Interview: Austin City Limits Producer Terry Lickona Part II

By: Arlene R. Weiss

ACL logo

Saturday, September 28, 2002 and Sunday, September 29, 2002 marked a historic milestone event and a dream come true for PBS’s televised live music showcase, “Austin City Limits,” with the inception and staging of the inaugural Austin City Limits Music Festival.

The first ACL Music Festival was a major success and watershed music event. Since the Festival’s first kickoff year in 2002, it has progressed from its beginnings into a landmark annual event.

It is recognized and acclaimed by music artists, music fans, and music industry mavens as one of the most anticipated, significant, and influential yearly music festivals.

That very first “Austin City Limits” Music Festival was a resounding success, so much so that it has blossomed into what has now become a greatly anticipated international music and arts event. The 2012 ACL Music Festival is already in the planning stages, with the original two-day event growing into what is now a three day festival. This year’s fest will be held this October 12 through October 14, 2012 in Zilker Park in Austin.

The festival also has evolved from its original inception booking more locally flavored, Austin grounded, roots oriented music and singer songwriters, into one of the largest and most prestigious international music festivals attracting some of the biggest names in music. 2011’s artist lineup boasted a vast array of glittering A-List music stars, including Coldplay, Kanye West, Arcade Fire, Cee Lo, My Morning Jacket, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Walkmen, Manu Chao, Bright Eyes, and the legendary Stevie Wonder.

Here’s a fond look back with Terry Lickona, producer of “Austin City Limits,” in an interview right after the first ACL Festival came to a close, and read our pre-ACL Festival interview with Terry here.

******

Arlene R. Weiss: Congratulations on the festival Terry! I heard it went just wonderfully. So let’s discuss how it went and some of the highlights. What are the attendance figures, even if only a ballpark rough estimate, for each day?

Terry Lickona: Subject to final confirmation, the estimates for attendance on Saturday the 28th are approximately 40,000. For Sunday the 29th, 35,000. Grand total, approximately 75,000! That far exceeds our original projection some weeks ago of 30 to 40,000!

Read parts I, II, and III of our first interview with Terry Lickona here, here, and here!

Arlene: Can you please regale and discuss the highlights of the performances of Eric Johnson, Jimmie Vaughan, W.C. Clark, Los Lobos, Robert Randolph, and Bob Schneider?

Terry Lickona: Unfortunately I was not able to attend the festival on Sunday the 29th. I had to fly to Los Angeles for a special meeting of The National Academy Of Recording Arts And Sciences Board Of Trustees, of which I am a member, to vote in the election of a new president for the Academy. Hence, I was not there to experience any of the performances on that day. Although I was there on Saturday the 28th, I spent virtually my entire time running back and forth from one stage to another to introduce acts, conducting a mid day press conference, and giving countless interviews to some of the 200 accredited media attending. When I was backstage, I could hardly hear the music. One of the down sides of staging an event like this is that the producers and organizers don’t really get to enjoy it as much as you would think because we are working! I couldn’t tell you the title of a single song any artist performed.

Arlene: Did any unexpected guitarists or artists show up to perform or just as guests in the audience?

Terry Lickona: The only unexpected guest was Robert Earl Keen, who showed up during Shawn Colvin’s performance and he did a short set of his own.

Read what the greats have to say about “Austin City Limits.”

Arlene: Do you feel that this first ACL Festival was a success?

Terry Lickona: I think it truly marks a new era for “Austin City Limits” and Austin’s reputation as a live music capital. The show’s legacy takes on new meaning now, and the festival opens its doors to new fans, new music, and new opportunities. Never before has a television show that reaches millions of viewers every week been linked with a music festival that has the potential to become a world class event.

Arlene: Are you already planning and putting things in place for next year’s festival, as well as annual ACL Festivals? And what are your potential goals, projections, and hopes for dream artists to book for next year’s 2nd ACL Festival?

Terry Lickona: It’s frankly too early to say. Based on this first year’s success, everybody is expecting that there will be an “Austin City Limits” Music Festival in 2003, sometime between late September and mid October. We need to wait on official approval by the City of Austin and the neighborhood associations around the park. Our major goal for a second festival would be to be able to record at least some of the performances for special episodes of the series. Stay tuned for more details!