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Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Olivia Rodrigo

photo by Scott Newton

Few artists have had as stratospheric a rise as Olivia Rodrigo-the 18-year-old California native spent her teens writing songs, performing, acting and playing piano, so she was ready for the spotlight when it came to the smash success of “Drivers License,” her first single and first #1 hit. Her platinum-selling, self-penned debut LP Sour has turned her into a star-as reflected in her debut appearance on Austin City Limits. 

Rodrigo’s all-female five-piece band took the ACL stage and laid down an atmospheric intro before the star herself came bounding out barefoot for the defiant self-doubt of “Brutal,” the chorus of which immediately became call-and-response. The singer and band went immediately into the anthem “Déjà Vu,” on which the eager crowd became her backup singers. It was clearly time for a power ballad, which meant the heartbroken waltz “Happier” – “I hope you’re happy, but don’t be happier.” That was followed by the angry, power chord-kissed rocker “Jealousy, Jealousy,” an attack on the false expectations fueled by social media. Rodrigo introduced her all-girl band before sitting down at the piano for “the first song I ever put out, and it’s really special to me.” That, of course, meant the colossal hit “Drivers License,” amplified by delirious audience participation – adding handclaps on the build and singing a chorus on their own. 

Rodrigo remained at the piano for “Traitor,” a heart-on-sleeve piano ballad that turned into a showcase for her ability to channel her emotions into universal understanding. Guitarist Heather Baker fingerpicked her acoustic guitar, while fellow axeperson Arianna Powell moved to pedal steel for the folky “Favorite Crime,” which was clearly a crowd favorite. A crewmember brought a stool and acoustic guitar, which Rodrigo used for “Enough For You,” a compelling solo performance. She and the band ended the show with megahit “Good 4 U,” the blazing rocker that’s equalled the success of “Drivers License” on the charts and earned high-energy pogoing from the ecstatic audience. “Thank you, guys!!”, said Rodrigo, as the crowd went wild. It was a standout performance from a performer with a long and exciting career ahead of her, and we can’t wait for you to see it when it airs this December on your local PBS station. 

Olivia Rodrigo, Oct. 2021, Season 47. Photos by Scott Newton.
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News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Norah Jones

Norah Jones is a longtime friend of Austin City Limits, so we’re always happy to have the Texas native back on our stage. For her fourth visit, the nine-time Grammy Award-winner performed selections from her latest album Day Breaks, alongside choice gems from her multi-platinum 2002 breakout debut Come Away With Me.  Critics have hailed the jazz-inflected Day Breaks as a kindred spirit to the landmark Come Away With Me, expanding on its bestselling sound by incorporating the musical influences she’s absorbed since her breakthrough.

Jones and her five-piece band took the stage for the title track of Day Breaks, its gentle funk underpinning her melancholy lines about “raining in my heart.” Making the debt to her debut explicit, she then went into the overtly jazzy “I’ve Got to See You Again,” from Come Away With Me. Joined only by bassist Josh Lattanzi and drummer Greg Wieczorek, Jones performed an elegant take on Horace Silver’s standard “Peace.” Guitarist Jason Roberts and keyboardist Pete Remm came back to the stage for a return to Come Away via the light, folky “Something is Calling You,” enhanced by flautist Jacob Duncan. Jones and band, with guest steel player Dan Iyeta, then essayed a countrified take on Neil Young’s classic “Don’t Be Denied,” another cut from Day Breaks. Duncan returned on sax for “Burn,” an ethereal epic that took full advantage of Jones’ underrated piano skills.

Jones strapped on a guitar and reached into the catalog of Puss N Boots, her alt.country side band, for the two-stepping “Hey You.” Iyeta returned to the stage as Jones moved to her electric piano for the soulful ballad “Rosie’s Lullaby,” then it was back to the guitar for “Nightingale,” a widescreen tune from Come Away With Me highlighting Roberts’ rocking guitar solos. She returned to her signature grand piano stylings for the jazzy pop tune “Tragedy” and the lovely piano ballad (with pedal steel enhancement) “Humble Me.” She went back to Day Breaks for the smoky “Sleeping Wild,” before really digging into her jazz training for a stunning cover of Duke Ellington’s “Fleurette Africaine” (“African Flower”), humming the melody with Duncan’s alto sax in tow.

The rest of the band came back for the galloping rocker “Flipside,” before ending the main set with “Carry On,” a bluesy ballad with gospel organ that’s tailor-made for a set-closer. The crowd showed its appreciation, even more so when Jones returned, acoustic guitar in hand, with Lattanzi on double bass, Roberts on resonator guitar and Wieczorek on portable snare. The quartet pulled a surprising cover out of its collective hat: the Grateful Dead’s “Ripple,” reimagined as a folk classic.  It was a fitting way to bring a gorgeous show to a close, and we can’t wait for you to see it when it airs this fall on your local PBS station.  

