Kacey Musgraves set the bar high for the 50th anniversary season of Austin City Limits. The long-running television program will return this fall with a new slate of performances from veteran artists and newcomers alike — and Musgraves is first on the lineup. The musician’s hour-long set will premiere on PBS on Sept. 28 and includes a tender live performance of her Deeper Well single “Too Good to Be True.”
Musgraves begins the performance by commending the lively audience for their assistance on the previous song. But when she begins strumming her guitar and sets off down the road of “Too Good to Be True,” the room falls into a hush. Backed by a seven-piece band, the singer wove soft melodies around a sweet story of free-falling in love.
“It’s good to be back here in Texas,” Musgraves said as she took the stage. “It is such an honor to be kicking off the 50th season of ACL.” The performance was recorded in early June, marking her third appearance in the past decade. Clif Johnson and John Whitt Jr. joined her on keys; Drew Taubenfeld on guitar and pedal steel; Jon Sosin and Ben Jaffe on guitar and background vocals; Tarron Crayton on bass; and Rob Humphreys on drums.
Musgraves managed to fit 17 songs into her set, kicking off with “Cardinal” and closing with “Easier Said” from 2021’s Star-Crossed. There were a few Golden Hour selections, too, including “Rainbow,” “High Horse,” and “Slow Burn.”
Following the premiere of Musgraves’ performance, Austin City Limits will share 14 weekly broadcasts. The first set of those episodes will feature appearances from Gary Clark Jr., Black Pumas, Maggie Rogers, Gracie Abrams, Jacob Collier, Nickel Creek, Brittany Howard, Jelly Roll, the War and Treaty, Chris Stapleton, and Juanes. Additional performers for the second half of the season will be announced at a later date.
