SXSW Live Shot: Speedy Ortiz

What’s the authentic SXSW experience? Sometimes it’s stumbling onto an artist unspoiled by extraneous attention. More often, it’s standing in an overcrowded bar drinking lukewarm Lone Stars to stay hydrated while watching a bedraggled band callously plug away at a 30-minute set almost out of spite for a bemused horde that’s not paying attention.

Why we haven’t learned better?

Massachusetts’ Speedy Ortiz are a great band with spidery guitars and Sadie Dupuis’ deft lyrics. They’re as close as you’ll get to a Silver Jews in the 21st century. On Wednesday, they were an hour late, chortled by a terrible PA, and dealing with epic bar chatter.

The set was doomed before the band even showed up.

Dupuis ended with a terse “thanks” and got out of there as fast as she could. None of it was Speedy’s fault, but imagine if they weren’t famous yet. That 2013 sophomore effort Major Arcana hadn’t caught on.

Could Speedy Ortiz “break out” at SXSW? Like Broken Social Scene, or Sleigh Bells, or Surfer Blood? Or would they play antagonistic sets that rob them of their virtuosity and poetry, left to toil in obscurity for a festival that often can’t provide artists the patience they need to succeed?

Luckily, Speedy didn’t need Wednesday night to become famous. All those other bands getting drowned out by awful soundchecks and disinterested crowds? They might not be as lucky.

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