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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Broadcast debut: ACL Presents the Americana 21st Annual Honors

Austin City Limits returns to Nashville for a special broadcast featuring performance highlights from the 21st Annual Americana Honors. For over two decades, the annual celebration of roots music has honored the leading lights of Americana music while showcasing unique performances and collaborations. The program is filled with musical highlights from many of the event’s award-winners and honorees, among them (in order of appearance): Phosphorescent, Brandi Carlile, Lucius, The Fairfield Four, James McMurtry, The War And Treaty, Lukas Nelson, JP Harris, Sierra Ferrell, Chris Isaak, Buddy Miller, Lyle Lovett, The Milk Carton Kids, Allison Russell, and The McCrary Sisters. The hourlong special premieres Saturday, April 1 at 7pm CT/8pm ET on PBS and varies by market (check local listings for times).  Check PBS listings for local airtimes. The special will be available to music fans everywhere to stream online beginning Sunday, April 2 @10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding upcoming Season 49 tapings, episode schedules and select live stream updates. The program’s official hashtags are #acltv and #americanafest. 

Recorded live at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium in September 2022, The Americana Music Association’s 21st Annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony is a celebration of the confluence of roots, blues, soul, folk and country music.  For the eleventh year, the producers of Austin City Limits, in conjunction with producers Martin Fischer, Michelle Aquilato, and Jed Hilly for the Americana Music Association, proudly deliver a special ACL Presents.

One of the genre’s biggest stars, Song of the Year-winner Brandi Carlile, takes the stage joined by indie-folk duo Lucius for an exuberant performance of Carlile’s gem “You and Me On the Rock,” a triple 2022 Grammy nominee for Record of the Year, Best Americana Performance and Best American Roots Song, from her 2022 Grammy-winning Best Americana Album In These Silent Days. Husband and wife duo The War and Treaty, named Duo/Group of the Year, deliver an electrifying performance of their soulful duet “That’s How Love Is Made,” that brings the Ryman audience to its feet. Americana stalwart Sarah Jarosz introduces “one of her all-time favorites,” Texas songwriter James McMurtry, who sings a sterling rendition of his Song of the Year nominated “Canola Fields.” The Awards’ Emerging Act of the Year honoree Sierra Farrell makes a sparkling debut with her buoyant hot jazz number “At the End of the Rainbow.” Album of the Year winner, singer-songwriter Allison Russell, performs her empowering anthem “You’re Not Alone” from her celebrated debut solo record, Outside Child; she is joined by frequent collaborator Brandi Carlile backed by an all-female ensemble of musicians featuring cellist and Instrumentalist of the Year Larissa Maestro. 

Lifetime achievement honorees showcase their incredible legacies: Fairfield Four, a harmony singing group that originated in the 1920s at Nashville’s Fairfield Baptist Church, are honored with the Legacy of Americana Award for preserving traditional Black a cappella gospel music; they perform a stirring a capella “Rock My Soul.” Americana great Lyle Lovett introduces Chris Isaak, lifetime achievement honoree for performance, calling him “a remarkable artist and remarkable human being” and Isaak delivers a spirited rendition of his classic “Somebody’s Crying.” Rock legend and Americana champion Robert Plant makes a surprise appearance to honor genre icon and long-standing Americana house band leader Buddy Miller with a Lifetime Achievement Award; Miller takes the stage to perform an emotional rendition of Americana forebear Levon Helm’s “Wide River to Cross,” a song Miller co-wrote. Lukas Nelson pays homage to an influential late country great, Don Williams, the gentle giant of country music, with a moving version of the Texas-born singer and songwriter’s “Lord, I Hope This Day is Good.”

The hour celebrates a trio of seminal American roots music albums marking their 50th anniversary: Phosphorescent, the stage name of singer-songwriter Matthew Houck, opens the hour in salute to Neil Young’s landmark Harvest with a rendition of Young’s classic “Are You Ready for the Country?” Lyle Lovett takes the stage to perform an acoustic version of the Little Feat ballad “Willin’” in tribute to the band’s Sailin’ Shoes, joined by Little Feat’s Bill Payne on piano; Americana’s dynamic acoustic duo The Milk Carton Kids salute Jackson Browne’s 1972 self-titled debut with a gorgeous rendition of the singer-songwriter legend’s “Something Fine.”

The special also pays tribute to Americana greats lost in 2022: Iconic gospel group The McCrary Sisters, longtime performers at the Americana Awards, honor their late sister and bandmate Deborah McCrary with the powerful elegy “Amazing Grace.” Luke Bell, a gone-too-soon cult favorite among indie country fans, is saluted by roadhouse country singer JP Harris. Harris performs Bell’s “The Bullfighter,” saying “Luke never got a chance to sing this song himself from this stage like he should’ve, so I’m going to do my damnedest in your stead, little brother.”

Broadcast setlist:

Phosphorescent “Are You Ready for the Country”

Brandi Carlile ft. Lucius “You and Me on the Rock”

The Fairfield Four “Rock My Soul”

James McMurtry “Canola Fields”

The War And Treaty “That’s How Love is Made”

Lukas Nelson “Lord I Hope This Day is Good”

JP Harris “Bullfighter”

Sierra Ferrell “At the End Of the Rainbow”

Chris Isaak “Somebody’s Crying”

Buddy Miller “Wide River To Cross”

Lyle Lovett “Willin’”

The Milk Carton Kids “Something Fine”

Allison Russell ft. Brandi Carlile “You’re Not Alone”

About the Americana Music Association:

The Americana Music Association is a professional not-for-profit trade organization whose mission is to advocate for the authentic voice of American roots music around the world. The Association produces events throughout the year; including AMERICANAFEST and the critically acclaimed Americana Honors & Awards program. The Americana Music Association receives enormous support from the Tennessee Department of Tourism, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, ASCAP, BMI, SESAC.

About AMERICANAFEST:

The 23rd annual AMERICANAFEST will take place September 19-23, 2023 in Nashville, Tenn., once again bringing together music industry professionals and fans alike for five days of discovery, insight and connections. Declared a “veritable juggernaut” by American Songwriter, AMERICANAFEST showcases hundreds of artists and bands throughout many notable venues in Nashville, TN. The destination event also features a first-rate industry conference, bringing together the top tier of the music business to discuss current industry topics and issues. Musical festivities are kicked off by the critically acclaimed Americana Honors & Awards, which celebrates luminaries and welcomes the next generation of trailblazers while offering one-of-a-kind performance pairings at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium. For more information, please visit www.americanamusic.org.

About ACL Presents:

ACL Presents is music programming created by, or in association with, Austin PBS, the producers of Austin City Limits (ACL). ACL Presents programming includes television specials, live events, web series and recorded music presentations and is made in the spirit and standards of the legendary PBS series Austin City Limits, the longest-running live music series in television history. ACL Presents collaborations have included: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass with KQED and AMERICANAFEST with Nashville Public Television (NPT).

Categories
Featured Hall of Fame New Broadcast News

Episode recap: ACL 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Sheryl Crow

Iconic television series Austin City Limits returns on Saturday, January 7 with a special installment: Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Sheryl Crow celebrates superstar singer-songwriter and new inductee Sheryl Crow and features all-star performances from music luminaries Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Brittney Spencer and Lucius’ Jess Wolfe. The hour-long broadcast premieres Saturday, January 7 at 8pm ET/7pm CT on PBS. Check local PBS listings for times. The special will be available to music fans everywhere to stream online beginning Sunday, January 8 at 10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. A special companion Hall of Fame hour salutes fellow inductee Joe Ely and will close out Season 48 on February 25. The Peabody Award-winning program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history. ACL provides viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance as this American music institution nears its remarkable half-century milestone.  The series returns January 14 ringing in a new year with all-new episodes as part of its Season 48. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits following the initial broadcast. 

Since the inaugural ACL Hall of Fame in 2014 honoring Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan, the music-filled salutes have become fan-favorites. For the first time, Austin City Limits takes fans inside the epic celebration with a pair of deep-dive one-hour specials from this year’s Inductions, recorded live in Austin, Texas on October 27, 2022. The special installments, Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors, bookend the second half of Season 48 and salute newly-minted inductees Sheryl Crow and Joe Ely with individual hours, featuring all-star guest performances showcasing each artist’s Hall of Fame tribute, along with extended highlights including memorable induction speeches and vintage clips from the inductees’ appearances on Austin City Limits

The first installment premieres January 7 at 7pm CT/8pm ET, and celebrates the music of Sheryl Crow. Music greats Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Brittney Spencer and Jess Wolfe (from the band Lucius), salute the nine-time Grammy Award-winning artist in an energetic hour featuring exclusive ACL collaborative performances. The captivating hour opens with highlights from Sheryl Crow’s Austin City Limits debut in 1997, performing numbers from her landmark debut Tuesday Night Music Club. Americana great and six-time Grammy winner Brandi Carlile then takes the stage to induct her friend with a heartfelt speech touching on both Sheryl’s humanity and her artistry; she cites her hero’s incredible catalog of “songs with substance,” saying Sheryl influenced her to be a better musician and songwriter. “I feel like a lucky girl because I get to sing the most fun Sheryl Crow song ever,” exclaims Carlile as the iconic riffs of “If It Makes You Happy” kick off the musical salute. 

Sheryl Crow accepts her induction into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, Oct. 27, 2022. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

Backed by the ACL All-Stars led by music director Lloyd Maines, and joined by Sheryl’s longtime guitarist Peter Stroud, a hit parade of artists sing her praises: country breakout Brittney Spencer recounts first meeting Sheryl in an airport coffee shop and credits Sheryl with helping her find her artistic voice before rendering a sparkling “My Favorite Mistake”; Next, in a hilarious intro, ACL favorite Jason Isbell claims most rock stars “are real goddamn weird” before praising Crow as one of the exceptions: “a complete and unbroken human being.” Isbell then launches into a scorching performance of Crow’s “Run, Baby, Run,”  the album opener of Crow’s 1993 debut, with his tenor vocals and stellar guitar skills proving a perfect match for the soulful pop tune. Crow herself takes the stage as a duet partner with Jess Wolfe from Lucius on the standout “Strong Enough” and then joins Brandi Carlile for the irresistible “Everyday Is A Winding Road,” as the two trade verses on the classic. The finale features Sheryl seated center stage on organ for “I Shall Believe,” the moving closer from Tuesday Night Music Club, with Carlile, Spencer, Wolfe and Isbell joining in on gorgeous backing vocals and guitar.

“The whole idea behind our annual Hall of Fame celebration is to honor the artists who helped to build the legacy of Austin City Limits for almost half a century,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “There’s a special magic that happens with these annual shows, and it’s just too much to pack in a single one-hour episode, so we decided to give each honoree their own hour and not sacrifice a single word or note of music.”

Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Sheryl Crow setlist:
Brandi Carlile “If It Makes You Happy” 

Brittney Spencer “My Favorite Mistake”

Jason Isbell “Run, Baby, Run” 

Sheryl Crow & Lucius’ Jess Wolfe “Strong Enough“  

Brandi Carlile & Sheryl Crow “Everyday Is A Winding Road”

Sheryl Crow & All-Star Finale “I Shall Believe” 

Sheryl Crow and friends perform “I Shall Believe” as the finale for the ACL Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Oct. 27, 2022. L-R: Lloyd Maines, Peter Stroud, David Grissom (behind Stroud), Jason Isbell, Tom Van Schaik, Bill Whitbeck, Crow, Jess Wolfe, Brandi Carlile, Brittney Spencer and Chris Gage. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

The second half of Season 48 continues in January with a diverse slate spotlighting multiple 2023 Grammy nominees in full-hour performances: One of modern rock’s premier bands, and first-time Grammy nominees, Austin’s own Spoon, return to the ACL stage for their fifth appearance, showcasing their celebrated tenth album, Lucifer On The Sofa, Grammy-nominated for Best Rock Album; multi-platinum, award-winning country star and Texas native Maren Morris makes a highly-anticipated ACL debut in a radiant, career-spanning hour with the hitmaker showcasing gems from her latest Humble Quest, which earned a trio of 2023 Grammy nominations, including Best Country Album; acclaimed rock act The War on Drugs return for their second appearance with selections from the Grammy-nominated I Don’t Live Here Anymore. Legendary alternative rock pioneers Pavement make their first-ever appearance on the series in a career-spanning hour marking their thirtieth anniversary. Rocking soul act Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats return for their second appearance with their latest The Future in an ecstatic live performance; sharing the hour is soulful Nashville singer-songwriter Adia Victoria, making her ACL debut with numbers from her acclaimed A Southern Gothic, a 2022 Americana Music Awards nominee for Album of the Year.

A Season 48 highlight is the first solo appearance of multi-hyphenate Adrian Quesada, returning to the ACL stage to bring to life his acclaimed Spanish-language album, Boleros Psicodélicos, a love letter to the psychedelic Latin love songs “baladas” of the sixties and seventies; Quesada performs with a nine-piece band joined by an international line-up of guest vocalists from across the spectrum of contemporary Latin music, including iLe, Natalia Clavier, Girl Ultra and Clemente Castillo, in a thrilling must-see hour.

Rounding out Season 48 on February 25 st 7pm CT/8pm ET is a Hall of Fame tribute to Texas legend Joe Ely, Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Joe Ely, featuring a musical salute from revered Lone Star musicians and Ely’s longtime collaborators in Texas supergroup The Flatlanders, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, along with fellow Texans Rodney Crowell and Marcia Ball. The hour features a memorable induction by renowned Texan author Lawrence Wright along with historic highlights from the influential Ely’s eleven appearances on the ACL stage.

