As evening approached, ominous storm clouds advanced from both sides of Stage AE. The crowd was eagerly anticipating performances by reggae rock legends Sublime with Rome and 311. As Sublime with Rome emerged onto the stage the first spatter of raindrops began to fall. The crowd seemed unfazed by the weather, captivated by the first three classics belted out by front man Rome Ramirez.
Sublime immediately jumped into their famous hit, “Date Rape”. Cheers erupted from all directions as an aura of nostalgia spread throughout the venue. Without even taking a breath, “Smoke Two Joints” began as plumes of smoke rose up from the crowded lawn. The show continued as Rome played a mix of new and old Sublime. Stepping up to the mic, Rome announced, “This one’s for Bradley” before diving into the beginnings of “What I Got”. Everyone, young and old, sang along. The crowd let lose, dancing on the lawn, pathways, and even in the beer line.
311 burst on stage with endless energy. The venue went wild as fans surfed the endless crowd from back to front. Almost as if it was meant to be, a thin split formed in the enormous storm cloud directly above the stage. Front man Nick Hexum played every song like it was his last, head banging, jumping, and dancing all over stage. Everyone stayed until the very last encore. Sublime with Rome and 311 brought a wide array of old and new sound, making for another great show at Stage AE. Check out Jack White this coming week at Stage AE on July 27th!
