Sublime’s Jakob Nowell Nearly Skipped Warped Tour After a Heartbreaking Loss

Sublime frontman Jakob Nowell delivered an emotional performance at the Vans Warped Tour stop in Long Beach over the weekend, just hours after losing his pet cat, according to TMZ. The singer revealed to fans that he had to put down his beloved hairless cat, Creature, the night before the show.

Calling Creature his “best f***ing friend,” Nowell admitted he almost didn’t perform due to the grief. “I realized somebody out there is probably going through something, and maybe the music will help,” he told the crowd, adding that playing with his father’s former bandmates has been “healing” during such a tough moment.

Nowell also paid tribute to his late pet on Instagram with a carousel of images, including one of Creature. “Last pic goes hard 🐈‍⬛🐈,” he wrote. “Can’t believe Ensenada is out. The last couple weeks of my life have been chaos, but like, in a good way 👺… Thank you to my uncles and the fans for letting me be a part of this insane experience, and thank you to my pops 🙏.”

Jakob Embraces Legacy While Finding His Voice

Nowell officially joined Sublime as lead vocalist in 2023, stepping into a role once held by his late father, Bradley Nowell. In a recent interview, he opened up about the complex emotions of honoring the band’s legacy while developing his own identity.

“My mother always played me Sublime’s music growing up,” he told VICE. “When I was younger it was nice to have a little piece of [my dad] I could hear.” 

He admitted that during his early career, he tried to distance himself from the Sublime name. “Then truly coming into adulthood… I’ve been accepting my role in it,” he said. “None of it is separate — it’s all one big thing that I feel grateful to be a part of.”

When performing, Nowell said he tries to strike a balance between staying true to the original material and bringing his own style. “People are interested in hearing me sound as close to the original as possible… but I might sing the melodies with slightly different note choices just because I think it’s more interesting for me.”

New Music Marks Turning Point for the Band

Earlier this month, Sublime released “Ensenada,” their first original single with Jakob on vocals. The track will be part of the group’s upcoming album, their first full-length release of all-new material since 1996’s self-titled project.

“‘Ensenada’ and the new music we’re working on is inspired by old Sublime material,” Nowell told RTTNews. “This feels like an epilogue, a thank you to all of the fans and everyone who’s supported Sublime.”

The upcoming album is expected to drop this December and will feature appearances from artists like Pennywise’s Fletcher Dragge, Fidlar’s Zac Carper and Bad Brains’ Paul “HR” Hudson. Nowell said this record will likely be his only one with the band. “This is it for me,” he told Rolling Stone. “This closes a big chapter in my life, my struggle and journey with who I am… and my relationship to my father and his music.”