Austin City Limits turns up the volume with one of modern rock’s premier bands, Austin’s own Spoon, as the hometown heroes return to the ACL stage showcasing their celebrated tenth album, Lucifer On The Sofa, a 2023 Grammy nominee for Best Rock Album. The hourlong installment premieres February 18 at 7pm CT/8pm ET on PBS as part of ACL’s Season 48. Following the broadcast, the episode will be available to stream at 11pm CT/12am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits for four weeks. The Peabody Award-winning program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history. ACL gives viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance as this American music institution nears its remarkable half-century milestone. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits following the initial broadcast. The show’s official hashtag is #acltv.
Ten albums and nearly three decades into a remarkable tenure, Austin’s esteemed rock ambassadors Spoon return to Austin City Limits for their fifth appearance, joining the ranks of Willie, Merle and Lyle with the most appearances on the ACL stage since their series debut in 2003. “First (ACL) taping I ever saw was in 1989 with Stevie Ray Vaughan,” leader and Austin native Britt Daniel tells the crowd as Spoon carve their name in Austin history. The rock stalwarts continue to make music boldly on their own terms, always pushing forward to become one of the best bands of their generation. They perform gems from their lauded tenth studio album, Lucifer on the Sofa, written and recorded in Austin. Rolling Stone hails the work as “Spoon’s best record ever;” it finds the band continuing to explore new sonic territories through elevated guitar rock and switchblade sharp songwriting. With Lucifer as the centerpiece of a stellar 13-song set, the quintet perform new highlights alongside fan favorites from their impeccable catalog.
Opening full-tilt with the jagged guitar stomp of Lucifer’s “The Hardest Cut,” Daniel & company demonstrate their showmanship as they segue into the shimmering, synth-driven “Inside Out” from 2014’s They Want My Soul. The rapt crowd thrills to new numbers, including the irresistible anthem “Wild,” the piano-fueled “My Babe” and the striking title track, a midnight ramble through Austin set to ghostly keyboards and augmented by a trio of saxophones and trombone. With fire guitar, tight drums and catchy choruses, the band perform career highlights, including the early, tension-filled gem “Utilitarian,” from their 1998 debut A Series of Sneaks, and the blazing “Got Nuffin” from 2010’s Transference. “The Underdog,” a horn-driven marvel from their mid-Aughts breakthrough Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga thrills the crowd. “Did we have a good time Austin?” asks frontman Daniel. “We did too,” and they close the hour with the iconic riffs of “Rent I Pay,” from 2014’s They Want My Soul for an epic mic drop.
“Spoon is not only a proud ‘hometown band,’ but the best proof that rock music in the 2020’s is not ‘dead,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “They continue to stretch and define what rock music means in today’s world, and this ACL performance proves it.”
Spoon setlist:
THE HARDEST CUT
INSIDE OUT
THE UNDERDOG
MY BABE
WILD
MY MATHEMATICAL MIND
DON’T YOU EVAH
GOT NUFFIN
THE DEVIL AND MISTER JONES
FEELS ALRIGHT
UTILITARIAN
LUCIFER ON THE SOFA
RENT I PAY
Rounding out Season 48 on February 25 st 7pm CT/8pm ET is a Hall of Fame tribute to another Texas music legend, Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Joe Ely, which features a song-filled salute from revered Lone Star musicians and Ely’s longtime collaborators, Texas all-stars The Flatlanders, with Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, alongside fellow Texans Rodney Crowell and Marcia Ball. The hour features a memorable induction by renowned Texas author Lawrence Wright along with historic highlights from the influential Ely’s eleven appearances on the ACL stage.
Fellow newly-minted Hall of Fame inductee Sheryl Crow was celebrated with a companion Hall of Fame tribute that kicked off the second half of ACL’s Season 48 in January 2023 and featured music greats Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Brittney Spencer and Lucius’ Jess Wolfe saluting the Grammy Award-winning artist. Season 48 premiered in October 2022 with a historic line-up spotlighting an unprecedented number of female artists, including a sterling season opener featuring singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, who recently earned a trio of 2023 Grammys. Season 48 also showcased many highly-praised acts who topped 2022 Year-End Best Lists, including electronic duo Sylvan Esso, Americana singer-songwriter Allison Russell and indie pop duo Lucius. Other highlights were ACL debuts from breakout artists including Japanese Breakfast, Arlo Parks and Cuban funk sensations Cimafunk and The Tribe along with deep-dive hours spotlighting acclaimed rock act The War on Drugs, country superstar Maren Morris and legendary alternative rock pioneers Pavement.
Watch live on PBS, or stream anytime. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding episode schedules, upcoming Season 49 tapings and select live stream updates or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.
Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 48th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.
Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, the Austin Convention Center Department, Cirrus Logic and AXS Ticketing. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.