It’s no secret that the Clash loved New Orleans and its music, and this weekend New Orleans returns the favor in a big way. To celebrate International Clash Day on February 7, Chickie Wah Wah will present a solid 24 hours of live Clash and Clash-inspired music, from midnight to midnight. Singer/guitarist Papa Mali will lead the band, which will feature a host of guest stars as the day goes on. Familiar names like CC Adcock, Tommy McLain, Paul Sanchez, Meschiya Lake, David Torkanowsky, Papa Mali, Amanda Shaw, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Ben Jaffe and many others will all be putting their spins on the Clash’s musical legacy.
The Clash referenced local music as far back as “Jimmy Jazz,” a piano-driven track on the London Calling album, and later did a reggaefied version of the Angola-related standard “Junko Partner” on Sandinista! Most notably they enlisted Lee Dorsey as opening act on the London Calling tour, which included the band’s only local appearance at the Warehouse on June 4, 1982. A punkier local act, the Red Rockers, also opened a few Clash gigs.
“I first remember really hearing the clash as a young teenager,” Meschiya Lake told us. “Must’ve been about 13 years old, around the time my hunger for art and consciousness were really expanding. I was discovering punk, and post-punk, and the Clash were part of a soundtrack that made me realize there was an entire world outside of South Dakota, where I was ostracized and bullied, one where there were other people like me. That soundtrack kept me going and fed my defiance and resilience. Later on, I think I was about 18 years old, my boyfriend at the time and I met Joe Strummer on the street in Chicago and got our picture taken with him. Sadly, that photo was lost years ago, but how I wish it was framed and on the wall!” Though she hadn’t settled on a song yet, she’s thinking of doing a “Police & Thieves” duet with Ben Jaffe. “I’m excited for this show and honored that Papa Mali asked me to be included”.
And yes, International Clash Day is a thing: It started on this date in 2013 on Seattle noncommercial station KEXP when the DJ happened to play a Clash song and got requests for more; in true punk rock fashion things got a bit out of hand. The groundswell grew to include a hundred-plus radio stations and various musical efforts around the world. It’s become a purely grassroots effort not tied into any anniversary or anything else official—in other words, perfectly in the Clash spirit.
Advance tickets good for all 24 hours, including the crawfish boil and culminating Tuesday night concert, are $70 in advance or $100 day of show. Tickets good just for the festivities prior to 6 p.m. Tuesday are $20 advance, $27 day of show.
