Austin City Limits Season 38 Episode 9 Bob Mould/Delta Spirit Having showcased artists ranging from Willie Nelson to Sheryl Crow since its premiere in 1975, Austin City Limits champions performers who display exceptional musical and songwriting talents, rather than hemming itself in with music labels. The results are unpretentious and engaging performances by musicians who appreciate the intimate concert setting and straightforward style of production. Austin City Limits presents the best of America's music from country, blues and folk to rock 'n' roll, bluegrass and zydeco. Inspired by Austin, Texas' burgeoning live music scene in the early '70s, Austin City Limits has featured more than 500 different regional and internationally acclaimed artists on its stage over the years. From B.B. King and Bob Wills' Texas Playboys to Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ray Charles and Leonard Cohen, each new season presents some of the best original music in every music genre. Its ability to consistently present an amiable mix of musical styles makes it a standout among television music programs.
For decades, Austin City Limits was a charming, well-kept PBS secret mostly among fiercely loyal Texans who loved seeing no-commercials, no-frills performances from musicians who usually looked thrilled to be a part of the ACL performers club started by Willie Nelson about 30 years ago. The inspiration for the popular live-music festival in Austin every fall, ACL received probably its greatest attention a few years ago for hosting Coldplay (check out its Guest Appearances page and you too will wonder what in the heck a megapopular British band was doing in the small, casual Austin City Limits performance studio), but it hasn't meant a permanent turn away from the usual blues, country, folk, and rock acts for whom this hour-long show is a really big deal. Tune in when you get a chance -- as Coldplay's Chris Martin said while talking to a kid sitting in the front row of the audience, "This is a pretty cool place to be when you're 11, isn't it?" Actually, whether you're in the studio or watching the broadcast, it's a pretty good place to be at any age.
For decades, Austin City Limits was a charming, well-kept PBS secret mostly among fiercely loyal Texans who loved seeing no-commercials, no-frills performances from musicians who usually looked thrilled to be a part of the ACL performers club started by Willie Nelson about 30 years ago. The inspiration for the popular live-music festival in Austin every fall, ACL received probably its greatest attention a few years ago for hosting Coldplay (check out its Guest Appearances page and you too will wonder what in the heck a megapopular British band was doing in the small, casual Austin City Limits performance studio), but it hasn't meant a permanent turn away from the usual blues, country, folk, and rock acts for whom this hour-long show is a really big deal. Tune in when you get a chance -- as Coldplay's Chris Martin said while talking to a kid sitting in the front row of the audience, "This is a pretty cool place to be when you're 11, isn't it?" Actually, whether you're in the studio or watching the broadcast, it's a pretty good place to be at any age.
