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Featured Live Stream News

Austin City Limits to stream Brandi Carlile taping live on 4/10

Austin City Limits is thrilled to announce that we will be livestreaming the return of standout singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile to our stage on Tuesday, April 10. We’ll be beaming live directly from the ACL stage at 8pm CT/9 pm ET on ACLTV’s YouTube channel.

Having first appeared on ACL in 2010 and most recently paid tribute to Roy Orbison in the 2017 ACL Hall of Fame New Year’s Eve celebration, Brandi Carlile comes back in celebration of her seventh album, By The Way, I Forgive You, produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb and acclaimed musician Shooter Jennings.  One of 2018’s most anticipated albums, Rolling Stone hails the release “an Adele-meets Joni Mitchell tour de force,” and “a moving and righteous piece of Americana-infused pop.”  NPR Music’s Ann Powers asserts, “By The Way, I Forgive You takes Carlile and her longtime bandmates, Phil and Tim Hanseroth, into a new space of risk-taking—as well as the emotional stratosphere. A country-rock aria dedicated to the delicate boys and striving girls born into—and, Carlile insists, destined to triumph over—this divisive time, ‘The Joke’ offers a stunning vocal performance from Carlile, swathed in warm piano, big drums and a perfect string arrangement.” Additionally, The New York Times praises, “Motherhood is disruptive, messy, inconvenient, enlightening and triumphant in ‘The Mother’…Its fingerpicking folk-rock unfurls from a blurry awakening to unabashed pride and joy.”  Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, By The Way, I Forgive You includes ten new songs written by Carlile and longtime collaborators, twin brothers Tim and Phil Hanseroth. Of their close relationship, Carlile comments, “The Twins and I have been in a band for so long now. And not just a band, we are literally a family. When you create art with twins, it becomes unclear when I end and where they begin.” Over the course of their acclaimed career, the band has released six albums, including 2015’s The Firewatcher’s Daughter, which garnered a Grammy nomination for “Best Americana Album.”

Join us on April 10 for this full-set livestream on our ACLTV YouTube channel. The broadcast version will air on PBS later this year as part of our upcoming Season 44.

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Featured Live Stream News

Austin City Limits to livestream debut taping from country star Chris Stapleton

Austin City Limits is excited to announce that we will be streaming the debut taping of acclaimed, bestselling country artist Chris Stapleton on Monday, October 23 directly from the ACL stage at 8pm CT/9 pm ET on ACLTV’s YouTube channel.  

Kentucky-born Chris Stapleton is one of Nashville’s most respected and beloved musicians. Since releasing his now double Platinum debut solo album Traveller in 2015, Stapleton has received multiple Grammy, CMA and ACM Awards and remains one of the most critically praised musicians of his time. His sophomore follow up, From A Room: Volume 1, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart upon its release and, with it’s Gold certification, remains the strongest-selling country album of 2017. Rolling Stone calls the album “strikingly focused, sonically and thematically” while The New York Times praises, “Like Traveller, From A Room is earthen, rich with tradition, has a tactile intensity and is carefully measured.” A second album, From A Room: Volume 2, will be released December 1 and is now available for pre-order. In celebration of the music, “Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show,” which Rolling Stone calls, “one of the most ambitious country tours ever,” is currently underway and will span throughout 2017. Of a recent performance, the Seattle Times declared, “Stapleton dazzled the sold-out crowd with a barrage of songs that defy easy categorization while receiving the kind of deafening cheers reserved for superstars.”

Please join us October 23 for this full-set livestream on our ACLTV YouTube channel. The broadcast version will air on PBS early next year as part of our Season 43.

