Last month, Austin City Limits made its archives available to the public amidst fans stuck on home due to the global pandemic crisis. Music fans will be available to access performances from Tom Waits, Billie Eilish, Vampire Weekend, and The Raconteurs including one special episode, John Prine’s appearance from 2018.
The release of this full episode comes as the music community mourns the loss of The Singing Mailman, who died last week from complications of the coronavirus. The special episode will be a 12-song, hour-long in support of The Tree of Forgiveness, which Prine had released that year and now his official last studio album. The release was also his comeback on the long-running TV series since 2005.
In addition to The Tree tracks like “Knockin’ on Your Screen Door” and “Summer’s End”, Prine also dropped classics like “Lake Marie”, “Everything is Cool”, and a solo rendition of “Illegal Smile.” He also played his timeless “Angel from Montgomery”, dedicating it to Bonnie Raitt, whose original version propelled both artists into the limelight.
“I didn’t realize I’ve been here eight times,” Prine said during the filming of the episode, per the Austin Chronicle. “I guess I’ll just keep doing it until I get it right.”
You can watch Prine’s full Austin City Limits episode via PBS below: