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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: Noah Kahan/ Flor de Toloache

Austin City Limits showcases a pair of innovative acts making ACL debuts with singular music inspired by their geography and roots. Breakout Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, nominated for a 2024 Best New Artist Grammy, makes a highly-anticipated debut on the ACL stage with songs from his breakthrough Stick Season; sharing the hour is the groundbreaking all-female mariachi act Flor de Toloache, with numbers from their 2024 Grammy-nominated album Motherflower. The new installment premieres February 10 at 7pm CT/8pm ET as part of the series Season 49. 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. The show’s official hashtag is #acltv. 2024 marks the 50th Anniversary of the revered music institution, which 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 an incredible five decades.  A monument to music, ACL has showcased iconic performances from legends and innovators in every genre of popular song for 50 years.  Produced by Austin PBS, and recorded live at ACL’s studio home ACL Live in Austin, Texas, the show remains a required stopping point for the finest acts to deliver stellar performances from the venerable ACL stage. On October 17, 1974, the notoriously TV-shy Willie Nelson taped the pilot episode; the trailblazing series then premiered on PBS in 1975.  This Peabody Award-winning program has earned its place in history and will salute its golden anniversary and incredible legacy with a yearlong celebration featuring archival gems, all-star tapings, a PBS special, live concerts and much more.

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

Noah Kahan delivers a revelatory ACL debut showcasing highlights from his celebrated Stick Season, an album inspired by his rural New England roots. The folk-pop phenomenon is having a banner year, fostering a connection with audiences to become one of 2023’s most talked-about live acts, with sold-out stadium and tour dates throughout 2024. The 27-year-old singer/songwriter/guitarist has struck a chord with his legions of fans through highly relatable songs about contemporary life—viral smashes that erupt into crowd singalongs. Taking the stage backed by his five-piece band, he opens with “All My Love,” a banjo-driven folk number, and the adoring audience sings along to every lyric. Kahan regales the crowd with the stories behind his confessional lyrics and cracks jokes with his signature, self-deprecating humor: “Put your hands up, Austin! Never mind, I don’t like it!” The crowd sings an entire verse themselves on the autobiographical  “Northern Attitude,” a gem containing the lyric “Forgive my northern attitude, I was raised on little light.” Kahan performs the pair of fan-favorite career highlights that launched his meteoric rise: the platinum breakthrough smash “Dial Drunk,” and the song that he says, “changed my life,” the double-platinum smash “Stick Season,” showcasing his deft blend of cathartic blast and ardent earnestness to full effect. 

Flor de Toloache on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

The New York City-based Flor de Toloache seamlessly combines tradition and innovation, breaking boundaries with their edgy, versatile, and feminist perspective on classic Latin American music. Musical partners and dual vocalists Shae Fiol and Mireya Ramos lead the all-female Latin Grammy-winning combo, which features Ramos on violin and Fiol on vihuela, joined by a trio of virtuosos on trumpet, guitar and traditional mariachi guitarron. The trailblazing group defies cultural and gender norms, becoming the first female act to receive a Latin Grammy Award in the Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album category. With white flowers in their hair and red roses adorning their mic stands, they perform a spellbinding set with their latest album Motherflower as the centerpiece. Grammy-winning producer and Black Pumas leader Adrian Quesada, a fan, makes a guest appearance on guitar for the luminous heartbreak ballad “Soledad” (Loneliness). Fiol shifts between English and Spanish language easily on “Let Down,” a highlight from their 2014 debut, a fusion of ranchera, blues and R&B, and a stunning showcase for her impassioned vocals. Ramos takes the lead vocal on “Regresa Ya,” captivating on the beautiful, self-penned ranchera. Putting tradition aside, the quintet displays their remarkable range and stunning musicianship with a dazzling medley of contemporary rock songs, incorporating riffs, melodies and lyrics from Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, No Doubt and Rage Against the Machine for an epic close. 

“There is no better example than this episode to showcase the musical diversity and variety that has been the hallmark of Austin City Limits for 50 years, said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Noah will inspire with the lyrical and melodic beauty of his songs, and Flor de Toloache will mesmerize with their own take on not-so traditional mariachi music.”

Noah Kahan setlist:

All My Love

Northern Attitude

Dial Drunk

Stick Season

Homesick

Flor de Toloache setlist:

Brinda Por Ella

Soledad

Let Down

Regresa Ya

“Nirvana medley”: Killing in the Name/ Come As You Are/ Smells Like Teen Spirit/ Kashmir/ All of My Love/ No Sigas (Don’t Speak)

Season 49 Broadcast Schedule (upcoming):

February 10 Noah Kahan | Flor de Toloache

February 17 Alanis Morissette

February 24 Bonnie Raitt

March 2 Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Trisha Yearwood

Watch new episodes live, stream online, or download the PBS App. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding upcoming Season 50 tapings, live streams and episode schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter, IG and TikTok. 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 49th 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.  

Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, 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.

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Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Noah Kahan

“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

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

Categories
Featured News Taping Announcement

New taping: Noah Kahan

Austin City Limits is excited to announce an additional taping with a ringer to round out our Season 49: On September 25 we present breakout singer-songwriter Noah Kahan in his highly-anticipated ACL debut. 

Over the past year, the Vermont singer & songwriter has exploded from his New England roots into the global mainstream and has been touted as one of 2023’s biggest and best new artists. At the core of his music are vulnerable lyrics and an unfiltered yet relatable honesty, as the critically acclaimed artist pens songs straight from the heart and cracks jokes with his signature, self-deprecating sense of humor. Across his three albums and an EP, Kahan has garnered global renown that includes more than two billion streams, a Platinum Certification for his hit single “Stick Season,” and collaborations with the likes of Post Malone, Joy Oladokun, and GRAMMY-nominated artists Julia Michaels and Wesley Schulz of The Lumineers. His widely adored album, Stick Season, is inspired by his New England roots and conveys a vivid representation of what he loves, fears, and struggles with most passionately. Noah has been on his sold-out “Stick Season Tour” across North America since the album’s release last year, selling half-a-million tickets to date and performing in the biggest venues of his career, with newly announced global dates on the horizon. In June, he released an extended version of Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever), which has gone on to surpass sales of the original and shows no signs of slowing down. His latest single, “Dial Drunk,” has already amassed millions of streams and a slew of critical acclaim, cementing Noah Kahan as one of the most successful breakout artists of the year.

We’re thrilled to welcome Kahan to the ACL stage. Want to be part of our audience? We will post information on how to get free passes a week in advance of the taping. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for notice of postings. The broadcast episode will air as part of our upcoming Season 49 which premieres this October on PBS.