Last month marked the thirtieth anniversary of the Clash's London Calling, one of the best rock albums ever. While there's sadly few bands left to build upon those punks' massive yawp of agitated roots-rock, State Radio happens to be one of them.
And while I'm not sure the Clash were particularly eager to man the barricades or shovel the shit themselves, State Radio has made local activism part and parcel of their everyday activity, for which they could not be more highly commended.
During the trio's Let It Go: Lefty Rides Again Tour, which begins January 13, the group will participate in ten "Pre-Show Actions," as they call them, daytime community-service projects tied to both local issues as well as the group's ongoing involvement in human rights, stoves for Sudanese women (for which they've raised $100,000 to date), and freedom for Troy Anthony Davis.
Calling All Crows, State Radio's activist offshoot, is named after a song by guitarist Chad Urmston, which you can download here and see the band perform right here:
"Let It Go: Lefty Rides Again" Tour:
1/13/10 - Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
1/14/10 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues*
1/15/10 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey
1/16/10 - San Francisco, CA @ the Fillmore*
1/17/10 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
1/19/10 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox
1/20/10 - Bozeman, MT @ Emerson Center
1/21/10 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Murray Theater*
1/22/10 - Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater*
1/23/10 - Aspen, CO @ Belly Up
1/26/10 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
1/27/10 - Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall
1/28/10 - Providence, RI @ Lupo's*
1/29/10 - Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theater
1/30/10 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory*
2/10/10 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
2/11/10 - Orlando, FL @ The Social*
2/12/10 - Charleston, SC @ Music Farm
2/13/10 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety*
2/14/10 - Birmingham, AL @ Workplay
2/16/10 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
2/17/10 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
2/18/10 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
2/19/10 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
2/20/10 - Champaign, IL @ High Dive*
2/23/10 - Cincinnati, OH @ 20th Century Theater
2/24/10 - Charlottesville, NC @ Jefferson Theatre
2/25/10 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
2/26/10 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
2/27/10 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club*
3/3/10 - Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues
3/6/10 - New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina's
* - indicates pre-show Action (community service via Calling All Crows)
(Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images North America)