‘A Song for You: The Austin City Limits Story’ on Amazon Charts Show’s Evolution From Outlaw County To Indie Rock

Considering the rich musical legacy of the United States of America —arguably, its greatest export— our country has pretty crappy music television programming. While Europe has consistently televised full concerts and live performances in a variety of interesting ways, we have little besides one or two song guest spots on late night TV. There’s the Super Bowl halftime show (which increasingly features pre-taped music so as to not interfere with the choreography), competition shows like The Voice (which reduce music to a crass popularity contest), and the mostly music-less MTV, which…don’t even get me started. And then there’s Austin City Limits.

Since 1974, Austin City Limits, or ACL, as its often referred to, has featured some of music’s greatest artists, from country to alternative rock, in full performance for all to see over the course of an hour. That it’s a product of the non-profit Public Broadcasting Service should come as no surprise. However, rather than being filmed in one of PBS’s Northeastern hubs, it has since its inception been taped deep in the heart of Texas. In fact, Austin’s current reputation as the “Live Music Capital of the World” was a tagline widely promoted by the show. The 2015 documentary A Song for You: The Austin City Limits Story looks back at its history on the occasion of its 40th anniversary and is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

In the early ’70s, Austin was a breed apart from the rest of the Lone Star State, described by Texas blues singer Marcia Ball as “the epitome of liberalism in the south.” In a Bible Belt state known for its conservatism, it was a friendly home to cowboys and hippies alike, lured by cheap rent and cheaper marijuana. Most importantly in those days, it was the home of cutting edge country artists such as singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt and outlaw country pioneer Willie Nelson.

In 1974, PBS began looking for programming produced outside the liberal bubbles of New York’s Channel THIRTEEN and WGBH in Boston. Intrigued by the city’s boho leanings and typically Texan sense of individualism, it green-lit the pilot episode, shot on a soundstage at the University of Texas and featuring none other than homegrown hero Willie Nelson. Shot wide and in focus, so as best to see the musicians actually play their instruments, it presented the music unencumbered by visual distractions besides a cheesy mock Austin skyline and its high audio quality proved popular with discerning music lovers.

In its early years Austin City Limits drank deep from the well of local talent, which mostly meant longhaired dudes in 10-gallon hats with tangential or direct connections to country music. Blues started making its way to the stage by the end of the decade, and peaked with the rise of native son Stevie Ray Vaughan, who was so nervous during his first ACLappearance he repeatedly walked off stage. Mainstream commercial country became synonymous with the show by the early ‘90s that critics derisively called it Nashville City Limits. By 2000 a rethink was in order and programming turned to NPR-friendly alternative lite rock and neo-folk artists such as Wilco and The Avett Brothers.

Through interviews with the people behind the show and the artists who have appeared on it, we learn about ACL’s humble origins, noted highlights and its enduring legacy. Currently the longest running music series in American television history, the show holds a hallowed place in the hearts of musicians and its hometown. While there’s a fair amount of amusing anecdotes about past shows, particularly pertaining to old school blues and country musicians for whom music was no “safe space,” after awhile it turns into one long celebrity circle jerk of artists talking about how much they love the show and each other, even including the ubiquitous Dave Grohl “This show (you could substitute “record” or “artist” or “song”) changed my life!!!” sound bite that appears in 89.9% of all music documentaries.

Ironically, for a documentary about America’s greatest music television series, A Song for Youis sorely lacking in music. Brief show clips of such legends as Nelson, Ray Charles, and Vaughan are shown alongside more recent footage from Radiohead and Beck, and while they’re all great, they leave you hungry for the full performances. I realize the point of the documentary is not to replay footage that can easily be found on YouTube or the show’s own website, but the end result is disappointing. Likewise, the behind the scenes footage of the show and the planning of their 40th anniversary in 2014 doesn’t go far enough in showing the tremendous amount of work that goes into the creation of each episode.

Despite its faults, A Song for You: The Austin City Limits Story deserves credit as a lovingly made tribute to one of the nation’s most important cultural institutions. As longtime executive producer Terry Lickona notes, as a product of public television, it is under threat of defunding from year to year, which given the current administrations antipathy to both PBS and the arts is a real danger. But for now, in its 43rd season, the show is still going strong and has even birthed its own music festival, which occurs in Austin every fall. As one interview subject says, “Its oil wells and BBQ and ACL. I couldn’t imagine Texas without it.”

Benjamin H. Smith is a New York based writer, producer and musician. Follow him on Twitter:@BHSmithNYC.

Where to stream A Song For You: The Austin City Limits Story