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support The Dirty Heads
author PP date 07/07/10 venue Marymoor Park, Redmond, USA

To quote the late, great, Bradley Nowell "I only am what you told me to be". This is exactly what Rome, new lead singer for Sublime, did. Rome channeled Nowell and did his best to impersonate the great SoCal vocalist. Although his efforts are applauded, as I am sure it is quite daunting to fill those shoes, he fell short of putting on a flawless show. The setting, Marymoor Park in Redmond, Washington, was a stones throw away from the main Microsoft campus and as perfect as it could get, in Seattle.

The Dirty Heads, Rome’s former fulltime band, put on a decent opening act. Playing around 45 minutes, they shuffled through the majority of their popular songs, and did a pretty killer “Paint It Black (The Rolling Stones) cover, putting their SoCal spin into the rhythm.

Alas, the moment the sold out park was waiting for. SUBLIME. Or so we thought.

As Rome took the stage, and started to recite the lyrics to “Date Rape”, it became obvious to myself, and the 5,000 other Sublime fans in attendance that this was not going to be the concert we had all imagined in our heads. Through the next 5 songs, which included “Smoke Two Joints”, the crowd, and Rome, began to find their grove. At some points, the crowd drowned out Rome and the band, as they screamed the lyrics at the top of their lungs.

About 50 minutes into their set, Rome informed the crowd that they were going to cut the show 3 songs short, and they said “Fuck the Police” (It is my personal opinion that they cops forced them to shut down a few songs short, as they were off schedule, and there is a strict curfew in the park). Met with boo’s from every corner of the park, Rome and the band continued to rock for a few final songs, ending with “What I got”.

Although Rome is not on par with the lyrical masterpieces that Bradley Nowell put together, he did a sufficient job at rehashing some of the most recognized and praised SKA music ever to be played. I applaud the entire band and Rome for continuing to tour, and sharing their music with fans all over the world, but this show made it abundantly clear how much of an impact Bradley had on the band, the fans, and the music industry. RIP Bradley Nowell.

Guest review written by Matt Fisher