'London Calling' to the faraway towns - tribute show did The Clash proud

Local promoter Jerry Perry was 15 years old when London Calling, the quintessential Clash album came out in 1979. The lasting impact of London Calling led Perry to throw one of his infamous tribute shows this past Saturday for the 30th anniversary of album.

Eleven local bands took turns playing all 19 tracks of the album from start to finish. It was fantastic and something no true Clash fan dared miss, even though The Dollyrots were in town the same night.

I wasn't alive in 1979. I was born in 1984. And it would be 15 more years until I, too, would discover the life changing quality of London Calling.

I still remember the day I bought the record, an original 1979 copy I lucked upon during the closing days of Have A Nice Day, a hippie thrift store in Old Roseville. I paid my few bucks for the album, took it home, and listened to the two vinyl records over and over while reading and memorizing the lyrics imprinted on the record sleeves. (How else can you understand Joe Strummer?)

From "Hateful" to "Revolution Rock," the lyrics resonated within me, and on Saturday night, I got to sing along from "London Calling" to "Train in Vain" with the biggest crowd I have ever seen wedged inside Old I.

There was a sense of anticipation in the air of something great as punk veterans The Secretions kicked the album off with the title track and "Brand New Cadillac," playing the tunes in true Clash form.

Punk bands Bastards of Young, The No-Goodniks and Armed Forces Radio also took a straight ahead approach to Clash classics including "Hateful," "Clampdown" and "Death or Glory."

Roackabilly band Stars and Garters slowed down and countrified "Rudie Can't Fail," while bluesy band The Kelps took an indie rock approach on "Lost in the Supermarket."

Alternative rock band The Broken Poet, ska party band The Various Artists and reggae band The Storytellers each added their own flavor to their respective tunes without veering too far from the originals. The Storytellers, especially, did The Clash proud with "Revolution Rock."

Closing the album and stealing the show, Final Summation rocked "Train in Vain" to perfection. There's a reason they won the 2009 Sammie for outstanding punk band.

The night could have ended there, but Final Summation and Bastards of Young kept the crowd dancing and shouting along with more Clash tunes until everyone "Fought the Law" with The Broken Poet. We all lost, but we all won.