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Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Sylvan Esso

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

The combination of electropop mechanics and human soul has been a feature of rock and pop music for decades, but there are still few combos who just get it right. The Durham, NC duo of singer Amelia Meath and electronics guru Nick Sanborn, AKA Grammy-winning act Sylvan Esso, are definitely one of those, as they’ve proven for three albums of minimalist indie pop, hits like “Ferris Wheel,” and a great deal of acclaim. They proved it again for their debut appearance on the Austin City Limits stage. 

Surrounded by a circle of lights like one of the rings of Saturn, the pair opened with What If, the robotic ballad from the band’s Grammy-feted third LP Free Love. That was followed immediately by “Ferris Wheel,” the groovy pop song that’s reiterated their place on the map. “Give me a ticket to ride that train!” the distinctively-dressed Meath demanded next on “Train,” a tribute to the pop that inspires them, filtered through their own twenty-first century sensibilities, followed immediately by the epic “Dress.” The electronics burbled in the background as Meath greeted the crowd, before upping the rhythm component for “Die Young,” a showcase for the singer’s emotionally raw singing and undulating moves. The angular “Sunburn” was as much a showcase for partner Sanborn’s animated manipulation of his electronics setup, triggering beats and sounds live as he also fingered his synthesizer. “That’s the first time we ever played that song to anybody,” Meath enthusiastically noted. 

The shimmering “Frequency” returned SE to its latest record, before they returned to the land of new tunes with “Look At Me,” probably the most overtly poppy tune so far, even as it ends with Sanborn live remixing his partner’s vocal excursions. Surrounded by her own ethereal voices, Meath led the synths into “Rooftop Dancing,” the contemplative song that’s a highlight of Free Love and a clear crowd favorite. The band dipped into their self-titled debut for “Hey Mami” before leaping into What Now’s sizzling “Radio,” the ever-escalating energy of which drove the audience wild. After that dynamic performance, the pair set the beats aside for “Free,” a heart-on-sleeve ballad that may have been quiet, but didn’t stint on intensity. The synths drifted into the air before being brought back down by the throbbing bass pule of “Coffee,” another audience favorite that found them singing the Tommy James & the Shandells lyric Meath borrows, “My baby does the hanky panky,” back to her. Meath then got down to some dancing of her own with “Numb,” her energetic moves giving the crowd a buzz. 

Sanborn thanked the crowd and the show, before the rhythms once again kicked in for “Echo Party,” another new song. The band ended the main set with the debut’s “Play It Right,” a vigorous clap-along that earned Esso hearty huzzahs and demands for more. Which the audience got, as the duo retook the stage with a “Gee whiz,” before launching into “H.S.K.T.,” a clever recasting of the children’s rhyme about “head, shoulders, knees and toes” into a pulsating dance tune. The band’s love of melody came back strong for “Rewind,” garnering prolonged cheering and Meath thumping her hand over her heart. Sylvan Esso ended the show with Free Love’s “Make It Easy,” a gentle ushering back into that good night. It was a thrilling show, and we can’t wait for you to see it when it airs this fall on your local PBS station as part of our Season 48. 

Sylvan Esso tapes Austin City Limits, May 9, 2022. Photos by Scott Newton.
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Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Sudan Archives

Sudan Archives tapes Austin City Limits, Aug. 10, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Theatrical, experimental, and playfully authentic, electronic R&B violinist Sudan Archives delivers an excitingly dynamic performance at her debut Austin City Limits taping, presenting various hits from the breadth of her musical discography. Aside from bringing a new level of musical complexity to the current state of R&B, she showcases a world that mixes modern musical influences and traditional string playing. The experimental fiddler’s diverse musical background makes for a sound that nearly transcends genres, with tracks that involve elements of hip-hop, techno, Irish Celtic music, and soul, all deeply influenced by the South African Sudanese violin scene. The fiddler and her band – consisting of three Austin-based backup singers (Maya Sampleton,Grace Sorensen, Shelbi Alexandria), a bassist (Ghalani Crenshaw), and electronic violinist (DSharp) – bring an enthrallingly theatrical essence. The performance was presented for the live ACL audience and to fans around the world via live stream. 

