The New Music

Posthumous: arising, occurring, or continuing after one’s death. Sublime find themselves in that all too unique, yet not uncommon situation in music, where the volume of work carries on after the key figure has gone. As a frenetic ball of angst, energy and love that I used to be as a teenager and then young man in University, bands like Sublime very much appealed to me. Not just for the overt references to marijuana culture, but more so for their blatant uproar against authority and societal ills and demons; one of which sadly took the life of their young singer who passed from a heroin overdose. Even as I read the headline on that fateful day back then, it seemed odd to me that someone who could sing with such positive force, especially about such negative topics, could have been using such a thing. So it goes.

As rebellion goes, Sublime made it more palatable than your average say-no-to-authority band. They infused it with an irony and satire unique to them and the reggae/ska overtones made them insta-hits at keggers, dorms and bush and beach parties. They had just reached the plateau of success when the tragedy occurred.

Now fronted by Rome Ramirez, who was roughly 6 or 7 years old when Brad Nowell passed, Sublime stood facing an overly aggressive yet eager crowd at the Kool Haus in Toronto on August 20. I would say with definite certainty that the majority of this crowd never had an opportunity to see Sublime in their original format, as most were likely still wading through the annals of grade school at the time. That being said, no one seemed deterred by it in the least.

Opening act the Dirty Heads, whose hit single Lay Me Down is currently making the rounds on commercial rock radio, opened with authority, unleashing a very crowd friendly infusion of rock/rap/reggae. Albeit a relatively unknown act, their set oozed of experience and the crowd was all too welcoming.

Next up, Sublime…or, Sublime with Rome, as they are titled to prevent further injunctions from the Nowell estate in regards to their defense of Brad’s legacy. Makes sense, but I think we are all glad that it has been put to pasture. It is quite evident why the band chose Rome. He is charismatic, he has stage presence and for better or for worse…he sounds like Brad.

As they wheeled their way through a smashing set of Sublime hits, oddities and even some truly engaging covers, the crowd was eating from the palms of their sweaty hands. At times Rome’s pedigree stood out with his vocal styles encountering some limitations to Nowell’s roots-rich add libs and throw-away signature shouts, which became a stand-out characteristic of Sublime’s music. But in the end, it was more than a good show. It was a culmination of man’s legacy of work from a music scene that Canadian’s have always adored. The California ska-punk-rock movement has shipped a relentless amount of music this way, and for the most part, us north of the border eat up their sun-drenched euphemisms and veiled or unveiled references to lethargic culture and illegal habits.

Whether they were old enough to know or not know Brad Nowell and Sublime, the crowd had no problem chanting every lyric and every phrase. Every call back song line and every shout was echoed en mass by the sweltering and sweaty crowd. You began to picture the Sublime CD in your head and wonder if these adoring fans had ever taken it out of their 5 disc player, their Discman, their Car deck or their IPod…depends on the age of the specific person you were staring at, I suppose.

Regardless of the age, and regardless of the singer, Sublime are allowing the public to revel in their music again and thousands of Nowell and Sublime fans alike are privileged enough to experience the rawness of their sound and style again. It’s music that brings people together and it’s music that makes people smile and dance. This is the power of being Posthumous; may his music live on…and on.