Watch Dave Grohl Recall ‘Austin City Limits’ Influence in New Doc
Dave Grohl discusses the influence and aura of Austin City Limits in two exclusive outtakes from A Song for You, an upcoming documentary about the storied PBS concert series. For Grohl, watching ACL as a kid in Virginia gave him a chance to see bands performing full concerts onstage.
“It was more than just one song at the end of The Tonight Show,” Grohl remembers. “It was an ensemble performance that went on for more than six minutes, and I really liked that a lot. It was that kind of thing that inspired me to want to play with other people.”
In another outtake, Grohl chats about playing the Austin City Limits stage with the Foo Fighters, first in 2008 and again in 2015. “Walking on that stage — you’re invited to come here — and you stand on the stage and there is some validation, like maybe I did something right.”
A Song for You also features Beck, Willie Nelson, Jenny Lewis, Bonnie Raitt, Jeff Tweedy, Alabama Shakes, Florence and the Machine, Sturgill Simpson, Lucinda Williams, Flaco Jimenez and countless others who’ve appeared on ACL over its 40 year history. The movie was directed by Keith Maitland and premiered at this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival.
While A Song for You continues to make the festival rounds, Maitland and his producers have launched a Kickstarter campaign in order to finish the movie and prep it for a wider release. The film hopes to raise $125,000, which would primarily go towards securing audio rights and archival footage. As of today, May 10th, the film has raised over $42,000 and has 15 days left to reach its goal.