Lyrically exploring themes of spirituality, self-identity, relationships, and femininity, the experimental artist reflects her ethereal nature via her wardrobe and set-up, a manifestation of her own enchanting world. Sudan wore a fairy-warrior type wardrobe–a plaid dress with metallic silver ballerina slippers and a leather sheath strapped across the back, where she holds her mighty bow. The violinist and crew play amongst a stage showered with rose petals and next to mic stands that seemingly grow out of the stage ground intertwined with vines and roses. Candles, and water-filled wine glasses are spread throughout the stage. The multi-talented violinist kicks off the second song of the show with “Nont for Sale” from her 2018 EP Sink. The track that serves as a testament to the musician’s thought provoking lyrical commentary intertwined with spirituality, as she sings “My strings propagate through space and time/Here and there at the same time/Hand dimensions and basic rhyme/You ain’t gotta be mad, look deeper, go higher, when you climb.” Her signature midi violin makes its first appearance, signaled by the swooping sound effect of a sword being removed from its sheath. A symbolic representation of her own musical armor, the importance of the instrument’s role in her discography becomes increasingly emphasized both musically and visually throughout the performance with several sound effects that represent the fiddle as a weapon. The violin plays the role of the leader, narrator, and protagonist of the song’s story. Sudan Archives echoes a desire to re-imagine and re-examine the traditional instrument’s role in popular music. 

Displaying the musician’s breadth of musical influence, track “Freakalizer” mixes the sound of the 90’s to early 2000’s R&B traditional beats with modern techno elements. Before beginning the performance, she conducts a certified “vibe check,” lighting sage with the comment “I gotta get the vibe right,” and moving into the intro of the song with a call to action: “Alright Austin, where my freaks at?” Removing her iconic leather sheath, she moves towards shifting the stage focus to the performance art components of her stage presence, incorporating grand intentional gestures towards cameras and audience members. Attesting to the musician’s theatrical, expressive, and authentically “in your face” musical presence, the violinist leaves the stage and moves casually through the crowd on the floor below. Connected by Sudan’s creation of a playful club-like atmosphere, the crowd seemingly transports to a night out at Club Sudan. Dancing with fans surrounded within a dance circle, Sudan Archives is the lively, fun, “feel good” girlfriend everyone wants to party with.

Showcasing the fiddler’s musical roots, influences, and well-rounded knowledge of the violin’s cultural presence and history, Sudan Archives performs a traditional Irish jig. Influenced by the likes of gospel, the Sudanese violin scene, and Celtic music, the musician calls out to the audience saying “Who in here is Irish? I love your culture. I joined the fiddle club and my life hasn’t been the same.” Gesturing that the crowd clap along, Sudan captures the role that culture plays in the artist’s unique sound by fusing a Celtic jig with hip-hop. This track showcases Sudan’s roots as a string player and the motivation behind her songs’ raw “fiddler” approach. Transitioning into one of artist’s biggest hits, as recently featured on The Stephen Colbert Show, track “Selfish Soul” demonstrates Sudan’s powerful commentary on femininity, the female appearance, and self-worth. She sings soulfully and moves intentionally up and down the stage, fist bumping backup singers and singing “If I cut my hair, hope I grow it long/Back long time like way before/If I wear it straight will they like me more?/Like those girls on front covers.” Ending the track with an explosive violin solo, the musician spins in circles in a rapidly moving pace as the crowd erupts into applause. 

Returning back to the stage to perform their encore, Sudan and band begin to play “Limitless”, a comforting and compelling song on society’s preoccupation with materialism and superficiality. The musician asks the audience to illuminate the theater with their iPhone lights as they sway to the track’s melody. The performer watches the crowd light up with a sea of swaying phone lights, singing “All we have is the internet/It’s okay to be afraid…All we have is the internet/We’re too cool to admit.” The soulful singer moves back into the crowd swaying with their movement and ending her performance by noting how the lights “looked like lightning bugs.” A cheerful end to a moving track, Sudan wraps up her ACL debut. 

As one of the most uniquely experimental performances to take the ACL stage, Sudan Archives delivers on the campy, “in your face” realness that radiates from her music and stage presence. From violin virtuoso to a feel good club jam, taking a visit to Sudan’s world is unapologetically thought-provoking and undeniably authentic. Presenting a complex musical sound elevated by the captivating components of her performance art, Sudan Archives leaves no room for predictability or conformity on her stage.

Sudan Archives on Austin City Limits, August 2023. Photos by Scott Newton.
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Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: St. Vincent

St. Vincent, Austin City Liimits, 2021. Photo by Scott Newton.

We’re always happy to welcome St. Vincent back to Austin City Limits. The Texas-raised Annie Clark and her renowned project have gone from strength to strength since she first alighted on our stage back in Season 35 in 2009. Her latest record Daddy’s Home may be her most acclaimed yet, and we were thrilled to have her showcase it for her third taping in an electrifying career-wide set filled with highlights.

