Austin City Limits is happy to announce a new taping with Grammy Award-winning songwriter, vocalist & virtuoso guitarist Gary Clark Jr. on Aug. 24.
Austin native Gary Clark Jr. has a long history with ACL, going back to his debut in Season 33 as part of the Tribute to Bluesman Jimmy Reed, through his Season 38 solo episode and his appearance as part of our 40th anniversary celebration and a show-stopping guest spot with the Foo Fighters that same year. He arrives on our stage for his second headline performance at the top of his game and in advance of his homegrown new record The Story of Sonny Boy Slim, set for release on Sept. 11. Self-produced at Austin’s Arlyn Studios, Clark’s latest LP reflects his singular visionary landscape as an ever-evolving artist. Relying on the simple tools of his trade – voice, guitar, rhythm and song – Clark firmly establishes himself as a sonic expressionist who has absorbed classic forms of the past while forging his own path. Baked from a batter of blues, R&B and rock, The Story of Sonny Boy Slim is music aimed for the heart, soul and guts, that defies categorization. Join us on Aug. 24 to experience it for yourself.
Want to be part of our audience? We will post information on how to get free passes about a week before the taping. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for notice of postings.
Last night we were proud to present the new class of Austin City Limits Hall of Fame inductees. Loretta Lynn, Guy Clark, Flaco Jimenez, Townes Van Zandt, Asleep at the Wheel and the Season 1 crew joined the ranks inaugurated last year. The night was about more than awards. It was and is always about the music, and, anchored by host Dwight Yoakam.
The first award of the evening went to Loretta Lynn. The First Lady of Country Music gave us two memorable shows in Seasons 8 and 23. Accepting her award, Patty Loveless, a four-time ACL vet herself. With a fiery “Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’” and a soulful “Coal Miner’s Daughter” (especially appropriate, as Loveless shares the same background as Lynn), Loveless paid perfect tribute to one of her inspirations. She and country superstar Vince Gill paired to sing a rendition of Lynn’s song “After the Fire is Gone,” originally performed with Conway Twitty.
photo by Scott Newton
The night continued with Lyle Lovett coming to the stage to honor friend and Texan singer/songwriter Guy Clark. Lovett accepted the award on Clark’s behalf with wit and grace. Singing “Step Inside This House,” Lovett performed the first song Clark ever wrote, following that with “Anyhow I Love You,” a lovely waltz from Clark’s second album.
photo by Scott Newton
Jason Isbell killed it with the indelible Clark classic “Desperados Waiting For a Train” before being joined by guitarist extraordinare/Gillian Welch partner David Rawlings for the picker’s rumination “Black Diamond Strings.”
photo by Scott Newton
Next, host Dwight Yoakam inducted influential conjunto accordionist Flaco Jimenez. The eight-time ACLer and 76-year-old San Antonio native has recorded and performed with the honkytonk hero before, and accepted his award from his old compadre with a humble and eloquent speech. Then it was time for some classic Tex-Mex music. San Antonio Grammy winners Los Texmaniacs served as Jimenez’s opener with a swampy, rocking “Down in the Barrio,” joined by Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo on stinging guitar. The man himself took the stage for a honkytonking “He’ll Have to Go,” sung by Hidalgo, and a irresistibly danceable “Ay Te Dejo San Antonio.”
photo by Scott Newton
Yoakam returned to the stage for “Carmelita,” his and the honoree’s distinctive take on the Warren Zevon ballad. The ensemble closed out with a pair of Yoakam classics: the two-step standard “Streets of Bakersfield” and gorgeous murder ballad “Buenos Noches From a Lonely Room (She Wore Red Dresses).”
photo by Scott Newton
After a brief intermission, Yoakam introduced superfan Gillian Welch, who inducted Townes Van Zandt by telling stories about how the Texas troubadour came to her gigs in her early days in Nashville. The late singer/songwriter appeared on ACL twice, including a Season 1 episode some argue is his best-ever television performance. Van Zandt’s eldest son JT accepted on his father’s behalf. Welch then took the stage with her guitar-slinging partner David Rawlings for faithful takes on TVZ classics “Tecumseh Valley” and “Dollar Bill Blues.”
