The premature death of Sublime’s frontman, Bradley Nowell, snuffed the band’s flame before it truly had the chance to burn. Over a quarter of a century later, Nowell’s legacy is being brought back to life in a big way.

This summer, something very special happened. I had the opportunity to see one of my all-time favorite bands, Sublime, live in concert. Seeing as the group’s lead singer and songwriter passed away eight years before I was born, I’d have never thought this possible.

This is a band my parents started playing for me when I was still in the womb. Sublime’s infectious, one-of-a-kind discography shaped my adolescence and has followed me into adulthood, just as it did for my mom and dad.

Originally rooted in Long Beach, California, Sublime zigzagged across the boundaries of musical genres with a unique fusion of reggae, punk rock and freestyle dub.

As Bradley Nowell told KROQ in 1995, “We’re not trying to write punk rock. We’re not trying to write reggae. We’re not trying to write ska. We’re just trying to write a good song.” 

Don’t be fooled by their buzzcuts and Matrix sunglasses — these fellas can rock. 

The band’s raw, kaleidoscope sound would go on to help define SoCal culture and the musical reawakening of the ‘90s. Sublime inspired countless other artists and played a large hand in carrying reggae elements on to future generations. 

One defining feature of Sublime songs is the incorporation of jagged studio cuts and mixed recordings. This style draws listeners closer to the music, often making it feel as though we’re in the room with the band as the songs are recorded. 

After listening to Sublime for so long, it feels like I grew up with the band members and their whole crew around me. The snippets of casual conversation and improvised dubs in their songs are forever etched into my brain.

Sublime played their first gig together in 1988 and toured for the next eight years. Their debut album, “Jah Won’t Pay The Bills” was released in 1991 and contained some of the band’s first cassette demos, many of which would catapult in popularity in the decades following.

Most of Sublime’s original songs were composed by Bradley Nowell and covered themes ranging from personal experience to broader social commentary. One of his earlier works, “Badfish,” is an allegorically written song about the perils of drug addiction.

The band’s music frequently spoke to social and political tensions of the time. Perhaps the most potent example of this is the song “April 29, 1992,” which gave a first-hand account of the nationwide Rodney King riots and included police radio recordings from those events. 

In addition to their original works, Sublime released their own renditions of songs like The Grateful Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias” and Camper Van Beethoven’s “Eye of Fatima.” 

I adore the album “Sublime Acoustic: Bradley & Friends,” which contains live recordings of covers and original songs. You can hear conversation and cheering from the band and their friends throughout. Although, for new listeners, I recommend starting with their more polished records.

In 1992, Sublime released their second album, “40 oz. to Freedom,” which featured a stylistic drawing of a sun on the cover. That artwork became a recognizable symbol for the band and is still prevalent in fashion and popular culture today.

Bradley Nowell’s dalmatian, “Lou Dog,” served as an unofficial mascot for the band and is referenced in some of their songs, including “Garden Grove” and “Lou Makes Friends.” He even joined the band onstage sometimes while they performed.

Arguably one of the most unique, influential bands to come out of the ‘90s, Sublime’s touring duration would be cut short by Bradley Nowell’s death in 1996 due to a heroin overdose. Just 28 years old, Bradley left behind his wife and 11-month-old son, Jakob Nowell.

The death occurred just months before the band’s self-titled album was released. It was only after the release of this album that the band would truly be brought into the limelight. 

In the decades following, two of the remaining members toured for some time as “Sublime with Rome,” with artist Rome Ramirez serving as the frontman. 

It was the general consensus among fans that Ramirez’s performance felt more like a passionate tribute to his favorite band than the real thing. I didn’t have the heart to listen to Sublime with Ramirez’s covers or the new music they released, but he is very talented as a musician.

This year, “Sublime with Rome” completed its farewell tour. Simultaneously, a different version of Sublime made its debut.

Jakob Nowell, now 29, is a musician in his own right. A founding member of the rock band LAW, he departed in 2021 to form the group Jakob’s Castle, which is currently on tour following a number of new releases.

During his time with LAW and his early adulthood, Jakob Nowell struggled with substance abuse issues of his own, but is now four years sober. In December 2023, the Nowell Family Foundation opened Bradley’s House, a substance abuse recovery center for musicians.

In addition to his own musical endeavors, Jakob Nowell picked up his father’s torch and embarked on tour this year with the original members of Sublime as their new lead singer. 

Sublime made its official return to the stage at Coachella, with a Nowell singing their familiar hits for the first time in nearly thirty years. 

When I first learned of the reunion, I was ecstatic. Filled with the anticipation of witnessing this incredible moment in music history, I scrambled for tickets. In August, I drove out to Denver, CO with my mom and siblings to see Sublime.

The performance we saw was part of Summer Greens, a Fiddler’s Green music festival featuring other artists like Stick Figure and Ziggy Marley.

While nobody could ever replace Bradley Nowell, hearing Jakob play his father’s songs was absolutely incredible. Fans have remarked that Jakob Nowell’s voice bears a striking genetic resemblance to his father’s, and I can’t help but agree. 

I loved all the songs, but hearing “Badfish” live for the first time was one of the best moments of my life. Other highlights were the guitar riff in “April 26, 1992,” the song “Romeo” and the band members’ dogs walking loose onstage, paying homage to Lou Dog.

Along with original members Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson, Jakob’s live performances uniquely capture Sublime’s original sound and energy. His style particularly accentuates the punk-rock components of Sublime’s music.

A number of unreleased vocal recordings from Bradley have been recovered since his death. Jakob Nowell told Rolling Stone the band has vowed not to release anything new that doesn’t include Bradley’s lyrics. 

Through a collaboration with Stick Figure in May of this year, they released the first ‘new’ Sublime song, “Feel Like That,” featuring side-by-side vocals from Bradley, Jakob and Stick Figure. In my opinion, the song is fabulously done and stays true to Sublime’s original works.

That song was on a loop for me all summer long, and because Sublime performed with Stick Figure in Denver, I was able to see them play it live as well.

Hearing the original Sublime songs played once again has felt like a full-circle moment for the band’s fanbase and is sparking lots of excitement. 

My hope is that this tour not only revives enthusiasm among early Sublime fans but will also expose a new generation to the band’s influential legacy.

Wojahn can be reached at [email protected].