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Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Noah Kahan

Noah Kahan performs on Austin City Limits, Sept. 26, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

“Man, I’ve been watching these since I was a kid,” said Noah Kahan after the first song in his debut Austin City Limits taping. “I never thought I’d get a chance to be here.” Now that he was, the Vermont native made the most of it. Clad in a beige jumpsuit (“I don’t have the muscle definition for a tanktop, so what am I supposed to do?”) and backed by his five-piece band, Kahan played nearly every number from his breakthrough album Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever). Clearly a devotee of both the quiet and the loud, Kahan shifted easily from the banjo-driven folk of “All My Love” and “Orange Juice” to the overt rock anthemry of “She Calls Me Back” and “Northern Attitude.” “Your Needs, My Needs” shifted from one to the other (and back). Though known for baring his soul in his songs, he was quick to lighten the mood with a playful quip or two – sometimes even during the song (“Put your hands up, Austin! Never mind, I don’t like it!”). 

At other times Kahan took the opportunity to get real and go deeper with his fans. Left alone onstage, Kahan introduced his song “Growing Sideways” addressing his mental health struggles throughout his life, noting he entered therapy at eight years old and hit a moment of clarity years into adulthood. “I was 22 when I started telling the truth,” he admitted, “and I was much happier.” Honesty put the audience in the palm of his hand, prompting them to sing a key lyric – clearly Kahan’s not the only one who hears an artist speaking plainly about personal trials and feeling seen. Still wearing his heart on his sleeve, he even choked up during “The View Between Villages,” an ode to his hometown, during the encore. 

That vulnerability and personal connection drove Kahan’s performance as much as his talent. “I’m coming down to say hi to this man and his family,” Kahan exclaimed, leaving the stage to shake hands with the entire front row as his band performed the build-up to “Northern Attitude,” during which the crowd sang an entire verse by themselves. He extended the same creative freedom to “Everywhere, Everything,” “Orange Juice,” and “False Confidence,” a fan favorite and the only tune from an album outside Stick Season. Fans and singer came together on “Dial Drunk,” the frisky country rocker that became his first hit and “Stick Season,” the song that “changed my life” and garnered the biggest crowd singalong yet. The show ended with the rocking “Homesick” and the audience jamming out, showcasing Kahan’s deft blend of cathartic blast and ardent earnestness to its fullest effect. 

Noah Kahan – vocals, guitar, mandolin

Noah Levine – guitar, banjo, vocals

Dylan Jones – keyboards, banjo, mandolin, vocals

Alex Bachari – bass, vocals

Marcos Valles – drums, vocals

Noah Kahan and his band tape Austin City Limits, September 25, 2023.

Setlist:

All My Love – Stick Season

She Calls Me Back – Stick Season

New Perspective – Stick Season

Everywhere, Everything – Stick Season

Your Needs, My Needs – Stick Season

Growing Sideways – Stick Season

Paul Revere – Stick Season

Northern Attitude – Stick Season

False Confidence – Busyhead

Call Your Mom – Stick Season

You’re Gonna Go Far – Stick Season

Orange Juice – Stick Season

Dial Drunk – Stick Season

Encore:

The View Between Villages – Stick Season

Stick Season – Stick Season

Homesick – Stick Season

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Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats

Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats on Austin City Limits, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Few bands are as deft at mixing soul, rock, folk, country and blues as Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats. The Denver combo has proved their bonafides across three albums, not to mention their smokin’ Austin City Limits debut back in 2015. Armed with their excellent LP The Future and an upcoming ACL Fest sure to set Zilker Park on fire, the octet returned to our stage with a powerhouse performance. 

“It’s good to be back,” Rateliff remarked before the band went right into “Look It Here,” an effervescent soul stomp from the group’s 2015 debut. The group then touched down on their second record Tearing At the Seams for “You Worry Me,” a less frenetic but no less soulful pop tune. The combo of pop hooks and R&B arrangements continued with “I’m On Your Side,” the first tune from The Future, and “I’ll Be Damned,” with Rateliff putting down his guitar to glide across the stage with his trademark footwork. The band slowed things down to mid-tempo for “Survivor,” the warm R&B tune shot through with guitarist Luke Mossman’s psychedelic distortion and Rateliff’s reverb-heavy rhythm chops. The group shifted to a minor key and added some percussive background “ah’s” for “Baby I’ve Lost My Way,” keeping the vibe going for the surly “So Put Out.”