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Featured News

Austin City Limits Season 40 pt. 2 starts January 3

Austin, TX—December 3, 2014—The landmark television music series Austin City Limits (ACL) unwraps the second half of its milestone Season 40, celebrating a four-decade run with more legendary artists, innovators and highly-anticipated debuts.  Seven brand-new shows begin airing in January 2015 as part of the program’s fourteen-episode season. Providing viewers with a front-row seat to the best in music performance for 40 years, ACL returns on Saturday, January 3rd with a double-bill featuring the return of roots rockers The Avett Brothers and Grammy-winning bluegrass trio Nickel Creek. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings for times) and full episodes are made available online for a limited time at http://video.pbs.org/program/austin-city-limits/ immediately following the initial broadcast. The show’s official hashtag is #acltv40.

A highlight of the season is powerhouse rock duo The Black Keys, with the six-time Grammy winners making their highly anticipated ACL return, having first appeared in Season 36. ACL favorites Spoon make their fourth appearance, sharing the bill with fellow Austin natives White Denim. Acclaimed singer/songwriter Jenny Lewis returns for her solo ACL debut, originally appearing in Season 31 as part of the indie rock duo Rilo Kiley; in what’s sure to be one of ACL’s most talked about episodes, Ryan Adams shares the bill in a memorable ACL return. The extended line-up features a number of artists making ACL debuts, among them chart-topping British sensation Sam Smith, synth-pop trio Future Islands and southern rockers J. Roddy Walston & The Business.

photo by Scott Newton

Rock superstars Foo Fighters return to the ACL stage with an hourlong, monumental performance. Joined by Austin legends Gary Clark Jr. and Jimmie Vaughan, Foo Fighters’ powerful performance is a high point of the standout season.  The renowned band recently immortalized Austin and ACL’s executive producer Terry Lickona in an installment of their HBO series Sonic Highways, even recording a song, “What Did I Do?/God As My Witness”,  in ACL’s historic Studio 6A for their companion new release.

photo by Scott Newton

ACL wraps up the celebratory season with a special episode featuring performance highlights from the first annual Austin City Limits Hall of Fame presentation.  Performers include music legends Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris, Buddy Guy and Double Trouble.

“We’ve had an amazing 40th anniversary year,” says ACL’s Terry Lickona, “and the second half of the season says as much about the future as our past. As always, we try to showcase the best music being created today, and every one of these shows is exceptional. Then for a grand finale, we’ll tie it all together with a celebration of the artists and individuals who have inspired the longest-running music show on TV.”

Here’s the national broadcast schedule, check your local PBS listings for dates and times in your area!

January 3, 2015      | The Avett Brothers | Nickel Creek
January 10, 2015    | Spoon | White Denim
January 17, 2015    | Sam Smith | Future Islands
January 24, 2015   | Ryan Adams | Jenny Lewis
January 31, 2015    | The Black Keys | J. Roddy Walston & The Business
February 7, 2015    | Foo Fighters
February 14, 2015  | Austin City Limits Hall of Fame Special

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Featured News

Austin City Limits salutes the winners of the 2024 Grammy Awards

Billie Eilish on Austin City Limits, 2019. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits extends a hearty congratulations to the winners of last night’s 2024 Grammy Awards. Co-produced by ACL executive producer Terry Lickona, the 66th annual ceremony honored a wide variety of popular and lauded artists from all walks of musical life, including several of our distinguished alumni.

Pop star Billie Eilish, who made her ACL debut in Season 45, took home the Song of the Year trophy, as well as Best Song for Visual Media, for her Barbie soundtrack ballad “What Was I Made For?” Singer/songwriters Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, who graced our stage in Seasons 47 and 45, respectively, planted their flags firmly in the rock categories with their trio boygenius, claiming Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for “Not Strong Enough” and Best Alternative Music Album for The Record. Killer Mike, who blew the ACL audience away with his Season 43 performance with duo Run the Jewels, dominated the rap categories, winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for “Scientists and Engineers” and Best Rap Album for the appropriately titled Michael. 

