Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers 2/19/2004

Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers roused their hometown crowd of Tempe, AZ like you would imagine a true rock and roll band should. The capacity crowd at the Marquee Theater was electric from the start, and Clyne’s upbeat rock, south of the border sound kept everyone’s hips swaying all night. Though the emotional buzz in the air was much heavier than a typical Friday night show, as bassist Danny White had announced earlier in the week he would be leaving RCPM to pursue other opportunities in Nashville. Something fans were saddened to hear, since White has been with the band for the last five years.

With sincere respect and revelry, throughout the evening, guitarist Steve Larson, Clyne and White would embrace, with plenty of rounds of tequila - or Mexican Moonshine as they like to call it - flowing on stage. As they tore though the heightened set, Clyne capitalized on his patented high energy style, often stimulating the crowd into a frenzy. In celebration of the historic night, rarely heard “Preachers Daughter” and “Nada” were special treats, and Clyne graciously dedicated one of their latest songs off !Americano!, “Your Name on a Grain of Rice,” to departing White, stating, “he laid down one of the meanest bass lines I’ve ever heard for this track.”

Even with the rarities aside, the whole set was a treat, as they covered many songs from the Refreshment days, early RCPM and threw in all of !Americano! Taken with the moment, Clyne elected to play through the encore and wail into some fan favorites, including a slam down version of the “King of the Hill” melody he wrote years ago.

Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers operate under the independent label EmmaJava Recordings, but along with their help, Clyne has stated many times, “we couldn’t do this without you,” referring to their dedicated audience. He is by far one of the most sincere songwriters I have ever met, and a performer truly appreciative of his fans and their support. It was most certainly a night to remember.

photo originally appeared on http://www.azbandwatch.com/.