Harlis Sweetwater Has a Sublime Feeling: Harlis Sweetwater of the SoCal blues-rock band told us about his time at Sublime.
Harlis Sweetwater: I’ve had the wonderful pleasure over the years to witness several incredible bands, some in intimate settings with just 20 or so people in attendance to catch them just before they became well-known. I remember one wild night in San Diego at a small club. Before the band started playing, we arrived early to have some beverages. The band was moving tables out of the way so they could set up their equipment and PA as we sipped our beverages.
Several folks stumbled into the restaurant bar and began placing their drink orders. I was already well into it because I had been drinking all day, but I recall the atmosphere in the room beginning to change as people’s excitement levels increased. I had traveled from Orange County with two of my buddies to San Diego to meet up with a girl I had met at one of my gigs a few weeks earlier.
The band soon began testing the microphone and tuning their instruments. I nodded to the singer/guitarist as he approached the bar next to me and exchanged greetings. What’s the name of your band, man? I questioned. Sublime, he remarked. You cats from here in San Diego, I retorted. He said, “No, Long Beach,” I replied, surprised, “Oh, right on! My hometown is Huntington.
He proceeded to the staging area after getting his drinks. Truth be told, there was no stage; they simply performed on the carpet. But when they started performing, roughly 20 people soon gathered in front of them. People were thrilled, as I recall. I sat on a bar stool and watched as they danced, shouted, and sang along. They were enjoying themselves so much. These guys fucking rock, I recall it.
My buddies and I eventually went outside into the darkness, leaving the girl behind.
Every concert is a concert. But when you can see a band like Sublime perform before they become well-known and watch them rock a small group of people completely in a restaurant bar, well, that’s just plain fantastic. I like this atmosphere more than large stadium concerts since it is so different.
