The Orange County Register (Jan. 10th 1997)

Sublime Remembrance

Saturday's concert featuring No Doubt, Pennywise and more is a tribute - artistically and financially - to a fallen comrade

In a way, it's a triumph: a big benefit concert, sold out in nine minutes, headlined by Orange County and Long Beach bands virtually unknown outside the clubs just a year ago.

But it's definitely bittersweet.

"The whole reason we're playing this show is for a friend that's no longer with us. It's a really sad thing," No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani said.

Brad Nowell, 27, leader of the group Sublime, was found dead of a heroin overdose in a San Francisco hotel room in May, just weeks before the release of the band's breakthrough album, "Sublime."

Saturday's benefit will be a mix of styles and sounds, much like Sublime's music. Concert proceeds go to Nowell's son and a program to help musicians with drug problems.

"All of our friends that have been around for a while - 311, Sublime - all these groups are right up there at the top of the charts," Stefani said. "It feels really good to have all your friends up there at the same time. It's like `Congratulations,' `No, congratulations to you.' So it's going to be fun, but it's also a bummer."

Yet the musicians can't help but feel good about it. After nearly a year of hand-wringing by the record industry over drugs and the deaths of Nowell, Blind Melon's Shannon Hoon, Smashing Pumpkins' Jonathan Melvoin and others, these bands are actually doing something concrete about it.

"It does. It really does help," Sublime drummer Bud Gaugh said. "We really hope to see a lot of money come out to help both Jakob and the Musicians Assistance Program."

(The two remaining Sublime members, Gaugh and Eric Wilson, will continue to record under the name Long Beach Dub All Stars.)

"All these bands and Sublime spent a lot of time together before they started selling records," said Brad's father, Jim Nowell. "They were traveling around and touring and sharing everything. I know Brad often said the first years were better than the last years; they were all family. They were always broke, but they always had the music and always shared it with the other bands."

FROM NOVELTY TO PRAISE

When Nowell died, the album "Sublime" was unreleased, and the band was mainly known for the novelty hit "Date Rape." But in the months since the album came out, the band has had national hits with "What I Got" and "Santeria." The album also made many best-of-'97 lists and gave the public a look inside the late Nowell. Also, ironically, Sublime was reaching its peak just as the country was paying attention to Orange County pop thanks to No Doubt, Offspring and Korn.

"I think everyone realized when they heard the album just what they'd lost," Jim Nowell said. "He was different. I think people are just starting to realize that."

"There's just so much soul pouring out of Brad on that record," said O, leader of fluf, one of the bands playing the benefit show. "That band speaks from the heart and nowhere else. That's pretty rare nowadays; all these new bands are just made to sell. From the start of that album to the end, it just pours out. Honest soul."

Enough time has passed that the musicians can work together to bring some good out of the tragedy.

"I was just selfish to think I'm sad that Bradley's gone because I don't get to hear any more songs from him," Stefani said. "There are all these people who suffer more."

It's hard for everyone, Nowell's father said.

"Everybody loved Brad. He was just one of those charismatic figures," Jim Nowell said. "Wherever he was, that's where the party was and everybody wanted to be with him."

"Sublime" won't be the last heard from the band.

"We've gone through all our tapes from the last recording session, and there's quite a few songs that weren't used that were partial and kind of raw, rough, in demo form," Gaugh said. "We're going to release some of those demos, outtakes, basement tapes."

The band has also put together a 19-minute movie to be shown at concerts, including Saturday's benefit. It combines interviews and performance footage.

And there's hope the band will have an impact beyond that.

"People are going to continue to die of drugs in music because it's such a cool thing," O said. "I don't know how people get those ideas in their heads. It's just so silly I can't believe it."

"I'm just glad they could put this together and that MAP got involved," Jim Nowell said. "Nobody wants to think their son died in vain. Hopefully, the more it's brought to light, the more people it'll help out. It can't hurt."