Released in 2016, Keith Maitland’s A Song for You: The Austin City Limits Story tells the tale of the what was the longest-running music program on American television in 2014 (and continues to be in 2025) while also documenting what when on during their 40th year as they not only prepared for the upcoming season but the debut of the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame.
Buy A Song for You: The Austin City Limits StoryIt is revealed that PBS wanted programming from around the country rather than just the coasts, so co-founder/executive producer ’74-’00 Bill Arhos. co-founder/director ’74-’76 Bruce Scafe, and co-founder/producer ’74-’75 Paul Bosner got Willie Nelson to perform for their pilot.
The documentary then shows upcoming act Thao & the Get Down Stay Down as they prepare to be on the show. It clearly means something to lead vocalist/guitarist Thao nguyen, who used to watch the show with her mother, because it’s a sign of accomplishment in the business for a band who had been around for 11 years at the time. But it’s not just newcomers that are awestruck. Austin’s own Dale Watson, who has been working musician for about as long as the show has aired, also appeared moved during and around the episode he shot that closed the 39th season.
Executive Producer Terry Lickona had been a part of show for 36 years. The city’s music scene is what got him to move to Austin from upstate New York. He became the producer in Season 4 after Arhos had to choose between ACL and working as the station’s program director. The show’s original focus was the Austin music scene. Lickona expanded the model by inviting Ray Charles, who accepted. For a time, they became country music focused, and then in 2000 opened up to indie music with Wilco.
In addition to those who worked on the show, they film includes quite a number of artists who appeared on it, including Brittany Howard, Jim James, Jenny Lewis, Bonnie Riatt, Sturgill Simpson, and Jeff Tweedy. It’s especially cool to see musicians as fans raving about performances they enjoyed, such as Buddy Guy talking about Stevie Ray Vaughn, St. Vincent talking about Dolly Parton, Beck talking about the Pixies, and Frank Black talking about Leonard Cohen
The video is available in 1080p, a combination of modern interviews and performances that look sharp and colorful alongside various archival video sources that show their age. The audio is available in Dolby 2.0. The dialogue sounds clear and the music reveals a good dynamic range, no matter its age. There are no extras.
A Song for You: The Austin City Limits Story is a wonderful document about a series that is and remains both a television and a music institution. There are so many great stories connected to the show, from what it took to get Lightnin’ Hopkins to perform to Merle Haggard relieving himself on a backstage wall during a recording, it makes up for how disappointing it is that the musical clips are short and incomplete.
