Austin City Limits Season 43 rocks on with a hit-filled hour starring the great Pretenders in their first-ever appearance on the ACL stage. The legendary rock band sends a message of love to viewers with an eleven-song hit parade.
Influential punk new-wave veterans the Pretenders are in fighting form as they kick off an electrifying hour with new classic “Alone,” a swagger-fueled gem that fits right into the band’s canon, and the title track from their first album in almost a decade. Iconic bandleader Chrissie Hynde informs the crowd, “You don’t have to be polite, because we don’t plan to be.” The defiant frontwoman commands the stage, showcasing her still-radiant voice in a career-spanning performance featuring fan-favorites including “Back On The Chain Gang,” “My City Was Gone,” “Mystery Achievement,” and “Middle of the Road.” Pretenders’ trademark tough and tender lyrics resonate as they did when the band arrived on the London scene in 1978. Hynde fondly introduces original member Martin Chambers as “the world’s greatest rock drummer,” as he plays the stirring intro of “Message Of Love.” The band caps the powerhouse set with their signature hit “Brass In Pocket,” as Hynde pulls a spellbound fan onstage to join her on the timeless tune.
“One thing that hasn’t changed in almost 40 years,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona, “Chrissie Hynde is still a badass! There’s no doubt about who’s in charge, and musically her voice still rings as clear and strong as ever. Whether you’re an old fan or a newbie, this is a show for the ages.”
photo by Scott Newton
Tune in this weekend for this episode, and, as always, check your local PBS listings for the broadcast time in your area. Go to the episode page for more info, and don’t forget to click over to our Facebook, Twitter and newsletter pages for more ACL info. Join us next week for a brand new episode, featuring a full hour with multi-platinum superstars Zac Brown Band.
Austin City Limits is thrilled to announce that we will be streaming the debut taping of one of the most celebrated musicians in the world—legendary jazz composer and keyboardist Herbie Hancock on Thursday, October 12 directly from the ACL stage at 8pm CT/9 pm ET on ACLTV’s YouTube channel.
Herbie Hancock makes his Austin City Limits debut performing works from throughout his extraordinary career. Now in the fifth decade of his professional life, the Chicago native remains at the forefront of world culture, technology, business and music. Hancock has been an integral part of every popular music movement since the 1960s. He was a member of the Miles Davis Quintet that pioneered a groundbreaking sound in jazz, and in the 70s he developed new approaches heard in record-breaking albums like Headhunters, combining electric jazz with funk and rock. His trailblazing 1983 crossover smash “Rockit,” an early hip-hop touchstone, is considered one of the first songs to feature scratching, with Future Shock – the album from which it comes – marking Hancock’s foray into electronic dance sounds. During the same period he also continued to work in an acoustic setting with V.S.O.P., which included his ex-Miles Davis bandmates Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams. Hancock received an Academy Award for his Round Midnight film score and fourteen Grammy Awards, including Album Of The Year for River: The Joni Letters — only the second jazz album in the Recording Academy’s history to ever receive that award — and two Grammy Awards for 2011’s globally collaborative CD The Imagine Project. He was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor in 2013, published his memoir Herbie Hancock: Possibilities in 2014 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Many of his compositions, including “Cantaloupe Island,” “Maiden Voyage,” “Watermelon Man” (a tune from his first album that has been recorded over 200 times) and “Chameleon” are modern standards. Hancock will be joined by his stellar live band, including bassist James Genus (Lee Konitz, Dave Douglas), drummer Vinnie Colaiuta (Frank Zappa, Sting) and multi-instrumentalist Terrace Martin (Kendrick Lamar, Robert Glasper).
Please join us October 12 for this full-set livestream on our ACLTV YouTube channel. The broadcast version will air on PBS early next year as part of our Season 43.
Austin City Limits launches a new season of must-see performances with a dazzling hour featuring one of today’s most popular artists: Ed Sheeran. The worldwide superstar returns to the ACL stage in a stunning solo performance showcasing fan favorites and hit songs from his blockbuster album ÷ (Divide), the biggest-selling album of 2017.
