London Calling

2017 happens to be the 40th anniversary of the release of “London Calling” by The Clash. It’s fitting to have this production at this year’s Fringe Fest. This one was the top show I wanted to see. I built it up so much in my head that anything less than spectacular would have been a letdown. This was NOT a letdown. This is everything I hoped it would be and it still left me wanting more. This shows the life and struggles of Tom (played by Samuel Meader) the guitarist in a garage band who still lives at home and has no job. What starts off as a bunch of friends playing in a band turns into how each one of them strays from what Tom’s future vision is. You can see inspiration from movies like Quadrophenia (I couldn’t help but think Tom and J... full review

Watching this show was an absolute joy. Fun, energetic and heartbreaking, the music of The Clash provides surprising effective insight into a series of adventure had by a group of mates facing the onset of adulthood and the conclusion that dreams and money don’t always come hand in hand… until they do. The cast wins the audience over from the opening moments of the show, even as they fumble through awkward life changes. The audience can only hope each character finds their way without wrecking their lives in the process. Along the way, the treat is seeing familiar Clash tunes charging those journeys with energy and fun. This was a blast!... full review

As a longtime fan of The Clash, I really wanted this musical to succeed, but the ten years invested in creating it has not produced a strong, cohesive production. The program says, “The lyrics of the songs are the dialog, they propel the story forward...” Sorry, they don’t. In some cases they might, if you could hear them, but the show is run by a sound engineer from the house who doesn’t seem to notice his singers can’t be heard. They are also singing to pre-recorded tracks, which feels disingenuous when you’re watching a show about a band if the audience never gets to see them perform. We’re meant to take them at their word when they say they are brilliant but they never actually play together onstage. Show us, don’t tell us. It’s much mor... full review