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ACL Fest 2020 Rises From the Ashes and Goes Virtual

October 9, 2020 by Bill Tucker Leave a Comment

When COVID knocked out SXSW back in March of this year, I was crestfallen. Seven months later, my sadness seems petty, but at the time, it was crushing. And as we all know, everything else live music related fell along with it, including the other marquee music event of the year, the Austin City Limits Festival.

Luckily, the ACL Festival team refused to stay down and crafted a weekend long virtual event that both pays homage to the past while keeping an eye towards the future. All without the need for masks, social distancing or even tickets.

A Blast to the Past

Spoon ACL Fest 2017
Spoon performing at ACL Festival 2017. (credit: John Cabuena)

This year’s event will run from October 9th to 11th exclusively on YouTube. The virtu-show starts at 7 p.m. each night and will feature iconic performances from past festivals. From last year’s headliners Billie Eilish and Gary Clark Jr to Phish and LCD Soundsystem in 2010, a decade’s worth of ACL Fest memories will be on offer.

But it’s not all “re-runs” of classic ACL Fest moments. Determined to keep the lineup current, the festival will feature a variety of new content and recorded performances featuring some of Austin’s finest talent. One of the coolest examples of old meets new is an animated video of Willie Nelson’s 2016 ACL Fest performance of “On the Road Again” presented by Texas Monthly.

New Content with a Local Flair

Melat at ACL
Melat stole the show during her stunningly sultry ACL 2017 set. (credit: John Cabuena)

Like the in-person event, this year’s edition leans heavily on both local talent and organizations. Yearly sponsor, Austin Parks Foundation, will showcase local artists performing in unique locations around Austin:

  • Melat from the Zilker Botanical Gardens.
  • Jackie Venson from Pan Am Neighborhood Park.
  • Los Coast from Zilker Clubhouse
  • Otis the Destroyer from the Heath Eiland and Morgan Moss BMX Skatepark.

Another long time sponsor, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, hosted a series of brand new performances from the Black Pumas, Mobley, and Paul Cauthen which will be broadcast throughout the weekend. And as they do every year, Tito’s will match all donations to the Austin Parks Foundation up to $10,000 made during ACL Fest 2020.

More Than Just Music

A special thank you to the Austin Parks Foundation for keeping Zilker beautiful throughout two weekends of musical madness! (credit: John Cabuena/Flipintex Fotos).

Anybody who’s been to ACL Fest will tell you the weekend is more than epic live music. It’s a gathering place, an innovation showcase, and sometimes a social call to arms. ACL Fest 2020 continues this important piece of the festival puzzle in this year’s virtual format.

In the conversation department, Salesforce has partnered with ACL Fest 2020 to create the Make Change initiative. Matthew McConaughey will host two sessions, one starring tennis legend Andy Roddick and a group of community focused entrepreneurs while the other will center on providing educational assistance to underserved high school students. While these smaller sessions often get swallowed by the music, please make a point to attend these enlightening and important sessions.

Other sessions and partnerships include:

  • Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to changing the American electoral landscape by ensuring everyone is registered and empowered to vote.
  • The Equal Justice Initiative, committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishments in the American penal system.
  • The All Together ATX Relief Fund, a joint partnership with Austin Community Foundation and United Way for Greater Austin designed to combat the economic impact of COVID-19 on already vulnerable neighborhoods.

New Location, Same Energy for ACL Fest 2020

Jumping from the ACL Fest picture frame is a yearly tradition (credit: John Cabuena/Flipintex Fotos).

And the list of awesomeness goes on and on! When many festivals packed it in and said, “see you next year” when COVID struck, the Austin City Limits Festival team dug in and found a new way to celebrate. While it won’t be the eight stage, 400,000 person extravaganza we’re used to, this year’s virtual edition is a thoughtfully curated and planned event that does more than make the best out of a challenging situation. ACL Fest 2020 uses the limitations to create something different but equally impactful.

Enjoying some of the best moments of ACL’s past from the comfort of your couch for free sounds like a lovely way to spend an evening. Try to do so at least once this weekend!


@BillTuckerTSP wants to know:

Do you have a favorite ACL Fest performance? Tell us about it!

Filed Under: Entertainment, Music Tagged With: acl, acl fest, austin city limits

Gary Clark, Jr. Delivers a Scalding Hot Austin City Limits Taping

March 8, 2019 by Joleen Jernigan Leave a Comment

Gary Clark Jr. Austin City Limits Taping 2019

Gary Clark, Jr. performs an intimate set at his third Austin City Limits taping (Credit: Scott Newton, courtesy of KLRU/Austin City Limits)

Austin’s red hot Gary Clark, Jr. is having the BEST YEAR EVER! The singer/songwriter released a critically-acclaimed album, “This Land,” celebrated his 35th birthday, played Saturday Night Live (subsequently disrupting the Twitterverse), and finally came home for an Austin City Limits taping on Tuesday, March 5, 2019. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Entertainment, Music Tagged With: acl, austin city limits

Willie Nelson Delivers Classic Set During 18th Austin City Limits Taping

November 21, 2018 by Bill Tucker Leave a Comment

Willie Nelson Austin City Limits Taping 2018

Willie Nelson enjoyed every minute of his Austin City Limits taping on Nov. 19, 2018
(Credit: Scott Newton/courtesy of KLRU-TV)

As I stood at an upright table overlooking 2nd Street and Guadalupe on the Moody Theater balcony, a chilling thought ran through my head: I didn’t know much about Willie Nelson.

To Austinites with half an ear, the notion is blasphemy. How could any music reviewer worth his salt not know the King of Outlaw Country’s body of work? His statue is outside the dang theater.

