Family. It’s a word we heard thrown around quite often during our three day sojourn to Las Vegas with Sublime. The event, dubbed Fear, Loathing and Sublime in Las Vegas, felt very different than typical shows on a tour calendar. Instead, it was a celebration of legacy, of an endlessly devoted fanbase, and, yes, of family.
History took the spotlight on Thursday, Aug 14, ostensibly the kickoff of the event. A special exhibit was unveiled at the Punk Rock Museum, featuring memorabilia, pictures, instruments and one-of-a-kind items from throughout the band’s storied rise to fame.
The communal vibes continued afterwards at the official welcome party at On the Record inside the Park MGM resort. This record store speakeasy offered the perfect locale for the band to share drinks and laughs with their fans, while KROQ radio host Miles the DJ provided the soundtrack on the dance floor.
Night 1 – Long Beach Dub Allstars, The Vandals, Pennywise and Sublime
While Thursday was the prologue, Friday saw the major festivities get underway with the first of two concerts at Dolby Live. First up was Long Beach Dub Allstars, the beloved reggae-ska group fronted by famed tattoo artist Opie Ortiz (aka the man who creates Sublime’s famous sun logo). With high energy and infectious excitement, LBDA bounced through an assortment of material from throughout their career. Their buoyant performance set the stage for a rousing night of music.
Next up was The Vandals, the hugely influential punk group from Orange County, CA. The band joked that they didn’t have any reggae rock to perform — not exactly their brand of music — but they proceeded to whip the audience into a frenzy with their onslaught of frantic punk riffs. Guitarist Warren Fitzgerald was in especially fine form, dancing, spinning, and sprawling on the stage. The Vandals even delivered their timeless Christmas classic “Oi to the World,” with zero cares that the concert was taking place in August.
There was palpable electricity in the crowd by the time Pennywise took the stage, and the legendary SoCal punks quickly ignited it into a full scale inferno. The band dug into material from their debut album, while also delivering further notable tracks like “Society” and “Fuck Authority.” NOFX’s Fat Mike could be seen hanging out by guitarist Fletcher Dragge for the early part of the set, exchanging laughs and the occasional middle finger. He later jumped up with Pennywise for a brief cover of Bad Religion’s “Do What You Want.” As is often the case at Pennywise shows, closer “Bro Hymn” brought down the house. Friends of the band rushed the stage to join in the performance, turning it into a massive, communal sing-along.
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At some point during every one of these sets, the respective artists took time to share their admiration for Sublime. It was clear the musicians knew they were part of a special weekend, and when the Long Beach icons took the stage for their first night headlining gig, they were given a hero’s welcome by fans and fellow rockers alike.
From the first note of their opening song, “Date Rape,” the audience was hanging on every word out of Jakob Nowell’s mouth. The frontman was a whirlwind of energy, moving and bouncing all over the stage. In fact, the only time the singer seemed to slow down was when he was engaging with the crowd, expressing his appreciation for fans’ enduring support, spanning back to the early days when his father fronted the group.
Every Sublime hit you could hope for was crammed into the set list — including “Smoke Two Joints,” “Doin Time,” “Bad Fish,” “What I Got,” and the band’s latest hit, “Ensenada.”
Dragge returned to the stage to join the band for “Same in the End,” arguably Sublime’s loudest song of the night. The appearance began with a heartfelt dedication: Fletcher explaining how Sublime “changed our fucking lives.”
“This shit’s full circle,” Dragge continued. “Jakob should be here, Jakob is here. It’s in his fucking blood. Make some noise for Sublime!” The love fest became lighthearted once the song started, and featured one of the funnier moments of the evening, as Nowell and the imposing Pennywise guitarist collapsed together on and inflatable prop, all while both men continued to perform the song.
“This has been a lot of fun,” Nowell declared towards the end of the night. “You guys want to do it again tomorrow?” Judging by the roars from the crowd, fans were already looking forward to round 2.
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Night 2 – Strange Case, The Ataris, Pennywise and Sublime
As the youngest band on the bill, Strange Case were given the challenge of opening night 2. The upstart Los Angeles group proved ready for the challenge, delivering an impressive set of surf-tinged rock. Signed to Jakob Nowell’s SVNBVRNT record label, Strange Case has seen their star rise in 2025. Guitarist Zane Vandevort, aka Zayno, also does double duty as one of Sublime’s touring members, and its clear his own band is poised for further breakout ahead.
Next up was the The Ataris, the Indiana punk rock group that has returned to prominence in 2025. Armed with propulsive energy and earworm choruses, the band ran through material from throughout their catalog. Highlights included “Takeoffs and Landings,” recent single “Car Song” and their beloved cover of Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer.” Frontman Kristopher Roe even found time to share a couple of anecdotes about their friendship with Pennywise, including a time Dragge shot roman candle fireworks at The Vandals’ Fitzgerald.
Speaking of Pennywise, the band’s night 2 began with Fletcher noting the rockers may have been enjoying Vegas a little too much. The guitarist claimed to have “fucked up” the group’s opening song, not that anyone in the audience seemed to notice. A day in Vegas did little to dampen Pennywise’s power, as the punk giants delivered another emphatic set. Classics like “Fuck Authorty” and “Bro Hymn” appeared again, and they even found time to mix in a cover of Beastie Boys’ “Fight for Your Right (to Party)”.
When Sublime returned for their second and final headlining set of the weekend, there was a noticeable glow to the group. In a culmination of three days celebrating their legacy, the band exuded appreciation for everyone who has contributed to their journey — from management, to musical influences, and, of course, the fans.
Sublime’s second night setlist varied from the first. Yes, there were still plenty of hits, but the band also dug into their back catalog to uncover long lost gems. Despite being in front of thousands of fans, the performance felt invitingly casual — like Sublime threw the ultimate backyard bbq, and invited us all to come. There were moments of laughter, uplifting stories, and Jakob even ventured into the crowd to enjoy some high fives and positive vibes.
At one point, Nowell began playing “Saw Red” and welcomed Gwen Stefani onstage — only to reveal it was a joke. “She wouldn’t want to kick it with us,” the smiling frontman explained. “We fuckin’ stink and only take showers on Tuesdays.” Later, bassist Eric Wilson’s rottweiler ran out on stage — a sight that would feel shocking at any other show. For Sublime? It just made sense. After all, the pet pooch was just another member of the family.
“We know how much this band means to a lot of you,” Nowell declared towards the end of the set, the enduring support of Sublime’s fans clearly resonating with him. “At the end of the day, it means a lot to all of us as well.”
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