What else can be said about Roger Clyne of Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers? The guy is basically the Bruce Springsteen of Arizona. Legions of fans, packed in shows at every venue around, roots in the local scene that go deeper than the Grand Canyon -- Clyne really has all the credentials of a bona fide Copper State superstar.
While he keeps himself busy touring regionally and nationally, the guy who penned the King of the Hill theme song always makes time for his home state as well as his hometown. Whether he's out and about promoting his Mexican Moonshine tequila with an impromptu performance. Or playing a date at one of the Valley's premier venues like The Pressroom, and Marquee Theater, Roger Clyne always lets his presence be felt in the Phoenix metro.
For his next gig in town, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers will be opening up the poolside venue at Scottsdale's Talking Stick Resort on April 24. But before they head out to Scottsdale to soak in the rays, he took some time to talk to New Times.
See also: Roger Clyne Build an Empire from his Music
Up on the Sun: So what's cool about casino shows?
Roger Clyne: Talking Stick doesn't feel like a casino. Their stages have great production both at their indoor showroom stage and at the pool. They have a great staff, and it's always really accommodating of our audience. Shows at the casino aren't what they used to be. Those facilities around the country have upped their game, and they are some of the best facilities to play. I feel we are helping change the stigma from a place where people go to throw down their last hope to where people go to come together and celebrate.
Which Mexican Moonshine cocktail would you recommend for the poolside concert?
I'm going suggest it two ways. Any one of them neat and straight up is awesome with a Mexican beer, and if you want to put one in a mix, they go great in a margaritas. I'm of the Reposado al lado ilk. That's how I like it. I like a Mexican lager and sipper of Mexican Moonshine. That's a little bit of Heaven for me.
Is the setup different at the casino than at some of the bigger venues?
It's at a similar scale. It is the same size stage with very ample sound reinforcement and very good lighting. It's all top-notch like Tempe Beach Park or the Marquee [Theatre]. It makes our job super-fun. For a sports person, it would be like the equivalent of playing on a great field instead of some rough and bumpy playground.
What's it take to get you to do a secret show these days?
I do them all the time, I'll go pop in to places quite often. We usually announce it on the tequila website. We'll get a sympathetic cantina owner and I'll show up with an acoustic guitar. It keeps me in shape for when we are on tour.
When's the last time you did one?
It was a few weeks ago at the Sandbar in Chandler. My guitarist Jim Dalton flew in from Colorado, and typically he flies in a day ahead of time because of the erratic weather in Colorado. He got in early and we went down there and plugged in and played for two hours. It was fun. He did some wacky shit that I had to step away from, though.
What was he doing?
He has this pedal that processes his voice, and he got really carefree and started making his voice into a chorus. An octave lower and it sounded sort of demonic and then an octave higher and he started doing go-go songs and I said, "You've had too much tequila," and I stepped away and had a laugh for a second.
