Austin City Limits Announces Their TV Taping Lineup For Upcoming Season

Austin City Limits is celebrating it's 35th year on the air. The PBS series boasts an incredible lineup this year, featuring numerous diverse performers. The full list of confirmed performers for Austin City Limits tapings include Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, Kenney Chesney, Elvis Costello, Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel, Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, Ben Harper and Relentless7, M. Ward, Andrew Bird, Madeleine Peyroux, St. Vincent, Heartless Bastards, Okkervil River,and Band of Heathens.

"We had high hopes for our 35th anniversary, but never expected to pull together a season like this" said ACL producer Terry Lickona. "We've scored major coups with some of the biggest names in rock and some of the best touring bands in the world. And we're excited to continue to showcase the best new and emerging sounds wherever they come from, including some of the hottest bands making waves in Austin and beyond. After three and a half decades it seems like everybody still wants to stand on that stage and be a part of ACL history."

Exact broadcast dates, additional confirmed performers and news of other exciting events planned for this special 35th anniversary season will be unveiled in the coming weeks. ACL features a blog if you'd like to stay informed and also a newsletter you can sign up for to receive email updates.

Austincitylimits.org features performance clips, extended interviews and photo galleries from spotlighted artists and archival footage of historical performances from the great stage of Austin City Limits. The show is broadcast in dynamic high definition and 5.1 surround sound on PBS HD channels where available and airs nationally on 97% of the country's PBS stations. KLRU is Austin's PBS affilatiate by the way.

Last year, we were lucky enough to attend the My Morning Jacket and Duffy tapings and we were blown away by the fantastic sound and intimate setting. Hopefully we'll be at some of the great tapings they have this year!

Last Night: Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals @ The Capital [Nike Human Race]

The Nike+Human Race took place this past Sunday in 25 different cities all over the world, boasting more than 700,000 runners. In Austin alone 15,000 runners participated in the race, including our friend Janelle (Congrats!). The 6.2 mile course took place in downtown Austin and supposedly had more runners than New York and Chicago Nike runs.



Following the race and award ceremony, Lance Armstrong took to the stage to introduce our entertainment for the evening. Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals came out to thunderous applause. Highlights during the hour and half set included "Burn One Down", "Diamonds on the Inside", and my favorite and the last song of the evening "With My Own Two Hands". Special thanks to Nike.

Ben Harper - Diamonds on the Inside

Setlist: [via BenHarper.net]
1. Better Way
2. Glory & Consequence
3. Steal My Kisses
4. In The Colors
5. Use Me
6. Burn One Down
7. Whipping Boy
8. Forgiven
9. Ground On Down
10. Please Don't Talk About Murder While I'm Eating
11. Diamonds On The Inside
12. Black Rain
13. With My Own Two Hands

Nike + Human Race: August 31, 2008

Last month we first wrote about the Nike+ Human Race, and now we're here to remind you it's almost here (along with Ben Harper). On August 31, 2008 the greatest running event on the planet, the Nike+ Human Race, will be going on all around the world. Be a part of history alongside thousands of runners all over the world including Los Angeles, New York, Paris, London, Madrid, Melbourne, Warsaw, Istanbul, Shanghai, Taipei, Mexico City, Sao Paolo and Vancouver. Leading up to the Human Race in Austin, TX, runners can join the last Nike training run at Guero’s Taco Bar, located on South Congress, on August 26^th at 7:00 p.m. Come join runners from all over the state as they participate in fitness training and fun, followed by a live free concert by Austin's own Gary Clark Jr. Sign up here.


It's a great cause, proceeds will donated to one of three charities including the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the World Wildlife Fund and the United Nations ninemillion.org campaign.

[Nike + Human Race]
[Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals Myspace]
[Gary Clark Jr. Myspace]
[Guero's Official Site]

Run For Your Chance To See Ben Harper For FREE

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals are Scheduled to Play a Post-Race Concert at the Nike+ Human Race in Austin

The Lance Armstrong Foundation benefits from race participant giveback alongside the United Nation’s NineMillion.org campaign and the World Wildlife Foundation

Austin, Texas – Music takes center stage the Nike+ Human Race, the world’s biggest one-day running event taking place on August 31, 2008. The race brings together the power of sport and music to inspire and connect runners from every corner of the planet. Participants in this unprecedented event will experience an exclusive music performance by some of today’s top artists in each of the 25 designated race cities.

In Austin, TX, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals are scheduled to perform at the post-race concert. Runners will take to the streets passing the city’s most famous landmarks during the 10K route before ending in front of the Texas State Capitol building where Congress Avenue meets 11^th street. For more information on the Nike+ Human Race Austin visit nikeplus.com (join the race, it's for a good cause).

Harper’s performance is just one of the exciting elements contributing to an unprecedented day of races and activities around the globe to start in Taipei, ending in Los Angeles and including cities across Europe, Asia and North and South America.

In London, runners will be treated to an exclusive performance by world-renowned American DJ, songwriter, musician and singer Moby in the city’s famed Wembley Stadium and Grammy award winning hip-hop artist, Kanye West will perform in Los Angeles for the Human Race grand finale. Other all-star artists confirmed to play at the Nike+ Human Race include R&B songstress Kelly Rowland in Paris; dance-electro-pop duo The Pinker Tones in Madrid, Turkish pop sensation Kenan Dogulu in Istanbul; the Fantastic Four in Munich; Mexican-born rock and pop singer Julieta Vanegas in Argentina; Beijing-based singing duo Yu Quan in Shanghai; Boy Likes Girl in Singapore; and Bracia brother in Warsaw.

Beyond running and music, the Nike+ Human Race is also an opportunity to give back. Participants will be able to run for a worthy cause and support the three official Nike+ Human Race charitable partners: the Lance Armstrong Foundation – uniting people in the fight against cancer; WWF - the global conservation organization reducing the impact of climate change; and the UN refugee agency's ninemillion.org campaign – bringing sport and education to refugee youth. Together, Nike and runners will raise funds to donate at least USD $3 million to the Nike+ Human Race charities. Money will be raised via givebacks from registration fees, a percentage of Nike+ Human Race t-shirt sales and a donation of USD $1 million from Nike.

For more information on the Nike+ Human Race Austin visit nikeplus.com.