Brandi Carlile shows why she's a major American artist in 'Austin City Limits' taping

What's the secret to the 48-years-and-counting success of "Austin City Limits"? Brandi Carlile offered up a reason on Wednesday evening, a few songs into her third taping of the iconic PBS program at ACL Live.

"I love this show because it's a show," she said, explaining that musicians' options for playing their music live on TV often boil down to "five terrifying minutes" on late-night talk shows. But because "Austin City Limits" captures performers doing a full set (which is then edited down to an hour or half-hour for telecast), "there's room for emotion and expression," Carlile explained.

She then proved the point. She'd just been front-and-center onstage, joyfully singing her new album's upbeat and inspiring tune "You and Me on the Rock" with her full band and members of her four-piece string section, whom she'd invited down front for the tune. But now she was up on the piano riser, taking over keyboardist Shooter Jennings' spot for a more tender song. "The twins" ― her longtime bandmates Phil Hanseroth (bass) and Tim Hanseroth (guitar) ― stood beside her on the riser, singing harmony as Carlile's clarion-clear voice delivered "This Time Tomorrow," a moving portrait of struggle and reassurance. When the strings kicked in to underscore the song's bittersweet beauty, it was perfect.

Related:Brandi Carlile sings out and speaks up at ACL Fest 2018

There were lots more turns of emotion and expression to come. Carlile's rise over the past two decades to the forefront of Americana music stems largely from her versatile ability to shift from hushed ballads to midtempo folk-rock numbers to full-on raging rockers. Highlights included "Broken Horses," a memorable single from the new album that followed the Hanseroth brothers' electrifying "Twintro" instrumental opener; back-to-back incendiary covers of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and Radiohead's "Creep" that put the spotlight on guest guitarist Celisse (who's played with Jon Batiste, Lizzo and others); and "The Mother," a mostly solo acoustic tune that Carlile introduced with humorous but touching remarks about her two daughters and her wife.

The Hanseroth twins are an essential part of the act. Indeed, "Brandi Carlile" often feels as much like a trio of frontpersons than a single singer-songwriter's domain. The three stood out front, with seven musicians on a riser behind them offering vibrant support throughout. They included Jennings, who co-produced (with Dave Cobb) Carlile's 2021 album, "In These Silent Days," and its Grammy-winning 2018 predecessor, "By the Way, I Forgive You"; drummer Matt Chamberlain, who's played with Bob Dylan, Fiona Apple and others; and percussionist Jeff Haynes, a recent addition known for his work with Pete Seeger.

Carlile's string section included "SistaStrings" siblings Chauntee Ross (violin) and Monique Ross (cello), who'd been on this same stage a few weeks ago for Allison Russell's "Austin City Limits" debut. The quartet's ringleader was viola player Kyleen King, who's primarily responsible for Carlile's string arrangements. An addition for the night was Sara Nelson, an Austin Symphony Orchestra cellist who Carlile said was playing her first show ever with the band.

Carlile has made no secret of her love for legendary songwriter Joni Mitchell, so it was no surprise she began a four-song encore with Mitchell's "Woodstock." Something apparently went wrong during the initial take, so Carlile played it again at the end of the encore for use in the telecast, which executive producer Terry Lickona said in his introduction would kick off the program's new season on PBS in October. (As much as Carlile clearly gets caught up in the energy and catharsis of her performances, she's also apparently attentive to details; when she taped the show in 2018, she redid two songs at the end of the set.)

Carlile is sticking around Austin for a Friday night show at Waterloo Park. Tickets are still available via ticketmaster.com ($51 for general admission lawn, $125-$200 for reserved seats). Opening Friday's show is indie duo Lucius, who'll tape their own episode of "Austin City Limits" on Sunday at ACL Live.

More:Our review of Brandi Carlile's 2018 "Austin City Limits" taping

Set list

1. "Twintro"

2. "Broken Horses"

3. "The Things I Regret"

4. "You and Me on the Rock"

5. "This Time Tomorrow"

6. "The Mother"

7. "Mama Werewolf"

8. "Space Oddity"

9. "Creep"

10. "Cannonball"

11. "Right on Time"

12. "Sinners, Saints and Fools"

13. "The Joke" (end main set)

14. "Woodstock" (begin encore)

15. "Hold Out Your Hand"

16. "Stay Gentle"

17. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

18. "Woodstock" (retake)

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Brandi Carlile shines brightly in Austin City Limits taping: review