Jason Isbell on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

ACL veteran Jason Isbell, who recently showcased his latest album Weathervanes in an acclaimed Season 49 hour, earned Best Americana Album and Best American Roots Song for the album and its s fan-favorite single “Cast Iron Skillet.” Alongside her band Golden Highway, fellow Season 49 guest Molly Tuttle garnered herself a Best Bluegrass Album award for a remarkable second consecutive year, with her recent City of Gold, which she previewed during her thrilling ACL debut.. Other roots-oriented winners that have appeared on the ACL stage include Chris Stapleton (Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country song for “White Horse”), Brandy Clark and Brandi Carlile (Best Americana Performance for “Dear Insecurity”), featured during this year’s Americana Honors hour, Allison Russell (Best American Roots Performance for “Eve Was Black”), Kacey Musgraves (Best Country/Duo Performance for her Zach Bryan duet “I Remember Everything”), and the Blind Boys of Alabama (Best Roots Gospel Album for Echoes of the South). In a special Grammy moment,, the great singer/songwriter Tracy Chapman, who appeared on the ACL stage in a much-acclaimed episode from Season 29, made a surprise appearance on the telecast, joining country star Luke Combs for a radiant duet on his Grammy-nominated cover of her iconic, 1989 Grammy-winning song “Fast Car.”

Tracy Chapman on Austin City Limits, 2003. Photo by Scott Newton.

Bluegrass icon Bela Fleck, who has appeared on ACL multiple times with the Flecktones, a supergroup of bluegrass stars, and as a member of bands New Grass Revival and Strength in Numbers, proved the power of stylistic diversity by winning both Best Contemporary Instrumental Performance and Best Global Music Performances for As We Speak, his collaboration with fellow SIN vet Edgar Meyer and Indian percussion god Zakir Hussain. We salute this year’s winners and nominees; find the complete list of winners and nominees here.

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Featured News

Austin City Limits, KLRU and Emmis Austin bring you Austin City Limits Radio today!

Emmis Austin Radio announced today that KGSR has been reborn as Austin City Limits Radio, the result of a multi-year licensing agreement with Austin City Limits Enterprises, LLC. The new station offers a bold genre-jumping playlist based on the Austin City Limits brand’s legendary aesthetic. Austin City Limits Radio officially launches at 5pm CDT today and will air on 93.3 FM, 97.1 FM, and at ACL-Radio.com, and will kick-off with a live broadcast from Austin’s Arlyn Studios. Mayor Steve Adler will ceremoniously pull the switch signaling the changeover and “Whiskey River,” the first song performed by Willie Nelson on the pilot episode of Austin City Limits in 1974, will be the first song played on Austin City Limits Radio.

Tom Gimbel, General Manager of Austin City Limits says “The Austin City Limits brand has been built on integrity and a commitment to showcasing the very best in music – whether to our weekly public television audience, at the Austin City Limits Music Festival, or at a concert at ACL Live at The Moody Theater.  It’s exciting to see ACL take this very natural next step by extending into radio. To partner with another of Austin’s great music beacons in KGSR, one with a 28-year history in the market, is an incredible opportunity to enrich our local airwaves and serve the Austin community.”

Listeners to Austin City Limits Radio can expect to hear artists ranging from Willie Nelson to Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran to Kacey Musgraves, and Radiohead to Gary Clark Jr.

Emily Parker, Program Director of Austin City Limits Radio 93.3 and 97.1 KGSR commented, “The concept of basing a radio format on the rich history of the ACL TV show, the tastemakers at ACL Festival and ACL Live, and the curators of KGSR’s iconic radio station are what allowed us to develop this one-of-a-kind authentic Austin brand. The premise of Austin City Limits Radio is one that reflects how people actually listen to music in the on-demand digital age. There will be no format limits. Just as our audience’s personal playlists may include everything from Alternative to Pop, Country to Hip Hop, and everything in between, so will the music mix we craft on ACL Radio.”

