Andrew Bird

Austin City Limits celebrates the creative impulse of the eclectic by welcoming Andrew Bird to Studio 6A. The Chicago native began studying the violin at age four, eventually graduating college with a bachelor’s degree in performance. After a stint with string band revivalists the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Bird formed the band Bowl of Fire to back him on a pair of albums that blended early 20^th century swing, folk and gypsy jazz with the leader’s quirky original songs. Evolving at a furious rate,  Bird added rock, pop and electronica influences to his polyglot stew, issuing acclaimed albums like The Swimming Hour, Weather Systems and The Mysterious Production of Eggs. In 2006, Bird signed to the respected blues/indie label Fat Possum and released Armchair Apocrypha, his most celebrated LP yet, and his first to hit the Billboard charts. Now, with his latest album Noble Beast and a triumphant show at the Paramount Theater giving him a deafening buzz, Bird brings his knockout stage presence to Austin City Limits for his debut performance.