Well, I know it’s late, but I had to comment on the Sublime and 311 show at the Santa Barbara Bowl back on August 21st. The Bowl is set in a foothill neighborhood in Santa Barbara. Depending on your seat, there is an ocean view, beautiful place for live music. First off, let me say, I have seen both of these bands, several times since their inceptions. 311 is still rockin’ a heavy sound, mixed with hip hop, rap and driving back beat, and they are getting better. They sounded so tight and clear. Their maturity as musicians is evident in their tempo changes and aerial arena sounding songs that never leave you standing still. These guys are able to bring EVERYONE to their feet to move and groove. As usual with 311 shows, the scent of northern californian indica permeated the air with a welcoming additive to the whole experience.
http://www.musicalapparel.com/summertime-in-santa-barbara
Sublime... What can I say except, take me back to the sound I’ve been missing since Bradley left us hanging onto a little of what was gonna be coming... Like Stevie Ray Vaughan opened the door to what modern blues could sound like, so did Sublime with ska and reggae music. Pure roots music that is so over looked. Well they did not disappoint, infact they left us wanting more and more. Next year hopefully they will be a headliner and that will be a show to see. If you missed Sublime this year, shame on you... Get a Musical T and then you’ll be ready to rock!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Top 20 Concerts (CNBC)
The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.
TOP 20 CONCERT TOURS
1. (1) U2; $6,655,685; $93.84.
2. (2) Taylor Swift; $2,035,634; $73.47.
3. (3) Kenny Chesney; $1,974,059; $74.40.
4. (5) "Glee Live! In Concert!"; $1,427,019; $82.25.
5. (New) Sade; $1,351,955; $101.99.
6. (6) Phish; $1,035,786; $52.23.
7. (7) New Kids On The Block / Backstreet Boys; $842,387; $73.53.
8. (8) Usher; $822,778; $68.82.
9. (New) Rush; $688,049; $72.51.
10. (10) Rascal Flatts; $662,125; $35.20.
11. (11) Michael Buble; $553,844; $75.28.
12. (12) Motley Crue; $506,027; $55.89.
13. (14) "American Idols Live"; $480,206; $53.73.
14. (13) Katy Perry; $478,826; $41.61.
15. (16) Josh Groban; $433,929; $79.05.
16. (15) Keith Urban; $432,768; $53.03.
17. (17) Sugarland; $394,774; $47.90.
18. (New) Luis Miguel; $393,595; $90.54.
19. (19) 311 / Sublime With Rome; $289,658; $29.09.
20. (New) Chelsea Handler; $278,411; $72.09.
For free upcoming tour information, go to www.pollstar.com
http://www.cnbc.com/id/44361080
TOP 20 CONCERT TOURS
1. (1) U2; $6,655,685; $93.84.
2. (2) Taylor Swift; $2,035,634; $73.47.
3. (3) Kenny Chesney; $1,974,059; $74.40.
4. (5) "Glee Live! In Concert!"; $1,427,019; $82.25.
5. (New) Sade; $1,351,955; $101.99.
6. (6) Phish; $1,035,786; $52.23.
7. (7) New Kids On The Block / Backstreet Boys; $842,387; $73.53.
8. (8) Usher; $822,778; $68.82.
9. (New) Rush; $688,049; $72.51.
10. (10) Rascal Flatts; $662,125; $35.20.
11. (11) Michael Buble; $553,844; $75.28.
12. (12) Motley Crue; $506,027; $55.89.
13. (14) "American Idols Live"; $480,206; $53.73.
14. (13) Katy Perry; $478,826; $41.61.
15. (16) Josh Groban; $433,929; $79.05.
16. (15) Keith Urban; $432,768; $53.03.
17. (17) Sugarland; $394,774; $47.90.
18. (New) Luis Miguel; $393,595; $90.54.
19. (19) 311 / Sublime With Rome; $289,658; $29.09.
20. (New) Chelsea Handler; $278,411; $72.09.