photo by Scott Newton
British singer/songwriter Laura Marling followed up with a stunning version of “Colorado Girl,” trailed by JT himself, performing a haunted take on “Nothin’,” one of his father’s most cathartic songs.
photo by Scott Newton
Vince Gill then returned to the stage to induct Asleep at the Wheel. With eleven appearances, including the very first episode of Season 1, Asleep at the Wheel has been a mainstay on ACL. Bandleader Ray Benson accepted, dedicating his award to the late Joe Gracey — his former roommate and the person responsible for the band’s first booking on Austin City Limits. The band hit the stage for a pair of standards, “Miles and Miles of Texas” and the boogie-woogieing “Route 66.”
photo by Scott Newton
Gill joined his old pals for a hoppin’ version of Bob Wills’ “Take Me Back to Tulsa,” while Lyle Lovett returned for a rousing run through Wills’ “Blues For Dixie.”
photo by Scott Newton
To round out the night, the Season 1 crew, having been honored the night before, was publicly recognized for their contributions in establishing the show as a music institution. The night ended with an all-star reading of Van Zandt’s classic roadburn “White Freightliner Blues.” It was a special evening, and we can’t wait for you to see it when it appears as part of Season 41 next year.
Courtney Barnett came to her livestreamed debut Austin City Limits taping after a couple of years of relentless hard work. “This is a lady that has paid her dues in the local Melbourne music scene and fully deserves to be where she is right now,” noted Darin Brown in the YouTube comments. “She and the other two guys are only going in one direction and that is up!!!” The Australian singer/songwriter/guitarist broke out of her country on the strength of a pair of EPs, collected as the album A Sea of Split Peas, hitting the States via festival shows, including noteworthy sets at 2014’s Fun Fun Fun Fest and Coachella. This year Barnett not only released the critically-acclaimed, Billboard Top 20 LP Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, but was a ubiquitous presence at SXSW. She arrived at the Moody during a U.S. tour that’s seen sellouts, and with infectious, unpretentious energy.
Opener “Elevator Operator,” from Sometimes, was a good introduction to her basic style: straightforward, unfancy guitar rock, vibrant but not aggressive, with conversational vocals and an observational lyrical style. Aided by her tight band featuring bassist Bones Sloane and drummer Dave Mudie, she stretched out within her framework, adding variety to her performance while remaining consistent in sound. The trio ranged from the garage-rocking “Canned Tomatoes” and melancholy balladry of “An Illustration of Loneliness” to the lovely folk rocking “Depreston” and the power popping “Dead Fox.” She earned special kudos from the eager audience with “Small Poppies” and “Avant Gardener,” both featuring rambling lyrics that move from mundane observation to philosophical contemplation – a Barnett specialty. She brought the main set to a crashing close with the single “Pedestrian at Best,” to the audience’s delight.
Barnett returned to the stage solo for a ragged but right cover of “Heavy Heart,” from the catalog of Australian rock stars You Am I. Her rhythm section rejoined her for “History Eraser,” a bashing fan favorite that (d)evolved into a perfectly sloppy Big Rawk Ending. “It’s nice catching her at these small venues now,” commented themadbatter, “because she’s blowing up.” We’re happy to help her with that explosion, and we can’t wait for you to see this episode when it airs as part of our 41st season this fall on PBS.
Austin City Limits is pleased to announce that we will be streaming our highly-anticipated debut taping with indie rock breakout star Courtney Barnett live on Thursday, June 4, 8pm CT/9pm ET. The taping will be live streamed worldwide directly from ACL’s stage via our YouTube channel. Fans can watch the event as it happens live from ACL’s studio home, ACL Live at The Moody Theater, powered by Dell. The broadcast episode of this show will air this fall on PBS during our upcoming Season 41.
