Sublime @ The Lawn at White River (IN)
Samantha Beggins
Sublime with Rome with Bleeker, Tribal Seeds and The Dirty Heads
Photos and words by Kelly Fox
Tribal Seeds
Bleeker
Dirty Heads
Sublime
Saturday night welcomed a jam-packed lineup to The Lawn at White River—the 2016 Sublime with Rome tour. These seasoned musicians are regular faces to the summer scene, but they always manage to bring fantastic openers with them when they come. This year featured Dirty Heads, which truthfully accounted for a large portion of the attendees. Bringing a relaxed and punch vibe, the Sublime with Rome tour brought exactly what Indy needed after such a busy weekend for concerts.
Bleeker started the night off with a surprising amount of edge. In the past (and for the rest of the show), the openers have been strictly reggae, but these guys definitely kicked it up a notch. Granted, their sound wasn’t exactly rocking anyone’s faces off, but it certainly surprised everyone when juxtaposed to the rest of the show. Bleeker was an excellent choice to kick things off with, if for no other reason than their attractive front men.
Next up was Tribal Seeds, who brought slow, winding reggae and dreadlocks that swept the floor. This was the time during which most people brought out their own seeds and stems, but it certainly wouldn’t be the last. The message was very clearly one of “one love” and brotherhood, which seemed to suit the audience just fine.
Much of the audience would attest to being out at The Lawn for Dirty Heads, who certainly brought out many younger audience members. Just one day post album-drop, they used the show to give a sampling of the new material. While it was clear not many were intimately familiar with the tracks, everyone was very much willing to party it up to the new songs. Sound of Change songs, however, got the crowd fired up the most, especially “Medusa” and “Franco Eyed.”
Having two primary front men on vocals brings a fascinating dynamic to the typical five-piece band. Each brings a different element: Duddy B has a gentle but intense focus, while Dirty J engages the crowd and brings unrivaled energy. The unusual percussion also adds an interesting element and gives new dimension to an already complex sound.
Obviously, you have to have something special to tour as much as Sublime with Rome does. They know exactly what their fans want, and never fail to deliver. Super-fans and casual fans alike just freak out when they take the stage, because their sound and style are so iconic.
A giant mural full of pot leaves set the backdrop for the show, with highly-saturated lights painting the performers. The fog was heavy, although it’s hard to tell how much was fog, and how much was the cloud of smoke rising from the audience. The only thing aesthetically off was the placement of the band members—with the drum set pushed all the way to the back of the stage, there was too much room for Rome and Eric to move around (which they didn’t do much of). This, however, is nitpicking, and likely something no one else raised any eyebrows about.
All the trio really has to do to gather a crowd is exist, so their showmanship is honestly just an added bonus. That being said, Sublime with Rome shows are more about who you’re with and what you’re smoking than the actual performance. All-around, they brought good music, good times, and good vibes all the way from Cali, and it definitely won’t be the last time they do.