The Big Takeover takes over the Colony on New Year’s Eve
Have a ball at Colony Woodstock, 22 Rock City Road, Woodstock, as its throws a New Year’s Eve Ball with The Big Takeover on Sunday, Dec. 31, at 8 p.m.
Los Thujones will be the opening act.
Since 2007, the New York six-piece The Big Takeover has been fulfilling the mission implied in its name: Packing clubs in the city and upstate and building its brand and reputation on the road and in the studio. A far cry from the poppunk of American ska, The Big Takeover takes its cues from Desmond Dekker and the first wave of Jamaican pop music, as well as from the soulful energy and sophistication of Motown.
At the center of this tight, grooving ensemble is the live-wire singing and deceptively subtle songwriting of the Jamaican-born NeeNee Rushie, a powerhouse performer who makes the audience feel like accomplices more than spectators. Traditional and experimental, The Big Takeover’s global blend reveals deep fluency in reggae and world music, hints of soul, and a pop classicism that is its own thing entirely.
Named for the psychoactive chemical compound found in absinthe, the “skagrass” band Los Thujones discovered the seed of its original sound one winter night in a cabin on New York’s Wallkill River in 2010. Rick Schultz introduced his global-minded, politicized dance tunes to brothers Charlie and Theo Schikowitz while they sat by a fire, passing around a vial of wormwood and laughing at the musical possibilities opening before them. Over the next few years, Schultz (vocals, ukulele), Charlie Schikowitz (mandolin, violin), and Theo Schikowitz (contrabass) would remain the core of this ongoing experiment in global musical fusion. Admission is $40. Call (845) 679-7625 or visit colonywoodstock.com for more information.