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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: Jenny Lewis/MUNA

Austin City Limits (ACL) newly-launched Season 49 continues with a double-bill showcasing a pair of Los Angeles-based acts: acclaimed singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis returns to the ACL stage for her first appearance in a decade with selections from her latest Joy’All and breakthrough indie-pop band MUNA deliver a revelatory set in a radiant ACL debut. The new episode premieres October 14 at 7pm CT/8pm ET. 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 program, produced by Austin PBS and recorded live at ACL’s studio home ACL Live 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 49 years as the music institution nears a remarkable half-century milestone. Austin City Limits celebrates 50 years as a live music beacon in 2024: on October 17, 1974, Willie Nelson taped the pilot episode and the trailblazing series premiered in 1975. Stay tuned for news on special concerts, fan events and activations as Austin City Limits salutes an incredible legacy of 50 golden years of American musical history and iconic performances. 

Jenny Lewis on Austin City Limits, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.

“What a joy to be back here at ACL,” says Jenny Lewis as she opens a joy-filled set in her second appearance as a solo artist on the ACL stage, two decades into a prolific career. Clad in a black leather jumpsuit, and fronting an all-female band of ringers, Lewis perches on a circular mini-stage for “Joy’All,” the irresistible title track of her acclaimed fifth album, produced by Nashville ace Dave Cobb. The clarion quality of Lewis’ voice soars as she switches between a guitar and a Wurlitzer. She sits at the keyboard for the soulful “Heads Gonna Roll,” from 2019’s On the Line, a tumultuous road trip anthem fueled by a fire of unrequited love. Revered by fans for her confessional, narrative lyrics, a set highlight is the country-rock kiss-off “Psychos,” featuring a lush melody, pedal steel arrangement and the fan-favorite line “I’m not a psycho, I’m just tryna get laid.” The set closes with the joyous rock tune “Love Feel,” earning rapturous cheers from the crowd as she namechecks forebears Waylon and Wilie, Marvin Gaye, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and another ACL inspiration: “A little shout-out to John Prine there!” as Lewis closes out a sparkling set with a smile. 

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

In their ACL debut, LA trio MUNA perform a supercharged set showcasing gems from their self-titled third album. The group consists of lead singer and songwriter Katie Gavin, multi-instrumentalist Naomi McPherson and lead guitarist Josette Maskin. The trio are enjoying a meteoric rise and a banner year, becoming one of music’s must-see live acts, landing 2023 arena dates opening for Taylor Swift and boygenius, in addition to high-profile festival appearances at Coachella and Bonnaroo, and their own sold-out “Life’s So Fun” tour. MUNA have earned legions of fervent fans and widespread acclaim for their propulsive pop-rock melodies and hook-filled queer anthems. MUNA’s songwriting touches on the joys, longings and complexities of life in the LGBTQ community. The band radiates electric energy as their followers in the MUNAverse thrill to the empowering singalongs of “Kind of Girl” and “Anything But Me.” The performance reaches a fever pitch with “Home By Now,” a dancefloor banger, as Katie Gavin dances across the stage for a euphoric close.

“‘Joy’ is the operative word for this powerful combo,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Jenny Lewis showcases a new chapter in her prolific career, proving that she continues to break musical boundaries, and MUNA’s anthemic songs prove that everything is possible when people connect to each other.”

Jenny Lewis setlist:

Joy’All

Heads Gonna Roll

Cherry Baby

Psychos

Puppy And A Truck

Love Feel

MUNA setlist:

Loose Garment

Winterbreak

Kind Of Girl

Taken

Anything But Me

Home By Now

Season 49 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately)

Oct. 7 Rodrigo y Gabriela featuring the Austin Symphony Orchestra

Oct. 14 Jenny Lewis / MUNA

Oct. 21 Lil Yachty / Sudan Archives

Oct. 28 Margo Price / Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

Nov. 4 Jorge Drexler

Nov. 11 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Nov. 18 Foo Fighters

Watch new episodes live, stream online, or download the PBS App. 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, 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.  

