Sublime with Rome and The Dirty Heads

The return of Sublime to the stage, is an amazing feat in itself. Since the death of Bradley, I don't think either the band nor it's fans ever expected Sublime to recover. Rumors have been flourishing for years that Sublime would again return to the stage, but until that day came, I was a strict non-believer. Well, today is that day, Sublime with Rome, The Dirty Heads, and Del Mar are putting on a sold out show at Mandalay Beach.

Due to severe lack of planning, it was already the day of show and we needed four tickets. Typical of most desirable concerts in Las Vegas, a large percentage of "sold" tickets were in the hands of scalpers, who were asking triple face value per ticket. Since I refuse to support these scum, I hung around the Mandalay Bay Box Office for hours until finally at 6pm, more tickets were released for sale. Stressed and down to the wire, none of that mattered now, we were going to Sublime!

Although we missed the special performance by Matisyahu at 2pm, we arrived just in time to catch a few songs from Del Mar. The Beach already looked heavily occupied, we grabbed a spot in the sand while we had the chance, and people filled in all around us. The reggae/ska music, warm breeze, and the feeling of sand on your hands and feet was just right. Everyone was chilling, drinking, and passing joints as time seemed to melt away.
The Dirty Heads surprised me with their record quality live performance. Each member, including Rome on guitar, played clean, cool grooves and put on a relaxed show. I even more impressed withe The Dirty Heads when they closed with a truly unique version of The Rolling Stone's Paint it Black. If you weren't in front of the stage getting your skank on, then you were holding down the blanket, drawing pictures in the sand. It was a perfect evening for beautiful music and beautiful people. The only thing killing the vibe was the 30+ minute drink lines and the seemingly endless influx of people, walking all around you.

By the time Sublime hit the stage, the audience was already bursting with anticipation. We were a sea of anxious fans, who had been waiting for a Sublime show for over a decade. Sublime with Rome played an incredible two hour setlist: Date Rape, Smoke Two Joints, April 26th 1992, Get Ready, Seed, Jailhouse, Ebin, Garden Grove, Let's Go Get Stoned, Right Back, Dont Push, STP, Greatest Hits, Badfish, Let's Go Get Stoned, Panic, 40oz. to Freedom, Doin' Time, and Wrong Way. Sublime even had enough energy left for a bittersweet encore: Scarlet Begonias, What I Got, and Santeria.
Rome was full of energy and I thought he really did justice to the legacy Bradley left behind. The band flowed together naturally, songs easily transitioned into one another, recognizing every guitar riff and singing along as one. Every spot at Mandalay Beach was great, whether you stood back in the sand, up front in the water, or to the side in either pool. I heard many fans exclaim that the “aqua pit” was by far one of the most awesome and unique experiences they had ever had.

The vibe was so incredible and the feel of the elements all around really made it feel like a private beach party with Sublime. Everyone left the venue smiling ear to ear and just raving about how impressed they were with Rome. If you are a Sublime fan, I would suggest traveling to a show near you. This opportunity to see Sublime with Rome and The Dirty Heads should not be missed by anyone.

Tool

The sold out Theatre for the Performing Arts at Planet Hollywood welcomed 7,000 fans to see Tool Friday, July 16, 2010. Tickets went on sale within thirty days of the show and were gone within minutes. Although I have always loved Tool, a performance I saw from Perfect Circle in 1999 turned me off to seeing Maynard or Tool for many years. After much persuasion by several friends that had seen Tool over the years, I was quite excited to see Tool for my first time.

Prior to the show, a group of us were having drinks at the Halo bar in front of the Theatre. As the showtime was fast approaching, we finished our drinks and went looking for the end of the line. We followed the line of Tool shirts all the way around the mall, nearly to the parking garage. I was astounded! It was obvious the Planet Hollywood event staff was not prepared to handle the 7,000 fans, as the parking garage was completely full and the entrance line wrapped all the way around half of the mall.

Being Vegas natives, when you and thousands of other people are trying to get in the same place, you make a deal with the doorman. It paid off that we got in without an hour wait, but we ended up waiting that long for the show to begin, since they delayed the show until everyone was in the venue. I could only imaging the pandemonium that would ensue if Tool started their show while half the ticket holders are still waiting to get in. Planet Hollywood made the right decision to delay the show, but let’s make sure we are prepared next time, huh.
Tool opened the stage loud, powerful, and vivid with one of my favorites, Third Eye. With just one song, I was already amazed with the colorful visuals, Maynard’s insect like dancing, Danny Carey’s relentless drumming, Adam Jones’ technical guitar, and Justin Chancellor’s deep driving bass. They all played so well together and off each other, the next song, Jambi sounded almost like a rock opera; each part more intricate and creative than the next.
Tool continued through an amazing song selection, bleeding one into another, the musical and visual onslaught was non-stop. (-)Ions, Stinkfist, Vicarious, Eon Blue Apocalypse, The Patient, Intolerance, Schism, and Forty-Six & 2. Applause and screams filled the theatre, as we all payed respect for the extraordinary performance we had just seen. Tool came out for an encore, with opening band Rajas’ drummer joining Carey creating this booming drum masterpiece on Lateralus. To wrap it all up, Tool closed with all lights flashing and an epic version of Ænema.
Tool’s music was so full, it filled the theatre and reached each soul deep and emotionally. The combination of the music you felt within combined with their visuals, is an incredible experience. Tool’s visual elements ranged from moving screens, to projectors, to lasers, to clips of their unique videos and lifeforms, all of which were completely created/inspired by Alex Grey. Whether you are a fan of Tool or not, the visuals alone are a sight worth seeing. This was a one of a kind performance that I was lucky enough to share with 7,000 other fans.
Originally published on Stardust Fallout 11 August 2010