Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers will host “Circus Mexicus” June 5 – 7, 2009, in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, bringing across the border the band’s sweat-drenched, tequila-infused marathon sets with fans singing every word.
The band will be joined south of the border by five other bands from California, Colorado and Arizona along with thousands of fans on the annual pilgrimage that combines the cultures of the American Southwest and Mexico. Please note: a valid passport is required to cross the border.
ACountry presents your chance to win FREE VIP tickets to Circus Mexicus. To enter, post a few comments below about your favorite Roger Clyne song.
“There’s nothing quite like the Mexico show. You have to live it to experience it,” said Clyne, who first gained national attention in the late 1990s with his band The Refreshments. The Refreshments enjoyed hits such as “Banditos” and “Down Together” and recorded the theme song for the popular TV show “King of the Hill.”
Circus Mexicus June 2009 weekend includes: • The “Hot Dog & A Smile’’ charity event at 6 p.m. Friday, June 5, at JJ’s Cantina. Hosted by RCPM drummer P.H. Naffah, donations will be accepted for hot dogs and sodas with all proceeds going to Esparanza Para Los Niños. The band raised $11,000 last year for the private, non-profit orphanage. Four bands, including The Railbenders out of Denver, will provide the entertainment. • The big event is Saturday, June 6, with live music starting at 3 p.m. at Chango’s Rocky Point Bar. Gates for the main show open nearby at 6 p.m., amid strolling mariachis. Dead Rock West, a Los Angeles-based Americana band with a punk rock attitude, takes the stage at 7 p.m. with Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers kicking off their high-octane show at about 8:30 p.m. • On Sunday, June 7, fans will head back to JJ’s Cantina for “Mañanathon” – a casual party with RCPM on the beach that includes mingling with the band, plenty of Bloody Marys and breakfast burritos, and of course, more live music. While much has been in the news recently about Mexico, the Rocky Point area has not experienced the same kind of border violence being reported in other areas of the country. The band is reminding its fans to use common sense and conduct themselves responsibly, as is wise in any foreign country. “I believe in Mexico, and in the spirit of rock ‘n roll,” said Clyne. “As the founder of Circus Mexicus, a bi-annual concert on the shores of Puerto Peñasco, Mexico (aka Rocky Point), Tempe’s Roger Clyne simply lets the event do the talking. ‘I would just ask people if five hours of rock ‘n’ roll in a lot next to a Mexican cantina, across the street from the beach where we have our own fireworks and a sea breeze with Mexican moonshine, is worth the $25 adventure,’ Clyne says…Thousands of Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers fans, known as ‘Peaceheads,’ gear up for the Mexican adventure every spring and fall. The event has grown in attendance from 150 people at the inaugural Circus Mexicus in 2000, which was held on the roof of the Sunset Cantina, to nearly 4,000 last fall.”—Get Out (Arizona), 5/10/06 “(Clyne’s) Circus Mexicus has become a sun- and fun-drenched weekend for fans.”—Get Out (Arizona), 5/5/05 “In the meantime, there’s always the next show in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico where the band plays twice a year. ‘It’s a place for people who want to experience the living frontier. It’s not as scary as it sounds, but there are still banditos around and potholes in the road and unpredicted lunar eclipses, and everyone who goes there comes back most enriched and with adventurous tales to tell,’ says Clyne.” – Daily Times (Tennessee), 2/25/05
Wanted. It’s an RCPM live staple, even though it dates back to The Refreshments second album. It’s got the right mix of energy, irony and Roger’s outlaw sensibility. Plus, it’s a great audience participation piece. This year is my first Circus, so I’m lookin forward to hearing “Wanted” live on the beach! – said Peter Geddeis on May 31, 2009
That is great that you have Massy Ferguson playing with you guys! Seattle loves them and I know you will too. – said Cynthia on Oct 23, 2008
My favorite song is “Leaky Little Boat. ” I have shared this song with multiple people because it is how I think life is… we are all doing the best we can in this life we have and are all joined in common fears and thoughts. I think it is truly a beautiful and unifying song for all people. One of the people I shared this song with is my mom; “Leaky Little Boat” is her favorite song, too. I am just so thankful for the peace, unity, and positivity that is Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers. Their songs have made all the difference to me. Muchas Gracias! – said Rachel Cannady on May 31, 2009
I have an early recording of this song where Roger describes the time in Thailand with his best friend Michael O’hare. He describes how his soul/being was surrounding him while he wrote that song and if he could hear him… he loves him, he misses him, and here’s to life. My band The DeviL’s Boots like to cover a handful of songs by Roger and the crew and we break this one out quite often. I like to play and sing it becuase it gives me a chance to give a shout out to all my friends of present, past and future, especially my late great best friend Seth Perka. He died back in 2005 of a drug overdose but everytime I start this song I can see him mingled in the crowd raisin up his shot glass and yelling out “Salud” with all the others. So with him in mind… I would like to thank you for your time… and here’s to life! Salud! Matt Dunlap – said Matt Dunlap on May 30, 2009
Maybe We Should Fall In Love, off of No More Beautiful World is my favorite. I love the loping beat of the song and it’s a blast singing it to my wife at RCPM concerts! – said Michael Peterson on May 31, 2009
I would have to say my favirote all time song from Roger Clyne is when he was back in the refreshment days. “Don’t wanna know” because everytime I’m with my family or when im down in Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point), Mexico I try to just stay focused on them or relax down there to get away from the day to day work activitys. “I wonder where I’ll be in a year, Probably be sittin’ right here, But if you know the answer Don’t tell me anyone, Cause I don’t wanna know I don’t wanna know” and its so true. – said Joshua Beckley on Jun 01, 2009