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: Alanis Morissette

Nineties rock icon Alanis Morissette made history on the Austin City Limits stage bringing the nostalgic air of MTV Unplugged episodes and an obsession with alternative rock to a packed Moody Theater crowd. The show-stopping  performance brought 1995’s landmark Jagged Little Pill album back to capture the hearts of 90’s rockers in combination with tracks from her classic albums including Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, So-Called Chaos, Under Rug Swept, and Such Pretty Forks in the Road. Morissette’s magic, which comes from her unrivaled soul and authenticity in the presence of 90’s rock, continued to make waves. A musical trailblazer, Morissette’s Season 49 performance reflected a legacy that once compelled fans to cry, yell, and dance over the cords connected to their Sony CD players that continues to fuel audiences with a lust for life. More than an icon you oughta know, Morissette is the powerfully raw and introspective rock legend you oughta be. 

The singer’s performance kicked off with a high energy entrance, as she ran onto stage to the familiar intro of the classic “All I Really Want,” signature harmonica in hand. Capturing the crowd in excitement, Morisette walked and leaped back and forth across the stage singing powerfully. Morissette’s free-spirited stage presence, combined with an “in your face” authenticity, transports concert-goers back to 1995. The performance continued into the uplifting “Hand in My Pocket,” a testament to the comforting relatability of the singer’s intimate lyricism that captured the heart of the audience. The enraptured crowd swayed back and forth before the beginning of “Head Over Feet,” the popular ballad for the hopeless romantics dedicated to finally surrendering to the consuming purity of healthy love.  Around the theater, a group of patrons stood linked arm to arm, belting out “I couldn’t help it, it’s all your fault,” as couples exchanged long glances while listening to the heartwarming gem.

“Losing the Plot” from Morissette’s 2020 album Such Pretty Forks in the Road brings her familiar uplifting but confessional lyricism to the forefront as the singer explores the emotional exhaustion brought from the pursuit of relentless perseverance.  Towards the end of the song Morissette bared all with a brightly, bedazzled electric guitar while singing  “I am losing the plot, I am grieving the end of superwoman-ing.” The Canadian singer brought her performance to an end, bringing an already musically enamored crowd to jump on their feet to the angsty, tell-all, breakup anthem, “You Oughta Know.” A packed Moody Theater crowd passionately belted “And I am here to remind you of the mess you left when you went away” as fans headbanged and stretched their hands out in the signature rock and roll “horns” gesture while the band began “Uninvited.” The final anthem “Thank You” saw Morisette spinning in circles creating a passionately explosive end to a history-making performance. A trailblazer for female-fronted rock, Morissette’s originality continues to keep audiences head over feet. 

Setlist:

All I Really Want – Jagged Little Pill

Hand in My Pocket – Jagged Little Pill

Right Through You – Jagged Little Pill

You Learn – Jagged Little Pill

Segue 1 (Hands Clean) – Under Rug Swept

Forgiven – Jagged Little Pill

Segue 2 (Everything) – So-Called Chaos

Mary Jane – Jagged Little Pill

Segue 3 (Diagnosis) – Such Pretty Forks in the Road

Reasons I Drink – Such Pretty Forks in the Road

Head Over Feet – Jagged Little Pill

Segue 4 (So Unsexy) – Under Rug Swept

Ablaze – Such Pretty Forks in the Road

Segue 4 ½ (Nemesis) – Such Pretty Forks in the Road

Perfect – Jagged Little Pill

Segue 5 Mike (Losing the Plot) – Such Pretty Forks in the Road

Wake Up (acoustic) – Jagged Little Pill

Not the Doctor – Jagged Little Pill

Ironic – Jagged Little Pill

Segue 6 (Sympathetic Character) – Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie

Smiling – Such Pretty Forks in the Road

Segue 7 (I Remain) – Havoc and Bright Lights

You Oughta Know – Jagged Little Pill

Encore:

Uninvited – City of Angels soundtrack

Thank U – Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie

Musicians: 

Alanis Morissette – vocals, harmonica, guitar

Michael Farrell – keyboards

Jason Orme – guitar

Cedric Lemoyne – bass

Julian Coryell – guitar

Victor Indrizzo – drums

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Featured News Taping Recap

Taping recap: Brittney Spencer

The Brittney Spencer song “First Car Feeling” celebrates the exhilaration of new experiences, new moments when everything feels fresh and exciting. We’d like to think Ms. Spencer was feeling some of that as she took the stage for her debut taping on Austin City Limits. She was a standout at last year’s ACL Hall of Fame presentation as she put her stamp on Sheryl Crow’s “My Favorite Mistake,” so it was inevitable that she would come back to showcase her own tunes. 

