Austin City Limits showcases alternative rock innovators Pavement in their first appearance on the series for a rare television performance marking their 30th anniversary. The legendary band performs a 15-song fever dream career-spanning set filled with fan favorites and classics in a fascinating hour offering viewers an immersive dive into their influential artistry. The new installment premieres February 4 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.
The veteran Northern California band fronted by singer-songwriter Stephen Malkmus, is one of the most popular and distinctive acts to come from the American underground in the 1990s. Pavement are Mark Ibold, Scott “Spiral Stairs” Kannberg, Stephen Malkmus, Bob Nastanovich and Steve West. The beloved band released five era-defining albums – Slanted And Enchanted (1992), Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994), Wowee Zowee (1995), Brighten The Corners (1997) and Terror Twilight (1999) – before disbanding in 1999. Pavement rewrote the rules of how rock could be presented, using a slacker veneer suffused in irony to disguise superior songcraft and musicianship, scoring both underground and bona fide hits. The celebrated band reunited in 2022 for its first shows in more than a decade to mark the 30th anniversary of their seminal 1992 debut.
Pavement has lately garnered a new generation of fans and takes the ACL stage to wild applause for its free-wheeling set. The band performs career highlights and gems from across their catalog, including “Summer Babe,” the opener of Slanted And Enchanted, and a perfect example of the band’s patented tight-but-loose approach to guitar rock. The anthemic “Embassy Row” from 1997’s Brighten The Corners showcases percussionist/vocalist Bob Nastanovich prowling the stage with the microphone, his trademark discordant shouts a unique contrast to Malkmus’ laconic croon. B-side gem and viral smash “Harness Your Hopes,” a fan favorite with a laid-back melody and sharp lyrics, inspires a loud, ecstatic reaction from the crowd. The hits keep a-comin’ with “Spit On A Stranger,” a late period chestnut from 1999’s Terror Twilight and “Painted Soldiers,” with guitarist Kannberg taking on vocals for the indie rock standout. The hour closes with the familiar “whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo” that signals “Cut Your Hair,” Pavement’s Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain signature tune, eliciting huge cheers from the Austin audience.
Pavement setlist:
GROUNDED
SUMMER BABE
STEREO
BLACK OUT
EMBASSY ROW
ZURICH IS STAINED
TRIGGER CUT
TWO STATES
TYPE SLOWLY
HARNESS YOUR HOPES
SPIT ON A STRANGER
UNFAIR
WE DANCE
PAINTED SOLDIERS
CUT YOUR HAIR
Season 48 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):
January 7 Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Sheryl Crow
January 14 Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats/ Adia Victoria
January 21 Adrian Quesada Boleros Psicodélicos
January 28 The War On Drugs
February 4 Pavement
February 11 Maren Morris
February 18 Spoon
February 25 Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Joe Ely
Watch live on PBS, or stream anytime. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding episode schedules, future 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.