On a chilly November evening in Syracuse, the boys from Long Beach California, Sublime with Rome, brought the heat and their unique blend of reggae and ska punk to the F-Shed at the Regional Market! Despite the cooler temperatures outside, it didn’t deter legions of loyal fans from coming out in shorts and tank tops or some very enthusiastic folks from playing hacky sack outside in between band sets. That laid back, “chill” aura set the tone for the evening.
The show got under way with openers Santa Cruz, California natives, The Expendables, who helped get the crowd jumping with their blend of homegrown reggae/ska and surf rock. These guys delivered a very energetic and positive performance. After their 30 minute set they left the crowd excited for the headliner.
The lights go down and you can sense the excitement in the air. The soft hum of the amps turning on and the band plugging in their instruments can barely be heard above the buzz of the crowd. The stage slowly starts to illuminate and poised at the mic is a dark silhouette of Rome Ramirez; the band busts out with the classic “Get Ready” as if it’s a premonition of what they have in store for the exuberant and ecstatic crowd at the F-Shed. They didn’t waste any time before cranking out crowd favorites such as “Date Rape” and “Wrong Way”, not to mention a really upbeat and ska version of the Grateful Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias.” Rome and company played a very intense set consisting of a mix of classic Sublime songs and some crowd pleasers off their new album “Sirens.” You could feel the overabundance of positive energy between both the band and the crowd.
The show was a party from the beginning right up to the end when the crowd went wild as the band played their most famous hit “Santeria.”
Prior to the show I had the opportunity to chat with Rome Ramirez. Rome was very laid back and fun to chat with. We talked about the album “Sirens,” what inspires him and his favorite aspects of touring. Hope you enjoy the interview!
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