And what tunes they were. Drawn mostly from her forthcoming debut album My Stupid Life, out this January on Elektra Records, the songs bespoke a thoughtful songsmith unafraid to bare her soul while still paying attention to artistry. Fronting a seven-piece band of versatile musicians, Spencer smoothly blended country music with R&B, much like classic singers like Arthur Alexander and contemporary ones like Yola – a perfect fusion of craft and soul. She got the crowd dancing and singing along with “I Got Time,” smiling in recognition with “Night In,” and feeling her every emotion in the ballad “Deeper.” In a couple of special moments, Spencer paid tribute to her inspirations – Reba, Aretha, Janis, Dolly, Latifah and more – with “Bigger Than the Song”  and a cover of Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again” worked up especially for this show. She also marveled at her good fortune (augmented by hard work) in the title track of the upcoming record. A spectacular vocal performance on “My First Rodeo” brought the audience to their feet, leaving the singer fighting back tears. “I’ve been trying not to cry the whole show,” she remarked. 

Most impressively, she stunned  the crowd with the poignant “Sober & Skinny,” taking the surface humor of “If you get sober, I’ll get skinny” and using it to highlight the heartbreak of a mutually self-destructive relationship. That led into the even more emotional “Reaching Out,” an anthem for anyone who feels alone and unwanted – something anyone can identify with, as shown by the standing ovation Spencer received as she quit the stage. She rewarded the people’s persistent applause by returning with a raucous version of the Nancy Sinatra classic “These Boots Are Made For Walking.” Spencer looked giddy as she left the stage for the second time, as well she should: once it airs early next year as part of our Season 49, this episode will prove that Brittney Spencer is a star. 


Setlist: 

First Car Feeling – My Stupid Life

Better As Friends – If I Ever Get There: A Day at Blackbird Studio EP

Night In – My Stupid Life

Bigger Than the Song – My Stupid Life

Deeper – My Stupid Life

On the Road Again – Willie Nelson cover

I Got Time  – My Stupid Life

My Stupid Life – My Stupid Life

If You Say So – My Stupid Life

My First Rodeo – My Stupid Life

Sober & Skinny – single

Reaching Out – My Stupid Life

These Boots Were Made For Walking – Nancy Sinatra cover

Musicians: 

Brittney Spencer – vocals, guitar

Abbey Cone – vocals

Alfred Carty – bass

Bobby Wesley – guitar

Harrison Finks – keyboards

John McNally – pedal steel, guitar

Matt Cummings – guitar

Megan Jane – drums

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News Tickets Distributed

Giveaway: Bonnie Raitt

UPDATE: The giveaway is now closed and tickets have been distributed. Austin City Limits will tape a performance by Bonnie Raitt on Sunday, October 15th at 8 pm at ACL Live at The Moody Theater (310 W. 2nd Street, Willie Nelson Blvd). We are giving away a limited number of passes to this taping. Enter your name and email address on the below form by Thursday, October 12th at 5pm.

Winners will be chosen at random and a photo ID will be required to pick up tickets. Winners will be notified via email. Duplicate entries for a single taping will be automatically voided. Tickets are not transferable and will be voided if sold. Standing may be required. No photography, recording or cell phone use in the studio. No cameras, computers or recording devices allowed in the venue.


On the heels of a trio of 2023 Grammy wins, we welcome back an ACL Hall of Fame icon, the legendary Bonnie Raitt, for her first headlining appearance in over a decade, to showcase her triple Grammy-winning album Just Like That… Raitt will also be joined tonight by a special guest, Nashville-based singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso Sunny War. An American original, Bonnie Raitt first appeared on Austin City Limits in Season 9 in 1984, returned in 2002 and 2012, and performed on the series’ 40th anniversary special in 2014. In 2016, Raitt was inducted into the ACL Hall of Fame by Mavis Staples, with musical salutes from Willie Nelson and Taj Mahal.

