Things got a lot hotter in ATX last night when global superstar Juanes made his triumphant return to ACL. The Colombian singer and songwriter made his ACL debut back in 2006, and since then his following has only gotten bigger, with a massive international fanbase. Juanes fans tend toward the passionate side, so when we filled our studio with them for the star’s ACL taping, it wasn’t so much a television production—it was a party.
“Are you with me tonight?” Juanes called out, but he already knew the answer—the crowd sang the choruses of many of his songs for him. Juanes and his dozen-strong band came out rocking with “Fijate Bien,” the Latin Grammy-winning title track to his debut album. Audience installed in the palm of his hand, the singer proceeded to put Latin music through its paces, pulling in influences and styles from all over into his salsa/cumbia web. The busy pop of “La Camisa Negra” (his breakthrough smash) bounced alongside the Latin fusion of La Senal,” while the Cuban rhythm of the percussion-heavy “Rebelion” shooks the rafters in concert with the rock anthem “Nada Valgo Sin Tu Amor.” The Latin jazz explosion of “Me Enamora,” which showcased every member of the band, blazed in time with the Dixieland jazz flavor of “Azul Sabina.” It seemed like a dizzying array of stylistic detours, but in truth it all sounded like Juanes – his vision remained firm and fired up.
Juanes also paid tribute to his inspirations, covering Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved” early in the set, and treating the audience to his hit version of “Lo Noche,” a song composed and originally performed by pioneering Colombian salsa star Joe Arroyo. Of course, Juanes worked his well-established mojo with ballads, making the ladies swoon with “Para Tu Amor” and “Es Por Ti,” two of his biggest hits. Performed with just a piano, “Volverte A Ver,” the first song of the encore, brought the house down. The musicians ended on an impossibly upbeat note with the one-two-three punch of “Damelo,” “A Dios Le Pido” and “Mala Gente,” the audience often taking over on vocals for Juanes himself. Band and leader then came to the lip of the stage to receive the crowd’s enthusiastic adoration, with Juanes shooting video of his adoring fans.
Juanes made a believer out of everyone in the ACL audience last night and we can’t wait for you to see this unforgettable show when it airs this fall.
Austin City Limits (ACL) launches its 39th Season with two of the biggest acts in Latin music today, Juanes and Jesse & Joy. Colombian superstar Juanes headlines with a thrilling, high energy set, while Mexico City’s sibling duo Jesse & Joy sing a selection of their breakthrough hits. The season premiere—the first to feature Latin artists in the debut episode—airs this Saturday and showcases ACL’s long-standing commitment to feature the best in music from around the world.
With six solo albums to his credit and multi-platinum sales of over 16 million, Juanes is the world’s leading all-Spanish language rock artist. An electrifying guitarist and gifted songwriter, Juanes made his ACL debut back in 2005, and has since gone on to win multiple Grammy Awards and a record number of Latin Grammys. The Associated Press calls Juanes “the first truly international rock star to emerge from Latin America.” Juanes returns to the ACL stage in a dynamic performance, kicking things off with “Fijate Bien,” the Latin Grammy-winning title track to his debut album. He pays tribute to one of his inspirations—Bob Marley—with a Latin spin on the reggae classic “Could You Be Loved?”. By the time he launches into his huge hits, Juanes proves he doesn’t need to sing in English any more than he needs a surname to thoroughly rock the Austin audience.
Jesse & Joy have become one of the most celebrated pop-rock acts to emerge in the Latin music scene since they formed in Mexico City in 2005. The musical siblings boast five Latin Grammy Awards, including four for their triple platinum 2012 album ¿Con Quién Se Queda El Perro? (“Who Gets the Dog?”) and their first Grammy Nomination this year for Best Latin Pop Album. The Los Angeles Times raves, “Their rootsy, soft-rock sincerity evokes ’80s country-pop, and Joy’s dulcet-but-earthy voice has been compared to those of Norah Jones, Alanis Morissette and, almost inevitably, Kelly Clarkson.” With Jesse Huerta on guitar, piano, drums, and background vocals and Joy Huerta on vocals and guitar, these siblings in sound deliver a breakout performance. A highlight is the duo’s emotional performance of their smash hit “Corre”— with the audience singing along to every word, waving their hands in the air, it’s a moment that reflects the truly universal language of music.
photo by Scott Newton
“Juanes is the first Latin artist since Ricky Martin to break out and transcend musical and cultural barriers,” says ACL Executive Producer Terry Lickona. “Audiences connect with him on many levels, and his charisma on stage is magnetic! As brother and sister, Jesse & Joy’s music is very genuine and emotional, and it’s just fun to watch them interact with each other and their fans.”
Check out the episode page here for setlists and more. Keep up with ACL happenings via our Facebook and Twitter pages or our newsletter. Next week: Season 39 keeps rolling with Phoenix.
On June 4th we welcome back electrifying guitarist and gifted songwriter Juanes to the ACL stage. We are excited to be livestreaming this taping so his fans around the world can be part of the ACL experience. Join us by subscribing to our ACLTV YouTube channel.
With six solo albums to his credit and multi-platinum sales of over 16 million copies, Juanes is the world’s leading all-Spanish language rock artist. Powered by DELL, the livestream will begin at 8 pm CT on Tuesday, June 4th. See ya then!
