- August 20, 2014

Beck Is Going All Out For This Year’s ACL Fest

We all know that best-selling artist Beck is headlining the 2014 Austin City Limits music festival, but it appears that the psych-rocker/DJ loved by millions isn’t happy with just headlining one of the most important jamfests in the country. The guy is really going all out.

First off, Beck will play one of the first big ACL shows on October 3rd. We also learned this week that Beck is doing a big ACL afterparty too, with an appearance at Stubbs scheduled for October 2 — along with fellow ACL headliners Skrillex and Spoon. (Stubbs, by the way, was recently named by Billboard as the 25th best-attended concert venue in the nation. We can see why.)

His performance at ACL will also mark the start of the 40th season of the PBS TV show that helped make Austin the live music capital of the world. That same day, PBS will also air “Austin City Limits Celebrates 40 Years,” a four-hour concert series hosted by Jeff Bridges and Sheryl Crow, featuring performances by Robert Earl KeenKris Kristofferson, Jimmy Vaughn and Alabama Shakes, to name just a few. That show was held back in June, but the public will get a full two hours of it on October 4 from 9-11 p.m.

The very next day, PBS will air Beck’s ACL Live performance from April to kick off season number 40. Viewers can expect an eclectic, hour-long show that spans Beck’s discography, from the funky-fresh beats of “Odelay” to the sorrowful guitar strumming of “Sea Change.” For any ACL-goer who didn’t quite get enough of the world’s most harmonious scientologist the night before, the PBS broadcast may just scratch their itch.

While we anxiously await this year’s ACL to get underway (tickets are still on sale), dig the preview video below featuring his classic hit single “Loser.” This guy’s crunchy beats are always a welcome distraction.