Aloe Blacc to headline Longhorn City Limits prior to Texas-TCU

The third edition of Longhorn City Limits will feature some serious star power before the Texas Longhorns take on the TCU Horned Frogs in the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams, as the school announced on Monday that Aloe Blacc will serve as the headliner.

“The response from our fans to Longhorn City Limits has been overwhelmingly positive,” said athletics director Chris Del Conte. “As we continue to grow this new gameday tradition, I challenged the staff to create a mix of local and national artists, as well as offer a variety of musical styles throughout the season. They came through in a big way with adding Aloe Blacc and Jackie Venson to the lineup.”

Blacc certainly serves as a change of pace after headlining acts from blue legend Jimmie Vaughan and Austin-based country music standouts Reckless Kelly — Blacc famously teamed with the late DJ Avicii on platinum-selling single “Wake Me Up” and moves seamlessly through genres like soul, hip hop, funk, and R&B. The multi-instrumentalist and producer hasn’t played in Austin since 2014 and scored a hit with this year’s “Brooklyn In The Summer.”

“My goal for this next album is to continue with the aspirational songs I’ve been writing for a while now, but add a dimension that’s more focused on love and relationships,” says Blacc. “My own relationship with my family and my wife is so important to me, and I want these songs to give people the opportunity to celebrate the love in their life.”

Blacc will play from 1:30-2:30 ahead of the 3:30 p.m. kickoff between the Horns and Horned Frogs.

Preceding Blacc on the LBJ Lawn stage will be Austin-based blues guitarist Jackie Venson, Austin360’s Breakout Artist of the Year on the back of her successful EP “Transcends.” The classically-trained pianist has drawn comparisons to Gary Clark Jr. Venson will play from noon to 1 p.m.

The concerts feature free admission and are open to the public. Stubb’s BBQ and other on-site concession options are available, as well as happy hour pricing on beer and wine spritzers.