Best New Live Music Scene Game-Changer

ACL Live at the Moody Theater

A closely guarded (some might say dirty little) secret here in the live music capital is the cutthroat nature of local concert promotions. Behind the scenes, bookers competing for talent have been known to fight in the streets. Yet even they stop to testify about the Moody Theater’s inaugural championship season. Beginning Valentine’s Day, the second of Willie Nelson’s two live christenings, the $40 million new home of Austin City Limits transcended its status as headquarters of American television’s longest-running music series to become a concert venue locals flock to en masse. Austin boasts 2,000-plus-seaters from here to Cedar Park, but between world-class PBS tapings and a steady stream of monster acts, the Moody Theater has staggered the competition. The TV series started with Lone Star space cowboy Steve Miller and continued through the fiery likes of Arcade Fire and Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears with the Relatives, while the theatre side has jetted from West Africa with Youssou N’Dour to Marin County with Santana. And let’s not forget President Barack Obama. Bootsy Collins funked up the joint, Devo stomped it, and come Nov. 15, Aretha Franklin crowns it. Game-changer.

ACL Live at the Moody Theater
310 W. Willie Nelson, 512/404-1300
acllive.com