Sublime with Rome Takes Boston

by Jordan Lindley

Sublime with Rome’s Summer 2016 tour came to visit Boston on Tuesday night at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion. The iconic reggae/punk band has been traveling with a remarkably strong list of bands that, with the material in their sets, couldn’t possibly fail to get the crowd moving through every song. The stage was shared by the likes of up-and-coming rock ‘n’ roll group Bleeker, reggae group Tribal Seeds, and the well-known and well-loved The Dirty Heads.

Bleeker lit the fuse that would be the explosion of rock ‘n’ roll at the start of the event, playing selections from their brand new self-titled EP, released earlier this year. The four-piece group’s fiery energy made the performance a joy to watch, as lead guitar riffs and drum fills flowed through each member, and got the early birds of the audience on their feet. Next up was Tribal Seeds, showing off their newest single, “Surrender,” alongside the rest of their reggae repertoire. The relaxing vibes the Seeds gave off were perfect to set up the next act. When The Dirty Heads came onstage, the crowd fell into a trance, singing along to hits like “Spread Too Thin,” “My Sweet Summer,” and of course, “Lay Me Down,” featuring Sublime with Rome’s very own Rome Ramirez. The stage lights were certainly not the only dazzling piece of this night’s performance, as front men Jared Watson and Dustin Bushnell poured heart and soul through their microphones and PAs and into the ears of eager attendees.

Lastly, Sublime with Rome took the stage to a tsunami wave of applause and screaming fans. Not a single song began without the whole of the audience cheering at what was to come next. Through the noise of one of the most passionate audiences I have yet seen, Sublime with Rome cranked out iconic song after iconic song, such as “Wrong Way,” “April 29, 1992,” “Pawn Shop,” etc. The show was a treat in and of itself, but the powerhouse punk group kept on treating the fans during their encore, featuring mega-hit songs “Santeria” and “What I Got,” and even included the stellar Watson and Bushnell of The Dirty Heads in the extra post-set showcase. Tuesday night in Boston was loud, energized, and full of nothing but love for the music in the air, and I am certain that each audience member wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.