After thanking both Austin City Limits and the crowd for their support, Rateliff strapped an acoustic guitar back on for “Wasting Time,” which recalled early 70s Van Morrison. The leader then sat down at the Wurlitzer electric piano for “A Little Honey,” a horn-heavy burner in the tradition of Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes. “Love Me Until I’m Gone” reached even further back, recapturing a R&B groove not heard since the early sixties, if not the late fifties, and bringing it back to the twenty-first century. Rateliff then brought out the three-piece horn section of baritone saxist Andreas Wild, tenor saxophonist Jeff Dazey and trumpeter Daniel Hardaway for a harmonized intro to the dramatic soul ballad “Face Down in the Moment.” 

Rateliff stripped the band down to himself, Mossman and keyboardist Mark Shusterman for the exquisite “And It’s Still Alright,” the reassuring title track to Rateliff’s 2020 solo album that never got its due thanks to the pandemic cutting its tour short. The band returned for the warm ballad “Redemption,” a low-key stunner from the soundtrack to the film Palmer, then gave a shout-out to the mothers of a few bandmembers with the country-inflected “Hey Mama.” The tempo went revving back up for “Coolin’ Out,” an old-fashioned soul banger with a sizzling baritone sax solo that definitely did not follow its title’s advice. That led almost straight into the set’s finale, a one-two punch featuring an unnamed crowd-pumping vamp and the strutting, audience-pleasing “I Need Never Grow Old,” tossing his Telecaster offstage and exiting to wild applause. 
 Of course, the Night Sweats returned to the stage, evoking some Harvest-era Neil Young and the R&B side of the Band with the title track to The Future. Rateliff and the band ended the show with the upbeat rouser “Love Don’t,” leaving the audience happy and exhausted. It was a great rock & soul show, good ‘n’ greasy, 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.

Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats perform on Austin City Limits, Oct. 6, 2022. Photos by Scott Newton.

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Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: MUNA

MUNA perform on Austin City Limits, April 25, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Fresh from their “Life’s So Fun” U.S. headlining tour, arena dates with Taylor Swift and Lorde, the radio hit “Silk Chiffon,” and one of the most exciting sets at this year’s Coachella, MUNA are ready to conquer the world of pop. Having first visited Austin in 2016 for SXSW, the journey by Katie Gavin (vocals), Josette Maskin (guitar), and Naomi McPherson (keyboards, guitar) toward stardom brings them to the Austin City Limits stage for their debut taping in support of their latest, self-titled album.

Following a bombastic flourish, the L.A. trio – backed by bassist Geo Bothelho and drummer Sarab Singh – launched right into the equally expansive rocker “What I Want,” the musicians only staying in one place during their three-part harmonies. They kicked up the tempo a notch with the bright pop rocker “Number One Fan” – a clear crowd favorite, given that they started singing the lyrics with the band. Maskin’s closing guitar grunge segued right into the next song, the eighties Britpop-influenced “Solid.” But this band aren’t retro-stylish – the soaring pop anthemry of “Stayaway” (“If you know the words,” said Gavin, “sing it with me”) belongs in the twenty-first century. 

More contemplative without stinting on rock energy, “Loose Garment” traversed the sky on the wings of Maskin’s lush e-bow and Gavin’s earnest voice. The latter then donned an acoustic guitar for the melancholy “Winterbreak,” a swirl of 12-string and slide guitar that wore its heart glistening on its sleeve. The same configuration drove “Kind of Girl,” a self-actualization ballad that will, at some point, result in thousands of lighters being waved. “I’m the kind of girl who thinks I can,” Gavin sang – a message taken to heart by the band’s queer and trans fanbase. The country-kissed power ballad “Taken” followed suit, before some dreamy synthesizers led the band into the dramatic widescreen electro-pop of “Pink Light,” which earned a huge cheer.  

The band revisited their debut LP About U for “Around U,” another supercharged melody with a galloping beat. MUNA shouted out their backing musicians and crew before going into “Home By Now,” an anthemic dance rocker that practically demanded audience participation. Singh then laid down a walloping 6/8 beat for the cheeky “Anything But Me” (“I hope you get anything you need – anything but me”), before some overtly eighties bass and keyboards heralded the group’s brand new single “One That Got Away,” released only a week prior. “I’m curious,” pondered Gavin, “if any of you already know some of the words. So this is your test.” Many members of the MUNAverse passed with flying colors. 

MUNA jumped happily back into anthemland for the hands-in-the-air energy of “I Know a Place,” one of the first songs Gavin, Maskin, and McPherson ever wrote together, and another tune cherished by the audience. To close the show, McPherson strapped on an acoustic guitar as a synth pulse built and MUNA slipped into “Silk Chiffon,” an ear-hooking song about “being queer and being happy” that had the crowd singing along at the top of their lungs. “We love you, Austin!” shouted Gavin, as MUNA capped off their debut ACL by bringing the house down. We can’t wait for you to see it when it airs this fall as part of our Season 49 on your local PBS station. 

