Rome Ramirez, Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson play the Sunset Cove Amphitheater as Sublime with Rome. (Christina Mendenhall / rhythmscene.com)

Photos: Sublime with Rome and Matisyahu at Sunset Cove Amphitheater

You can’t mention a Sublime with Rome concert without a confused friend asking two questions: 1. Isn’t Sublime without Bradley Nowell called the Long Beach Dub All-Stars and 2. Who or what the hell is Rome?

Word leaked out across South Florida this weekend that Sublime with Rome, the legally-allowable name for Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson to play Sublime songs with a new lead singer, is giving fans the opportunity few received: the chance to hear classic Sublime songs live.

It was a modest return to the big stage on Sunday, with Sublime and their new 22-year-old lead singer Rome Ramirez sharing the spotlight with the reggae/rapper Hassidic Jewish superstar Matisyahu at the 3,000 seat capacity Sunset Cove Amphitheater in suburban Boca Raton.

Matisyahu, always expanding his musical horizon, gave the best performance of the night. But all eyes were on Sublime, with fans curious to see if Bud and Eric had anything left in the tank and if Rome could come anywhere close to channeling the late Bradley Nowell.

It was Nowell’s widow who challenged this incarnation calling themselves Sublime (Nowell trademarked the Sublime name before his 1996 death) forcing the trio to officially add the “with Rome” disclaimer.

Tickets, costing $50 after the service charges at a time when shows across the country are struggling to sell, were available for months. But as word spread that this could be a potential treat for Sublime fans, tickets vanished by the weekend and scalpers were making upward of $100 at the gate.

A downpour an hour before the show might have kept a few fans anyway, or else the venue didn’t maximize space, because it still felt like a few hundred more fans could have crammed into the venue at South County Regional Park, located at the very end of civilization on Glades Road.

For those of us in high school in the 1990s, Sublime was an institution because their music transcended cliques — the skaters, punks, thugs and hippies unanimously agreed that Sublime’s blend of ska, reggae, rock and punk made for a good time.

Yet Sublime only played one South Florida gig, a 1995 show at Bayfront Park. The few fans savvy enough to show up back then received a taste of Sublime’s legendary, wild shows.

A year later, Nowell was dead at 28 from a heroin overdose. His music lived on, and gained in popularity posthumously, but fans were left only with the albums and bootleg concerts.

The remaining members of the band moved on to other projects, including the memorable Long Beach Dub All Stars. But nearly a decade and a half after Nowell’s death, founding members Bud and Eric weren’t capitalizing off Sublime’s everlasting popularity.

Enter Sublime with Rome, seemingly a win-win for fans and the band.

Sublime recorded only three albums, so fans know all the lyrics. The group ripped through all the favorites on Sunday like “Date Rape”, “Badfish”, “Santeria” and “What I Got”, and threw in some of the B sides like “Right Back” and “Greatest Hits.”

Rome, who’s currently on the radio jamming with the Dirty Heads (who opened Sunday’s concert before Matisyahu) in the song “Lay Me Down,” was as good as you’d expect from someone who’s replacing the lead singer in a popular band that was all about the lead singer.

Rome has nowhere near the stage presence of Bradley Nowell, and he knows it.

For the most part, he tried to play Bradley’s parts to a tee, although he gave his own unique spin several times and provided a memorable solo on “40 Oz to Freedom”.

Rome gave the spotlight to the founding band members on a couple of songs, with bassist Eric Wilson grabbing a solo on “Let’s Go Get Stoned”.
As word continues to spread that Sublime with Rome can pack a punch, the band should continue to see moderate success on the road.

Their future long-term will depend on whether they want to be a novelty act or eventually give fans something new. Rome busted out a few new tunes Sunday with little response.

There’s been talk of a Sublime with Rome album, although it would be difficult, if not impossible, to recapture the magic of Nowell’s classic albums.

So even if Sublime with Rome is merely an opportunity to catch a live glimpse of classic Sublime songs, it’s worth a look for fans who spent their youth jamming out to the ultimate party band.