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Roger Clyne &
The Peacemakers
A Concert Review |
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I can’t believe I forgot all of my "Schuba’s Rules"
when I went to see Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers. Rule #1 – If
you want a good spot, get there early. I didn’t. Rule #2 – Wear
comfortable shoes because you’ll be standing a while. I need new
shoes. Rule #3 – Leave your coat in the car because it’s gonna
get warm. I wore my coat. And then there was the camera thing.
Schuba’s usually has crappy lighting so I’m usually not too
excited about getting to shoot pictures there, and if I don’t get
there early, well, I usually just scrap the idea because combined
with no light, I hate pushing my way through the crowd and pissing
off a lot of people just to waste a couple of roles of film on
pictures that don’t turn out. I figured the same this night, and
getting there late and seeing low light on the opening band, I just
stuck to my spot in the back. Then Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers
came out and it was almost like daylight on the stage. Late, bad
shoes, with my coat, and good lighting. Nothing was going right. But
enough of my troubles – It was Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers,
playing to a sold-out Schuba’s crowd, and it was great.
Way back when there was a band called The Refreshments. I barely
caught them one night opening for, hmm, Seven Mary Three I think,
and totally liked them. Then I got their CD, saw them headline, got
their other CD, and totally liked them more. Then they broke up, and
I was sad. Then I heard Roger started a new band, The Peacemakers,
and I was happy. I kept telling myself that there was my reason to
get out of the cold and visit Arizona on a business trip – to
review the new band, and then Roger goes and does something silly,
well, not really silly, but he brings the boys of the band to
Chicago in winter. So much for my business trip. It was a late
Saturday night show, and I was in the big city for Roger Clyne &
The Peacemakers touring in support of their most excellent CD,
"Honky Tonk Union." And it was a night where if you didn’t
know what was on the CD, well, they played every song off of it,
tossed in some Refreshments classics, played a new song, and even
spotlighted some Who and Johnny Cash. What more can you ask for? I’ll
tell you what – a show without Chatty Cathys and Carls standing in
front of you. But that’s my own fault because I decided to take a
nap before driving to the show.
I’ll be honest, when I got to Schuba’s I didn’t expect a
sold-out crowd. I figured most people, at least in the Midwest,
forgot about The Refreshments, let alone Roger Clyne, and thought I
might be the only one to know the songs off of "Honky Tonk
Union." Much to my surprise I was totally wrong. Every song was
a sing-a-long, the crowd knew their parts, like the "whole damn
night" from "Jack vs. Jose," and whereas some shows
are about being theatrical, some shows are about being sensitive,
Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers' show was all about having a good
time. You had Roger belting out songs like "Beautiful
Disaster" and "Tow Chain" like they were old
favorites, you had a band that does shots on stage, you had a
tequila bottle making its way around the crowd, you had songs by
request, and you had a totally solid band that my mom would probably
say are pretty talented but need haircuts.
Highlights, this night, there were many. I loved the crowd solo
during "Bandito," was surprised to hear "Teenage
Wasteland" (yea, I know it’s really called "Baba O’Riley",
I just prefer to call it "Teenage Wasteland."
Phhhbbbttt!), loved the cover of "Orange Blossom Special,"
(Dude note: Some sites said I was wrong, that it wasn't "Orange
Blossom Special" that was played, but a different Johnny Cash song.
Maybe I was wrong, but I wasn't drinking so this is my review and
I'm sticking to it)
and love the fact that Roger opted to not leave and do a normal
encore, rather just keep playing (the last person I saw do that move
was Dick Dale – it’s as cool a move, if not cooler, than the
encore). They sort of did do an encore after all, although I don’t
think it was really planned, coming back after closing the night
with "Mekong" and finishing with one of my favoritist
songs, highlighting most of the Spanish I remember (as well as find
important), in the likes of "Una Soda" – a killer
version with Roger starting it solo and the band rushing to join
him, and with that my night was complete, even if I was really hot,
my feet hurt, had to deal with Chatty Cathys and Carls all night,
and stupidly didn’t try to take pictures.
It was great to see Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, as much
fun if not more than The Refreshments. They’re such a fun band and
I highly recommend them to anyone looking for, well, a fun band. I
do have one question for Roger, though, and I suppose if I ever
interview them I’ll ask him, but "What the hell are you
doing, raised in Arizona don’cha know, playing in Chicago in the
winter time?"
So, my one reason for visiting Arizona is now gone – to see
Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, but I’m glad they made it to
The Windy City. And I have to thank Roger and the boys for doing the
"Una Soda" encore because on my way back home there was a
traffic accident which looked as if it happened about five minutes
earlier. That would have been a way crappy way to end a great night.
With that it’s TWO "GREAT TO SEE HIM BACK ON THE ROAD"
THUMBS UP! for Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers.
That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!! |