Season 48 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):

January 7   Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Sheryl Crow

January 14   Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats/ Adia Victoria

January 21   Adrian Quesada Boleros Psicodélicos

January 28   The War On Drugs

February 4   Pavement

February 11   Maren Morris

February 18   Spoon

February 25   Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Joe Ely

Watch live on PBS, or stream anytime on PBS.org. The series will continue to air fan-favorite encore episodes through the end of 2022. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding live streams, future tapings and episode schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

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 in its 48th 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.  

Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, the Austin Convention Center Department, Cirrus Logic and AXS Ticketing. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

Austin City Limits Hall of Fame

In 2014, Austin PBS, KLRU-TV — creator and producer of the legendary PBS show Austin City Limits — established the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame to recognize legendary musicians and key individuals who have been instrumental in making television’s longest-running popular music show an institution. Each year a new class of honorees are inducted and celebrated at a live event taped to air on PBS. It is also a historical archive, educational resource and celebration of Austin City Limits —telling the story of the show through photos, a timeline/anthology mural and in the near future, an interactive database of vintage Austin City Limits performances and video footage of interviews, behind-the-scenes and never before seen performances throughout the decades. Honorees to-date include Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, Lloyd Maines, Asleep at the Wheel, Loretta Lynn, Flaco Jiménez, Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, B.B. King, Rosanne Cash, The Neville Brothers, Roy Orbison, Marcia Ball, Ray Charles, Los Lobos, Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin, Buddy Guy, Lucinda Williams, Wilco, Alejandro Escovedo, Joe Ely and Sheryl Crow.

Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by AXS Ticketing, American Honda Motor Company, Netspend Corporation and YETI.

Categories
Featured New Broadcast News

Austin City Limits announces full Season 48 broadcast schedule

Iconic television series Austin City Limits proudly announces the second half of Season 48, with six new episodes that start airing in January 2023 as part of the esteemed program’s fourteen-episode season. ACL returns with a stellar slate of all-new broadcast episodes, showcasing magnetic performances that feature some of today’s most talked-about live acts including recent 2023 Grammy Award nominees Spoon, Maren Morris and The War on Drugs. The program returns on Saturday, January 7 at 7pm CT/8pm ET with a special broadcast, Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Sheryl Crow highlighting new inductee Sheryl Crow and featuring all-star performances; a special companion Hall of Fame hour salutes fellow inductee Joe Ely and will close out Season 48 on February 25. The Peabody Award-winning program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history. ACL gives viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance as this American music institution nears its remarkable half-century milestone. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits following the initial broadcast. 

Since the inaugural ACL Hall of Fame in 2014 honoring Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan, the music-filled salutes have become fan-favorites. For the first time, Austin City Limits takes fans inside the epic celebration with a pair of deep-dive one-hour specials from this year’s Inductions, recorded live in Austin, Texas on October 27, 2022. The special installments, Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors, will bookend the second half of the season and salute newly-minted inductees Sheryl Crow and Joe Ely with individual hours, featuring guest performances showcasing each artist’s Hall of Fame tribute, along with extended highlights including memorable induction speeches and vintage clips from the inductees’ appearances on Austin City Limits

The first HOF episode premieres January 7 at 7pm CT/8pm ET, celebrating Sheryl Crow. Music greats Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Brittney Spencer and Lucius’ Jess Wolfe salute the nine-time Grammy Award-winning artist in a must-see hour featuring exclusive ACL collaborative performances. Rounding out Season 48 on February 25 st 7pm CT/8pm ET is a Hall of Fame tribute to Texas legend Joe Ely, Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Joe Ely, featuring a musical salute from revered Lone Star musicians and Ely’s longtime collaborators in Texas supergroup The Flatlanders, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, along with fellow Texans Rodney Crowell and Marcia Ball. The hour features a memorable induction by renowned Texan author Lawrence Wright along with historic highlights from the influential Ely’s eleven appearances on the ACL stage.

Maren Morris performs on Austin City Limits, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Season 48 continues in January with a diverse slate spotlighting multiple 2023 Grammy nominees in full-hour performances: One of modern rock’s premier bands, and first-time Grammy nominees, Austin’s own Spoon, return to the ACL stage for their fifth appearance, showcasing their celebrated tenth album, Lucifer On The Sofa, Grammy-nominated for Best Rock Album; multi-platinum, award-winning country star and Texas native Maren Morris makes a highly-anticipated ACL debut in a radiant, career-spanning hour with the hitmaker showcasing gems from her latest Humble Quest, which earned a trio of 2023 Grammy nominations, including Best Country Album; acclaimed rock act The War on Drugs return for their second appearance with selections from the Grammy-nominated I Don’t Live Here Anymore. Legendary alternative rock pioneers Pavement make their first-ever appearance on the series in a career-spanning hour marking their thirtieth anniversary. Rocking soul act Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats return for their second appearance with their latest The Future in an ecstatic live performance; sharing the hour is soulful Nashville singer-songwriter Adia Victoria, making her ACL debut with numbers from her acclaimed A Southern Gothic, a 2022 Americana Music Awards nominee for Album of the Year.

Adrian Quesada performs with Girl Ultra on Austin City Limits, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

A Season 48 highlight is the first solo appearance of multi-hyphenate Adrian Quesada, returning to the ACL stage to bring to life his acclaimed Spanish-language album, Boleros Psicodélicos, a love letter to the psychedelic Latin love songs “baladas” of the sixties and seventies; Quesada performs with a nine-piece band joined by an international line-up of guest vocalists from across the spectrum of contemporary Latin music, including  iLe, Natalia Clavier, Girl Ultra and Clemente Castillo, in a thrilling must-see hour. 

“After a historic kick-off to our new season this Fall, Austin City Limits rolls into the New Year with another round of firsts and favorites,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “For the first time ever, we’ll split our annual Hall of Fame celebration into two full episodes. We’ll showcase a unique Latin music genre that has never been presented on American television, plus some rock, indie and country music favorites – something for every musical palette.”

Season 48 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):

January 7   Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Sheryl Crow

January 14   Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats/ Adia Victoria

January 21   Adrian Quesada Boleros Psicodélicos

January 28   The War On Drugs

February 4   Pavement

February 11   Maren Morris

February 18   Spoon

February 25   Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Joe Ely

ACL’s Season 48 premiered in October 2022 with a historic line-up spotlighting an unprecedented number of female artists, including a sterling season opener featuring celebrated singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, currently nominated for seven 2023 Grammy Awards; and many lauded acts topping 2022 Year-End Best Lists, including synth-pop duo Sylvan Esso, indie-folk singer-songwriter Tamara Lindeman (aka The Weather Station) and Americana singer-songwriter Allison Russell. The season featured ACL debuts from breakout artists including Japanese Breakfast and Arlo Parks along with indie-pop duo Lucius. ACL shone a spotlight on Lone Star country with breakout star Parker McCollum and the swan song of veteran Robert Earl Keen capped by ACL Hall of Famer Lyle Lovett making his first appearance in over a decade. Rounding out the first half of Season 48 was the electrifying ACL debut of Cuban funk sensations and newly-minted Grammy nominees Cimafunk and The Tribe.

Watch live on PBS, or stream anytime on PBS.org. The series will continue to air fan-favorite encore episodes through the end of 2022. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding live streams, future tapings and episode schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

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 in its 48th 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.  

Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, the Austin Convention Center Department, Cirrus Logic and AXS Ticketing. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

Austin City Limits Hall of Fame

In 2014, Austin PBS, KLRU-TV — creator and producer of the legendary PBS show Austin City Limits — established the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame to recognize legendary musicians and key individuals who have been instrumental in making television’s longest-running popular music show an institution. Each year a new class of honorees are inducted and celebrated at a live event taped to air on PBS. It is also a historical archive, educational resource and celebration of Austin City Limits —telling the story of the show through photos, a timeline/anthology mural and in the near future, an interactive database of vintage Austin City Limits performances and video footage of interviews, behind-the-scenes and never before seen performances throughout the decades. Honorees to-date include Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, Lloyd Maines, Asleep at the Wheel, Loretta Lynn, Flaco Jiménez, Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, B.B. King, Rosanne Cash, The Neville Brothers, Roy Orbison, Marcia Ball, Ray Charles, Los Lobos, Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin, Buddy Guy, Lucinda Williams, Wilco, Alejandro Escovedo, Joe Ely and Sheryl Crow.
Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by AXS Ticketing, American Honda Motor Company, Netspend Corporation and YETI.

Categories
Featured Hall of Fame News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Austin City Limits 8th annual Hall of Fame induction

It goes without saying that an ACL Hall of Fame taping is something special. The combination of ACL greats being saluted by their peers and fans always makes for an emotional, exciting evening. For our eighth HOF show, we were privileged to honor Austin music icon Joe Ely and superstar singer/songwriter Sheryl Crow. This year’s Hall of Fame, honoring a pair of inductees, featured a deeper dive into each artist’s work, highlighted by extended tributes, allowing the guest performers to share personal stories about their connection for a very special night.

Joe Ely accepts his ACL Hall of Fame trophy from author Lawrence Wright, Oct. 2022. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

Following introductions from Austin PBS CEO Luis Patiño and Austin City Limits executive producer Terry Lickona, who introduced perennial bandleader Lloyd Maines and the ACL All-Stars house band, renowned Texas author Lawrence Wright arrived to induct hometown hero Joe Ely. “The driving beat of a Joe Ely anthem tells us right away where he’s coming from,” Wright noted. “He’s a honky-tonk poet, an outlaw country minstrel, a corrido balladeer, a rocker with a broken heart, all these traditions experienced, captured, and transformed into his own distinctive style. The traditions that shaped Joe have been shaped by him in turn. He absorbed the legends and became the legend, and because of his gifts to our culture, the emptiness is filled with understanding, with connection, with meaning.” Ely accepted his award graciously, encouraging the show to get back to the music, which roared to life at the piano bench of ACL Hall of Famer Marcia Ball. The Austin legend recalled with obvious pleasure how she was introduced to Ely’s music in the seventies, watching the Amarillo native move from Lubbock expatriate to Texas rock star. That led immediately into a joyous take on Ely’s rip-roaring piano tribute “Fingernails,” because what other song should be in Ball’s capable hands?

Marcia Ball performs “Fingernails” in tribute to Joe Ely’s induction into the ACL Hall of Fame, Oct. 2022. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

While the audio crew struck Ball’s piano, Lloyd Maines came to the front of the stage to introduce the ACL All-Stars: ace players David Grissom, Chris Gage, Bill Whitbeck and Tom Van Schaik, plus special guests Jimmy Pettit and Davis McLarty, both mainstays (along with Grissom) of Ely’s band in the 80s and 90s. Country great Rodney Crowell took the stage next to sing Ely’s rockabilly anthem “Cool Rockin’ Loretta,” including an improvised testimony in the midsection paying tribute to “cool rockin’ Joe Ely.” Then it was time to hear from the man himself, who returned to the stage, guitar in hand, turning in a spirited performance of his classic tune “All Just to Get to You” to loud applause. 

Joe Ely performs his classic “All Just to Get to You” during his ACL Hall of Fame induction, Oct. 2022. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

The only way to follow that was for Ely to be joined by his decades-long pals and peers Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore – AKA the Flatlanders. Sitting in a row on stools, the trio jumped into a rollicking “I Had My Hopes Up High,” not only the first song on Ely’s 1977 debut album, but also the song that kicks off Ely’s debut ACL episode in 1980. “This is one of the most beautiful West Texas songs you’ll ever hear,” remarked Hancock, as Gilmore led them into Ely’s extraordinary ballad “Because of the Wind.” As another pair of mics were set up, Gilmore talked about what music means to humanity, and specifically to his old friend Joe. “One thing all of us had in our homes was Woody Guthrie,” he said, as Ball and Crowell returned for a round robin, Western swing-flavored take on the great American troubadour’s “Goin’ Down That Old Dusty Road,” a staple of Ely’s sets for many years. Leave it to Ely, at his own tribute, to insist on paying tribute to his own primary influence. “Thank you, Austin City Limits!” said Gilmore, as the crowd cheered and the Flatlanders took a grateful bow. 

L-R: Rodney Crowell, Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock and Marcia Ball sing Woody Guthrie’s “Goin’ Down This Old Dusty Road” for Ely’s ACL Hall of Fame induction, Oct. 27, 2022. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

While the crew reset the stage for the next segment, the audience was treated to a pair of videos from the ACL archive, both featuring the late, great Loretta Lynn, in tribute to her passing earlier this month. Brandi Carlile took the stage to induct her friend Sheryl Crow. “She’s so charming and humble you almost forget that she’s Sheryl fucking Crow,” Carlile said about her mentor. “But we must never forget. When it comes to empowerment, Sheryl has always been on the right side of history.” A clearly moved Crow thanked Brandi and ACL, noting how many of her heroes performed on the show and how much it’s meant to her. Then her pal Jason Isbell took the stage, mentioning how Crow became the rock star she is while remaining a normal person – a rarity in this business. Joined by Crow’s longtime guitarist Peter Stroud, Isbell and the All-Stars then laid down a devastating version of Crow’s masterfully crafted ballad “Run Baby Run.” 

