It’s hard not to slip into hyperbole when writing about Sturgill Simpson’s Austin City Limits taping on Wednesday. It was truly something special.

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Simpson’s brand of outlaw country is not simply defined, as proven by his cover of When in Rome’s hit single, “The Promise.” His rendition of it Wednesday night was one of the show’s highlights. What was defined was the soaring power of his vocals and the tight performance by his band, punctuated by the outstanding Estonian guitarist Laur Joamets.

The crowd responded with several standing ovations and lingered long after the show, buzzing about what they had just witnessed. Luckily, those that missed the live show can see the magic when it airs on PBS later this year.

Reprinted from original story on Culture Map Austin here