Grammy Award-winning Bon Iver immerses 'Austin City Limits' with magic touch

Singer-guitarist Justin Vernon, left, leads Bon Iver through a potent performance on Austin City Limits.

Radiohead kicked things off on the new season of Austin City Limits with an intense, fast-paced concert of experimental rock that set a high bar for those acts who follow in the weeks ahead. On the next episode of the legendary music series set to air this weekend, Bon Iver delivers an equally enthralling series by immersing the audience in its textured and artful sonic brew that literally is as much about the sound created by the nine musicians as the stellar songs they perform.

I had wondered after catching Bon Iver in a potent performance outdoors at Coachella in Indio earlier this year, if the group's sound and style gained that otherworldly element because of the epic desert setting. Although  expansive site may have played a part in the ethereal vibe, Bon Iver exhibits all those magical moods and sounds on the ACL episode too. Don't miss it...

Here is the official release on the Bon Iver episode, including the setlist:

Austin, TX—October 11, 2012—Austin City Limits (ACL) Season 38 hits its stride with a breathtaking performance by 2012 Grammy Award-winning Best New Artist Bon Iver in a standout ACL debut. The new episode airs on Saturday, October 13 (check local listings for times). Joined by an eight-piece band for the occasion, frontman Justin Vernon turns his intimate confessionals into orchestral pop anthems in his first turn at ACL. Vernon performs songs from Bon Iver, Bon Iver, the 2012 Grammy Award-winner for Best Alternative Album, and also includes gems from his 2007 breakthrough For Emma, Forever Ago. “This is a trip,” a heartfelt Vernon says from the ACL stage at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. “I used to be on the other end of the screen when I was 10.”


Bon Iver is the moniker of Wisconsin native Justin Vernon, a name derived from the French phrase for “good winter.” Written during a secluded winter stay in a remote cabin in Northwest Wisconsin, Vernon crafted a stunning collection of bold, ardent musings layered with pastoral melodies and his hauntingly smooth falsetto into Bon Iver's acclaimed debut For Emma, Forever Ago. In 2011, Bon Iver released the much-anticipated follow-up, Bon Iver, Bon Iver, earning two Grammy Awards in 2012 for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Album.

“In my opinion, Justin Vernon is a musical genius,” says ACL Executive Producer Terry Lickona. “The music he creates through Bon Iver transcends anything else out there in pop or rock. The orchestration may be dense and the lyric abstract - to say the least - but together the effect is riveting. Seeing it live really brings it to life in a way ACL does best.”

Vernon had high praise for his debut ACL experience: “This is the only perfect, wonderful music show that we have.”

BON IVER SETLIST


Perth

Minnesota, WI

Brackett, WI

Towers

Blood Bank

Skinny Love

Wash.

Beth/Rest

For Emma


Season 38 Current Broadcast Schedule (seven additional episodes/artists to be announced)

October 6, 2012
Radiohead

October 13, 2012
Bon Iver

October 20, 2012
Bonnie Raitt with Mavis Staples

October 27, 2012
The Shins
Dr. Dog

November 3, 2012
The Civil Wars
Punch Brothers

November 10, 2012
ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival 2012 (Hosted by Jim Lauderdale and featuring performances by Carolina Chocolate Drops, Richard Thompson, Alabama Shakes, Lifetime Achievement Honoree Bonnie Raitt and more)

  The complete line-up for the full 13-week season, including seven episodes to air beginning January 2012, will be announced at a later date. Check acltv.com for additional episode updates.



About Austin City Limits


Austin City Limits (ACL) is a television series on PBS that records and broadcasts original musical performances from exciting new talent and legendary artists of all genres.




Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in American television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. In 2012, ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement. The historic KLRU Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin.



ACL is produced by KLRU-TV and funding is provided in part by AMD, Budweiser, the Austin Convention Center Department and Dell. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.