Incubus and Sublime with Rome Come to Mansfield, MA – August 3, 2022

It was an ultimate summer show in Mansfield, MA – a co-headling tour featuring Sublime with Rome, and Incubus.

Sublime with Rome

After the untimely death of Sublime’s original singer Bradley Nowell, the future was somewhat uncertain for Sublime. A few of the remaining members played as Sublime again but had to stop due to legal reasons, so they changed their name to Sublime with Rome, with Rome Ramirez, who took over on vocals, remaining a mainstay in the band. 

Right off the bat they played mostly all the hits Sublime had in the 90s, including “April 29, 1992 (Miami)”, “Smoke Two Joints,” and “Doin’ Time.” I also enjoyed when they played one of my all time favorites “Garden Grove.” They’re the perfect summer vibe band, and they did not disappoint.

Incubus

I was looking forward to Incubus, as I’ve tried to see them almost every time they’ve played around New England the last 20 years. After I had peeked at the previous setlists, I already knew what the audience was in store for. The show featured most of songs from Morning View, their 2001 release that showcased them starting to grow a little bit, according to critics.

As their original bassist Dirk Lance departed and Ben Kenney joined the band, Incubus’ sound did change a bit, a little less heavier, but notless talented. Kenney plays all the old songs just as well as he plays all the songs he has worked on with the band. Right off the bat they started with “Nice to Know You,” “Circles,” and “Wish You Were Here.” Brandon Boyd’s vocals were “Stellar,” especially when they played that song. The place lit up during the angsty song “Megalomaniac,” and then the crowd was brought down for “Mexico.” The earliest song from their catalog that they played was “Vitamin” and it held up well! They even included a fun cover of “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over” by Lenny Kravitz, where Boyd’s vocal range matches Kravitz’s quite well. Guitarist Mike Einziger had his moments of awesome guitar solos where he stood majestically above his pedal board. The outstanding beat keeper, drummer Jose Pasillas, is the only one that I know who plays his kit sideways, which makes for better photos, that’s for sure! 

I certainly hope Incubus is rocking out many years to come, as this show was just as good as all the times I’ve seen them. They have proven to be a cut above the rest of the ‘nu metal’ genre, where their roots started in the mid 90s, to be a solid alternative/hard rock band nearly 3 decades later.