With one foot in the punk energy and political consciousness of alternative and the other in the big hooks and stage presence of classic rock, Pearl Jam is one of the titans of the rock landscape. So we were pleased to host the band in 2009, the day before its headlining appearance at the ACL Music Festival. Armed with a set of tunes from its then-new album Backspacer, plus back catalog gems, the Seattle quintet ripped through fierce rockers (“The Fixer,” “Porch”) and laid down tender ballads (“The End,” “Just Breathe”) with its legendary passion and power. The band invited a few friends along as well, including ACL vet Ben Harper for “Red Mosquito” and Austin’s own Will Taylor & Strings Attached, who provided some cool string arrangements. This is an episode that’s already become a favorite in ACL history, and we’re pleased to broadcast it once again.
Check out the episode page for more information and our Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr pages for further ACL goodness. Next week: more rock with Wilco.