We don't practice Santería, and we ain't got no crystal ball, so we had no clue that 21-year-old Rome Ramirez would team up with the surviving members of Sublime to form Sublime With Rome. Sounding more like a mixed drink than a band name, the ska/punk rockers are poised to move forward with their new lead singer on their first North American tour and will stop in Boca Raton on Sunday.
The accidental death of frontman Bradley Nowell in 1996 left Sublime's remaining members, Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson, in mourning and in limbo prior to its hit third self-titled album's release. After time in other outfits, Gaugh and Wilson reunited to play their old band's music last year. With Ramirez's smooth vocals, which sound almost identical to the former lead singer, Sublime With Rome has gained momentum and started playing festivals and shows with Cypress Hill, Deftones, and Pennywise.
Now headlining with opening acts Matisyahu and the Dirty Heads, the guys can be expected to play "Santeria," "Wrong Way," "What I Got," and possibly some new material. To boot, Rome might team up with Dirty Heads to sing "Lay Me Down," which features the band. Here's hoping we see a lot of Dalmatian mascots.