Sheryl Crow accepts her ACL Hall of Fame trophy as inductor Brandi Carlile looks on, Oct. 2022. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

The show then welcomed a very special guest: breakout country singer Brittney Spencer. She recounted first encountering Crow at her day job in a coffee shop, which became the root of a continuing friendship. It was also the spark that led to Spencer appearing on our stage to pay tribute to her hero with a soulful take on Crow’s soulful rocker “My Favorite Mistake.” Singer/songwriter Jess Wolfe from Lucius arrived to “literally sing the praises” of her friend. With Wolfe’s Lucius partner Holly Laessig sidelined by illness, Crow herself took Laessig’s place for a lovely version of her hit “Strong Enough” with Wolfe. The duo quit the stage to make way for the return of Carlile, who thrilled in getting to sing “the most fun Sheryl Crow song,” i.e. the Crow staple “If It Makes You Happy,” a tune perfect for Carlile’s lonesome wail. She didn’t leave, however, welcoming the inductee back onstage to duet on the massive hit and fan favorite “Every Day is a Winding Road.” The pair’s obvious joy in singing together translated to both the band and the audience, leading to a delightfully fun performance that earned enthusiastic applause. 

Alongside guitarist Peter Stroud, Sheryl Crow and Brandi Carlile sing “Every Day is a Winding Road” for Crow’s ACL Hall of Fame induction, Oct. 2022. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

With a Wurlitzer piano arriving onstage, Crow, Carlile, Isbell, Spencer and Wolfe returned for the grand finale. “It’s a huge honor to share a stage with Joe Ely,” Crow said, also praising the ACL All-Stars and her friends. With Carlile, Spencer and Wolfe acting as a gospel chorus and Isbell contributing guitar solos, Crow passionately sang “I Shall Believe,” turning the brokenhearted ballad into a rousing optimistic anthem. “Thank you, Terry Lickona! Thank you, Austin City Limits! I love you so much!” The audience gave that love back to her with huge applause. And it was over – a fantastic Hall of Fame show that we can’t wait for you to see when it airs January 7, 2023 as part of our Season 48 on your local PBS station. 

Sheryl Crow leads Peter Stroud, Jason Isbell, Jess Wolfe, Brandi Carlile, Brittney Spencer and Lloyd Maines and the ACL All-Stars through her classic “I Shall Believe” during the eight annual ACL Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Oct. 27, 2022. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony, honoring Joe Ely and Sheryl Crow, Oct. 27, 2022. Photos courtesy Austin City Limits.

Categories
Featured Hall of Fame News

ACL Hall of Fame 2022 adds new talent for next week’s ceremony

Austin City Limits proudly announces additional guest performers for the 2022 ACL Hall of Fame Inductions & Celebration on October 27. Acclaimed act Lucius and country legend Rodney Crowell will join the previously announced line-up of music luminaries slated to perform: Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Brittney Spencer, Marcia Ball, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock. We regret to announce that Mavis Staples will no longer be appearing at this event due to unforeseen circumstances. The all-star line-up will salute a pair of American originals—superstar singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow and legendary Texas music pioneer Joe Ely—with one-of-a-kind music performances and tributes as they are inducted into the ACL Hall of Fame. The star-studded ceremony takes place on Thursday, October 27th, 2022 at ACL’s studio home, ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Musical highlights and inductions from the celebration will air as a special Austin City Limits on January 7, 2023 on PBS.  

All-star guests will handle induction honors on this epic night: Americana great and six-time Grammy Award winner Brandi Carlile will induct nine-time Grammy Award winner Sheryl Crow and perform in tribute along with celebrated songwriter Jason Isbell, power vocalists Lucius and country breakout Brittney Spencer. Texas music legend Joe Ely will be inducted by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lawrence Wright along with a musical salute featuring revered Lone Star musicians: Ely’s longtime collaborators in Texas supergroup The Flatlanders, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, will salute the pioneer; joining the musical tribute are country music trailblazer Rodney Crowell and blues legend and ACL Hall of Famer Marcia Ball. Inductees Sheryl Crow and Joe Ely will perform at the celebration. 

ACL Hall of Famer, renowned steel guitarist and producer Lloyd Maines, returns as Music Director, leading the ACL All-Stars house band featuring guitarist David Grissom, keyboardist Chris Gage, bassist Bill Whitbeck and drummer Tom Van Schaik.

The event is open to the public and a limited number of tickets are on sale at acltv.com/hall-of-fame.  Sponsor packages are available now at acltv.com/hall-of-fame. All proceeds benefit Austin PBS.