For free upcoming tour information, go to www.pollstar.com
http://www.cnbc.com/id/44361080
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Unity Tour – 311 + Sublime With Rome @ Marymoor Park – August 26, 2011 (Backbeat Seattle)
The planets aligned, the meaning of life was revealed and, in the immortal words of comedian Bill Hicks, my third eye was squeegeed quite cleanly. That was just from the contact high. In all honesty, of the countless shows I have been to over the years I have never seen and smelled as many people light up as I did at the final 311 Unity Tour stop at Marymoor Park. With Sublime With Rome in tow the “smoke free” venue was bathed in the distinct smelling haze of marijuana cigarettes most of the evening. 311 has some of the best crowds of any band I know. The Sublime fans were pretty mellow as well.
The show, scheduled to start at 6, actually kicked off earlier. By the time I showed up, 6 on the dot, the opener Del Mar had already left the stage. Sublime With Rome took the stage and kicked off with “Wrong Way.” It took me a few songs to warm up to the fact that obviously Rome was not Bradley Nowell. I have to admit, he did a great job and in front of so many die-hard Sublime fans, there’s no way it was an easy task. The new songs, especially “Take It Or Leave It,” sounded great and versions of the old songs were at the very least listenable and enjoyable. The crowd sang along to old favorites “What I Got,” “Santeria,” “Badfish” and “Smoke Two Joints.” Some of the highlights included a psychedelic cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias,” the reggae beat of “Don’t Push” and the energetic, set closing “Date Rape.” This is Sublime: The Next Generation. Bottom line is: they were better than I thought they would be and think they’ll stand well on their own.
While the quality of 311′s studio output has slowly declined over their last few albums, their live show is still unbeatable. I think 311 knows their recent material isn’t their strongest. Their set reflected this by shying away from all recent albums besides their newest release. Universal Pulse, their new album, clocks in with 8 songs and is under 30 minutes long, feeling more like an EP than an LP. Their setlist and Unity Tour closing show at Marymoor was one for the ages.
They kicked off with “Beautiful Disaster” and “From Chaos” before launching into “Sunset In July” right as the sun was descending towards the horizon. They followed this up with the old school 311 of “All Mixed Up” and the funkiness of their first single “Do You Right.” They threw in some songs for the dedicated fans, deep cuts they don’t play as often live. “Starshines” is a funky rap-rock mash-up from their excellent Transistor album. As a huge 311 fan the only song I used to loathe in the 311 cannon was “Brodels.” The song live isn’t half bad and is a tribute to their friends and crew. I might have to go back and re-evaluate that one.
Halfway through they kicked into “Applied Science” and broke out the now obligatory communal drumming interlude to accompany Chad Sexton’s amazing drum solo. No matter what you think of 311′s music there’s no denying they are immensely talented musicians. P-Nut’s bass solo later in the set was a highlight as were guitarist Tim Mahoney’s solos interspersed throughout the show. Nick Hexum and S.A. Martinez were vocally spot on all night and I stood in awe that S.A. could still spit out rhymes with the same energy he had 15 years ago.
Out of all the other new songs “Trouble” shows the most promise as a hit, the most connection with the fans. They closed out the show with the live favorite “Who’s Got the Herb?” (apparently about ¾ of the crowd at Marymoor) and a high energy “Down,” dedicated to all the old school 311 fans in the house. Live, 311 has still got it. I hope the day will come again when their new studio music returns to the same high quality level of their live shows.
http://backbeatseattle.com/wordpress/2011/08/29/show-review-photos-unity-tour-311-sublime-w-rome-marymoor-park-%E2%80%93-august-26-2011/
The show, scheduled to start at 6, actually kicked off earlier. By the time I showed up, 6 on the dot, the opener Del Mar had already left the stage. Sublime With Rome took the stage and kicked off with “Wrong Way.” It took me a few songs to warm up to the fact that obviously Rome was not Bradley Nowell. I have to admit, he did a great job and in front of so many die-hard Sublime fans, there’s no way it was an easy task. The new songs, especially “Take It Or Leave It,” sounded great and versions of the old songs were at the very least listenable and enjoyable. The crowd sang along to old favorites “What I Got,” “Santeria,” “Badfish” and “Smoke Two Joints.” Some of the highlights included a psychedelic cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias,” the reggae beat of “Don’t Push” and the energetic, set closing “Date Rape.” This is Sublime: The Next Generation. Bottom line is: they were better than I thought they would be and think they’ll stand well on their own.