Jon Batiste may be best known to millions as the bandleader for Stephen Colbert’s late night talk show, but the full spectrum of his talents has to be seen in his own shows to be believed. The New Orleans native has a long career as a jazz and soul musician, having released his debut album in 2003 at 17. The Juilliard-educated singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has performed all over the world in dozens of contexts, streamlining down to this year’s stunning eighth studio album We Are. Thus we were understandably excited to finally have this remarkable musical polymath make his ACL debut, and Batiste rewarded everybody’s anticipation with a performance for the ages.
The cowboy-hatted ten-piece band hit the stage with a Caribbean groove before Batiste himself arrived in his own Stetson, leading the ensemble into the title track of We Are, the leader’s funky, celebratory anthem of the African diaspora, with Batiste even flexing a verse from Notorious B.I.G.’s “Juicy”. The high energy onstage and off signaled that this would be a show that started cranked up to eleven, and would just get higher from there. Batiste sat at the piano (briefly) to kick off the amped-up single “I Need You,” bringing gospel fervor, New Orleans funk and the leader’s cameo on saxophone together. The crowd barely had a chance to catch its breath before the unmistakable sound of a New Orleans second line floated in the air, heralding the arrival of that city’s Hot 8 Brass Band from the back of the hall. The melodica-wielding Batiste left the stage to join the band in the middle of the crowd for the Love Riot chant – “I feel good/I feel free/I feel fine just being me!” – and had the crowd in his pocket as he cued them to wave the white handkerchiefs distributed before the show began.
Batiste came back onstage for “Boy Hood,” a tribute to his youth in the Big Easy that mixed rap, soul balladry, a trombone solo from the Hot 8, and portions of Bob Marley’s “One Love,” Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” and Bill Withers’ “Lean On Me,” which Batiste made into both a reminder that all people are in it together and into choir practice for the crowd. Batiste paced the stage, waiting for the next tune, which was “Whatchutalkinbout,” a seamless blend of rap and rock that let guitarists Brandon Niederaruer and Ari O’Neal cut loose with duelling solos. As the Hot 8 rejoined the proceedings, Batiste picked up his Bo Diddley-style axe for “Tell the Truth,” a soulful raveup that spotlighted firebrand percussionist Négah Santos. Batiste took the opportunity to preach positivity to the people, before tossing his guitar aside, adding a piano solo, and commanding the mic once again. “This is not a concert for me,” Batiste asserted after the song concluded. “This is not a concert. This is a spiritual practice. I play music to be with y’all.”
The Hot 8 once again started a second line groove, letting the leader get in some dancing time, before he turned over the vocals to singers Tamara Jade, Desiree “DesZ” Washington and Susan Carol (playfully dubbed the Jonettes). Batiste then had the crowd go as low down as they could – “quad workout, baby!” – before, naturally, a massive audience jumpfest for the coda of “Tell the Truth.” Batiste and the horns snuck off the stage during the celebration, leaving the band to jam on some serious funk that showcased every member, including bassist Thad Tribbett, keyboardist David Grant, drummers Joe Saylor and Lunar RAE, Santos, and the two six-stringers.
Having exchanged his red suit for a blue striped ensemble, Batiste returned, dazzling at the piano on a variety of jazz, classical and ragtime pieces, including Chopin’s “Minute Waltz,” “Chopsticks,” Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer,” Bach’s “Partita No. 1 in B-Flat Major,” and New Orleans standard “St. James Infirmary Blues,” among many others, some lasting no more than a phrase. That last piece concluded with Batiste and the Jonettes back on vocals, leading a Cab Calloway-style call-and-response with the crowd. He finished his medley with some boogie woogie that transitioned into Jerry Lee Lewis pound. Batiste then revisited his recent Oscar-winning soundtrack for the animated film Soul with “It’s All Right,” turning it into a medley by recasting the Isley Brothers’ “Shout” in Soul’s image, before returning to “It’s All Right,” driving the audience wild.
Then it was time for a surprise guest, as Austin favorite son Gary Clark Jr. casually walked up onstage, picked up his guitar, and traded solos with Batiste on the slinky soul tune “Cry.” “Y’all ready to get free?” Batiste asked the crowd, to off-the-charts applause. Naturally, that exchange was a harbinger for “Freedom,” a classic feel-good anthem that got band and crowd dancing with abandon. Then it was back to the second line, as the white handkerchiefs came back out, the Hot 8 Brass Band returned, and Batiste joined the fans on the floor, leading the entire room in the joyful catharsis of a reprise of “I Need You.” The Hot 8 took us out, as the crowd went wild once again.
Amazingly, Batiste returned to stage after the finale, sitting at the piano for a captivating take on his ballad “Don’t Stop,” from 2018’s Hollywood Africans – a mic drop if we’ve ever heard one. It was an incredible show destined to be a Season 47 highlight and we can’t wait for you to see it when it hits your local PBS airwaves this fall.
Today (Thursday, June 21st) at 2:30pm, we’ll be announcing a very special collaboration with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. You’re invited to join us in KLRU’s studio 6A to hear the exciting news. An interview of ACL Executive Producer Terry Lickona by Dr. Lauren Onkey, the Rock Hall’s VP of Education & Public Programs will follow. We’ll even have some coffee for those of you that can make it. If you can’t join us, check back with us and we’ll let you know what’s up.