Austin City Limits Radio will continue to produce KGSR’s signature events, including Blues On The Green™, Unplugged At The Grove™ and live broadcasts from South By Southwest™ and The Austin City Limits Music Festival™. Community is at the core of Austin City Limits Radio and the tradition of KGSR, which was recognized earlier this year by the National Association of Broadcasters with the prestigious Crystal Radio Award for community service, honoring the station’s longstanding commitment to raise funds and awareness for a variety of causes, such as the Health Alliance For Austin Musicians (HAAM), Austin Disaster Relief Network, The Seton Fund, Make-a-Wish, Austin Parks Foundation, and Communities in Schools.

Scott Gillmore, Senior Vice President and Market Manager of Emmis Austin Radio, who was the original General Manager for KGSR when it debuted in 1990 notes, “This unprecedented and innovative licensing agreement with a local radio station brand and a national, even international brand like Austin City Limits is groundbreaking. But it made sense. KGSR and Austin City Limits are two of the most beloved music brands in Austin. Just as Austin has grown and evolved, so has Austin City Limits – and now KGSR will join in that evolution. We will be playing music and serving the Austin community in new ways with new partners. We couldn’t be more excited!”

On Saturday, September 8, at noon CDT, Austin City Limits Radio 93.3 and 97.1 KGSR will air its inaugural live performance from The Dell Music Lounge, a four-song acoustic set from Leon Bridges. This broadcast will mark the first artist to officially have performed on all Austin City Limits branded outlets – the Austin City Limits Television Show, Austin City Limits Music Festival, ACL Live at the Moody Theater, and now Austin City Limits Radio.

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ABOUT EMMIS AUSTIN RADIO

Austin City Limits Radio 93.3 and 97.1 KGSR is part of Emmis Austin Radio – which owns and operates seven uniquely Austin radio stations including Austin City Limits Radio 93.3 and 97.1 KGSR, 93.7 KLBJ-FM, 101X, Latino 102.7, 103.5 BOB-FM, 107.1 La Z, and NewsRadio KLBJ 590AM & 99.7FM.  Emmis Austin Radio also offers two more locally-programmed HD Radio music channels in Austin: heavy metal “No Control Radio” at 93.3 HD-3 and dance, MEGA at 103.5 HD-2.

ABOUT AUSTIN CITY LIMITS ENTERPRISES

The acclaimed, award-winning Austin City Limits (ACL) is the longest-running music program in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception in 1974, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. 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. The program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin.  The historic KLRU 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 KLRU-TV, Austin PBS.  Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

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

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Featured Hall of Fame News

Austin City Limits kicks off 50th anniversary celebration with Garth Brooks

Iconic music series Austin City Limits (ACL) kicks off the 50th Anniversary celebrations by welcoming a new Austin City Limits Hall of Fame honoree into its ranks for this milestone: Garth Brooks. For the first time in the decade-long history of the ACL Hall of Fame, only one inductee will be honored at this epic 10th Anniversary Hall of Fame celebration taking place on September 5, 2024, at ACL’s studio home, ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Brooks and his band will perform for the occasion. Brooks anchored ACL’s 25th Anniversary broadcast season with a pair of appearances and returns now for the Hall of Fame salute to launch the trailblazing television series’ record-making 50th season. Musical highlights and Brooks’ induction from the Hall of Fame ceremony will air as a special hourlong broadcast of Austin City Limits as a highlight of the program’s golden anniversary Season 50 which premieres on September 28, 2024, on PBS. 

“To be part of anything Austin City Limits is and always has been an honor,” Brooks said. “I am humbled and grateful to not only be a part of the 50th Anniversary, but to be inducted into the ACL Hall of Fame is over the top.”

The event is open to the public and a limited number of tickets will be on sale August 2 at acltv.com/hall-of-fame via AXS ticketing. Sponsor packages are available now. This event will be a phone-free experience. Upon arrival at the venue, tickets will be scanned and all phones will be secured in Yondr cases that will be unlocked at the end of the event. Austin City Limits 10th Annual Hall of Fame Honors is produced by Austin PBS and proceeds benefit the public television station. 

