On October 28th, 2021, Austin City Limits held its annual Hall of Fame ceremony, welcoming Wilco, Lucinda Williams, and Alejandro Escovedo as new inductees. Fans will finally have the opportunity to view the event on January 8th, when PBS will air performances and other highlights during an hour-long broadcast.
In advance of the special, Consequence is exclusively premiering two clips from the ceremony, including Wilco’s all-star-assisted finale. To perform their 1998 classic “California Stars” (from the Bill Bragg collaborative LP Mermaid Avenue), Jeff Tweedy and the band welcomed out Escovedo, Rosanne Cash, Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Japanese Breakfast, Sheila E., and others. Watch it below, along with Bill Callahan’s rendition of”Sky Blue Sky” in tribute to the band.
Wilco was inducted into the ACL Hall of Fame by Cash, who called them “heartland laborers in the tower of song, with thick skins and open hearts.” She also praised them for being “subversive without being destructive” with a humanity that “somehow breaks us and heals us at the same time.”
Upon accepting the honor, frontman Jeff Tweedy revealed that he “didn’t expect to be teary-eyed at this moment” and thanked former Wilco members for “time served.”
Other performances during the ceremony include Isbell’s cover of Williams’ “I Envy the Wind” and Japanese Breakfast joining Wilco on stage for “Jesus, Etc.” Tune in to see it all when Austin City Limits 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors premieres on PBS at 9:00 p.m. ET on January 8th. The special will be available to stream online starting at 10:00 a.m. ET the next day, along with a 90-minute bonus installment only available on streaming.
On January 15th, the second half of Austin City Limits Season 47 will launch with an episode featuring performances from St. Vincent and Joy Oladokun. It will be followed by appearances from Duran Duran, Terry Allen, and the re-airing of Olivia Rodrigo sharing a double-bill with Phoebe Bridgers.