After a brief fakeout with a trench-coated double (Arianna Henry, who would make frequent appearances as roadie and dancer), Clark joined her crack band to open the show with a slinky, groove-approved version of “Digital Witness.” They launched into the first song from Daddy’s Home, the seething funk rocker “Down,” on which Clark was joined at the front of the stage by backing singers Navonnah Holley, Stephanie Alexander and Danielle Withers. She and ace co-guitarist Jason Falkner traded dissonant licks to kick off “Birth in Reverse,” a perfect example of how she’s re-written the rules of rock & roll. After a particularly egregious dad joke, she then powered, appropriately enough, into “Daddy’s Home,” the sleazy title track of the latest album. Keyboardist Rachel Eckroth hit the familiar piano open of “New York,” with the singers leading the crowd to add handclaps to the melancholy anthem. Falkner donned an acoustic guitar as the dancer returned in a waitress outfit to serve up drinks to the musicians, leading to Clark giving a toast – “To Austin City Limits and our third time here, and to all of us being back together again!” Then she sang “…At the Holiday Party,” a sedate but acidic pop tune on which she played tabletop steel with her microphone. 

Bassist Justin Meldal-Johnsen (last seen on our stage with Beck) began a synth pulse, joined by drummer Mark Guiliana’s rock-solid groove, to lay the foundation for the widescreen pop of Masseduction’s “Los Ageless” – “You know this one,” Clark said as she ripped out the signature guitar lick. She stuck with that album for the jittery glam rock of “Sugarboy,” which climaxed in an orgy of skronk, clatter and feedback.  The band then looked back to the early St. Vincent album Actor for the noisy art popper “Marrow.” The atmosphere subtly altered to a both more ethereal and more rhythmic vibe, which meant it was time for the brilliant “Slow Disco,” which showcased the singers and brought dancer Henry back onstage. After a round of band introductions, it was time for the bitter synth funk of “Pay Your Way to Pain,” which allowed Clark to remind us that she’s a powerhouse vocalist as well as a full-on guitar god. The band then took another trip to the past with the loud/soft dynamics of “Cheerleader,” from her third LP Strange Mercy, culminating with Clark and Falkner using each other’s guitars as plectrums in a hail of six-string noise. No respite for the weary, as everyone went right into the steely crunch of “Fear the Future,” which ended with more guitar raunch. 

Clark then reached way back, riding Guiliana’s pounding rhythm for the menacing “Your Lips Are Red,” hailing from St. Vincent’s very first album Marry Me. The band then ascended gently into space for the shimmering, floating “Live in the Dream,” leading the vocalists to traverse the stage in slow motion and Clark to finally indulge in some guitar heroism before ending in complete silence. Eckroth took to the Wurlitzer electric piano to begin “The Melting of the Sun,” a tribute to notable women performers from Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone and Marilyn Monroe to Clark herself. It was a great note on which to end the stunner of a set, as the crowd showed its love and the musicians took a bow. It was such a good show, and we can’t wait for you to see it when it airs this coming winter on your local PBS station as part of our Season 47. 

St. Vincent tapes Austin City Limits, Sept. 30, 2021. Photos by Scott Newton.
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Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Spoon

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

The deans of Austin alternative rock for over twenty-five years, Spoon hit another milestone in their impressive career: hitting the ACL stage for the fifth time. It may not seem like it, what with the Willies and Haggards and Lyles and Asleep at the Wheels, but the number of artists who visit that many times or more is pretty small. That it’s a band from our hometown makes it even more special – especially a band that’s hitting a new peak in its own career. The quintet’s tenth album Lucifer On the Sofa is one of their most acclaimed, and its songs formed the heart of their taping. 

Driven by Jim Eno’s pounding kit, Spoon kicked off the show with the hard-rocking “Held,” the powerhouse opener from Sofa. Leader Britt Daniel’s famed pop sense took hold on follow-up “Feels Alright,” without losing the rock & roll fervor. Spoon next looked back a few years to their breakthrough Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga for “Don’t You Evah,” a choice that earned immediate cheers, before moving on to Transference for the brow-furrowing rock tune “The Mystery Zone.” Daniel took a moment to reminisce about the free beer that was available at tapings in the pre-Moody Theater days before digging into the grooving boogie of “The Hardest Cut,” on which the band essayed their own take on old school classic rock. Daniel and company then reached all the way back to 1998 for the popwise “Metal Detektor,” wasting no time before moving into the blazing, beat-heavy “Got Nuffin.” 