While the quality of 311′s studio output has slowly declined over their last few albums, their live show is still unbeatable. I think 311 knows their recent material isn’t their strongest. Their set reflected this by shying away from all recent albums besides their newest release. Universal Pulse, their new album, clocks in with 8 songs and is under 30 minutes long, feeling more like an EP than an LP. Their setlist and Unity Tour closing show at Marymoor was one for the ages.
They kicked off with “Beautiful Disaster” and “From Chaos” before launching into “Sunset In July” right as the sun was descending towards the horizon. They followed this up with the old school 311 of “All Mixed Up” and the funkiness of their first single “Do You Right.” They threw in some songs for the dedicated fans, deep cuts they don’t play as often live. “Starshines” is a funky rap-rock mash-up from their excellent Transistor album. As a huge 311 fan the only song I used to loathe in the 311 cannon was “Brodels.” The song live isn’t half bad and is a tribute to their friends and crew. I might have to go back and re-evaluate that one.
Halfway through they kicked into “Applied Science” and broke out the now obligatory communal drumming interlude to accompany Chad Sexton’s amazing drum solo. No matter what you think of 311′s music there’s no denying they are immensely talented musicians. P-Nut’s bass solo later in the set was a highlight as were guitarist Tim Mahoney’s solos interspersed throughout the show. Nick Hexum and S.A. Martinez were vocally spot on all night and I stood in awe that S.A. could still spit out rhymes with the same energy he had 15 years ago.
Out of all the other new songs “Trouble” shows the most promise as a hit, the most connection with the fans. They closed out the show with the live favorite “Who’s Got the Herb?” (apparently about ¾ of the crowd at Marymoor) and a high energy “Down,” dedicated to all the old school 311 fans in the house. Live, 311 has still got it. I hope the day will come again when their new studio music returns to the same high quality level of their live shows.
http://backbeatseattle.com/wordpress/2011/08/29/show-review-photos-unity-tour-311-sublime-w-rome-marymoor-park-%E2%80%93-august-26-2011/
Saturday, August 27, 2011
311 - Chad Sexton (Pearl)
For most, 311’s Summer Unity Tour means exactly what the title suggests; the coming together of fans from all different backgrounds to celebrate the summer, and the love of music, all throughout the country. This year’s Summer Unity Tour proved, once again, to be the epitome of the perfect summer night, with 311 continuing where they left off during last year’s trek, making an unforgettable night for all. This year, 311’s annual summer tour seemed especially magical, with the band touring the states for the first time in support of their latest studio album, Universal Pulse, which hit the shelves just last month. Universal Pulse includes the hit song, “Sunset in July”, which instantly climbed to the top of the charts and became the song of the season for the millions of 311 fans around the world. This album, along with the 9 previous albums, have molded 311 into one of the biggest bands of today, in part to their endless series of hits, multi-platinum selling albums, and their unbelievable live concerts.
Pearl artist, Chad Sexton, is revered and idolized greatly in the drumming world. Having stormed onto the drumming scene with 311 over 20 years ago, Chad has continued to build up his reputation as one of the world’s finest drummers through his rock-solid playing and beautiful use of his well-versed rudiments. Chad’s clean and tasteful playing continue to be a major factor in the band’s success, with Chad always concentrating on the overall outcome of the song, putting the right drum parts to the right sections, and only displaying his chops when the musical piece allows enough space for it. This style of patient playing has become Chad’s signature technique, and has influenced thousands upon thousands of drummers who have grown alongside with 311’s remarkable career.
