Sublime's Soundscape

Sublime loved Long Beach—you can tell from their songs, which refer to street names, neighborhoods, bars and stores—lovingly or not. “What I Got” proclaims, “Sublime style’s still straight from Long Beach,” while “April 29, 1992” cites specific places in their hood. (Did you know that Ons Liquor Store is now A & Cherry Liquor at 1934 E. Anaheim?) Beyond song lyrics and memories, Sublime made their physical mark locally at record stores and clubs that are now long-gone.

It’s hard to imagine Bradley Nowell and Sublime without Long Beach as a landmark—even places around Long Beach (such as Garden Grove) are forever immortalized in every frat boy’s head via Nowell’s lyrics. (The first lines Nowell sings on Sublime’s self-titled, major-label debut are “We took this trip to Garden Grove/It smelled like Lou Dog inside the van.”) Here are a few spots that follow Sublime’s Long Beach footprint over more than 25 years.

Click here to view the map.