Saturday evening marked a new beginning for Austin City Limits television and the Steve Miller Band at the Moody Theater where the Austin City Limits television program has recorded it's first taping in the new space in front of a packed house. Though ACL TV plans to limit audiences to 800 for most tapings, all 2700 seats were filled to see a rejuvenated Steve Miller who released his first recording in 17 years, BINGO! last June. The album was co-produced by Miller and Andy Johns (Rolling Stones) on Miller's own Cowboy Space label. The album features songs by B.B. King ("Rock Me Baby"), Jimmy Reed ("You Got Me Dizzy") and three Jimmie Vaughan tunes. It's gratifying to know Texas music is among Miller's infuences.
From Billboard Magazine:
"This is a party record, man," Miller tells Billboard.com. "It's about getting up and getting ready to dance. It's like the fraternity party gigs I used to play in college. I went through and picked all my favorite tunes that I really, really loved. I wanted to make this record forever; it started off as just kind of a goof, and then it got real serious."
SMB played classics, "Jet Airlilner" "Take the Money and Run" and "Mercury Blues" before delving into a new track from BINGO!, "Hey Yeah" which Miller played twice more before his 3-song encore. Miller first repeated the song at the request of ACL producers who wanted to try different lighting than used during the song. One of Miller's guitar cables went bad during the rerecord. Miller stopped playing and the band triumphantly played the song a third time.
The band covered Clapton's "Further on Up the Road" which featured new member, rhythm and blues vocalist Sonny Charles (The Checkmates). Charles got the already revved up crowd even more excited, working both sides of the stage. Charles' presence was a reminder former member, Norton Buffalo (harmonica, vocals) passed away due to cancer last year. Miller hauled out his acoustic a few songs later and dedicated a touching version of "Wild Mountain Honey" to Buffalo.
Other highlights included "Abracadabra" (a number one hit for Miller in 1982), "Fly Like an Eagle" with it's spacey, surreal intro and encore, "Rockin' Me" which left everyone giddy and smiling by the song's end. The band played just over two hours (scheduled for 90 minutes) due to replaying "Hey Yeah" and "Swingtown". Miller could have replayed most of his set (set list in slideshow) and pleased the fans in attendance.
We talked to ACL TV producer, Leslie Nichols before the show. She informed us the next taping will feature Widespread Panic and Preservation Hall Jazz Band during the SXSW music festival next month. We cannot wait to see more music in the state-of-the-art, Moody Theater. ACL TV finally has a sound stage built for filming live music for television's longest-running concert program. 35 years later, it's about time.
As Nichols said, "It's [Moody Theater] already starting to feel like home." With all the new cameras, lights, bars, luxury seating and even office space for some ACL TV staff, we certainly hope so.
Miller has a full slate of shows scheduled this Spring including a June 28th appearance at Nashville's iconic, Ryman Auditorium. Upcoming tour dates are listed here.
Special thanks to ACL TV's, April Burcham.
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