Communiqué
Singer/songwriter Noah Kahan & Grammy-nominated Flor de Toloache on AUSTIN CITY LIMITS – Aug. 30 at 10 pm
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Noah Kahan/Flor De Toloache
Saturday, August 30 at 10:00 pm
Austin City Limits showcases a pair of innovative acts making ACL debuts with singular music inspired by their geography and roots. Breakout Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, nominated for a 2024 Best New Artist Grammy, makes a highly-anticipated debut on the ACL stage with songs from his breakthrough Stick Season; sharing the hour is the groundbreaking all-female mariachi act Flor de Toloache, with numbers from their 2024 Grammy-nominated album Motherflower.
Noah Kahan delivers a revelatory ACL debut showcasing highlights from his celebrated Stick Season, an album inspired by his rural New England roots. The folk-pop phenomenon is having a banner year, fostering a connection with audiences to become one of 2023’s most talked-about live acts, with sold-out stadium and tour dates throughout 2024. The 27-year-old singer/songwriter/guitarist has struck a chord with his legions of fans through highly relatable songs about contemporary life—viral smashes that erupt into crowd singalongs. Taking the stage backed by his five-piece band, he opens with “All My Love,” a banjo-driven folk number, and the adoring audience sings along to every lyric. Kahan regales the crowd with the stories behind his confessional lyrics and cracks jokes with his signature, self-deprecating humor: “Put your hands up, Austin! Never mind, I don’t like it!” The crowd sings an entire verse themselves on the autobiographical “Northern Attitude,” a gem containing the lyric “Forgive my northern attitude, I was raised on little light.” Kahan performs the pair of fan-favorite career highlights that launched his meteoric rise: the platinum breakthrough smash “Dial Drunk,” and the song that he says, “changed my life,” the double-platinum smash “Stick Season,” showcasing his deft blend of cathartic blast and ardent earnestness to full effect.
The New York City-based Flor de Toloache seamlessly combines tradition and innovation, breaking boundaries with their edgy, versatile, and feminist perspective on classic Latin American music. Musical partners and dual vocalists Shae Fiol and Mireya Ramos lead the all-female Latin Grammy-winning combo, which features Ramos on violin and Fiol on vihuela, joined by a trio of virtuosos on trumpet, guitar and traditional mariachi guitarron. The trailblazing group defies cultural and gender norms, becoming the first female act to receive a Latin Grammy Award in the Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album category. With white flowers in their hair and red roses adorning their mic stands, they perform a spellbinding set with their latest album Motherflower as the centerpiece. Grammy-winning producer and Black Pumas leader Adrian Quesada, a fan, makes a guest appearance on guitar for the luminous heartbreak ballad “Soledad” (Loneliness). Fiol shifts between English and Spanish language easily on “Let Down,” a highlight from their 2014 debut, a fusion of ranchera, blues and R&B, and a stunning showcase for her impassioned vocals. Ramos takes the lead vocal on “Regresa Ya,” captivating on the beautiful, self-penned ranchera. Putting tradition aside, the quintet displays their remarkable range and stunning musicianship with a dazzling medley of contemporary rock songs, incorporating riffs, melodies and lyrics from Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, No Doubt and Rage Against the Machine for an epic close.
“There is no better example than this episode to showcase the musical diversity and variety that has been the hallmark of Austin City Limits for 50 years, said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Noah will inspire with the lyrical and melodic beauty of his songs, and Flor de Toloache will mesmerize with their own take on not-so traditional mariachi music.”