Austin City Limits

For the music festival, see Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Austin City Limits
Created by
  • Bill Arhos
  • Paul Bosner
  • Bruce Scafe
Directed by
  • Bruce Scafe (1976-1977; Seasons 1-2)
  • Charles Vaughn (1978; Season 3)
  • Clark Santee (1979; Season 4)
  • Allan Muir (1980-1982; Seasons 5-7)
  • Gary Menotti (1983–present; Seasons 8-present)
Narrated byTerry Lickona (1979-present; Seasons 4-present)
Theme music composerGary P. Nunn
Opening theme"London Homesick Blues" (1977-2004)
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons50
No. of episodes900
Production
Running time60 minutes
Production companyAustin PBS
Original release
NetworkPBS
ReleaseJanuary 3, 1976 (1976-01-03) –
present

Austin City Limits is an American live music television program recorded and produced by Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World",[1] and is the only television show to receive the National Medal of Arts, which it was awarded in 2003.[2] It also won a rare institutional Peabody Award in 2011 "for its more than three decades of presenting and preserving eclectic American musical genres".[3] Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS under the Capital of Texas Public Telecommunications Council. The show was created in 1974 by Bill Arhos, Bruce Scafe, and Paul Bosner.

Beginning in Season 15 (1990), Austin City Limits began broadcasting in Dolby Surround, and continued until Season 24 (1999). From 1976 to 2004 (seasons 1-29), the show was broadcast in NTSC. From 2004 to 2007 (Seasons 30-32), the show was broadcast in HDTV 720p. Beginning in Season 33 (2007–2008), the show began broadcasting in widescreen 1080i.

Format

Each 60-minute episode features a live studio audience and showcases performances across a diverse array of musical genres, including country, rhythm & blues, Tejano, pop, zydeco, honky-tonk, western swing, Americana, gospel, bluegrass, Cajun, reggae, blues, New Orleans, acoustic, Conjunto, contemporary, folk, jazz, soul, rock, alternative, roots, singers-songwriters, and rockabilly. Filmed in Austin, Texas, the program features authentic musicians performing live, reflecting a core commitment to musical integrity, as the artists are not actors.

Songwriters Special

Beginning in Season 5 (1980), Austin City Limits introduced its Songwriters Special, which remained in use until Season 34 (2008-2009). The first Songwriters Special included performances by Willie Nelson, Floyd Tillman, Hank Cochran, Red Lane, Whitey Shafer, and Sonny Throckmorton.[4]

Television pilot

The pilot was shot on October 17, 1974, and starred Willie Nelson.[4] (B.W. Stevenson was actually taped the night before, but the recording was deemed unusable).[5] The deliberate lack of production slickness plus attention to audio detail pleased even the notoriously TV-shy Nelson. Lead Marketer Ken Waggoner, and Austin City Limits creator Bill Arhos pitched the pilot to PBS as part of its 1975 pledge drive. The show's success as a fundraiser was enough for Arhos to get Austin City Limits green-lighted as a series.[5]

Availability

The show inspired the creation of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, an annual live music festival at Zilker Park in Austin. In 1982, Bill Arhos returned to Austin City Limits as the executive producer starting in season 7, and he stayed until his retirement in season 24 (1999). In 2015, Arhos died at the age of 80. In 2014, he was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame. Some of the performances from Austin City Limits have been released as CDs and DVDs in the Live from Austin, TX series. Full episodes can also be viewed online at the show's official website. There is an Austin City Limits store[6] at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport.

On June 21, 2012, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, announced that nearly 40 years of Austin City Limits footage would be digitally archived "in perpetuity" at the Museum's new Library and Archives; recordings from more than 800 live performances will be made available to the public.[7][8][9][10]

On September 9, 2018, Austin City Limits Radio was launched in Austin at 97.1 FM (utilizing a leased HD Radio subchannel of KGSR (93.3-HD2)), with an eclectic playlist representative of the television show's history.[11]

Syndication

In 1981, Austin City Limits began commercial syndication to local stations under the title Austin City Limits Encore. Later, in 2016, MTV Live (formerly Palladia HD) acquired the rerun rights to the series and began broadcasting episodes under the title Best of Austin City Limits. [12] During the show's 16th season in 1991, Austin City Limits significantly expanded its reach, broadcasting nearly 200 episodes across the United States and Canada. This period marked the beginning of the program's international distribution via satellite, with broadcasts airing in Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Turkey, Iran, South Korea, Australia, and Japan, as well as throughout Europe and Latin America. From 2002 to 2003, CMT (Country Music Television) repackaged several country-themed episodes of the program under the title Best of Austin City Limits. When these episodes aired on CMT, they were edited to a 42-minute runtime to accommodate commercials and featured introductions hosted by Charlie Robison and Tara McNamara. Between 1992 and 1993, TNN broadcast a series of repackaged Austin City Limits performances under the title Austin Encore. The television program also aired on CMT Canada from 1998 to 2002. In 2022, the network Circle (now known as Circle Country) aired Austin City Limits: Country, a program showcasing vintage, classic, and memorable episodes of the series with a focus on country music. Each episode features performance details, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive interviews. The show's first season was hosted by Rodney Crowell in 2022, followed by a second season hosted by Ray Benson in 2023.