Raitt is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose unique style blends blues, R&B, rock, and pop. After 20 years as a cult favorite, Raitt broke through to the top in the early 90s with her GRAMMY Award-winning albums, Nick of Time and Luck of the Draw, which featured hits “Something To Talk About” and “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” among others. The thirteen-time GRAMMY winner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 and Rolling Stone named the slide guitar ace one of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and one of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time.” 

2023 kicked off with Raitt earning three GRAMMY Awards at the 65th Annual ceremony: Song Of The Year and Best American Roots Song for “Just Like That,” the title track of her most recent album, and Best Americana Performance for “Made Up Mind.” Raitt was also honored with the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. She was awarded Song of the Year for “Just Like That” at the recent 2023 Americana Honors & Awards. Raitt has been on tour for most of 2023 with stops in the U.S., Australia, the UK, Ireland, and an upcoming coast-to-coast tour of Canada. 2022 was a banner year for Raitt with a 75-date headlining U.S. tour; the release of her critically acclaimed 21st album Just Like That… on her independent label, Redwing Records; receiving the Icon Award at the 2022 Billboard Women In Music Awards and seeing her breakthrough album, Nick of Time added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry. Just Like That… went #1 on six Billboard charts the week of release and was perched at #1 on the Americana Radio Album Chart for ten consecutive weeks. The album’s first single, “Made Up Mind” remained in the top three spots on the Americana Radio Singles Chart for 17 weeks. 

As known for her lifelong commitment to social activism as she is for her music, Raitt has long been involved with the environmental movement, performing concerts around oil, nuclear power, mining, water, and forest protection since the mid-‘70s. She was a founding member of MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy), which produced the historic concerts, album, and movie NO NUKES, and continues to work on safe energy issues in addition to environmental protection, social justice, and human rights, as well as creator’s rights and music education.


For entry to Austin City Limits tapings, you agree to abide by the Taping Health & Safety Protocols based on the current COVID-19 Community Risk Stage in effect at the time of the event. By attending the ACL tapings, you agree to the Terms & Conditions.

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News Tickets Distributed

Giveaway: Foo Fighters

UPDATE: Due to overwhelming interest, the public giveaway is now closed, and pass winners have been notified. Please note there will not be a standby line for this taping; if you have not been contacted as a winner, please do not line up in front of the venue on the evening of October 12th.


Since the 1995 release of their self-titled first album, no other band has carried the torch for rock & roll like Foo Fighters. Throughout the steady ascent to their indisputable status as the last great American rock band, they’ve raised stadiums, arenas and festival fields of voices in song with anthems like “This Is A Call,” “Everlong,” “Monkey Wrench,” “My Hero,” “Learn To Fly,” “All My Life,” “Times Like These,” “Best Of You,” “The Pretender,” “Walk,” “These Days,” “The Sky Is A Neighborhood,” “Shame Shame” and more. Foo Fighters’ 15-GRAMMY-Award-winning catalogue includes The Colour and the Shape, There Is Nothing Left To Lose, One By One, In Your Honor, Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace, Wasting Light, Sonic Highways, Concrete and Gold and Medicine at Midnight. Following a year of staggering losses, personal introspection and bittersweet remembrances, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers returned triumphantly with But Here We Are, released June 2, 2023 on Roswell Records/RCA Records. A brutally honest and emotionally raw response to everything Foo Fighters have endured in recent years, But Here We Are is a testament to the healing powers of music, friendship and family. Courageous, damaged, unflinchingly authentic and “driven by a fresh sense of pathos and urgency” (The New York Times), But Here We Are opens with the Alternative/Rock radio #1 “Rescued,” the first of 10 songs that run the emotional gamut from rage and sorrow to serenity and acceptance, and myriad points in between — including “a gruff, melodic rocker with bittersweet hooks” (Stereogum) in the form of “Under You,” the “totally unexpected foray into shoegaze and dream-pop territory” (Uproxx) that is “Show Me How,” the 10-minute epic “The Teacher,” and more. Produced by Greg Kurstin and Foo Fighters, But Here We Are is in nearly equal measure the 11th Foo Fighters album and the first chapter of the band’s new life. Sonically channeling the naiveté of Foo Fighters’ 1995 debut, informed by decades of maturity and depth, But Here We Are is the sound of brothers finding refuge in the music that brought them together in the first place 28 years ago, a process that was as therapeutic as it was about a continuation of life.


