Jakob Nowell’s LAW in the LBC

Twenty-five years ago on July 4, 1988 Sublime played its very first gig. Now there is a brand new heir to the musical throne. Bradley Nowell, front man of Sublime, would be smiling from the heavens to know that his son, Jakob Nowell, just played his first show and rocked the hell out of it on June 14th.

Jakob, who recently turned 18, and his band LAW, have been working hard for the past four months of existence and debuted at DiPiazzas in Long Beach, CA to play their first gig on June 14. The venue was packed with friends as well as fans of his father’s music, looking to see how Jakob measures up.

It’s a 3 piece line-up that includes Jakob Nowell on Guitar/Vocals, Dakota Ethridge on Bass/Vocals & Nick Aguilar on Drums. Their music is described as experimental rock with influences that include Tool, KRS-One, Queens of the Stoned Age, Bad Brains, Mac Dre and of course, Sublime, among others.

After playing, Nowell says in an interview with OC Weekly, that he’s become addicted to the stage, “It was one of the best nights of my life, it was just really weird. The center of attention was totally on us and it was weird knowing that to some degree that was part of our music.”

Not wanting to mess with his playing ability, he and the band said they didn’t partake in any drinking or smoking beforehand, just to make sure they would give their best. It paid off too since the show made such a huge impact on Jakob describing it like “the craziest LSD trip, but at the same time completely natural”. There certainly was a huge love for the stage that was passed down to him as he describes how as soon as the room filled up and the sound check was over, he was so overcome in the moment with a huge rush of energy.

Mark Dipiazza, owner of the venue, commented, “The crowd reaction was tremendous. They were screaming for him and most were adults in their 30s and 40s. He played a short set with covers and a few originals. It was impressive being his first show. There were close to 100 people to see him. He will be playing DiPiazzas again on July 18.”

Despite all the legacy of his dad, he says that he’s been able to grow up fairly normal, “When I was a kid, I’d just mess around in the house and play video games and pick up guitar and draw and stuff, but I wasn’t really super active until I moved to Long Beach recently.”

Although Jakob only had his father in his life for a year, he remarks that he feels a connection to Bradley and is just beginning to realize the full impact that his father had on the whole music scene that he’s just stepping into. He attributes all of his opportunities in his life to his father and vows to “do as much as possible with the gift that he’s given me.”

LAW’s plans for the future include playing at DiPiazza’s again on July 18th with Perro Bravo and The Originalites. They’d also like to play at least one big show per month for the summer. Working their way up, they plan on learning all they can from the influences and musical support they have in Long Beach. Commenting on all the male influences in his life, Jakob says, “I look at [them] like a ring of wizards. They’re all sort of knowledgeable at a certain aspect of something vital. But my band’s major number one influence would be Miguel Happoldt. He’s Gandolf.”


Related Links:
LAW Facebook
DiPiazza’s Website
OC Weekly Interview w/Jakob Nowell


Article By: Erin Walsh


Watch: LAW – Live at DiPiazza’s 6-14-13 (Pt 1)

Watch: Law – Live at DiPiazza’s 6-14-13 (Pt 2)