Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers @ The Beachland Ballroom
Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers
Beachland Ballroom Cleveland, Ohio 5/17/2009
Opening act – Dead Rock West
55 Cents a song.
That’s what a Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers show will cost you.
27 songs in 2 hours and 20 minutes of blazing, guts on the stage, rock and roll for 55 cents a song. To say that’s a bargain might be the understatement of the year.
Frontman Roger Clyne leaves no Sonora stone unturned in his quest to tap the pathos of southwest. Fueled by tequila and driven like an outlaw, Clyne’s songs weave tales of sunsets over deserts, and trailer parks, and relationships. The encroaching suburbia leaving no choice but a life on the road.
Hitting the stage at 8:02, the band wastes no time reaching full stride, jumping right into “I Do” off the aptly named Turbo Ocho. They rock hard, with Clyne belting it out and belting them down. “Counterclockwise (2005 Beachland)” from the brilliant Americano! shows new lead guitarist Jim Dalton slinging his six string like a six gun, while the rhythm section of drummer P.H. Naffah and bassist Nick Scropos provide the foundation for a thunderstorm attack.
The fans don’t wait either, pushing to the stage and singing every word in an attempt to exemplify fanatical in their obsession for the group. The electricity in the room is palpable, as the shivers down my spine had me feeling like a grounding rod for the sound board.
Tearing through the first 7 songs, they finally give the crowd a reprieve in the sing-along favorite “Mexico”.
Clyne’s interaction with the crowd is refreshing. He is a master showman and storyteller, and holds the audience in the palm of his hand. This is no ordinary band. The ferocity with which they play proves they are staking claim to a new breed of American rock and roll, one that honors the roots, while forging new direction.
Pausing only long enough to take requests (yes, that’s right, I said requests!), the Peacemakers are unrelenting in their attack. “Wanted (2005 Beachland)” picks up the pace with an intensity that would leave most bands gasping for air, as they lay it on as strong as Mexican moonshine. Mixing it up with a handful of Refreshment tunes, 23 songs in all, they leave the stage only long enough to turn around and blast out a 4 song encore including a cover of “American Girl”, that had my friend turn to me and say “I saw the “Damn The Torpedoes” tour and these guys just blew that away!”
With just the mirror ball reflecting light for the final “Green And Dumb” and “Mekong (2005 Beachland)”, the show left me more satisfied than an afternoon siesta.
Can you get more for your money elsewhere? Not likely. Can you have more fun? Definitely not.
Add in the rousing and workmanlike set from opener Dead Rock West, and your price per song ratio drops to a mere 40 cents.
That will leave you with enough dinero for a tequila or two, and the uneasy feeling that you’ll need another fix soon… Visit RCPM Here: AZ Peacemakers
sbanham
The Melancholy Dog
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