For entry to Austin City Limits tapings, you agree to abide by the Taping Health & Safety Protocols based on the current COVID-19 Community Risk Stage in effect at the time of the event. By attending the ACL tapings, you agree to the Terms & Conditions.

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Featured News

Season premiere: Rodrigo y Gabriela featuring the Austin Symphony Orchestra

Austin City Limits launches a new slate of must-see performances from music’s finest with a singular highlight as its season premiere: famed guitar virtuoso duo Rodrigo y Gabriela take viewers on a sonic adventure with their super-charged instrumentals, accompanied by the Austin Symphony Orchestra. The Mexico City natives are joined by over 30 musicians from the world-class ensemble to bring to life their latest album In Between Thoughts…A New World. This groundbreaking performance marks the very first time the live music series has partnered with the esteemed orchestra, one of Austin’s leading arts institutions. The hourlong episode premieres October 7 at 7pm CT/8pm ET. 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 program, produced by Austin PBS and recorded live at ACL’s studio home ACL Live 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 49 years as the music institution nears a remarkable half-century milestone. Austin City Limits celebrates 50 years as a live music beacon in 2024: on October 17, 1974, Willie Nelson taped the pilot episode and the trailblazing series premiered in 1975. Stay tuned for news on special concerts, fan events and activations as Austin City Limits salutes an incredible legacy of 50 golden years of American musical history and iconic performances. 

For over two decades, the duo of Gabriela Quintero and Rodrigo Sánchez have captivated audiences across the globe with their fast, rhythmic and wildly inventive guitar playing. In their first appearance on the ACL stage in a decade, they return with a one-of-a-kind collaboration featuring the Austin Symphony Orchestra. Rodrigo y Gabriela open the spellbinding hour with a furious clash of acoustic and electric guitar amid a maelstrom of distortion and flashing lights. Their latest album In Between Thoughts…A New World is a highpoint of their career and it serves as the centerpiece of this ACL performance. The work is designed to bring about an “expansion of consciousness” as the guitarists lead viewers on an exhilarating thrill ride showcasing their hypnotic, muscular blend of song which owes as much to rock and heavy metal as to the music of their native Mexico. 

Renowned previously for their signature acoustic interplay, this latest outing introduces electric guitar, as Rodrigo’s blistering, intricate fretboard moves create an alchemy with Gabriela’s dazzling flamenco-based acoustic rhythms. Accompanied by the Austin Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Peter Bay, the innovative duo explore new sonic horizons, expanding their sound from classical to metal in a stunning, high-energy hour. The orchestra soars with lush strings and powerful percussion on the magical “The Eye That Catches The Dream” and the guitar maestros receive a standing ovation as the powerful set-closer “Descending to Nowhere” reaches its epic climax.

“We’re always looking for new ways to make history, so after 49 years this is our first collaboration with a symphony, and we found one of the best in our own backyard,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “The Austin Symphony under Peter Bay’s baton provides a rich, lush accompaniment to the jarring, furious guitar riffs of Rodrigo y Gabriela. It’s pure magic.”

Episode setlist:

Astrium In Corpore

True Nature

The Eye That Catches the Dream

Egoland

Monster

Seeking Unreality

The Ride of the Mind

Broken Rage

Finding Myself Leads Me to You

In Between Thoughts…A New World

Descending to Nowhere

Season 49 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately)

Oct. 7 Rodrigo y Gabriela featuring the Austin Symphony Orchestra

Oct. 14 Jenny Lewis / MUNA

Oct. 21 Lil Yachty / Sudan Archives

Oct. 28 Margo Price / Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

Nov. 4 Jorge Drexler

Nov. 11 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Nov. 18 Foo Fighters

Watch new episodes live, stream online, or download the PBS App. 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, 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.  

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.