Drummer and Bassist For Sublime Reunite With Special Guest on Vocals

Formed in 1988, the rock band Sublime consisted of musicians Bradley Nowell, Eric Wilson, and Bud Gaugh. Together, the band shared songs like “What I Got,” “Wrong Way,” “Doin’ Time,” and “Santeria” with the world. Considered a mix between reggae rock and ska punk, the group performed numerous shows throughout the 1990s and sold over 20 million albums worldwide. Sadly, in 1996 the band broke up after the passing of Nowell, who struggled with drug addiction. While the remaining members reformed in 2009, calling themselves Sublime with Rome, it seems the group is holding a benefit concert with a special guest on vocals. 

On December 11, the original members of Sublime will perform in Los Angeles to help Bad Brains’ frontman, H.R., who was born Paul D. Hudson. While a surprise for most fans of the rock band, what is more shocking is how the son of Nowell, Jakob Nowell, will sing vocals during the concert. This marks the first time that Wilson and Gaugh have performed together since 2011. Although they helped form Sublime with Rome, Gaugh eventually left, noting it “felt wrong” to play their songs without their lead singer. 

“If The Vibe’s There, The Vibe’s There”

Although getting the remaining members of the band back together, they will not perform under the Sublime name due to legal reasons. With Nowell represented by Kevin Zinger of the Regime Music Group, he explained, “The guys plan to jam together in support of H.R. at the Teragram Ballroom on December 11th. Beyond that, we’re not prepared to make any announcements.”

[RELATED: Behind the Meaning and History of the Band Name: Sublime]

That doesn’t mean Sublime won’t get back together in the near future as Zinger admitted, “We’re patiently waiting and doing the right thing. If the vibe’s there, the vibe’s there.”

For Jakob, the opportunity to perform alongside the original members of the band is somewhat surreal as he was nearly a year old when his father passed. Back in the early 1990s, Nowell dated Troy Dendekker and eventually married in 1996 with a Hawaiian-themed ceremony in Las Vegas. In June 1995, the couple welcomed their son, Jakob, to the family. Nowell passed away a week after the couple married.  

(Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)