With the new, hot album, chart climbing single, and the quintessential summer tour on the docket, Chad unveiled his gorgeous new Pearl Reference Series kit, to keep up with 311’s theme of new and amazing. Chad’s new Reference Series kit has already made a big splash and stirred up a huge amount of interest, and compliments, throughout the drumming world, and for a very good reason. The custom finish, which was designed by Chad and perfected in Pearl’s Factory, serves as the perfect centerpiece to 311’s stage, with the stunning teal and white burst capturing the audience’s attention and adding a whole new visual factor to the band’s performance. The specs on Chad’s new kit are as follow:
Reference Series: Custom teal/white burst
6x6- rack tom
8x7- rack tom
10x8- rack tom
12x9- rack tom
13x10- rack tom
14x14- floor tom
16x16- floor tom
20x14- gong drum
22x18- kick drum
14x5- Free Floating Snare Drum (maple)
Along with the noted special order drums, like the 6x6 rack tom and the 20x14 gong drum, Chad also uses a set of Pearl Rocket Toms, which serve as a major part to 311’s signature drum solo, and also throughout various sections of the band’s set. Both the Rocket Toms and the Gong drums were custom painted to match the rest of the kit. For his snare, Chad went back to his old ways with a 14x5 maple Free Floating Snare Drum, which has been his go-to snare drum throughout his lengthy career. Between the free floating maple shell, and his technique, Chad is able to pull a varied amount of full-bodied tones and a large amount of crack from the shallow snare, along with, and including, the high-pitched ringing tone that he is often recognized by.
The Pearl name is proudly displayed throughout the aforementioned drum solo, which serves as the highlight to any and every 311 concert. Composed and designed by Chad himself, this year’s solo included a set of Surdo drums, from Pearl’s Brazilian Percussion line, along with multiple 12x5 Firecracker snare drums, and a gorgeous 36x16 PBE Concert Bass Drum.
Although 311’s Summer Unity Tour is sadly coming to a close, the band will be back in a big way soon, with plans for their second Caribbean Cruise in the works, along with their biyearly 311 Day, which will be held in Las Vegas. For more information on 311 and Chad Sexton, please be sure to visit the band’s website at www.311.com. Also be sure to pick up a copy of 311’s new album, Universal Pulse, which is available wherever music is sold.
http://www.pearldrum.com/Artists/Featured-Artists.aspx?id=22
Pearl artist, Chad Sexton, is revered and idolized greatly in the drumming world. Having stormed onto the drumming scene with 311 over 20 years ago, Chad has continued to build up his reputation as one of the world’s finest drummers through his rock-solid playing and beautiful use of his well-versed rudiments. Chad’s clean and tasteful playing continue to be a major factor in the band’s success, with Chad always concentrating on the overall outcome of the song, putting the right drum parts to the right sections, and only displaying his chops when the musical piece allows enough space for it. This style of patient playing has become Chad’s signature technique, and has influenced thousands upon thousands of drummers who have grown alongside with 311’s remarkable career.
With the new, hot album, chart climbing single, and the quintessential summer tour on the docket, Chad unveiled his gorgeous new Pearl Reference Series kit, to keep up with 311’s theme of new and amazing. Chad’s new Reference Series kit has already made a big splash and stirred up a huge amount of interest, and compliments, throughout the drumming world, and for a very good reason. The custom finish, which was designed by Chad and perfected in Pearl’s Factory, serves as the perfect centerpiece to 311’s stage, with the stunning teal and white burst capturing the audience’s attention and adding a whole new visual factor to the band’s performance. The specs on Chad’s new kit are as follow:
Reference Series: Custom teal/white burst
6x6- rack tom
8x7- rack tom
10x8- rack tom
12x9- rack tom
13x10- rack tom
14x14- floor tom
16x16- floor tom
20x14- gong drum
22x18- kick drum
14x5- Free Floating Snare Drum (maple)
Along with the noted special order drums, like the 6x6 rack tom and the 20x14 gong drum, Chad also uses a set of Pearl Rocket Toms, which serve as a major part to 311’s signature drum solo, and also throughout various sections of the band’s set. Both the Rocket Toms and the Gong drums were custom painted to match the rest of the kit. For his snare, Chad went back to his old ways with a 14x5 maple Free Floating Snare Drum, which has been his go-to snare drum throughout his lengthy career. Between the free floating maple shell, and his technique, Chad is able to pull a varied amount of full-bodied tones and a large amount of crack from the shallow snare, along with, and including, the high-pitched ringing tone that he is often recognized by.
