KLRU Studio 6A: The Original Home of ACL

The Trim onstage at the Original Home of ACL

Studio 6B, future home of The Longhorn Network

[photos: by WDFloyd] 


Last night I went over to the UT campus for a KLRU Next event at the legendary KLRU Studio 6A (which is now being called "The Original Home of Austin City Limits").   I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but what unfolded turned out to be quite interesting.  ACL's executive producer, Terry Lickona, treated us to an extended talk about his experiences with the ACL program.   Highlights included some very cool anecdotes about musicians who had performed on the original ACL stage, including one about Johnny Cash (appropriately, I later shared this story at The Mean Eyed Cat).

After Terry's chat with the KLRU Next group, we then went on a tour of the studio.  Highlights of that included an up-close look at the signature backdrop (it's got a couple of interesting quirks) and a little history on the crane from which ACL's famous opening was shot (turns out the crane was used on the sets of Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz before making its way to Austin).   As a bonus, we were able to head down to the area where the musicians would hang out before a show, and I got a chance to read some of the hilarious messages they'd left behind on one of the walls. 

Studio 6A is a a very intimate space for a television performance.   The audience is close to the stage, and the stage is out in on the floor of the studio (with a rise of only 18").   Musicians frequently mentioned that the proximity to the audience allowed them to feel their energy and enthusiasm, thus resulting in what many performers considered to be some of their best television performances.   The crowds were known to be friendly and enthusiastic (originally 900 people shoved into 10K square feet, but later lowered to 500 and then 300).   The excitement of being very close to the performance was a huge part of this (and something that ACL has strived to replicate in the new Moody Theater at the W)... and the free beer from Lone Star helped. 

In case you're curious as to what the future of Studio 6A has in store, it's going to be cool.  The plan is to return to ACL's roots as a showcase for local and emerging talent with a show called Satellite Sets (which will be available via the internet).

Note: Studio 6B, across the hall from 6A and formerly the home of KLRU pledge drives, is set to become the home of The Longhorn Network as of August 1st.