The Aussie singer/songwriter and guitarist has made one of the most arresting music debuts in years, and is receiving critical acclaim across-the-board: Rolling Stone hails Barnett “one of rock’s most beguiling young stars and deftest lyricists,” calling her debut album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, “2015’s sharpest debut”. Paste says she’s “one of the most charming, whipsmart performers currently touring the world,” and NPR raves “the new album will thrill any fan of smart, biting guitar driven rock,” calling her “the best lyricist in rock music today.” Spin calls it “one of the most thrilling albums you’ll hear this year,” and hails the garage rocker a “goddamn rock star.”
Courtney Barnett captured the attention of the music world with the 2013 release of The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas (which combined her first two self-released EPs). The Melbourne-based musician embarked on a nonstop worldwide tour, amassing a cult-like following along the way, stopping barely long enough to record her first true album. Mixing witty, often hilarious, occasionally even heartbreaking observations with unflinching self-assessment, Barnett’s debut, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, cements her standing as one of the most distinctive and compelling new voices in indie rock.
We’re thrilled to host this outstanding talent. Join us for this live webcast of the Austin City Limits debut of Courtney Barnett.
Shakey Graves has worked hard in the last few years. The Austin musician known as Alejandro Rose-Garcia to his parents has been a road dog of the first degree, taking first his one-man-band act then his band on the road to any club, festival and living room that would have him. The work has paid off with a pair of highly acclaimed albums and a growing national fanbase. For last night’s livestreamed taping, the young singer/songwriter was welcomed by a loving hometown crowd.
“I’m just gonna take a minute and soak all this in,” Graves said before launching into “Roll the Bones,” the title track of his debut album. Thumping a suitcase bass drum and tambourine combo and fingerpicking a noisy hollowbody guitar, the raspy-voiced Austin native made his case immediately: passionate, funny, mindful of folk and blues tradition without being dragged down by it. Graves was joined by his stalwart drummer Boo for the cowpunkabilly “If Not For You” and then by guitarist Patrick O’Connor for the more folky “Family and Genus,” with the trio then taking “The Perfect Parts” to the swamp. Boo and O’Connor took a break to let Graves go back to singing solo, digging into his folk bag for “Tomorrow,” the vaudeville-tinged “Chinatown” (a request from his mom, who was present) and “ Proper Fence,” which ended with playful call and response with the crowd. Following the fingerpicked electric blues of “Buil to Roam,” Graves’ band then retook the stage, swaying into the grungy “Pansy Waltz” and blazing into the surfing cowpunk of “Where a Boy Once Stood.” Inviting his friend Carson McHone to duet, Graves and co. ended the main set with his triple-A radio hit “Dearly Departed,” which brought the audience to its feet.
Graves came back alone for the encore, showing off both sides of his personality: the sensitive troubadour of “Hard Wired” and the sardonic storyteller behind the crime story “Late July.” With that one-two punch, the show concluded to rapturous applause, as the hometown hero left the stage. It was an excellent show, and we can’t wait for you to see it when it airs during Season 41 on PBS.
Austin City Limits is pleased to announce that we will be streaming our taping with Shakey Graves live on Wednesday, May 6, 8pm CT/9pm ET. The taping will webcast in its entirety via our YouTube channel.
Austin-based singer/songwriter Shakey Graves will be playing songs from his acclaimed 2014 LP And the War Came. An actor who had a recurring role on Friday Night Lights and appeared in several Robert Rodriguez films, the erstwhile Alejandro Rose-Garcia started making music as part of New York City’s “anti-folk” scene. Since returning to Austin, Shakey Graves has become so closely associated with his hometown that for the last three years, Austin has celebrated “Shakey Graves Day” by mayoral proclamation. With And the War Came, he extends the ground emotionally and sonically broken by his 2011 self-released debut Roll the Bones, which still ranks near the top of Bandcamp’s digital best-seller charts. As noted by Exclaim, And the War Came “displays remarkable growth as a songwriter, guitar player and arranger without entirely leaving behind the one-man-band, lo-fi aesthetic that made his debut such a captivating listen.”
The broadcast version of this show will air this fall on PBS. Join us for this live webcast of the Austin City Limits debut of Shakey Graves.