Production

During the show's first season in 1976, Joe Gracey served as the talent consultant.[13] In 1984, Dick Peterson joined KLRU and was subsequently promoted to Executive Producer of Austin City Limits in 2000.[14] Terry Lickona joined the program as a producer in 1979 during the show's fourth season and succeeded Bill Arhos as executive producer following his retirement in 2009.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] Bruce Scafe served as the first director of Austin City Limits, helming the program for Season 1 (1976) and Season 2 (1977). Charles Vaughn took over as producer and director for Season 3 (1978), while Clark Santee became Terry Lickona's first directing partner during Season 4 (1979). Allan Muir assumed the role of director in Season 5 (1980) and continued through Season 7 (1982), at which point Gary Menotti succeeded him beginning with Season 8 (1983). The original boom crane used by the production team throughout the show's tenure at Studio 6A was the same piece of equipment originally used during the filming of The Wizard of Oz.

Venues

For the first 36 seasons (1976-2011), Austin City Limits was taped at Studio 6A in the Communications Building B on the University of Texas at Austin campus. The stage featured a signature Austin skyline backdrop, which was introduced in Season 7 (1982). While the studio had a seating capacity of approximately 800, fire code restrictions limited the audience to 300. In 2010, the show and its original studio were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A plaque near the entrance to Communications Building B now commemorates the program as the longest-running music show in the history of American television. [23] Starting in Season 37 (2011-2012), Austin City Limits relocated to Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin's Block 21. The venue offers a seating capacity of 2,750 and hosts an estimated 100 concerts and 100 private events annually.[24]

40th season

On December 2, 2014, in celebration of Austin City Limits' 40th season, a DVD titled Austin City Limits Celebrates 40 Years was released.[25]

Episodes

Main article: List of Austin City Limits performers

Hall of Fame

Established as part of the 40th anniversary of Austin City Limits in 2014.[26]

Set design

When Austin City Limits premiered on January 3, 1976, its first set, designed by Bruce Scafe, Paul Bosner, and Augie Kymmel during Season 1 in 1976, featured a distinctive black backdrop accented with colored mats and a unique floor plan that integrated the audience directly into the stage layout, placing spectators visibly behind the performers. For Season 2 in 1977, set designers Bruce Scafe and Augie Kymmel retained the original stage design from Season 1 in 1976, which featured a black backdrop accented with colored mats, an integrated floor layout that featured the stage with audience seating, and clear sightlines that kept the audience visible behind the performers. During Season 3 of Austin City Limits in 1978, the stage layout was redesigned to relocate the audience from behind the performers to both sides of the stage, placing artists in front of a black backdrop. For Season 4 in 1979, set designer and studio supervisor Robert Sertner designed a stage featuring a black backdrop accented by red and blue lighting. This aesthetic shift was intended to darken the stage environment, creating a focused atmosphere that centered the viewer's attention entirely on the performer. During Season 5 in 1980 and Season 6 in 1981, the set design featured horse fences to create more intimate camera angles. This arrangement allowed the production to focus exclusively on the performers while masking the audience on the sides of the stage. Starting with Season 7 in 1982, the stage design for Austin City Limits featured an Austin skyline backdrop, complemented by tables, chairs, trees, and ambient lighting. Starting with Season 8 in 1983, the lights of the Austin skyline backdrop were updated by giving them new paint jobs. Beginning with Season 11 in 1986, and continuing through Season 22 in 1997, a grid of stairs was incorporated into the center of the Austin skyline backdrop. Starting with Season 37 (2011-2012), the show moved to its new home at ACL Live at the Moody Theater.

