‘A.V. Undercover’ Season 9 in the Works
The show’s first day of recording is set for June 26.
A.V. Undercover is returning after a seven-year hiatus to entertain music lovers and cover song fans alike. The iconic YouTube show, which drew audiences with its unique format and exceptional performances, is gearing up for its highly anticipated ninth season.
For those unfamiliar with the show, A.V. Undercover was a series hosted by the entertainment news website The A.V. Club. Drawing inspiration from the BBC Live Lounge and Triple J Like a Version, the program invited bands into their Chicago offices to perform captivating cover songs. However, the twist was that the bands had to select from a predetermined list of songs, with fewer options remaining as more bands participated.
Over the years, A.V. Undercover became a cultural touchstone, attracting practically every indie band of the era to grace its stage, often multiple times. These artists delivered unforgettable performances, and the covers were quickly shared widely across various platforms.
Sadly, the series came to an abrupt end several years ago, and the videos seemingly vanished into oblivion, with many speculating that licensing issues were the culprit. Since then, fans have been left yearning for the return of this beloved show, scouring the internet for low-quality or audio-only rips of their favorite performances.
But now, in a fortunate turn of events, The A.V. Club’s new owners, Paste Media, have announced plans to revive A.V. Undercover for Season 9. Josh Jackson, the publication’s interim editor-in-chief, took to the official website to share the exciting news, stating:
“Hi, A.V. Club readers—Josh from Paste Media here. It’s been several weeks since we acquired The A.V. Club from G/O, and we’ve been busy working to migrate the site off of Kinja and onto our own platform. There are a lot of changes in the works…But the thing I’m most excited about and need your help with is to bring back A.V. Undercover.”
Jackson went on to invite readers to suggest and vote on the songs they’d like to see covered in the upcoming season, following the show’s beloved format. With the first day of recording already scheduled for June 26 in New York and a “former Undercover favorite” booked as the inaugural musical guest, fans have a lot to look forward to.