The eighth class of inductees features two iconic acts: Celebrated singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow has made two classic hourlong appearances on ACL in her remarkable three-decade career, starting with her debut on Season 22 in 1997 and returning in 2004. She also co-hosted ACL’s 40th anniversary special in 2014, the same year the Hall of Fame was established. An icon of Texas music, Joe Ely has made 11 appearances on ACL: including as a headliner five times beginning with his 1980 ACL debut in Season 5; also joining Los Super 7 in 1999, Texas supergroup The Flatlanders in 2002, and a Songwriters Special with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt and Guy Clark in 2008. The influential artist has made guest appearances with multiple acts, including Kevin Welch in 1992, Ryan Bingham in 2009 and joined Steve Earle and the Dukes in 2019 for a tribute to Guy Clark.

Established in 2014, the 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 nearly half-century as a music institution. The Hall of Fame has inducted over twenty artists at seven 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. The seventh annual Hall of Fame in 2021 welcomed Lucinda Williams, Wilco and Alejandro Escovedo to its ranks. 

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 in its 48th 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.  

Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, the Austin Convention Center Department and Cirrus Logic. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

Categories
Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: Sylvan Esso and Lucius

Austin City Limits returns with an entertaining hour you can dance to, featuring two different dynamic duos: electro-pop stars Sylvan Esso along with the versatile vocal powerhouses known as Lucius. Sylvan Esso present songs from their 2022 album No Rules Sandy and their Grammy-nominated Free Love; Lucius perform numbers from their recent album Second Nature alongside career highlights. The new Season 48 installment premieres October 15 at 8pm CT/9pm ET. The program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for 48 years as the music institution nears a remarkable half-century milestone. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast.

Durham, North Carolina-based electronica duo Sylvan Esso, composed of singer/lyricist Amelia Meath and keyboardist/producer Nick Sanborn, make their ACL debut performing songs from their new album No Rules Sandy as well as favorites from 2020’s Free Love and 2017’s What Now, both of which received Grammy nominations for Best Dance/Electronic Music album. The pair create rapturous sounds with 21st century sensibilities, as Meath sings the irresistible hooks with a playful magnetism. Opening with two songs from their acclaimed Free Love, the duo shine on their pop-groove hit “Ferris Wheel.” They perform a suite of songs from the experimental No Rules Sandy, a platform for partner Sanborn’s animated manipulation of his electronics, triggering beats and sounds in the moment, even remixing Meath’s vocals live on the buoyant “Look At Me.”

Lucius on Austin City Limits, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Los Angeles-via-Brooklyn indie act Lucius’ versatility is on full display with their fourth album, 2022’s acclaimed Second Nature, as they shape-shift through synth-pop, country, melodic folk and dance-groove funk. Produced by pals Brandi Carlile and Dave Cobb, the album was made for joyful dancing through life’s unpredictable tangents — which has always been Lucius’s sunny mission in their decade-long career. Lucius leaders Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig deliver a highly stylized visual presentation that’s as much a part of their identity as their sound, sporting matching green ensembles and identical hair styles. Accompanied by a four-piece band, they open with a pair of highlights from Second Nature, first donning blinged out keytars and synchronized stage moves for the discofied “Next to Normal,” then stunning a rapt crowd with their entwined vocals on “The Man I’ll Never Find.” Wolfe and Laessig thrill with the early career gem “Dusty Trails” as they unite their soaring sopranos in perfect harmony, stepping back from the mic to sing in a capella glory. They close with highlights from 2013’s Wildewoman, the album that first brought them to wide attention. The duo stroll into the audience for a powerfully intimate moment on “Two of Us On the Run,” a tribute to their friendship and collaboration, for a shimmering set-closer.

“Both Sylvan Esso and Lucius represent what musical female empowerment is all about in the 2020’s,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Amelia, Holly and Jess write and sing about all the raw emotions of life, from darkness to light, sadness to joy, and ACL captures their electric live shows. You won’t be able to sit still for this hour!”

Sylvan Esso

WHAT IF

FERRIS WHEEL

DIE YOUNG

SUNBURN

LOOK AT ME

SOUND

COFFEE

ECHO PARTY

Lucius

NEXT TO NORMAL

THE MAN I’LL NEVER FIND

DUSTY TRAILS

TEMPEST

TWO OF US ON THE RUN

Season 48 Broadcast Line-up (first half of season)

October 1 Brandi Carlile

October 8 Japanese Breakfast/Arlo Parks

October 15 Sylvan Esso/Lucius

October 22 Allison Russell/The Weather Station

October 29 Parker McCollum/Robert Earl Keen

November 5 Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

November 12 Cimafunk and The Tribe

Watch live, stream anytime, The complete line-up for the full 14-week season, including seven new episodes to air beginning January 2023, will be announced at a later date.  Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding live streams, future tapings and episode schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

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 in its 48th 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.  

Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, the Austin Convention Center Department, Cirrus Logic and AXS Ticketing. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.