Excellent Rock Doc ‘Takeover!’ Goes on Tour with Band

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HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 4.0/5.0
Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – “Takeover!” chronicles the unique and interesting story of Full Service, a rock band from Austin, Texas who decided that they were going to tour with 311 and Snoop Dogg…even if they didn’t know about it. The film plays tomorrow night, April 27, 2012 at the Dream Theater in Chicago and is followed by a Q & A and acoustic performance. It’s a good-natured, sweet, fun documentary about the power of creativity. Sometimes you don’t need money, food, a plan, enough gas, or even a stage — you just need your passion to play.

The guys in Full Service admit that the current market demands that bands try to find a new model to breakthrough from local success to national fame. Sure, you can play to small clubs and bar audiences for years but that’s not going to take you to the next level. The band is pretty similar in musical vibe to 311 and comes with long hair, beards, and a traveling van called “The Whale” (which they even play out of at one point to try to allow for easier escape when the authorities try to shut them down). As for their music, I wish there was more of it earlier in the actual film — a complete number or two would have been nice to start — to get a better vibe for the band’s groove.

Takeover!
Takeover!
Photo credit: Full Service

Then again, “Takeover!” isn’t really about the music of Full Service. It’s about how they get it to the people and what it means to them. They case the parking lots and arrival paths for the next 311 show and they try to figure out where to play, where to hand out demos, where to get people to sign up for mailing lists. Sometimes it works incredibly well. Sometimes it’s a complete disaster. The story of the Takeover Tour becomes the story of every band — ups and downs, successes followed by failures — and that’s when the movie really starts to work. It’s not about this specific band. It’s about being passionate about music and being willing to do whatever it takes to get your creative work to the people. It’s about being willing to throw it all out there and risk arrest and take hours of your life for, as one of them says at one point, maybe 50 new fans. But 50 in this city, and then 50 in the next, and so on and so on…

The first act of “Takeover!” spends a bit too much time on the details. Long conversations about where to set up for their first “gig.” Fights about generators and running out of gas at the first show. A LOT of time spent watching them talk about where they’re going to play (when I really wanted more actual playing). At this point, we don’t know a lot about the guys or their music. Luckily, the film settles into a groove after the band learns a few lessons from a few missteps and becomes one of the most engaging music documentaries of the last few years.

Takeover!
Takeover!
Photo credit: Full Service

After the initial growing pains of the tour and movie, “Takeover!” becomes a document of life on the road in a struggling band — arguments, playfulness, music, frustration — it’s a roller coaster. Every success — demos, fans — comes with failure — like driving seven hours to unload and just loading up again or realizing that rain can ruin a well-planned gig.

I worried where “Takeover!” would go. The final act really seals the deal and ties the whole project and its themes together. Not to spoil anything but there is a solid result from the hard work and efforts on the part of Full Service. It gives one hope that not giving up on your dream and finding a new way to get that dream to the people could work for anyone out there as long as they have the same drive as Full Service. Don’t give up. Check out the show tomorrow night and ask the guys about it. You won’t regret it.

“Takeover!” plays as a special event at the Dream Theater (556 W. 18th St.) tomorrow night, April 27, 2012 at 7:30pm CST. It moves on to Cincinnati, Milford, Bridgeport, Amherst, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Atlanta, and ends on the 311 Cruise in Miami, FL. Check out the official site for details.

HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

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