Tag: Season 48

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Featured Hall of Fame New Broadcast News

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

Sheryl Crow performs with Brandi Carlile, Lucius' Jess Wolfe, Brittney Spencer, and the ACL All-Stars during the 8th Annual ACL Hall of Fame Honors, 2022. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

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

Sheryl Crow performs with Brandi Carlile, Lucius' Jess Wolfe, Brittney Spencer, and the ACL All-Stars during the 8th Annual ACL Hall of Fame Honors, 2022. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

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.

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Episode Recap Featured News

Episode premiere: Lyle Lovett & His Large Band

Lyle Lovett & His Large Band perform on Austin City Limits, Aug. 24, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits presents a season highlight and homecoming: the long-awaited return of celebrated singer-songwriter and bandleader Lyle Lovett, joined by his iconic Large Band, making his first appearance in over a decade with songs from his first new album in 10 years, 12th of June. One of music’s most vibrant and iconic performers, the Grammy Award-winning Lovett is accompanied by his 16-piece band for an entertaining hour of new songs and extraordinary musicianship. The new installment premieres November 5 at 8pm CT/9pm ET as part of ACL’s Season 48. The program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, continues its 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.  The show’s official hashtag is #acltv.

Lyle Lovett made his first headlining appearance on Austin City Limits during Season 12 in 1987 with songs from his landmark self-titled debut, and has since been featured on ACL more times than any artist, save for one Willie Nelson. This beloved performer and ACL Hall of Famer returns for a remarkable seventeenth appearance, with his recent album 12th of June as the centerpiece. The Texas hero is accompanied by his impeccably dressed Large Band for a radiant 10-song set showcasing new gems. Lovett shares the love and joy of home life with his trademark wry humor on new numbers such as “Pants Is Overrated” and the bluesy stroll “Pig Meat Man,” which Lovett explains he wrote for his 5-year-old son “who is a vegetarian except he loves bacon.” Lovett’s longtime backing singer Francine Reed, who recently retired from the road, returns for the occasion and joins Lovett center stage for a gorgeous rendition of the Nat King Cole classic “Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good to You?” He welcomes friend and frequent touring partner Chris Isaak for a pair of songs, including a lively duet on Roy Orbison’s “Dream Baby.” Lovett celebrates life’s joys with his wife and children with the tender title track “12th of June” and closes with the barrelhouse piano-led “On A Winter’s Morning,” which revels in the simple magic of being alive.

“Lyle has always been a big part of the ACL family – in more ways than one,” said executive producer Terry Lickona. “He was there when ACL had barely hit its first 10 years, and even before his career took off. It’s been a joy to capture his music as we both grew and evolved, and it’s obvious that we both still have lots more new music to offer to the world!”

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band setlist:

ARE WE DANCING

PANTS IS OVERRATED

GEE BABY, AIN’T I GOOD TO YOU?

HER LOVING MAN

MIRRORED MAN’S LAMENT (with Chris Isaak)

DREAM BABY (with Chris Isaak)

THE MOCKING ONES

12TH OF JUNE

PIG MEAT MAN

ON A WINTER’S MORNING

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.

Categories
Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Maren Morris

Maren Morris on Austin City Limits, Oct. 31, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

While it hasn’t happened often enough to become a tradition, Austin City Limits does have precedent for Halloween shows. Both Joe Ely and Widespread Panic recorded memorable shows in front of crowds full of costumes. So we were tickled to welcome country star Maren Morris for her debut taping that just happened to fall on All Hallow’s Eve. The Arlington, Texas-born singer/songwriter is riding a new career high with the acclaim following her third major label album Humble Quest, and she seemed happy to showcase it in front of a colorful ACL crowd. 

“This is a huge honor to be playing this – I grew up watching this,” noted Morris. “I’m not gonna cry – we’re just gonna do this.” With that, she and the band kicked into “Circles Around This Town,” the first hit from Humble Quest. She and the band upped the vibe going into “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” engaging the audience to clap along during the breakdown. Garnering enthusiastic screams from the audience, an a cappella intro from Morris, bassist Annie Clement, backup singer Rachel Beauregard and guitarist Bennett Lewis signaled “80s Mercedes,” kicking the performance into high gear with its good time power rock. Acknowledging both the holiday and her roots growing up in Arlington, Texas, Morris also mentioned that this taping was one of her two last shows for the year, “and I’m glad we can close it out in Texas.” Drummer Christian Paschall then hit the backbeat for “Humble Quest,” an atmospheric rocker that serves as the title track for the new record, before the band went into the luminous ballad “Background Music.” Keyboardist Jaime Portee, guitarist Eric Montgomery and Lewis then kicked up dust with a collage-like intro that led into the powerhouse “Nervous,” to huge applause. 