Three saxophonists and a trombonist then joined Spoon onstage for the chunky rock of “The Devil & Mr. Jones” and the melody-rich title track to the new album, with splashes of reverb splitting the difference between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The horns stayed with the band for a spirited zip through the ultra-catchy “The Underdog,” which, as Spoon’s breakthrough radio hit, garnered the loudest, longest cheers yet. As the horn section exited the stage, Daniel kept the acoustic guitar he’d donned for “Underdog” and solicited requests, ending on the vibrant pop of “My Babe,” which just happened to be the next song on the setlist. “Inside Out” followed, its keyboard-heavy pop featuring Daniel singing on his back on the stage in one of his rare turns without a guitar – at least until the song’s outro. Back to his trusty Telecaster, Daniel ended the main set with the dynamic, danceable “Wild,” driving the audience, yes, wild. 

Given the fans’ enthusiasm, Spoon had to come back for more. Keyboardist/guitarist Gerardo Larios arrived first, starting with a familiar piano melody, drawing out Daniel and the rest of the band for an impassioned performance of John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band standout “Isolation.” “Do us a favor,” Daniel said after finishing, “act like we’re the Who for a second.” Then he led the band into “Utilitarian,” a song from the band’s second LP A Series of Sneaks. After a brief false start, Daniel and crew then took us to Gimme Fiction for the dramatic “My Mathematical Mind,” which built into a frenzy of noise rock and flashing strobes. Despite the Big Rock Ending, Eno went straight into the bashing garage rock of “Rent I Pay,” with a second BRE, and a crowd of fans proclaiming their appreciation for as loud and as long as possible. It was a great show, possibly our best Spoon taping yet, and we can’t wait for you to see it when it airs early next year on your local PBS station as part of our Season 48. 

Spoon tapes Austin City Limits, Oct. 19, 2022. Photos by Scott Newton.

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News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Shinyribs

Kevin Russell is no stranger to our stage. The leader of Shinyribs last hit Austin City Limits in 2007 while a member of Austin’s beloved Gourds. Since that group’s breakup, Russell has taken his vision of roots rock in a more soulful, danceable and theatrical direction with Shinyribs. Four albums and countless live performances later, he and the band finally came back home for an ACL taping that was a celebration of all things Shiny, livestreamed worldwide in all its glory.  Livestream viewer Brenda Walker raved of the riotous East Texas frontman, “Kevin really IS the Pavarotti of the Pineywoods” and Priscilla Promises chimed in “U in Austin bAaBeE.”

Introduced by hype man Trey Worth as “the Shakespeare of swamp pop” and “the shiniest man in show business,” patriarch Kevin Russell took the stage to brag about being “Country Cool,” allowing each member to show off his instrument during this slice of soul pop. The swamp to which Worth alluded earlier bubbled up in “Don’t Leave It a Lie,” a muddy groove accompanied by the Riblets, a trio of female dancers acting as Russell’s own Ikettes. Wielding a mean ukulele, Russell indulged in some call-and-response with ace backup vocalists Alice Spencer and Kelley Mickwee for the tropical soul of “I Got Your Medicine,” the title track to the band’s fourth and latest LP. The ‘ribs gleefully blended swamp rock, funk, c&w and yodeling for the epic “Song of Lime Juice & Despair,” complete with a Riblets ‘n’ Russell dance routine. The band then pulled out an inspired cover of David Bowie’s “Golden Years,” set to a double-timed rhythm (borrowed from the Drifters’ “On Broadway”) that allowed Russell to indulge in vocalese lifted from various R&B hits.

Russell took the mood from party-hearty to wistful by dedicating the slow-burn soul song “Who Built The Moon” to much beloved local bassist George Reiff, recently passed from cancer. The group then dropped in for a quick New Orleans visit, covering Allen Toussaint’s finger-popping R&B tune “A Certain Girl,” first recorded in 1961 by Ernie K-Doe and boasting cracking solos from Russell, keyboardist Winfield Cheek, saxist Mark Wilson and trumpeter Tiger Anaya. Doubling as a possible name for Shinyribs’ musical gumbo, “Tub Gut Stomp & Red-Eyed Soul” followed, reminiscent of key Russell influence Doug Sahm. Continuing his musical tour of Texas, Russell guided the band to the Lone Star/Louisiana border for the soulful “Take Me Lake Charles.”  After the frisky pop and roll of “Walt Disney,” Russell dug deep for “I Gave Up All I Had,” a powerful cover from the catalogue of the late soul man Ted Hawkins.