2024 marks the 50th Anniversary of the live music beacon Austin City Limits, which taped its debut pilot episode on October 17, 1974; the pioneering series then premiered on PBS in 1975. ACL celebrates its remarkable legacy with a yearlong celebration through 2025. Since its inception in 2014, the ACL Hall of Fame has honored legendary artists who have played a pivotal role in the trailblazing music series’ outstanding half-century as a music institution. The inaugural awards in 2014 honored Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Garth Brooks has longtime ties to ACL, with three legendary Austin City Limits performances. He first appeared on the program in 1990, during Season 15, at the beginning of his career. The celebrated artist returned a decade later to both open and close ACL’s milestone Season 25 with two hourlong episodes.

Brooks returned to ACL in 2021 for a memorable pair of intimate, non-broadcast events to close Studio 6A on the University of Texas campus, the fabled soundstage where the program first started recording in 1974. Brooks carved his name into ACL’s history with the final performances in the historic studio that was the show’s home from 1974 to 2010, before a move to downtown Austin. The singular artist performed the special benefit shows solo acoustic to a sold-out audience of 200 fans per night, as a fundraiser for Austin PBS, sharing stories, taking song requests, and answering questions from the audience.  

“Garth is a special friend—there’s no one else quite like him,” said longtime ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “He never forgets his roots, or the people who were there for him in those early days. He hit the ACL stage just as his career was taking off, kicked off our 25th anniversary season, and now almost 25 years later, it’s our turn to honor him.”

Austin City Limits Hall of Fame celebrates the legacy of legendary artists and key individuals who have played a vital part in the pioneering music series’ remarkable half-century as a music institution. The Hall of Fame has inducted over twenty artists at nine previous ceremonies including Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, Lloyd Maines, Asleep at the Wheel, Loretta Lynn, Guy Clark, Flaco Jiménez, Townes Van Zandt, Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King, Roy Orbison, Rosanne Cash, The Neville Brothers, Ray Charles, Marcia Ball, Los Lobos, Lyle Lovett, Buddy Guy, Shawn Colvin, Lucinda Williams, Wilco, Alejandro Escovedo, Sheryl Crow and Joe Ely. The ninth annual Hall of Fame in 2023 welcomed John Prine and Trisha Yearwood to its ranks.

About Garth Brooks:

Garth Brooks just opened his brand new bar on Lower Broadway in Nashville, Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk. The opening was celebrated with a Dive Bar concert on Black Friday that streamed exclusively on Amazon. He also just released a new boxed set, “The Limited Series,” which is the third and final in the series and contains Garth’s 14th studio album, Time Traveler. The boxed set is on sale exclusively at Bass Pro Shops. Garth has returned to radio with the SEVENS Radio Network on TuneIn. So far, the announced stations include The BIG 615 with Storme Warren, Tailgate Radio with Maria Taylor and The Garth Channel. He currently has a residency, Garth Brooks/Plus ONE at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. 2023 completely sold out, dates for 2024 are currently on sale. In 2022, Garth completed the three and a half year long Stadium Tour. It drew an average of more than 95 thousand people in each city it played and was seen by a cumulative audience of nearly three-million people. The tour ended that September when Garth played the fifth sold-out concert at Dublin, Ireland’s Croke Park. The five concerts were seen by over 400-thousand people. Garth has received every accolade you can bestow on an artist. Garth has received The Kennedy Center Honor, the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, seven CMA Entertainer of the Year honors and nine Diamond Awards. He remains the #1-selling solo artist in U.S. history, certified by the RIAA with 162 million album sales.​

Austin City Limits and the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame are produced by Austin PBS. Austin PBS is a non-profit organization providing public television and educational resources to Central Texas as well as producing quality national programming. 

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 launching its 50th 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 2024-2025.