Over the course of the past 10 years, Speedy Ortiz has charted their own path towards critical and commercial success. With a heady style of indie-rock that emphasizes Sadie Dupuis’ thought provoking lyrics, the band has become a leading light in the vibrant east coast scene. They’ll be playing at Boynton Yards (the temporary outdoor space of ONCE Ballroom) this Friday, September 17th, for their first and perhaps only concert of 2021. 

What to expect? Sadie (singer/guitarist) is wondering as well. “My guess is as good as anyone’s. I’ve been one of the people on the less socially active side of the spectrum during the pandemic and this will be the first gig I’ve gone to… It’ll be great to see [openers Billy Dean Thomas and Squitch] and get a chance to drive in the car with my bandmates, which sounds like such a silly thing to miss but I’m excited for that.”

Dupuis has stayed busy with a variety of music-related projects during the pandemic, including contributions to the recently updated 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list by Rolling Stone. The list is chosen by members of the music community/industry who submit their top 50 songs and RS tabulates the votes. The winner for number one song ever was “Respect” by the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, but Dupuis’ choice for top spot goes to “More Than A Woman” by Aaliyah. 

Ever eclectic, Sadie seems to draw inspiration from a wide-range of sources, maintaining a unique sense of originality that has manifested in collaborations with artists like Lizzo, while channeling alt-pop impulses into a solo project called Sad13. After our conversation ended, my Skype call was still on, and I could even hear (someone I assume was) Dupuis comping slick jazz guitar chords into the early evening.

Catch local grunge-pop icons Speedy Ortiz at ONCE this Friday. Tickets available via Eventbrite