exploremusic

Earlier this year, the two surviving members of Sublime—bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh—played a gig with a new frontman named Rome. Now, it has been confirmed that this lineup will play the relaunched Smokeout Festival, which takes place October 23–24 in San Bernardino and also features Cypress Hill, Slipknot, Deftones, Method Man and Redman, Goodie Mob, and the (also reunited) Geto Boys.

I’m a big Sublime fan, and I can’t say I’m exactly excited about this. I’m just not sure I can truly appreciate the songs coming from anyone except Bradley Nowell. Sublime songs seem so personal to him…it was his guitar-playing, his vocal style…everything about him as a performer.

But Bradley’s been dead for over thirteen years, and two thirds of the band is still alive. This must have been a tough call.

It hasn’t been revealed yet whether or not the band will play more shows after Smokeout, but I hope that whatever they’re planning goes well.

Check out the new guy, Rome, doing a few tunes for RAWsession:

A cover of Jason Mraz’s "I’m Yours"

and Sublime’s "Saw Red" with Eric Wilson and others: