On Monday, July 25th Sublime w/ Rome and 311 performed at Bethel Woods Pavilion. As we headed to our seats for the performance I could see the fans covering the lawn area like a human carpet, all happy, playful and waiting for the concert to start. DJ Soulman kept the crowd occupied with his blends and mixes on the 1s and 2s while the Sublime with Rome setup crew made sure the set was ready for the band.


As the announcement was made that Sublime with Rome was ready, the crowd was pumped and eager to see the performance. The first to arrive was bass player, Eric Wilson, strolling casually with his shades on to plug his bass, lit his cigarette and started tuning up. The remaining band members then entered the stage while the fans stood up and roared with enthusiasm. I wasn't sure if the dynamics of this band changed drastically due to the new lead singer, Rome Ramirez. Surprisingly they were able to maintain their reggae/ska sound that the fans love while moving forward. Instead of mimicking their former lead singer, Bradley Nowell, whom had passed away in 1996, the old songs such as Wrong Way, What I Got, and Santeria paid homage to their friend and gave the songs new life on stage - at one point paying respect to their dear friend and band member.


I have to say though that an unexpected "visitor" on stage is who stole the show. A fan named Peter went on stage, almost toppled by security guards was given the opportunity by Rome to make an announced in which he asked his girlfriend Lisa to marry him (by the way, she did say yes!). So I would like to congratulate the happy couple on this memorable occasion.


After intermission it was 311 who would be next to perform on stage. The lead singer, Zack Hexum stepped out as the girls swoon over his boyish good looks and stage presence. SA and Zack bounce off each other flawlessly while the rest of the band rocked the Pavilion. The band was energetic and had the crowd going, singing songs such as "Do You Right", "Come Original" and "Prisoner". 311 is an alternative band that incorporates rap to their style which only a few bands are able to master. Their new album, "Universal Pulse" was just released this month, with their single "Sunset in July" playing nationwide.


It was interesting how it just felt that as the night progressed, so did the amount of people. I've never experienced anything like it. Makes me wonder if there were fans finding out about the concert the same night and buying tickets while the performances were going on. All in all, two great bands, young individuals having a blast and an awesome night!