It may be too
late for the contest however I wanted to share with you a group of friends story that the peacemakers have a huge part in. Going to HS in the mid 90’s we had been avid Refreshment fans and long time Rocky point dwellers. Where else could you go at 16 unsupervised to get wasted for a weekend. And what better soundtrack to go to than FFBB. One Friend in Particular Stacy Posey (a guy) was usually the culprit of our drunk excursions and these trips never well thought out. Usually included camping on sandy beach, or crashing in our friends Dad’s one bedroom apartment, just before you reach Los conchas, next to an abandoned casino. We did these trips more than a dozen times in four years, and made hundreds of stories to last a lifetime. Not long after graduation, like any other group of friends, we all started out on life path. Staying very close together we all kept in touch closely, however the Mexico trips were not merely as frequent as they had once been. Well on February 13th 1998, day before valentines day, Stacy Posey was alone the night before Valentines and needed to soak his sorrows in Tequila, friends, good times and of course Mexico. Incorporating 2 of my other best friends. Of course this was another not clearly thought out last minute race to catch the border before it closed. And in the late hours at mile marker 49. 7 Just south of Ajo,az in his blue 1980’s jeep We lost our friend Stacy and almost to other friend’s. Now the song that brings myself and friend’s together is “Nada”. The song about nothing. Which in fact is the song about everything for Nick, kirk, Marc, Aaron, Travis, Scotty (scooter), Dave and Jake. Nada brings back everything Stacy was. His cold black sun-cracked numb inside soul came alive when he was with his friends, and did each time I was with him in Mexico. Nada is our story about our countless road trips to the little fishing village just south of the border. “I feel the dust coat my teeth and turn my sweat to mud” describes to the T how I felt traveling to Mexico in Stacy’s Jeep. “truck will go no further out of gas” Yep we have ran outta gas as well. Each time we are together and nada plays at the end of the set, we can’t help ourselves to shed a tear in remembrance of him. Stacy lived to be the person you wanted to be, that crazy fly by your heels guy that would do anything for his circle of friends. Its been 11 years and we still miss our friend like crazy. We make it a point to stop by our friends soul resting spot, knowing he is watching and protecting us on our voyage Mexico, and I encourage anyone else to stop and pay homage to our friend, and please, please don’t drink and drive. – said Jake on Jun 01, 2009
Can you really pick just one? Absolutely not. RCPM music is more than just a collection of amazing songs – it’s a way of life. The idea of enjoying every single moment of life to its absolute fullest rings true in every song they sing. The line “Life is Grand, Love is Real, Beauty is Everywhere” from ‘Better Beautiful Than Perfect’ pretty much sums up that entire idea. I could continue and go on my usual RCPM rant, but I’ll spare you… – said B on Jun 01, 2009
Nada, from The Refreshments “Fizzy Fuzzy Big and Buzzy” album is my favorite Clyne song. As with all songs, the artist has his/her interpretation, and the listening audience has their own which may or may not be the same. And that’s one of the beautiful things about songwriting, is that it doesn’t really matter. Personal interpretation is most often recommended. While I’d love to know what Roger’s interpretation is, it wouldn’t change my long standing interpretation of this song. I love a lot of his songs over the years, but none move me in a spiritual manner like Nada. For me, Nada has always been a song of personal resurrection. A reminder that no matter how dark of a place in life you might be in at that moment, it’s not too dark to see the light and emerge rinsed off, clean and ready for a new beginning. I love Roger’s writing direction, or storyline that Nada takes me on. Begins with “I see the lightning from the storm down in Mexico”, to “I hear the thunder from the storm down in Mexico” to I feel the wind blow form the storm down in Mexico” to “I feel the rain drops from the storm down in Mexico”. For me, that’s always been the process of knowing my personal resurrection is closing in, building up to the point where the rain drops wash clean my soul and renew my spirit in a much needed and dramatic fashon! And speaking of the soul, I also love Clyne’s lyrics: “I’m just waiting for that coal black soul of mine, to come alive” to “I’m just waiting for that coal black sun cracked soul of mine, to come alive” to finally, I’m just waiting for that coal black sun cracked numb inside soul of mine, to come alive. ” And then the song ends in crescendo with Clyne belting out, screaming as passionately as he can sing, “COME ALIVE, COME ALIVE, COME ALIVE!” Desperation, inspiration and renewal are what this song bring to me each time Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers perform Nada. So far, he’s closed every Circus Mexicus set with Nada which always leaves me beaming with optimism in spite of the hangover that just might be headed my way manana! – said AgaveJones on Jun 02, 2009
I love the song Beautiful Disaster. Anyone who has truly lived their life can relate to a relationship, love affair, or night that falls into this category! The trick is being able to laugh and tell the story, later! – said Rhonda Scott on Apr 26, 2010
I only recently started listening to Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers and I can say that I love them. My favorite song so far is Better Beautiful Than Perfect. I enjoy the line “Life is grand, love is real, beauty is everywhere!” I also like Beautiful Disaster, Banditos, Mekong, Contraband, and really everything that I have heard. I saw them play a couple months ago when they came through Columbus and it was great. They have a great energy on stage. It was nice to see them live. I plan to keep listening and catching shows whenever I can. – said Brandi Eckelberry on Jan 12, 2010
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