Sublime perform ‘Romeo’ at Coachella for the first time in 25 years

14 April, 2024

Jakob Nowell of Sublime performs at the Coachella Stage during the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 13, 2024 in Indio, California. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Coachella)

Sublime have performed their 1991 track ‘Romeo’ for the first time in 25 years at this year’s edition of Coachella.

The legendary band were initially active between 1988 and 1996, before frontman Bradley Nowell died from a heroin overdose at the age of 28.

Today (April 13), the ska punk band took over the main stage at the annual music and arts festival with Nowell’s son Jakob stepping in for his father, performing at the same age his dad was when he passed.

Jakob was joined by original Sublime band members Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson for a sun-soaked set filled with all of the hits. They played ‘Romeo’ for the first time since 1998, to which Jakob said the song “has not been played in like 100 years.”

Nowell jr. also played with his father’s custom guitar and Mesa Boogie amp and Gaugh played with his OG signature green drum kit marking the first time the drum kit and guitar were on the same stage since the last Sublime tour in 1996 (per Variety).

Fans were in awe with Jakob’s performance with journalist Suzy Exposito tweeting: “I’m getting CHILLS watching Sublime: The Next Generation. Where has Jakob Nowell been all this time?!?!”, while another user wrote: “Watching Bradley Nowells son Jakob Nowell play Coachella with Sublime right now is some legendary shit.”

Elswhere in the set, Jakob teased bringing out Lana Del Rey for ‘Doin Time’. They also covered Bob Marley & The Wailers’ ‘Jailhouse’ and wrapped up with their 1997 single ‘Santeria’.

Sublime played: 

‘April 29, 1992 (Miami)’
‘Garden Grove’
‘Wrong Way’
‘Same in the End’
‘STP’
‘Pawn Shop’
‘What I Got’
‘Greatest-Hits’
‘Date Rape’
‘Badfish’
‘Jailhouse’ (Bob Marley & The Wailers cover)
‘Romeo’ (First confirmed performance since 1988)
‘Doin’ Time’
‘Santeria’

In other Coachella news, The Last Dinner Party stunned fans with their debut festival set.

The British quintet took over the Gobi stage at the annual music and arts festival, performing their hit tracks along with a few new songs adorned in their signature Victorian frocks.

Elsewhere, Vampire Weekend closed out their last minute Coachella set with a surprise appearance from Paris Hilton and Abraham Lincoln during their country “Cocaine Cowboys” medley. For more live updates as it happens, check out NME’s liveblog for Coachella 2024 here.

Check back here for the latest news, reviews and more from Coachella 2024. 

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