SPEEDY ORTIZ SHARE "INDOOR SOCCER" FROM SHEA STADIUM BENEFIT LP VIA BILLBOARD

Posted on August 23rd, 2017

[as seen on Billboard]

This past March, the beloved Brooklyn DIY venue Shea Stadium was forced to end its eight-year run of kick-ass shows over a series of zoning and licensing violations. As Shea seeks a new location, Exploding In Sound Records -- the New York-based indie whose bands played there countless times -- is releasing a full-length compilation to help the cause. Live at Shea Stadium is due Oct. 6, but before then, we’ve got an exclusive early sampling, featuring one of the venerable heroes from Shea’s universe.

It’s Massachusetts-bred indie rockers Speedy Ortiz. They’re currently working on their third full length, but the comp features a live cut of an OG track from their formative days. Below, hear them perform “Indoor Soccer,” off their 2012 EP Sports, recorded on Aug. 4 of that year.

Speedy frontwoman Sadie Dupuis says:

"There might never have been a Speedy Ortiz without Shea Stadium. Though I'd released some solo material under that name, Speedy Ortiz the band -- just [drummer] Mike [Falcone] and me at first -- came together the night before our first show to fill a slot at Shea on a show with Porches, who were brand new then as well. We felt so appreciated and encouraged by the Shea family after only one gig, and played there many times over the next few years of the band's history. We've seen so many of our favorite bands and Exploding in Sound friends form and grow on Shea's stage. We felt loved there whether we brought 10 people or packed the place out, and we'll always appreciate the chances Shea took on brand new bands like Speedy.”

Indeed, Shea served as a launching pad for many DIY musicians, especially those who didn't quite feel at home most anywhere else. Our recent podcast interview with Vagabon's Lætitia Tamko gives a first-hand account of this.

After Shea Stadium was initially shut down by authorities in Jan. 2017, it hoped to raise enough money to secure the proper licenses and modifications to continue operating. Its Kickstarter raised the necessary $50,000 (and a whole lot more) but in the end, its landlord decided to ditch them altogether and build a nightclub on the grounds instead. As Shea’s leaders press on and try to find a new location, the live album seeks to raise more funds and awareness for the cause.

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