More than a decade ago, ska punk band Sublime was on the brink of a promising career when it was all cut short by the death of lead singer Brad Nowell. Now, after months of legal proceedings and a name change, the group has a second chance with a new lead singer and a spring tour of the United States.
Sublime with Rome, a name that gives a nod to new vocalist Rome Ramirez, will begin its national trek with an April 20-21 stand at Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, CA. The 11-city itinerary continues for a couple weeks before wrapping on May 6 at NorVa in Norfolk, VA.
Besides the spring tour’s present opening and closing dates, highlights include an April 26 concert at the Fillmore in Denver, CO, and a May 1-2 run at Roseland Ballroom in New York, NY. The Dirty Heads and Del Mar are billed as supporting acts for the full run.
Public onsales already opened in most markets on the brief tour. Between the $25 price point and the intimate venue sizes, the first performance nights in Hollywood and New York City sold out quickly, along with the band’s Oakland concert.
But tickets are still available for most other dates on the calendar, including the second nights in Hollywood and New York, according to current Ticketmaster listings. The only remaining onsales for the current itinerary are coming up on April 2 in Norfolk and April 3 in Columbus.
In addition to the tour, original Sublime bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh reportedly also have plans to release a new album with vocalist/guitarist Rome.
“We’re gonna continue working on material as we’re on the road,” Gaugh said in a recent interview with Billboard. “It’s not without question to have a studio in one of the buses while we’re on tour. We do a lot of our best creativity on stage, so we’ll be trying out new stuff for the fans, even before we go into the studio.”
The new band line-up made its first live appearances in 2009, but only played scattered shows using the Sublime name. Nowell’s family and estate representatives took issue with the usage, though, and filed an injunction against Wilson and Gaugh performing under the Sublime moniker.
Ultimately, Nowell’s family and bandmates settled the issue out of court. Near the beginning of this year, the “Sublime with Rome” name change was publicly announced.
“It was never really an issue of ‘You can’t,’ or ‘We won’t let you,’ or ‘We’re gonna, no matter what you say,'” Gaugh told Billboard of the legal proceedings and new name. “It was more, ‘How is this gonna be done? How are we gonna put it together respectfully and…represent the old and the new?'”
Sublime with Rome itinerary:
(Dates are subject to change.)
| April 20 – 21 | Hollywood, CA | Hollywood Palladium |
| April 23 | Oakland, CA | Fox Theater |
| April 24 | Reno, NV | Knitting Factory Concert House |
| April 26 | Denver, CO | Fillmore Auditorium |
| April 28 | Chicago, IL | Riviera Theatre |
| April 29 | Indianapolis, IN | Egyptian Room |
| April 30 | Columbus, OH | Lifestyle Communities Pavilion |
| May 1 – 2 | New York, NY | Roseland Ballroom |
| May 3 | Boston, MA | House of Blues |
| May 5 | Philadelphia, PA | Electric Factory |
| May 6 | Norfolk, VA | NorVa |