Walking to my seat, I knew this was no longer a simple concert for me. It was a crash course on a living legend, plying his trade for the 18th time on the Austin City Limits stage. True to form, he did not disappoint. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Entertainment, Music Tagged With: acl, austin city limits

The Black Angels Celebrate Latest Record With Stunning ACL Taping

May 31, 2017 by Bill Tucker Leave a Comment

The Black Angels at ACL Live

The Black Angels celebrate their new record, “Death Song,” in style during an Austin City Limits taping on May 23, 2017 (Credit: Scott Newton)

Full disclosure: psychedelic music isn’t my thing. No offense to the genre, but my appreciation is closer to respect than enjoyment. Something about freeform, meandering soundscapes clashes with my drum line, percussion ensemble upbringing. In the correct headspace, it can be beautiful, but it’s not something I blast in my car during my evening commute.

Or so I thought. By taking the evocative expressiveness of traditional psychedelic music and trapping it in a barbed wire cage of aggressive hard rock, Austin’s The Black Angels have created a unique sound. Their May 23 taping for the 43rd season of Austin City Limits on KLRU-TV was a celebration of a new record and 13 years of rocking out. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Entertainment, Music Tagged With: austin city limits

Grupo Fantasma Delivers Latin Flavor to Austin City Limits

July 11, 2016 by Bill Tucker Leave a Comment

Grupo Fantasma ACL Live Taping

Grupo Fantasma exploded onto the Moody Theater stage during their Austin City Limits taping (Credit: Scott Newton)

When a 10-piece Latin funk band starts their Austin City Limits taping with a rendition of “Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin, you know you’re in for a special evening.

Grupo Fantasma gave the energetic crowd exactly that. Delivering a powerful, body-shaking blend of samba, merengue and Latin jams, this groove-tastic Austin staple blew the roof off the Moody Theatre. My foot still aches from the constant toe-tapping. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Entertainment, Music Tagged With: acl, austin city limits

3 Austin Documentaries You Should See During SXSW Film

March 10, 2016 by Kelli McDonald Leave a Comment

SXSW Film 2016 Austin Documentaries

Austinites have to share their city during SXSW, so it only seems fair that a few featured documentary films would highlight Austin’s intriguing history with new information for both natives and newcomers to learn.

“A Song For You: The Austin City Limits Story,” “Honky Tonk Heaven: Legend of the Broken Spoke,” and “Tower” make their debut during the 30th SXSW Music, Film and Interactive Conferences and Festivals. Each film aims to skillfully investigate significant happenings in our city. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Entertainment, Events, Film Tagged With: austin city limits, sxsw

Gary Clark Jr. Is Austin Music Legend in the Making

September 17, 2015 by Jessica Pino Leave a Comment

Gary Clark Jr. Austin City Limits Taping

Gary Clark Jr. performing at a recent Austin City Limits taping (Credit: Scott Newton)

Gary Clark Jr. is making Austin proud once again. In anticipation of his latest album, The Story of Sonny Boy Slim, Clark performed during an ACL taping for the show’s upcoming 41st season. I cannot quite put into words how energizing and entertaining it is to watch Gary Clark Jr. perform live. But I’ll try.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Entertainment, Music Tagged With: acl, austin city limits

Shakey Graves: From Suitcase Musician to Rising Star

May 19, 2015 by Edgar Barguiarena 1 Comment

Shakey Graves on Stage

Shakey Graves expresses genuine gratitude for playing on such a grand stage

With over 1,800 in attendance, Alejandro Rose-Garcia was headlining in front of his largest crowd ever. “I’m just gonna take a minute to soak all this in,” Alejandro, better known as Shakey Graves, shared with the at-capacity audience.

The hometown favorite had come full circle. Since returning to Austin in 2010, Shakey Graves had taken his one-man band from opening in shady clubs on 6th Street to his very own taping for American television’s greatest music show, Austin City Limits. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Entertainment, Music Tagged With: acl, austin city limits

Celebrating 45 Years of Austin Music Icon Asleep at the Wheel

March 4, 2015 by Edwin Ochoa Leave a Comment

Asleep at the Wheel, the Quebe Sisters, Amos Lee, and Avett Brothers at ACL Taping

Asleep at the Wheel, the Quebe Sisters, Amos Lee and The Avett Brothers share the stage in an epic finale at ACL TV (Credit: Scott Newton courtesy of KLRU-TV)

What could possibly be more Austin iconic than breakfast tacos, bats and barbecue? Asleep at the Wheel is what.

Since 1974, the Grammy Award winning band has called Austin home and kept the sound of country western swing alive. Led by local legend Ray Benson, Asleep at the Wheel appeared on the first official episode of the first season of Austin City Limits TV in 1975.

2015 is poised to be another banner year for the band with an epic album release, induction to the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame and their 11th appearance on the Austin City Limits show 40 years after recording the first official episode. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Entertainment, Music Tagged With: acl, austin city limits

Before MTV, There Was…

November 26, 2014 by Jessica Pino Leave a Comment

ACL Live at the Moody Theater

The Moody Theater, home of Austin City Limits (Credit: Andy via Flickr CC)

The concept of music television existed long before MTV was created. The award winning PBS series Austin City Limits has been shaping the way we experience music for 40 years.

ACL began with a vision to highlight local music and has grown into an international sensation. Musicians and fans from around the world look up to ACL’s simple – yet sophisticated – take on music. What started Austin on its journey to becoming the “Live Music Capital of the World” remains a pillar in our culture today.

As ACL begins its fifth decade of live music broadcasting, I want to pay tribute to the show’s legacy by examining where it came from and what its existence has meant to local Austin musicians. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Entertainment, Music Tagged With: acl, austin city limits, downtown

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