Waterville Rocks – The Big Takeover

Waterville Rocks is a FREE, family-friendly concert series that will be held in Downtown Waterville in the summer of 2021. All concerts will take place at Head of Falls in Waterville, but in the case of rain, indoor venues are available for each of the dates (see below).

Beer Garden opens at 5:30pm.
Music begins at 6:00pm.

July 23 – Spencer Albee
July 30 – The Wolff Sisters
August 6 – Casey Abrams
August 13 – The Big Takeover

Traditionalists or progressives? Fronted by the charismatic Jamaican-born singer and songwriter Nee Nee Rushie, the seven-piece New York band The Big Takeover plays original music that is rooted in and reverent toward the genres and rhythms of Jamaican pop: reggae, rocksteady, ska. They are devotees of Desmond Dekker and the way the old school did it.  At the same time, The Big Takeover crosses lines and blends traditions like global pop fusionists. Their deceptively complex arrangements and big hooks connect with the spirit of Motown and the uptown sophistication of the 21st century retro soul and R&B revival scene. 

That rich sound, along with their rigorous performing schedule and studio work, has been paying off. In 2018, the Big Takeover completed a successful 12-state tour. They were enthusiastically received by 10,000 at Omaha’s Jazz on the Green festival. They delivered an outrageously infectious and nuanced acoustic performance on the popular reggae-centric Sugarshack Sessions. Meanwhile, their current standalone single “Rainboots” has scored big with the discerning tastes at National Public Radio. The Big Takeover has appeared live in studio on several NPR stations, while “Rainboots” is in rotation on all of them. 

Rain Venue: The Elm (21 College Ave)

CLICK HERE for more information about the Waterville Rocks concert series.