Speedy Ortiz went through some turmoil recently when guitarist Matt Robidoux announced his "indefinite hiatus" from the band (Devin McKnight is filling in on the current tour), but you would not have known it from their blistering NXNE showcase on Thursday night (June 19). Opening with "Taylor Swift," Speedy Ortiz's brisk 35-minute set covered all of the group's discography and included one new song, "Bigger Party" (from Adult Swim's 2014 summer singles series), whose catchy chorus suggests that Sadie Dupuis is not about to run out of effortlessly hooky melodies — those same ones that distracted the audience while the band's alternately angular and sludgy guitars blew out their eardrums. There is an appealingly shambolic quality to some of Speedy Ortiz's recorded output, but on this night every song sounded louder, tighter, heavier and more dynamic — the hallmarks of a band that is on the cusp of much bigger things.
Photo Gallery: FB
Photo Gallery: FB