“When people ask what kind of music Austin City Limits stands for,” executive producer Terry Lickona says, “there’s one band that sums it up better than any other – Wilco!” Encoring this weekend, our fourth episode featuring this veteran modern rock band shows exactly why ACL holds Jeff Tweedy and company in such high esteem. Concentrating on its latest release The Whole Love, the Chicago sextet puts such stellar tracks as “Art of Almost,” “One Wing” and “Dawned On Me” through their paces with near-perfect poise. It’s not all the new album, of course, as the band also drops a few deep cuts like “Bull Black Nova” and “War On War” into the set. And as the icing on an already delicious cake, Wilco tour mate Nick Lowe drops by with his classic “Cruel to Be Kind,” backed by the boys themselves.
Tune in this Saturday, August 24, to catch all the Wilco action for yourself. Hit the episode page for more info, and your local listings for exact airtimes. Keep up with your favorite music television show with Facebook and Twitter, and don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter. Next week: Mumford & Sons and Flogging Molly.
This Saturday Austin City Limits brings you musical veterans both on and off the screen: the one and only Wilco. After nearly two decades of constantly redefining its sound, the Chicago band’s fourth appearance on the show proves to be one of its most memorable to date, featuring a special guest appearance, leader Jeff Tweedy’s remarkable songs and some electrifying guitar playing from Nels Cline.
Concentrating on its latest release The Whole Love, the Chicago sextet puts such stellar tracks as “Art of Almost,” “Open Mind” and “Dawned On Me” through their paces with near-perfect poise. It’s not all the new album, of course, as the band also drops a few deep cuts like “Bull Black Nova” and “War On War” into the set. As the icing to this already delicious cake, Wilco tourmate Nick Lowe drops by with his classic “Cruel to Be Kind,” backed by the boys themselves.
Tune in this Saturday, September 15th, and find out why Wilco’s music sums up best what Austin City Limits stands for. Check here on the episode page for more info about the episode and here for your local listings and exact air times. Be sure to keep up with your favorite music television show on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr pages. Next week: British rock gods Coldplay.
Widespread Panic has spent time on the ACL stage before, visiting us in Seasons 26 and 31. But we never had a show quite like this. Not only was the Georgia band on a tour celebrating its 25th anniversary, but this Season 37 gem was recorded on St. Patrick’s Day during Austin’s venerable South By Southwest Music Festival. In other words, this episode treats fans to a retrospective show recorded in a party atmosphere. The south’s most resilient jam band performs not only recent material like “Dirty Side Down,” “Up All Night” and the salutatory “May Your Glass Be Filled,” but also reaches deep into its sizeable catalog. Highlights include the choogling “Pigeons,” from its 1991 self-titled second record, the Junior Kimbrough cover “Junior,” from its reputation-solidifying 1994 LP Ain’t Life Grand, and the concert staple “Chilly Water,” from all-the-way-back-in 1988’s debut Space Wrangler. Add a feisty take on Tom Waits’ “Goin’ Out West” to the party and we’ve got a special Widespread Panic show.
Widespread Panic has spent time on the ACL stage before, visiting us in Seasons 26 and 31. But we never had a show quite like this. Not only was the Georgia band on a tour celebrating its 25th anniversary, but this Season 37 gem was recorded on St. Patrick’s Day during Austin’s venerable South By Southwest Music Festival. In other words, this episode treats fans to a retrospective show recorded in a party atmosphere. The south’s most resilient jam band performs not only recent material like “Dirty Side Down,” “Up All Night” and the salutatory “May Your Glass Be Filled,” but also reaches deep into its sizeable catalog. Highlights include the choogling “Pigeons,” from its 1991 self-titled second record, the Junior Kimbrough cover “Junior,” from its reputation-solidifying 1994 LP Ain’t Life Grand, and the concert staple “Chilly Water,” from all-the-way-back-in 1988’s debut Space Wrangler. Add a feisty take on Tom Waits’ “Goin’ Out West” to the party and we’ve got a special Widespread Panic show.
This weekend, Austin City Limits shines the spotlight on two of indie rock’s most innovative bands, with the ACL debuts ofVampire Weekend andGrizzly Bear.
Vampire Weekend kicks off an exuberant performance with “Diane Young” from their latest album, Modern Vampires of the City. The band formed in 2006 at NY’s Columbia University and “quickly became one of the most important New York bands of this millennium” (NY Times). Vampire Weekend’s dynamic, high-energy performance offers a window into their unique sound. The group perform tracks from their three albums, including the massive hit “Cousins,” from their 2010 sophomore release Contra, which earned the band a Grammy Award nomination for Best Alternative Album. Displaying their impressive musicianship by playing the tricky polyrhythms and intricate melodies that are a hallmark of their sound, the four-piece band keeps their well-crafted choruses and melodies flowing throughout for a memorable debut.
“Vampire Weekend are festival favorites for good reason – everybody loves their music!” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “They have an easy-going approach that almost makes it feel like they’re playing in somebody’s backyard instead of to thousands (or in this case, on national TV). Their songs are intoxicating.”
With their sweeping, psychedelic indie rock in full effect, Grizzly Bear turns in a stellar set as well. Grizzly Bear has been steadily ascending throughout their decade-long career, garnering raves for their special blend of visceral, majestic indie rock. Pitchfork says, “the Brooklyn four-piece make pop music for the ambient, asking us to notice the importance in detail, the beauty of texture, and the foregrounds that exist all across our spectrum of perception.” The band takes the ACL stage performing songs primarily from their acclaimed recent album Shields, which Rolling Stone named one of the year’s best. Grizzly Bear features two singers, Ed Droste and Daniel Rossen, who are also the main songwriters, and the band’s emphasis on collaboration is front and center as they trade off vocals, delivering gorgeous, elaborate, haunting compositions.
photo by Scott Newton
“There’s almost something spiritual, or at least ethereal, about Grizzly Bear’s music,” says ACL’s Lickona. “Their sweet harmonies can be hypnotic, and overall there’s this low-key kind of excitement about them that just leaves you wanting more!”
This weekend, Austin City Limits shines the spotlight on two of indie rock’s most innovative bands, with the ACL debuts of Vampire Weekend and Grizzly Bear.
Vampire Weekend kicks off an exuberant performance with “Diane Young” from their latest album, Modern Vampires of the City. The band formed in 2006 at NY’s Columbia University and “quickly became one of the most important New York bands of this millennium” (NY Times). Vampire Weekend’s dynamic, high-energy performance offers a window into their unique sound. The group perform tracks from their three albums, including the massive hit “Cousins,” from their 2010 sophomore release Contra, which earned the band a Grammy Award nomination for Best Alternative Album. Displaying their impressive musicianship by playing the tricky polyrhythms and intricate melodies that are a hallmark of their sound, the four-piece band keeps their well-crafted choruses and melodies flowing throughout for a memorable debut.
“Vampire Weekend are festival favorites for good reason – everybody loves their music!” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “They have an easy-going approach that almost makes it feel like they’re playing in somebody’s backyard instead of to thousands (or in this case, on national TV). Their songs are intoxicating.”
photo by Scott Newton
With their sweeping, psychedelic indie rock in full effect, Grizzly Bear turns in a stellar set as well. Grizzly Bear has been steadily ascending throughout their decade-long career, garnering raves for their special blend of visceral, majestic indie rock. Pitchfork says, “the Brooklyn four-piece make pop music for the ambient, asking us to notice the importance in detail, the beauty of texture, and the foregrounds that exist all across our spectrum of perception.” The band takes the ACL stage performing songs primarily from their acclaimed recent album Shields, which Rolling Stone named one of the year’s best. Grizzly Bear features two singers, Ed Droste and Daniel Rossen, who are also the main songwriters, and the band’s emphasis on collaboration is front and center as they trade off vocals, delivering gorgeous, elaborate, haunting compositions.
“There’s almost something spiritual, or at least ethereal, about Grizzly Bear’s music,” says ACL’s Lickona. “Their sweet harmonies can be hypnotic, and overall there’s this low-key kind of excitement about them that just leaves you wanting more!”