MUNA on Austin City Limits, April 24, 2023. Photos by Scott Newton.

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Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway perform on Austin City Limits, August 28, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Molly Tuttle is the very picture of modern bluegrass. Mindful of tradition but not restricted by it, the California native and her band Golden Highway take the old school style and carry it into the twenty-first century, dominating the 2023 International Bluegrass Association Awards with an astounding seven nominations, and picking up a 2023 Grammy as well for Best Bluegrass Album. Her 2022 album Crooked Tree and brand new City of Gold have set a new standard for this distinctly American music, and we were excited for her and her remarkable band to bring it to the ACL stage. 

Before the show began, violinist Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, bassist Shelby Means, banjoist Kyle Tuttle (no relation), and mandolinist Dominick Leslie took the stage to the strains of the Beatles’ “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” The quartet began “Evergreen, OK,” their fearless leader joining them before the first verse, as three part harmonies and tight riffing reconnected ACL to the bluegrass tradition. “This is something I’ve dreamed of for so long,” remarked Molly. “I’ve been watching this show since I was a little kid!” The band then launched into the brisk “El Dorado,” a song that shows off the guitarist’s lyrical skills as much as her, Leslie, and Keith-Hynes’ musicianship. Tuttle and the band veered from the highway into the honky-tonk for the cheeky “Side Saddle” and the waltzing road trip chronicle “Yosemite,” on which Molly and Kyle duetted. Leslie and Keith-Hynes (International Bluegrass Association Fiddler of the Year, as Molly pointed out) then faced each other at the front of the stage to kick off “Open Water,” the kind of bluegrass instrumental that sets fingers afire and leaves audiences exhausted on the players’ behalf. 

It’s not clear when the Grateful Dead became a source of bluegrass standards (probably after Jerry Garcia teamed up with progressive bluegrass mandolinist David Grisman and singer/songwriter Peter Rowan in Old and In the Way), but Tuttle knows how to pick ‘em, with a sweet cover of the Dead’s “Dire Wolf.” The tempo surged forward and the band segued directly into the original “Over the Line,” metaphorical guns a-blazin’. Kyle Tuttle then took the mic for a happy-go-lucky take on folk legend John Hartford’s “Up On the Hill Where They Do the Boogie” (which Hartford himself performed when he was on the show in Season 3). The banjoist applied wah-wah to his axe and Molly exhorted the audience to “get freaky on the dance floor.” The speedy “Down Home Dispensary” – “an open letter to Tennessee, and I think it might apply to Texas too,” said Molly – kept the cheeky vibe going – “there’s too much politickin’ and not enough tokin’.” The more even-tempoed “Dooley’s Farm,” on the other hand, explored territory similar to Steve Earle’s “Copperhead Road,” with a legacy of illegal activity. Both were tunes that reiterate that this ain’t your grandfather’s bluegrass. 

Golden Highway stuck to the minor keys for “Castilleja,” which didn’t hinder any of the fiery solos, and encouraged Keith-Hynes and Kyle Tuttle in particular to indulge a healthy jones for psychedelia. (No wonder the band has collaborated with fellow bluegrass ace Billy Strings.) “Next Rodeo” leaned more into traditionalism, spinning off the expression “this ain’t my first rodeo” for an assertion of confidence. Molly and the band cruised into the groovy shuffle “Where Did All the Wild Things Go,” recruiting the crowd for backing vocals and getting them into the spirit of rebellion that powers the song. Then it was time for “Crooked Tree,” one of Molly’s major anthems. After explaining how the song celebrates our differences and the uniqueness of everyone, the singer, who suffers from lifelong alopecia universalis, removed her wig for the performance. “I’m proud to be a crooked tree,” she sang, and there was little doubt from their adulation that the audience felt the same. 

Back down the Golden Highway they rambled, ripping through “San Joaquin” in a flurry of band introductions, fleet-fingered licks, and hyperactive rhythm. Means started a heavy groove as Kyle introduced Molly, who was busy switching guitars. She went all clawhammer on the new axe to sing “Take the Journey,” a tune from her 2019 album When You’re Ready that predated the arrival of Golden Highway. Not that it mattered, as the crowd clapped along and the entire band hit the lip of the stage to end the main set with a flourish. But Molly and her gang returned to do the encore old school – no amplification, one microphone, and the sweet love song “More Like a River.” They brought it home with Leslie’s frisky instrumental “Clam Tide.”

It was a dazzling show of twenty-first century bluegrass, full of fire and fun, and we can’t wait for you to see it when it airs this fall on your local PBS channel as part of our upcoming Season 49.

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway perform on Austin City Limits, Aug. 2023. Photos by Scott Newton.