New West Records

When he stepped onto the Austin City Limits stage for the very first time on that brisk January day in 1978, Merle Haggard was at the top of his game. It had been over a decade since his first national hit, "Sing A Sad Song", and not that long after "Okie From Muskogee" had firmly planted his music in the public consciousness. He had already been declared "Entertainer of the Year" by both the Country Music Awards and Academy of Country Music - in the same year (1970). He had just released A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World (Or MY Salute to Bob Willis), which sparked a revival of interest in western swing. And with his band, The Strangers, it's no stretch to say that he had the best live show in country music of his day. - Terry Lickona (Producer Austin City Limits®). Recorded January 18, 1978 KLRU-TV, Austin, TX.

Doug Sahm a/k/a Sir Doug was both a Texas rock & roll legend and pioneer. True, there were others before him (Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison come to mind), but the Sir Douglas Quintet counterattacked the British invasion of the mid 1960's with their own brand of Chicano-influenced rock that they had been playing around their hometown of San Antonio. This performance, recorded October 14, 1975, came after Doug had temporarily retired the Sir Douglas name, but features original member Augie Meyer along with musical compadres Martin Steitle, John Barber, Steve McDaniels and Harry Hess.

The Live From Austin, TX series takes the classic performances from the award-winning Austin City Limits TV show and makes them available to consumers with improved audio quality and bonus songs that were cut from the original broadcast. This fine performance delivered by the "Hag" was recorded on October 30th, 1985.

This show, captured on November 28, 2001, was hailed by critics as Byrne's best work in years, and his performance on the Austin City Limits stage shows why. Joined by Austin's own eclectic tango ensemble Tosca, Byrne takes us down many different musical roads in his ACL debut. Recorded live and mixed in 5.1 surround sound, this DVD captures all the hits and more, and includes songs that were never aired on the original TV broadcast. This live release features former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne originally aired on the PBS Austin City Limits show,

This man from Sherman, Texas probably best-known as the wide-grinning rube on Hee Haw for so many years started a country music revolution. Or more accurately, a counter-revolution. It was called the Bakersfield Sound, He and fellow revolutionary Merle Haggard were cranking out raw, hard-driving honky-tonk music that stood the country-pop coming out of Nashville on its head. When Buck Owens and the Buckaroos would launch into "I've got a tiger by the tail, it s plain to see...!" the packed crowds would be on their feet and headed for the dance floor. Performed at Austin City Limits on October 23, 1988.

Guy Clark’s 1989 performance is a career-spanning retrospective of legendary proportions featuring classics such as “Desperados Waiting For A Train,” “Texas 1947” and “Homegrown Tomatoes.”

Originally recorded on October 23, 1988 and edited for a 30-minute broadcast, Austin City Limits and New West Records have collaborated to release this sparkling performance given by Dwight and his early band, in its entirety. The audio has been re-mixed and re-mastered in stereo and 5.1 surround. Special guests include Buck Owens and Flaco Jimenez.

Looking back, why did it take ten years to finally lure Waylon Jennings to the Austin City Limits stage for his first performance? Like everything else about the man, he did things his own way - when he was damn good and ready. Maybe it had something to do with that other Texas singer, that Red-Headed Stranger who shook things up in Austin and country music in general. Waylon wasn't sure what the fuss was all about (as he sang, It don t matter who is in Austin, Bob Wills is STILL the King! ). This special package contains both a CD and DVD of Waylon Jenning s FIRST Austin City Limit s performance, recorded in August 1984.

Billy Joe Shaver is the quintessential country songwriter, but that s just a big word that doesn't do justice to the honest, raw intensity and outpouring of heart and soul in his lyrics. Over 50 artists have recorded his songs, but nobody does it better than Billy Joe, and that s why this show is so important. Recorded on August 14, 1984, Billy Joe holds back nothing. There s the grit, there s the attitude, there s the defiance. But there s also the intimacy, the poetry, the stories.

Recorded in 1980, this "live at Austin City Limits" performance by Tony Joe White is one of the wildest and rawest they ever taped. Many artists choose to beef up their bands for the program. White played with his touring group: drummer Jeff Hale and bassist Steve Spear. While hearing live versions of his classics done wild and raw is awesome, hearing Tony Joe White play the hell out of his guitar in a without-a-net-setting is a rare thing. He doesn't need to show off, it's all at the service of his greasy, gritty, deeply soulful swamp funk tunes. His read of his classic "Rainy Night in Georgia" is the rare ballad here, and no one sings it the way he does. "Willie and Laura Mae Jones" is here, as is a Delta blues-drenched "Lustful Earle and the Married Woman," done on an acoustic. Live from Austin, TX closes with the minor key blues rocker "I Get Off on It," making the entire proceeding a must-have for White fans.

Kinky Friedman and The Texas Jewboys. Long before the Kinkster became a celebrated mystery writer in New York City, and waaay long before he became a candidate for Governor of the Great State of Texas (thank you very much), there was Kinky the 'country' music singer and songwriter of the mid-1970's. He was a paragon, a veritable pioneer of political incorrectness set to music, and there was nobody quite like him on the Austin music scene (or, for that matter, on the planet). There he was on the Austin City Limits stage on November 11, 1975, in his finest rhinestone suit with fur-lined guitar strap, bounding through his entire catalogue of double-entendre ditties. The band never sounded better (nor looked, well, weirder). The audience loved every lyrically devilish twist. There was only one problem. They said it couldn't be aired. There's still some mystery about exactly who they were who made the decision to pull the show.

Country chanteuse Neko Case shows off her powerful pipes and topnotch songwriting skills in this intimate concert recorded in August 2003 for the PBS staple "Austin City Limits." The first-rate show features her distinctive fusion of country, gospel and punk sounds. In addition to her original tunes, Case performs several covers, including Bob Dylan's "Buckets of Rain" and Hank Williams' "Alone and Forsaken."

The Texas Tornados brought their Tex-Mex sound to the Austin City Limits TV show in 1990. Now that performance is available on DVD. It features Doug Sahm, Freddy Fender, Augie Meyers, and Flaco Jimenez at their best!

The wonderful Americana singer Tift Merrit joins the rapidly growing list of artists on the Live from Austin Texas series. Available for the first time ever, this Live from Austin, Texas concert features a previously unreleased performance of Tift Merritt's Grammy nominated album Tambourine on the award-winning Austin City Limits PBS television show.

This performance, captured on the ACL stage on November 15, 1976, shows Roy Buchanan in his prime at the age of 37. Indeed, it may well be the best high-quality audio/video recording of his complete performance known to exist.

John Hiatt's performance in 1993 for the Austin City Limits TV show was a typical John Hiatt performance. Incredible songs are sung with passion and energy. Now that amazing performance is available on DVD with some bonus songs that were not included in the original broadcast

The Flatlanders live from Austin Texas. Tracks include: 'I Had My Hopes Up High', 'She's Gone Away', 'Down in the Light of the Melon Moon', 'Now It's Now Again', 'Yesterday was Judgement Day' and 'Gimme A Ride to Heaven'.