Summer Unity 2011 Recap

Last night was one of my favorite concerts of all time! Not only was the show outstanding, but the whole evening was just one smile after another.

Last night was the Raleigh stop on the Summer Unity 2011 Tour featuring 311 & Sublime With Rome. For those who don't know, this is Sublime With Rome's first tour since the passing of Bradley Nowell, the band's original singer. I went in somewhat skeptical, I was always a big fan of Sublime and I was interested to see what the new kid was bringing to the table. I was blown away! Rome brought a whole new life to the band. At 23, he is nearly half the age of Eric and Bud which definitely added a lot of energy to the show. Not to mention the kid is talented! Shredding guitar solos, silly on-stage antics, great crowd interaction, and a voice that just won't stop. They played all the big Sublime hits (with a big "REST IN PEACE BRADLEY" in the chorus of What I've Got) perfectly mixed with tracks from their debut album, Yours Truly.

Between bands I ran off to spend way too much on water (almost $5 a 20 oz., ugh) and bumped into an old radio buddy I hadn't seen in ages. We got caught up chatting and next thing I knew 311 was cranking up on stage. I took off to get back to my seat and, as always, got rocked! I've seen 311 3 different times and each show was better than the last. They played the big hits each time but always mix up the rest of the playlist so you're not seeing the same show over and over again. One thing I'm always impressed by is how tight they sound on stage. Hearing the album, one would think they use a lot of studio tricks and effects but anyone who has seen them live knows that's not the case. Mix in a thunderous drum solo from Chad Sexton, P-Nut's bass shredding solo, and the full band percussion breakdown and you've got yourself a 311 show.

Thinking the fun was done we started heading home. While fighting through traffic in the parking lot I caught a glimpse of a familiar face. Turned out, it was a couple of friends I haven't seen since Unk's in Greenville closed (for those who don't know what Unk's was, you missed out) which was over a year ago. After some quick catching up (and a dash back to my buddy's car) we headed home. Today I'm sore from standing, tired from lack of sleep, and would turn around and do it again tonight if I could!