Get ready to dance the night away this Saturday when Nanaimo-based group BoodAbooM brings their eclectic sound to the Shady Rest.
“I’m really excited to hear them,” said Rosalee Sullivan, who promotes bands for The Shady.
The band is just as excited to play at Qualicum’s oldest business for the first time. “The Shady has been a very popular place to play lately,” said band leader Theo Massop.
BoodAbooM mixes the quieter sounds of roots and reggae music with the driving edge of rock and country-rock. It’s a blend that Massop said not only grabs and keeps the audience’s attention, but requires a versatile group of musicians to play. Luckily, the trio of players in BoodAbooM come with years of varying experience.
Massop has played, written and produced music for several decades in many bands both under his and others’ direction. His songs have been heard around the world and have received particular popularity in Holland, Luxembourg and Belgium.
He is joined in this band by Marisha Devoin on bass. Devoin graduated from the VIU music program and went on to play theatre shows, cruise ships, concerts and more in the past few years. She started gigging with Massop five or six years ago.
In fact, it was after one such gig about a year ago in Nanaimo that they met drummer Rich Bazille. He jammed with the duo and joined ranks after finding, as Massop said, they fit like a “hand in a glove.”
As for their band’s name, it’s not just a random collection of letters; it’s all about the sound. BoodAbooM sounds kind of like a drum beat, explained Massop. He also said it sounds a bit like “Buddha,” who inspires many of his songs. Although Massop isn’t a Buddhist, he said he has “found a lot of wisdom” in the teachings and these lessons are reflected in his music. In particular, some of his songs talk about approaches to living such as living peacefully and being still.
Don’t think that BoodAboom is here to lecture you, however. The band plays a lot of “up-tempo, danceable tunes.” They also have a large selection of cover tunes under their belt, which they’ll focus on at The Shady this weekend to encourage people to get up and dance.
Both Massop and Sullivan at the Shady hope people will take to the dance floor.
“People will stand up and dance at their table,” said Sullivan. “It’s awesome to see.”
BoodAbooM plays The Shady Rest Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. For more information, call the Shady at 250-752-9111.