The Pearl name is proudly displayed throughout the aforementioned drum solo, which serves as the highlight to any and every 311 concert. Composed and designed by Chad himself, this year’s solo included a set of Surdo drums, from Pearl’s Brazilian Percussion line, along with multiple 12x5 Firecracker snare drums, and a gorgeous 36x16 PBE Concert Bass Drum.
Although 311’s Summer Unity Tour is sadly coming to a close, the band will be back in a big way soon, with plans for their second Caribbean Cruise in the works, along with their biyearly 311 Day, which will be held in Las Vegas. For more information on 311 and Chad Sexton, please be sure to visit the band’s website at www.311.com. Also be sure to pick up a copy of 311’s new album, Universal Pulse, which is available wherever music is sold.
http://www.pearldrum.com/Artists/Featured-Artists.aspx?id=22
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
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/
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/
311 and Sublime With Rome (Hollywood Jesus)
Marking Santa Barbara Bowl’s 75th anniversary, this summer’s lineup has already been an incredible one, and isn’t letting up anytime soon. The Bowl has already played host to big names like Katy Perry and Incubus this past month, and upcoming highlights include Ray LaMontagne, Fleet Foxes, Journey, and Death Cab For Cutie. As always, incredible acts keep flocking to this gorgeous venue, and any trip there makes it easy to see why.
On their sixth annual Summer Unity Tour, 311 once again returned to sunny Santa Barbara, this time with the newly (re) formed Sublime With Rome along for the ride. Fans, young and old, packed out the Bowl on a beautiful August afternoon last weekend, to hear both bands, and to experience a whole heap of what summer has to offer.
After a short set by Del Mar, a female-fronted surf rock band, which also feature’s Sublime’s drummer Bud Gaugh, Sublime With Rome took the stage and the crowd officially went nuts. After the untimely death of Sublime’s lead singer, Bradley Nowell in 1996, Gaugh and bassist Eric Wilson let the band die off as well, and pursued other side projects throughout the years. Not until 2009, when they met a young Rome Ramirez, did they decide to put the band back together, so to speak, not to try to replace Nowell, but to play on in his honor.
The old familiar sounds of 40oz. to Freedom all rushed back, as the band opened with the same sound clips and samples that peppered their 1992 debut album, and crashed into a non-stop mashup of Sublime’s old hits. It’s incredible how much Ramirez can sound like Nowell when he’s trying, and his youthful energy and punk-rock spirit seemed to uplift Gaugh and Wilson, while breathing new life into the music.
The crowd sang along, moshed in time with, and generally took a trip down memory lane, as the trio, backed by a DJ and a saxophonist, rocked their way through familiar tracks like “Badfish” and “Santeria,” as well as lesser known gems like “Right Back” and their cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias.” It’s amazing what an impact Sublime still has to this day, and it’s a huge credit to Nowell’s impressive legacy to see that many fans singing along to just about every song.
Also mixed into the session were a few of the new tracks off of Sublime with Rome’s first official album, Yours Truly. Tunes like “Panic” and “Murdera” held up pretty well against some of the older songs, but you could tell that the classics were what the fans really wanted to hear. SWR returned the favor and closed with an inspired version of “What I Got,” as well as Sublime’s first hit, and subsequent crowd favorite, “Date Rape.” While I can’t say I ever had the privilege of seeing Sublime live in person, I’m pretty sure this is as close as I’ll ever get, and it was a great show.
