Premiering at SXSW 2024, with PBS broadcasts coming later in the year, Faders Up: The John Aielli Experience takes a cinematic deep-dive into the extraordinary life and career of iconic KUTX radio host John Aielli. With a legacy spanning over fifty years on air, Aielli was enigmatic and controversial, and had a profound influence on Austin’s musical diversity and cultural landscape. Best known for his free-form style, complete with technical snafus and stream-of-consciousness musings on art and life, but who was John Aielli off the air? How did a gifted, young opera protege from small-town Killeen evolve into the legendary voice of Austin? The name of Aielli’s show, “Eklektikos,” meant “chosen from the best.” The best of what? Only he knew for sure.