While Russell crawled back up from the floor, bassist Jeff Brown and drummer Keith Langford (a fellow ex-Gourd) started up a roiling groove that signalled the frisky funk of “Baby, What’s Wrong?” which also included a mock fight between Russell and the Riblets. Shinyribs concluded the main set with the jungle pop of “Poor People’s Store,” which generated the band’s traditional conga line on the floor – joined, of course, by Russell himself. The audience couldn’t let the night end just yet, though. The band came back for an encore, starting with a song “about my favorite root vegetable.” The ballad “Sweet Potato” doubled as an excuse to introduce the band, Russell noting each member’s root veggie preference rather than his or her hometown. Russell crawled to the edge of the stage and back in mock fatigue, before a Riblet draped a sparkling robe over his shoulders—what Russell called “a luminous cloak”—his very own technicolor dreamcoat with light-up lining in ever-changing colors. As the song drifted wistfully to an end, Russell picked up his guitar, cranked up the volume and grunged his way into the rock ‘n’ soul of “East TX Rust,” the robe making him look like a glam rock Jawa. “Let’s get it on now!” he demanded as he put his axe through its paces, and there wasn’t a soul in the crowd who would disagree. The song ended in a riot of guitar, horns and an audience going wild. It was a fantastic show, and we can’t wait for you to see it when it airs early next year as part of our Season 43 on your local PBS station.

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News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Sharon Van Etten

Sharon Van Etten had solidified her position as one of the queens of indie rock long before now. But her latest album Remind Me Tomorrow, with its sensual blend of folk, pop, new wave and electronics is rightly taking the singer/songwriter to a new plateau. We were happy to live stream her first-ever appearance on ACL, with Tomorrow as its centerpiece. 

Her four-piece band arrived onstage first, setting up the atmospheric intro of “Jupiter 4.” Wearing a sparkling silver suit, Van Etten took her place in front of the mic, opening her golden throat to give incandescent life to the lines “It’s true that everyone would like to have met a love so real.” Then drummer Jorge Balbi kicked out an insistent beat, part disco, part new wave, to signal the irrepressible RMT single “Comeback Kid,” as Van Etten rocked it like the love child of Patti Smith and the Motels’ Martha Davis. She brought similar gravitas to the throbbing “No One’s Easy to Love,” a tune driven by Devin Hoff’s insistent bass. Donning a Gibson hollowbody guitar, Van Etten mentioned that she and the band were happy to end their tour where it began, before strumming into “One Day,” an older tune that garnered enthusiastic cheers. She applied her powerful voice to the country-tinged “Tarifa,” imbuing it with smoldering power and ending with a quick strum of Charles Damski’s guitar. Van Etten replaced her guitar with a set of chimes, as Heather Woods Broderick’s buzzy synthesizer ushered in the moody “Memorial Day.” 

Electric guitar took center stage for the riff for the poppy “You Shadow,” though Van Etten’s voice easily pulled the spotlight. She stepped to the keyboard for the synth ‘n’ organ-heavy “Malibu,” which twisted California pop to her own darker purposes. On came another guitar as the band put the song through a grinding coda, with no pause before the intense, thudding rocker “Hands.” The band left the stage as she sat at the piano for a stunning solo rendition of Sinead O’Connor’s “Black Boys On Mopeds,” a song she noted “was made during another time of unrest, but is sadly still relevant today.” After that emotional powerhouse it was time for something more upbeat, delivered via the deceptive “Seventeen,” the poppy sheen of which was disrupted by Van Etten’s angry shouts, to the audience’s delight. She took a minute to praise and introduce her band and crew before going into the stately folk rocker “Everytime the Sun Comes Up,” another tune from Are We There. Van Etten and band ended the main set with the beautiful anthem “Stay,” to major applause. 

The crowd clearly hadn’t had enough, so the musicians came back, with Van Etten back at the piano for the elegant, emotionally fraught “I Told You Everything” (“no changing my mind”). She re-donned her guitar for the last song of the night, the pounding anthem “All I Can,” from her 2012 breakthrough Tramp. It was a fine way to cap a strong show, and we can’t wait for you to see it when it airs as early next year as part of our Season 45 on your PBS station. 

  • photo by Scott Newton
  • photo by Scott Newton
  • photo by Scott Newton
  • photo by Scott Newton
  • photo by Scott Newton
  • photo by Scott Newton
  • photo by Scott Newton
  • photo by Scott Newton
  • photo by Scott Newton
  • photo by Scott Newton