Next generation singer-songwriter Sheeran shines in a ten-song tour de force, opening with the soaring anthem “Castle on the Hill,” one of the latest classics from his double-platinum Divide, Sheeran’s third studio album. “I feel this is going to be quite fun tonight,” enthuses the 26-year-old British phenom who first appeared on ACL in 2014. The one-man marvel performs solo with only his guitar and a loop pedal to layer his vocals, in a striking, intimate hour. Sheeran thrills with career highlights including his breakthrough hit “The A Team,” “Thinking Out Loud,” (which won him his first two Grammy Awards in 2016), and “Perfect,” a stunner from Divide Sheeran calls “my favorite song I’ve ever written.” The Austin audience is happy to follow his lead for the show-stopping set-closer “Shape of You,” the record-breaking chart-topper which recently became Spotify’s most-streamed song ever with over 1 billion plays. The musical dynamo is transcendent as he jumps from amp to amp, while working his loop pedal, drumming on his guitar and directing the willing crowd in a euphoric sing-along.
photo by Scott Newton
“There aren’t enough superlatives to describe Ed Sheeran’s many successes, but underlying everything is a genuine talent that makes him stand out,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “What’s remarkable is that at 26 his songs have connected with so many fans literally all over the globe. This is the first time that his unique one-man show has been captured for a full hour on broadcast television.”
Tune in this weekend for this episode, and, as always, check your local PBS listings for the broadcast time in your area. Go to the episode page for more info, and don’t forget to click over to our Facebook, Twitter and newsletter pages for more ACL info. Join us next week for a brand new episode, featuring a full hour with legendary rock & roll band The Pretenders.
Iconic PBS series Austin City Limits announces a new season premiering October 7 with an an epic hour featuring global superstar Ed Sheeran. With this season, ACL becomes the longest-running music show in television history, providing viewers with a front-row seat to the best in performance for over 40 years, and continues its legendary run showcasing more stars, innovators and highly-anticipated debuts.
Austin City Limits returns to PBS on Saturday, October 7 at 9pm ET/8pm CT (check local listings) with a season premiere featuring UK hitmaker Ed Sheeran in his second appearance on the ACL stage, returning to perform his biggest hits and new gems from his chart-topping third album ÷(Divide). The upcoming Season 43 is filled with musical treats: trailblazing rock band The Pretenders dazzle in their ACL debut with an electrifying, career-spanning performance. Country superstar (and Texas native) Miranda Lambert, in her third appearance, shines in a stunning hour of music while sharing the stories behind her songs. Multi-platinum Southern country-rock act Zac Brown Band make their first ACL visit with a remarkable career-wide hour. The extended line-up features ACL debuts from outstanding newcomers including indie original Angel Olsen and New Orleans blues-rocker Benjamin Booker, while returning Americana favorites Norah Jones and The Head and the Heart bring their latest music to the ACL stage.
Miranda Lambert – photo by Scott Newton
In addition to the popular livestreams of select tapings which ACL offers fans worldwide, this season will amplify the show’s commitment to delivering exciting new platforms to experience Austin City Limits’ live performances. Austin City Limits is partnering with Google’s virtual reality team to create an immersive 10-part Daydream video series, ACL VR, bringing exclusive performance and behind-the-scenes content to viewers everywhere. Stay tuned to ACL’s YouTube Channel this fall for 360° from Ed Sheeran, Zac Brown Band and more from Season 43.
For the seventh consecutive year, the producers of Austin City Limits, in conjunction with High 5 Productions, and the Americana Music Association, are proud to present a special ACL Presents—featuring the best music performances from this year’s Americana Music Association Honors and Awards Ceremony held September 13 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN.
“This season proves once again why both music fans and artists alike consider Austin City Limits to be the finest showcase for the best in music today – no matter where it comes from,” says longtime executive producer Terry Lickona. “Artists consider it an honor to step on our stage, and we are honored to capture these performances and bring them to the world – now in more formats than ever before.”
Benjamin Booker – photo by Scott Newton
Austin City Limits continues to livestream select performances including a trio of highly-anticipated Season 43 performances: On August 21, in a rare double taping, ACL will livestream acclaimed singer/songwriters Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires and on August 22 indie rock sensation Father John Misty. The tapings are livestreamed worldwide on ACL’s YouTube Channel at 9pm ET/8pm CT. The broadcast episodes of these tapings will air as part of the second half of ACL’s Season 43 which kicks off on New Year’s Eve. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding future tapings, episode schedules and live stream updates.
Season 43 Fall Broadcast Schedule (additional episodes to be announced):
October 7 Ed Sheeran
October 14The Pretenders
October 21Zac Brown Band
October 28Norah Jones/ Angel Olsen
November 4Miranda Lambert
November 11The Head and the Heart/ Benjamin Booker
November 18 ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival 2017
The complete line-up for the full 14-week season, including eight new episodes to air beginning December 31, 2017, will be announced at a later date. Check the news section of acltv.com for additional episode updates.
Austin City Limitscloses out Season 42 with a big rock finish—a season finale featuring UK alt-rock sensations Foals and Texas legend Alejandro Escovedo. Foals play tunes from their album What Went Down, while Escovedo, joined by an all-star band that includes R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, showcases songs from his acclaimed release Burn Something Beautiful.
One of the UK’s most popular bands, Foals make their debut on the Austin City Limits stage with songs from their acclaimed fourth album What Went Down, awarded Best Album by NME in 2016. Hailed as “fierce, amorphous rock” by The Guardian, the British quintet formed in Oxford in 2005 and have gone on to conquer festival stages including Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds in their native UK, and Coachella and the Austin City Limits Festival stateside. Foals perform a blistering five-song set featuring their breakthrough anthem “Mountain At My Gates,” and closing with the seething “What Went Down,” which features a crowd visit from charismatic frontman Yannis Philippakis that thrills the besotted Austin fans.
“Foals has a reputation for their amazing live performances,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona, “and I had more people come up to me after this show than any other to say it was the best one all season. That should give you some idea what to expect!”
Called a “rock and punk godfather” by Rolling Stone, Alejandro Escovedo first appeared on Austin City Limits in 1983, and returns for a fifth, unforgettable performance. The Texas trailblazer performs songs from Burn Something Beautiful, his 11th studio album, joined by alt-rock luminaries including R.E.M.’s Peter Buck and the Minus 5’s Scott McCaughey, who co-produced the new release, rounded out by a team of rock stalwarts: ex-Fastbacks guitarist Kurt Bloch, Decemberists’ drummer John Moen, and singers Kelly Hogan (Neko Case) and Karla Manzur. Escovedo and Buck lock guitars for the shimmering “Suit of Lights” featuring a gorgeous vocal spotlight by Hogan, and the six-string army blazes at full-force on the fiery, infectious punk of album opener “Horizontal.” The luminous set is a celebration of the rock ‘n’ roll life and a testament to the enduring power of a rock ‘n’ roll survivor.
photo by Scott Newton
“In so many ways, Alejandro epitomizes what Austin City Limits is all about,” says Lickona. “His music expanded, deepened and evolved over the years much the same way ACL has. It’s always a special night when he takes our stage.”
Tune in this weekend for this episode, and, as always, check your local PBS listings for the broadcast time in your area. Go to the episode page for more info, and don’t forget to click over to our Facebook, Twitter and newsletter pages for more ACL info. Tune in next week for a special encore, featuring Album of the Year Grammy nominee Sturgill Simpson and Austin scene vets Asleep at the Wheel.
Gospel superstar CeCe Winans dazzles with a joyful spirit and a powerful voice in her first-ever appearance on the ACL stage. The ten-time Grammy-winning legend takes us to church with a buoyant set backed by her eleven-piece band, performing songs from Let Them Fall in Love, her first album in nearly a decade. Winans opens with the Motown meets southern soul burner “Hey Devil!” – a playful rebuke to temptation, tossing in a chorus of “Hit the Road, Jack” for good measure. A set highlight is new gem “Lowly,” a feel-good raver filled with soaring choruses and delightful interplay between Winans and her backup singers. She delivers a powerhouse take on “Why Me Lord,” the Kris Kristofferson classic, bringing the house down. Closing out her exuberant set with “Dancing in the Spirit,” the gospel giant leads a jubilant sing and dance-along that has the audience on their feet singing her praises.
Named “one of rock’s hottest live acts,” by Rolling Stone, the Birmingham, Alabama soul outfit St. Paul & The Broken Bones fire up the crowd in a thrilling ACL debut, armed with songs from their acclaimed sophomore release Sea of Love. Dynamic frontman Paul Janeway, decked out in a cherry-red suit with checkerboard trim, promises the crowd “we gon’ take you there,” and he delivers. The blistering set offers non-stop scorchers with a show-stopping performance by Janeway, whose voice has earned comparisons to soul greats Al Green and Otis Redding, and whom, NPR says, “channels a fire-and-brimstone energy”. “Let’s take it to the heavens,” says the colorful bandleader for the rousing set-closer “Burning Rome,” as he drops to his knees, preaching his soul-fire gospel and making a believer out of everyone.
photo by Scott Newton
“A CeCe Winans performance is almost a religious experience in itself, but no matter your beliefs, you’ll be inspired to sing, shout and dance by this show,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “St. Paul & The Broken Bones is unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard. Taken together, this is an unmitigated hour of joy!”
Tune in this weekend for this episode, and, as always, check your local PBS listings for the broadcast time in your area. Go to the episode page for more info, and don’t forget to click over to our Facebook, Twitter and newsletter pages for more ACL info. Tune in next week for a brand new episode, featuring the ACL debut of British rock sensation Foals and the return of rocking Texas singer/songwriter Alejandro Escovedo.