SWR could have been the headliners, and it still would have been a stellar concert, but thankfully, 311, one of the best live bands out there, still had a few hours left to jam and close out the evening. Boasting the same lineup for almost twenty years now, Nick Hexum (vocals/guitar), Doug “SA” Martinez (backup vocals/programming), Tim Mahoney (lead guitar), P-Nut (bass), and Chad Sexton (Drums) are all incredible masters of their instruments, and have really perfected the art of the live stage show. While they may not be putting out as many hits on the radio as they used to, their fan following has remained enormous, and their concert experience is one of the best out there today.
The minute Mahoney’s guitar started crunching out the intro power chords to “Beautiful Disaster,” the Bowl erupted. The quintet bounced around stage, displayed their musical prowess, and the resulting energy in the crowd was so positive and vibrant. With a style definitely all their own, the best way to describe the band comes off the lyrics from their 1999 hit “Come Original,” where Hexum sings “Funk slap bass mixed with the dance hall, and hip hop beats and punk guitar, and deadly on the mic is the one SA, the name is 311 and you know it ain’t easy.”
Hexum and Martinez traded lyrical licks like some sort of rap leapfrog game, while the rest of the band cranked through hits like “Prisoner” and “All Mixed Up,” and it was hard to ignore the talents of both P-Nut and Sexton. P-Nut got his own chance to shine, as the audience roared in awe of his bass solo, as there are few out there who can “slap da bass” like him, and then the highlight of the evening was when Sexton got his own drum solo. Playing some of the fastest and most ridiculous beats on one of the biggest drum kits I’ve ever seen, everyone was up on their feet cheering him on, for over five minutes. That then led into a 311 concert standard, where the entire band gets on a drum, and bangs along in time impressively, like some kind of crazy Vegas show act.
With ten albums to their names, and such a huge catalog of hits, it was really cool to hear them go deeper into the vaults with live versions of tracks like “Large in the Margin,” “1,2,3,” and “Do You Right.” They truly own their entire collection, and the energy never let up or took a break. Fans even seemed to be digging the new songs off of last month’s release Universal Pulse, especially their new unofficial Unity Tour anthem, “Sunset in July.” As the musical harbingers of the summertime, their lyrics “Sunset in July, rockers by my side, and time is flying by. Watching you dancing and having the time of your life, and it’s getting me high” rang true throughout the Bowl that evening.
I’m pretty sure everyone in the crowd sang along with lighters up to the mellowed out hit “Amber,” but by the time they closed the show with “Down” they were all back on their feet again in happy little mosh pits, and the inevitable encore brought on a few more past hits, including one of my favorites, “Creatures (For A While).” Another incredible showing by the five guys from Omaha, Nebraska, and over twenty years since the band’s birth, they showed absolutely no signs of slowing down.
http://live.hollywoodjesus.com/?p=8539
On their sixth annual Summer Unity Tour, 311 once again returned to sunny Santa Barbara, this time with the newly (re) formed Sublime With Rome along for the ride. Fans, young and old, packed out the Bowl on a beautiful August afternoon last weekend, to hear both bands, and to experience a whole heap of what summer has to offer.
After a short set by Del Mar, a female-fronted surf rock band, which also feature’s Sublime’s drummer Bud Gaugh, Sublime With Rome took the stage and the crowd officially went nuts. After the untimely death of Sublime’s lead singer, Bradley Nowell in 1996, Gaugh and bassist Eric Wilson let the band die off as well, and pursued other side projects throughout the years. Not until 2009, when they met a young Rome Ramirez, did they decide to put the band back together, so to speak, not to try to replace Nowell, but to play on in his honor.
