Sublime’s Jakob Nowell Sounds Nearly Identical to His Late Dad In “Santeria” Performance On Howard Stern

SoCal ska-punk legends Sublime made a triumphant return to the charts this spring with some help from late frontman Bradley Nowell. The 28-year-old vocalist died tragically of a heroin overdose in 1996. Initially, the band’s remaining members had little interest in going on without their leader. However, they eventually reunited under the moniker Sublime with Rome, with guitarist/vocalist Rome Ramirez. Earlier this year, Sublime With Rome announced it was officially disbanding. Now the band is entering a new era with Bradley’s son, Jakob Nowell, at the helm. And the 29-year-old musician sounded eerily similar to his father during a recent performance on The Howard Stern Show.

Sublime Performs “Santeria” For Howard Stern

“Santeria” hit the radio in January 1997, seven months after Bradley Nowell’s death. Nearly 30 years later, it’s likely still the first song most listeners associate with the band. Along with “What I Got,” it’s the quintessential Sublime song.

[RELATED: 3 Songs for People Who Say They Don’t Like Sublime]

Jakob Nowell led his dad’s friends in a four-song set on the set of The Howard Stern Show. The Long Beach, California trio also performed their classic hits “What I Got” and “Wrong Way,” along with their newest single, “Feel Like That.” But Jakob shone brightest on “Santeria.” Close your eyes and see if you can tell his emotional vocals apart from his father’s.

Although the full set doesn’t premiere until Friday (Aug. 16,) The Howard Stern Show shared a clip of “Santeria” on its YouTube channel on Wednesday (Aug. 14.) Jakob’s voice sent shock waves of nostalgia among ’90s kids everywhere.

“Baby Bradley is killing it,” wrote one YouTube user.

Another Sublime fan chimed in that Bradley Nowell was surely “smiling down from above” watching his son “tearing it up.”

“He CRUSHED that!” another user agreed. “RIP Bradley, your soul lives on through your son.”

Jakob Nowell Carries The Torch For His Father

Bradley Nowell left behind an 11-month-old son when he died of a heroin overdose in 1996. And sadly, Jakob inherited his father’s struggles with addiction. He has previously said that his experimentation with drugs and alcohol stemmed  from a “subconscious desire to kind of understand what my dad’s experiences were.”

Jakob got sober in 2017, but his father’s musical genes have persisted. The vocalist previously performed with the ska bands LAW and Jakob’s Castle before officially joining Sublime.

“Addiction is a family disease,” Jakob told Los Angeles magazine in April. “And rock ’n’ roll is a family addiction.”

Featured image by Christopher Victorio/Shutterstock