Shifting gears once again, Morris showcased her vocal chemistry with Clement and Beauregard on “I Could Use a Love Song.” After that wry downer, Morris shifted into party mode with the good-natured, pop-flavored celebration of “Tall Guys,” written by the 5’1” singer to make her 6’3” husband laugh. The pregnant Clements then put down her axe to join Morris at the front of the stage for the close-harmony ballad “Hummingbird,” dedicated by Morris to Clements’ unborn son, “because he’s onstage with us every night.” The easygoing folk rock of “Detour” followed, completing a trilogy of songs from Humble Quest. “Alright, Austin,” Morris declared, “let’s pick this up a little bit” – in particular by revisiting her major label debut Hero for the classic-rocking hit “Rich,” a clear crowd favorite. The band went back to Humble Quest for the final time this evening with “Good Friends.” “This is really a dream come true,” Morris said. “I’ll come back any time y’all invite me.” Then it was time for “The Bones,” Morris’ smash #1 country ode to the foundational secret to lasting love that got the biggest round of applause of the night. 

The cheers continued as Morris ended the show with her gospel-flavored rocker “My Church,” a fan favorite anthem that brought the audience to its feet, clapping and singing along – even singing part of the chorus by themselves. Morris left the stage to a huge standing ovation as the band played her off.  It was a sensational ACL debut, and we can’t wait for you to see it when it airs early next year as part of our Season 48 on your local PBS station. 

Maren Morris tapes Austin City Limits, October 31, 2022. Photos by Scott Newton.
Categories
Featured Live Stream News

Live stream announcement: Maren Morris

Austin City Limits is thrilled to announce that we will be live streaming our highly-anticipated debut taping with country star Maren Morris on October 31. ACL offers fans worldwide the unique opportunity to watch this taping here in its entirety on our ACLTV YouTube Channel. The broadcast episode will air early 2023 on PBS as part of our new Season 48.

One of country music’s brightest stars, the multi-platinum, award-winning singer-songwriter makes her first-ever appearance showcasing songs from her latest Humble Quest, nominated for Album of the Year at this year’s upcoming CMA Awards. Maren comes to our stage from her current U.S. headline Humble Quest Tour, which kicked off in June with high-profile stops at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, New York’s Radio City Music Hall, Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl, the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater and more. 

The Nashville-based Texas native is one of the leading voices in music today, armed with incredible vocal stylings and songwriting chops, sheer talent, honest lyrics and an undeniable presence. Her third album Humble Quest was released earlier this year to widespread critical acclaim, with The New York Times praising her as “pocket-size but with alpha presence, like a country music Mighty Mouse.” Humble Quest is Maren’s most genuine collection of songs, tracing her journey to embrace the imperfections in her life through snapshots of her rises and falls, overshares, lullabies, wine-soaked conversations with one old friend and a final goodbye to another one. The album debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, broke the record for most first day and first week streams globally on Amazon Music for a country album by a female artist and features the irresistible lead single “Circles Around This Town,” which was the most-added single at country radio upon impact and broke Amazon Music’s record for most streams for a country song debut by a female artist. 

Maren and her musician husband Ryan Hurd were nominated for a 2022 Grammy and two 2021 CMA Awards for their chart-topping #1, Platinum-certified first official duet “Chasing After You.” A bonafide hitmaker, Maren’s quadruple Platinum single “The Bones” dominated 2020, catapulted into the Top 40 and topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for 19 consecutive weeks, becoming the first solo female multi-week #1 at country radio since 2012. The single earned Maren Song of the Year and Female Artist of the Year at the 2021 ACM Awards, Female Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year and Song of the Year at the 2020 CMA Awards, plus Female Artist of the year and Music Event of the Year at the 2020 ACM Awards and a 2021 Grammy nomination for Best Country Song. 

Her 2019 sophomore album GIRL shattered the record for the largest ever debut streaming week for a country album by a woman and was named Album of the Year at the 2019 CMA Awards, where Maren was the most nominated artist. GIRL arrived three years after Maren’s breakout, Platinum-certified debut album HERO, for which she won a Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance, New Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2017 ACM Awards and New Artist of the Year at the 2016 CMA Awards. HERO features the much-lauded singles that launched Maren’s career into the stratosphere— the double Platinum “My Church,” Platinum “80s Mercedes” and “I Could Use A Love Song,” and Gold “Rich.” The genre-bending artist’s 2018 global smash hit collaboration “The Middle” with EDM DJ Zedd is officially six times Platinum-certified. We’re thrilled to welcome Maren Morris to the ACL stage. 

Join us here October 31 at 8 p.m. CT for Maren Morris, and on PBS early next year for the broadcast episode. Tune in to your local PBS station on Saturday nights for brand new episodes of Austin City Limits; watch live on PBS or stream anytime at PBS.org.

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Featured Hall of Fame News Taping Recap

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

Sheryl Crow sings "I Shall Believe" with Brandi Carlile, Brittney Spencer and Lucius' Jess Wolfe during the 8th annual ACL Hall of Fame induction, Oct. 27, 2022. Photo courtesy Austin City Limits.

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.