The old familiar sounds of 40oz. to Freedom all rushed back, as the band opened with the same sound clips and samples that peppered their 1992 debut album, and crashed into a non-stop mashup of Sublime’s old hits. It’s incredible how much Ramirez can sound like Nowell when he’s trying, and his youthful energy and punk-rock spirit seemed to uplift Gaugh and Wilson, while breathing new life into the music.
The crowd sang along, moshed in time with, and generally took a trip down memory lane, as the trio, backed by a DJ and a saxophonist, rocked their way through familiar tracks like “Badfish” and “Santeria,” as well as lesser known gems like “Right Back” and their cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias.” It’s amazing what an impact Sublime still has to this day, and it’s a huge credit to Nowell’s impressive legacy to see that many fans singing along to just about every song.
Also mixed into the session were a few of the new tracks off of Sublime with Rome’s first official album, Yours Truly. Tunes like “Panic” and “Murdera” held up pretty well against some of the older songs, but you could tell that the classics were what the fans really wanted to hear. SWR returned the favor and closed with an inspired version of “What I Got,” as well as Sublime’s first hit, and subsequent crowd favorite, “Date Rape.” While I can’t say I ever had the privilege of seeing Sublime live in person, I’m pretty sure this is as close as I’ll ever get, and it was a great show.
SWR could have been the headliners, and it still would have been a stellar concert, but thankfully, 311, one of the best live bands out there, still had a few hours left to jam and close out the evening. Boasting the same lineup for almost twenty years now, Nick Hexum (vocals/guitar), Doug “SA” Martinez (backup vocals/programming), Tim Mahoney (lead guitar), P-Nut (bass), and Chad Sexton (Drums) are all incredible masters of their instruments, and have really perfected the art of the live stage show. While they may not be putting out as many hits on the radio as they used to, their fan following has remained enormous, and their concert experience is one of the best out there today.
The minute Mahoney’s guitar started crunching out the intro power chords to “Beautiful Disaster,” the Bowl erupted. The quintet bounced around stage, displayed their musical prowess, and the resulting energy in the crowd was so positive and vibrant. With a style definitely all their own, the best way to describe the band comes off the lyrics from their 1999 hit “Come Original,” where Hexum sings “Funk slap bass mixed with the dance hall, and hip hop beats and punk guitar, and deadly on the mic is the one SA, the name is 311 and you know it ain’t easy.”
Hexum and Martinez traded lyrical licks like some sort of rap leapfrog game, while the rest of the band cranked through hits like “Prisoner” and “All Mixed Up,” and it was hard to ignore the talents of both P-Nut and Sexton. P-Nut got his own chance to shine, as the audience roared in awe of his bass solo, as there are few out there who can “slap da bass” like him, and then the highlight of the evening was when Sexton got his own drum solo. Playing some of the fastest and most ridiculous beats on one of the biggest drum kits I’ve ever seen, everyone was up on their feet cheering him on, for over five minutes. That then led into a 311 concert standard, where the entire band gets on a drum, and bangs along in time impressively, like some kind of crazy Vegas show act.
With ten albums to their names, and such a huge catalog of hits, it was really cool to hear them go deeper into the vaults with live versions of tracks like “Large in the Margin,” “1,2,3,” and “Do You Right.” They truly own their entire collection, and the energy never let up or took a break. Fans even seemed to be digging the new songs off of last month’s release Universal Pulse, especially their new unofficial Unity Tour anthem, “Sunset in July.” As the musical harbingers of the summertime, their lyrics “Sunset in July, rockers by my side, and time is flying by. Watching you dancing and having the time of your life, and it’s getting me high” rang true throughout the Bowl that evening.
I’m pretty sure everyone in the crowd sang along with lighters up to the mellowed out hit “Amber,” but by the time they closed the show with “Down” they were all back on their feet again in happy little mosh pits, and the inevitable encore brought on a few more past hits, including one of my favorites, “Creatures (For A While).” Another incredible showing by the five guys from Omaha, Nebraska, and over twenty years since the band’s birth, they showed absolutely no signs of slowing down.
http://live.hollywoodjesus.com/?p=8539
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