texas Country music legend meets the new face (and voice) of Texas Country music  today,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Both Robert Earl Keen and Parker McCollum are part of a long tradition of singer-songwriters, with their own take on what makes Texas Country different.”

Parker McCollum setlist:

TO BE LOVED BY YOU 

HANDLE ON YOU 

STONED 

HELL OF A YEAR 

PRETTY HEART 

I CAN’T BREATHE

Robert Earl Keen setlist;

FEELIN’ GOOD AGAIN

GRINGO HONEYMOON

SHADES OF GRAY

I’M COMIN’ HOME

I GOTTA GO

Season 48 Broadcast Line-up (first half of season)

October 1 Brandi Carlile

October 8 Japanese Breakfast/Arlo Parks

October 15 Sylvan Esso/Lucius

October 22 Allison Russell/The Weather Station

October 29 Parker McCollum/Robert Earl Keen

November 5 Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

November 12 Cimafunk and The Tribe

Watch live, stream anytime, The complete line-up for the full 14-week season, including seven new episodes to air beginning January 2023, 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 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.