311 w/ Sublime with Rome @ Verizon Wireless Amp – Review (YouTellConcerts)

Prior to attending this mini-Reggae fest, Sublime with Rome and 311, I will not lie…I was not looking forward to seeing Sublime with Rome. For one, I am not to fond of Sublime’s new song, and two, I felt like it was wrong seeing Sublime with Rome. They are not the genuine Sublime band that I grew up listening to.

To my surprise, however, Rome’s voice almost identically matched the beloved and legendary Bradely Nowell’s vocals. If you were to close your eyes and just listen to the music, it was almost as if you heard Bradley’s voice through the new frontman. Rome continues to sing out and play those guitar riffs in remembrance of Brad. So, although it was not the original band member up there, it was still amazing to hear someone sound so close to the original Sublime “sound.” I greatly enjoyed listening and singing along to the old Sublime tunes that I once loved.


Photo by Jorge Meza


Sublime started off the night with “Smoke Two Joints,” and that was exactly what the crowd did. Everyone pulled out their rolled joints and started lighting up; but pipes and joints were not the only things that were being lit up.

Up in the meadows, which was the furthest “pit” overlooking the stage and whole arena, the fans went wild. You found crazy hardcore fans burning cups, their clothes, and whatever one was able to find or willing to burn. They created their very own homemade bonfire in a knocked over trash bin. As flames burned from the grass, the security guards could only stand there as they watched those unstoppable fans tumble over, mosh around and run over this fire pit while Sublime with Rome continued on with their performance. This attitude and behavior reminded me of the 90′s, when Grunge, Ska and a mixture of Punk Rock were put together to create an “eff the world, eff the norm” mentality and mannerism; I felt like we were back in the 90′s.

All together, the whole crowd’s vibe was in tune. As you stood there singing and dancing to the all-time classic songs “Wrong Way,” “Santeria,” and “Summertime,” you felt everyone’s energy in sync with the old Sublime fans and even the new Sublime with Rome fans. As the favorite jam, “What I Got,” was performed, Rome pointed the mic out to the audience inviting every fan out there to sing aloud the well-known ending lyrics repeatedly, “Lov-in’… is What I GOT. I said Remember That.”

As Sublime with Rome stated that they were about to play their last song for the night, the crowd “Boo”ed as they screamed “We love you!” “Date Rape” started up and the crowd lost it. Thousands of fans screamed along to the song as their fingers and hands waved in the air. The song came to a close, and the band thanked the fans for all their love and support as they exited the stage. The crowd called for an encore, but sadly they did not return.

Fresh off of their first 311 Pow Wow festival, 311 rolled into Verizon Wireless Amphitheater and delivered on the promise of their new album, “Universal Pulse,” and put on a perfect summer show.


Photo by Jorge Meza


They stormed out with a fan favorite, “Beautiful Disaster,” to get the crowd going and never let up. 311 played many of their older tunes and mixed in “Sunset in July” and “Wild Nights” from their new album as well. The extremely loyal following that 311 have developed was in full force singing their hearts out through most of the set. 311 bypassed some of their more popular slow jams such as “Love Song” to keep the energy going. The pinnacle of the show was their famous drum solo. There are few better concert experiences than watching Chad Sexton rip into his drum solo in the middle of “Applied Science” with the other members of the band joining in on their own individual drums. By the time they break back into the end of the song, the whole crowd is jumping up and down to the beat. 311 brought the show to an end with their cover of Bad Brain’s “Who’s Got the Herb” coupled with “And A Ways To Go;” finishing up with “Creatures For Awhile.”

With 20 years behind them, the only negative to a 311 show is that you leave wanting more. All you hear around you while exiting is people in the crowd talking about what they wanted to hear. I scratched that itch by hitting up a local karaoke bar in Irvine and helped some friends belt out a few more 311 jams.

http://youtellconcerts.com/reveiw-311-w-sublime/