Tossing a ball to his dog Melvin, inviting the crowd to “feel free to smoke” inside the Forum, and promising an afterparty at The Auld Fella, new Sublime frontman Jakob Nowell turned ALTer EGO 2026 into a beautifully chaotic Long Beach street party.
Rolling onto the stage on a mobility scooter and using crutches to help him stand, Nowell brought a loose, joyful, unmistakably Southern California energy to the Kia Forum. The son of original frontman Bradley Nowell, he leaned fully into the spirit of the band rather than the weight of its legacy.
“I broke my fucking leg at the last festival we played, so we’re making this work,” Nowell told the crowd, setting the tone early.
He then paused to ask for a moment of silence, for the late Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead.
Nowell spoke about the lineage of the music being celebrated that night before the band launched into a Grateful Dead cover of Scarlet Begonias.
“All of the amazing music you’re hearing here tonight, man, it’s all part of a great chain of rock ’n’ roll and alternative music that binds us all together,” he said.
From there, Sublime cruised through their catalogue of ’90s classics, blending laid-back grooves with singalong chaos, while also making room for their new banger, Ensenada.
“This last year we had a number one song for eight weeks in a row thanks to all of you wonderful listeners out there,” Nowell said near the end of the set. “I love you guys.”
Sublime – ALTer EGO 2026 Photo Gallery
Setlist:
1. Date Rape
2. Scarlet Begonias (Grateful Dead cover)
3. April 29, 1992 (Miami)
4. Wrong Way
5. Doin’ Time
6. What I Got
7. Ensenada
8. Santeria
9. Same in the End