Theme song

During Season 1 in 1976, producer Paul Bosner oversaw the soundcheck for the program. The show utilized the 1972-1977 NBC Nightly News theme, composed by Ray Ellis, as its closing music, which played while the credits rolled over a shot of the empty stage. From 1977 to 2004 (Seasons 2-29), the program featured Gary P. Nunn's "London Homesick Blues" as its official theme song. From 1977 to 1981 (Seasons 2-6), the Austin City Limits theme music was Fats Waller's "Louisiana Fairy Tale," a song also used as the first theme song for This Old House from 1979 to 2002 (Seasons 1-23). From 1982 to 1998 (Seasons 7-23), the opening theme music for Austin City Limits was composed and performed by John Mills. Between 1992 and 1996 (Seasons 17-21), the program’s theme music was "Shining Time Station." This piece was composed by Joe Raposo and performed by Kevin Roth; it previously served as the theme for the PBS children's series of the same name, which aired from 1989 to 1993. During Seasons 25-29 (2000-2004), the opening theme music for Austin City Limits was arranged by Tequila Mockingbird. Between 2004 and 2007 (Seasons 30-32), the show's opening theme music was composed by Austin-based musician Charlie Sexton. From 2011 to 2014 (Seasons 37-39), the program's opening theme music was "An Introduction," written and performed by Explosions in the Sky, with the accompanying opening sequence designed by Jonathan Jackson. [27] To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Austin City Limits during Season 40 (2014-2015), the program adopted the song "Travis County" by Austin-based musician Gary Clark Jr. as its official theme song. For Seasons 41-42 (2015-2017), the program introduced a new theme song, "New Shake" by the band White Denim. For Seasons 43-44 (2017-2019), the program's theme song was "History of Women" by The Black Angels. During Season 45 (2019-2020) and Season 47 (2021-2022), the program utilized "Hot Thoughts" by Spoon as its opening theme. For Season 46 (2020-2021), the program’s opening theme was changed to "Colors" by the Black Pumas, reflecting modifications to the production necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning with Season 48 (2022-2023), the Austin City Limits theme song was updated to "Cruel" by St. Vincent, which served as the program's theme through Season 49 (2023-2024). Beginning with Season 50 in the 2024-2025 season, the program introduced a commemorative opening sequence to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary. The updated opening sequence features an instrumental theme accompanied by a montage of archival audio and imagery showcasing performers greeting the audience throughout the show's history.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Austin, TX Official City Website". Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  2. ^ "Austin City Limits". www.arts.gov. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  3. ^ 72nd Annual Peabody Awards, May 2012
  4. ^ a b "Anthology". Austin City Limits. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "History of ACL". Austin City Limits. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  6. ^ "POTD: Austin City Limits Store : TexasTripper.com Texas Travel Guide". Texastripper.com. January 18, 2008. Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
  7. ^ "Austin City Limits Performance Collection Comes to Library and Archives". The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
  8. ^ "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame gets treasure trove from 'Austin City Limits' – USATODAY.com Photos". Mediagallery.usatoday.com. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
  9. ^ "'Austin City Limits' archives find a permanent home: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". Pop Culture Blog. Dallas News. June 21, 2012. Archived from the original on August 26, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
  10. ^ Maloney, Devon (June 22, 2012). "'Austin City Limits' Archives Relocate to Rock Hall Museum | SPIN | Newswire". SPIN. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
  11. ^ Freeman, Doug (September 6, 2018). "KGSR Rebrands as Austin City Limits Radio". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  12. ^ "Palladia will rebrand as MTV Live 2/1/16". Comcast Cable official forum posting. January 20, 2016. Archived from the original on December 23, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  13. ^ "TSHA | Gracey, Joe". www.tshaonline.org. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  14. ^ "DICK PETERSON 1943-2018 | KLRU". acltv.com. November 19, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  15. ^ Curtin, Kevin (October 3, 2014). "The Poughkeepsie Kid: A night in the life of Austin City Limits ringleader Terry Lickona – Music". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  16. ^ "Terry Lickona Takes ACL Beyond the Austin City Limit". School of Journalism - University of Texas. April 25, 2007. Archived from the original on May 15, 2013. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  17. ^ Terry Lickona - Full Transcript Archived October 15, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ "Terry Lickona". Roadtrip Nation. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  19. ^ "Terry Lickona". Black Fret. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  20. ^ "Songwriters to Soundmen – Terry Lickona and Scott Newton – April 2010 | The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum". Rockhall.com. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  21. ^ Cohen, Jason (September 28, 2014). "Austin City Limits, Now 40, Feels Younger Than Ever". Texas Monthly. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  22. ^ Zipp, Fred. "Terry Lickona Reflects on 40 Years of 'Austin City Limits'". Austinway.com. Archived from the original on October 28, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  23. ^ "40-year-old TV show 'Austin City Limits' helps make Austin hip | Dallas Morning News". Dallasnews.com. October 10, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  24. ^ "Venue - ACL Live - Austin, Texas". acl-live.com.
  25. ^ "Austin City Limits Celebrates 40 Years: Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Lyle Lovett, Foo Fighters, Jimmie Vaughan, Alabama Shakes and more., Bill Arhos: Movies & TV". Amazon. December 2, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  26. ^ "Previous Ceremonies | Austin City Limits Hall of Fame". acltv.com. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  27. ^ "Portfolio – Jonathan H Jackson". Archived from the original on December 11, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
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