Austin City Limits
Texas Music Legend

Patty Griffin performing. Photo/patrick dentler

I've seen one Austin City Limits (ACL) show in the 25 years I've lived here. Toughest ticket in town. I don't know how these people get tickets but its one great experience.

Austin music owes a great deal to ACL for broadcasting to over 800 national PBS stations. ACL shares the best of Austin music with the nation.

Their original concept was to feature and showcase Texas music like country, blues, rockabilly, folk, conjunto.

The first show aired in 1976 with none other than Willie Nelson. The first year featured legendary Austin artists including Townes Van Zandt, Doug Sahm and Alvin Crow.

Now, over 30 years later, they draw the most coveted talent on earth… Ray Charles, BB King, Ray Davies, Van Morrison, Dixie Chicks, Etta James, John Fogerty, Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello, Los Lobos, Richard Thompson, Joe Cocker, Tom Waits, Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan, Dolly Parton, Fats Domino, Leonard Cohen, Loretta Lynn and John and June Cash with the Carter Family.

ACL is the only television program to be awarded the National Medal of Arts. The program is also responsible for inspiring the hugely successful Austin City Limits Festival.

Austin music was made internationally famous through the strength of public broadcasting.

ACL's live concert series is as much Austin as Dirty's Hamburgers or the State Capitol.

The new, soon to open in 2010, ACL taping complex promises a substantial increase in audience size. It will be very welcome but I fear it will still be a real tough ticket.

So enjoy the show. “I wanna' go home to the Armadillo” line in Gary P. Nunn's famous song, London Homesick Blues, refers to the old Austin music icon, the Armadillo World Headquarters, not the armored lawn wrecking critter Austinites love so dearly.

ACL WEBSITE: To check the current schedule and tickets, www.pbs.org/klru/austin (opens in a new window).

SIXTH STREET CLUBS
Maggie Mae’s :: Momo’s :: The Parish

WAREHOUSE & DOWNTOWN CLUBS
Antone’s :: La Zona Rosa :: Austin Music Hall :: Elephant Room :: Paramount Theatre

RED RIVER CLUBS
Stubb’s Waller Creek Ampitheatre :: Emo’s :: Beerland

UNIVERSITY CLUBS
Cactus Cafe :: Hole In The Wall

SOUTH AUSTIN CLUBS
Continental Club :: Threadgill’s :: Jovita’s :: Broken Spoke :: Saxon Pub :: Evangeline Cafe :: Artz Rib House :: Hill’s Cafe

EAST SIDE CLUBS
Victory Grill

AUSTIN ANGELS & HALLOWED GROUND
Stevie Ray Vaughan :: Townes Van Zandt :: Jesse Taylor :: Doug Sahm :: Keith Ferguson :: Don Walser :: Clifford Antone :: Soap Creek Saloon :: Liberty Lunch :: The Vulcan Gas Co. :: Armadillo World Headquarters :: Raul’s :: Austin Opera House

MORE
Austin City Limits :: Austin Record Stores :: Music Stores :: Austin Chronicle

Leave AUSTIN CITY LIMITS and go to AUSTIN MUSIC.

Click here to go to Austin, Texas HOME.