Sublime Reunion Caps Off California's SmokeOut Festival
- Posted on Oct 25th 2009 3:00PM by Steve Baltin
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Artists including Slipnkot, Bad Brains, Method Man, Redman and Afrika Bambaataa gathered for Cypress Hill's SmokeOut Festival in San Bernardino, California this weekend for a resurrection of the annual event pioneered by the Southern California hip-hop group in 1998. The most anticipated music moment of the two-day gathering, which resumed this year after a six-year hiatus, was likely the Sublime "celebration," the first large-scale performance of Sublime's Bud Gough and Eric Wilson with new vocalist Rome Ramirez. The show followed the trio's Reno, Nevada club performance eight months ago.
Rumors about a Bamboozle appearance and No Doubt tour support remained rumors, but in August the new configuration announced they'd be appearing at SmokeOut.
After a couple of days of legal battling between the band and late singer Bradley Nowell's estate, the trio was able to resurrect the music live. While there are certainly naysayers who argue that Sublime isn't Sublime without Nowell, they didn't appear to be among the 15,000 fans who flocked to Saturday's performance.
Emerging to a huge ovation, the group sent the crowd into overdrive with an early version of the hit "Date Rape." Songs like the laid-back "What I Got" fit nicely into the late afternoon slot.
The performance offered a sharp contrast to the ferocity of headliner Slipknot, the atmospheric metal of the Deftones on the main stage, the raucous punk of Bad Brains, and the cheerleading of Method Man and Redman on the second stage.
SmokeOut is as much about a cause as it is about atmosphere. The festival featured panels on cannabis, an expo devoted to the benefits of hemp and its legalization, free ice cream, and an appearance from Cheech and Chong, who were on hand to host and perform, and had as big an entourage as any musician.
- Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News




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