Baseball And The Band
Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers opened their 2007 American tour Friday night with a mini-concert after a Diamondbacks game at Chase Field. The D-backs got the good mood started with an 8 to 3 win over the San Diego Padres. After an amazingly short break for set up, Roger and the guys took the stage along first base line and rocked thousands of fans who had lingered after the game.
Formed in 1999, the band consists of guitarist Steve Larson, bassist Nick Scropos and P.H. Naffah on drums, along with frontman Clyne. A trumpeter also performed with the band Friday night, giving the band's uniquely southwestern sound a Mexican kick. Think rock 'n' roll flirting heavily with mariachi then everyone has one too many celebratory drinks and starts telling tales...to a great soundtrack, of course! Really. This is so not your ordinary band and Phoenicians love it. As proof, when Roger asked how many audience-members had been in Phoenix, whose growth of the last decade has been staggering, for 10 years or more, the majority of the crowd roared.
"No wonder you all look familiar," Clyne quipped. "I do know you all."
Their latest album, "No More Beautiful World", was released in March 2007. The tour officially begins in Omaha, NE on July 20 and concludes, 17 cities later, in Rocky Point, Sonora, Mexico on October 20, 2007.
Roger led the crowd in several "waves" in a vain attempt to extend the set. Two kids running across the field, only to be tackled for revealing how out of shape some the the security force are, also provided a few minutes of distraction. Unfortunately, the show was over way too soon. The good news is fans will have at least two more opportunities to see and hear the guys. They will be performing at the Marquee theater in Phoenix on August 10 and 11, 2007. Tickets are $23.75 and all are general admission/standing room only. Don't worry, however, this band will have you on your feet for the whole show!
