Nashville’s City Winery Welcomes Roger Clyne And The Peacemakers

Independent rock n’ roll band Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers brought their brand of American rock to the Music City on Thursday night. The four-piece group out of Tempe, Arizona made the stop at Nashville’s very own urban winery, City Winery. The intimate venue offered a different environment from your typical rock show. The swanky décor and table settings even surprised Clyne as he took the stage and surveyed the room, exclaiming, “This place is nice!”

 

Fans were able to come in early before show time and take advantage of a full menu and extensive wine list.

The opening act, Andrew Leahey & the Homestead played a great set to establish the mood for the crowd. The Nashville rockers were happy to play to a hometown crowd. As the band’s frontman, Leahey showcased a great voice, but just as impressive were his lead guitar solos.

 

The Peacemakers, Clyne’s highly-talented band mates, are P.H. Naffah on drums, Nick Scropos on bass, and Jim Dalton on lead guitar. The group took the small stage at City Winery and opened it up with their energetic set. The excitement from the stage was definitely contagious, having everyone on their feet rocking out before the night was over.

 

Roger Clyne has a diverse fan base that ranges from the veterans of his first successful music endeavor, The Refreshments, to newer fans who came on when the Peacemakers joined him on the road. Conversation filled the set in between songs as Clyne spoke to the crowd like old friends. Many in attendance were making their first Roger Clyne show that night; there were also plenty that have been following him from the early days. There were even a few that were at this year’s Circus Mexicus – an annual four-day music festival headlining Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers in Puerto Penasco, Mexico.

 

The Refreshments, which also included Naffah on drums, earned a strong fan base, particularly in the Southwest, and also garnered a decent amount of attention and radio play with their hits “Banditos” and “Down Together.” The Refreshments also wrote and played the theme song to the animated television series “King of the Hill.”

 

While the past is an intricate piece of the band’s history, Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers aren’t stopping in a nostalgic stupor like other groups. In fact they’re currently on tour in support of their forthcoming record. The highly anticipated tenth studio album for the group, “Native Heart,” is scheduled to be released next Friday, June 30. Digital downloads, CD, and vinyl pre-order info can be found here. The band gave fans a sneak peek into the work by playing a few tracks live – “Every Kind of Lucky” and “Hello Tiger.”

 

By the end of the night Clyne and company had the City Winery feeling more like a cantina as their western vibes ensconced the venue and the fans. The band took a few shots of tequila throughout the set, saluting and thanking the crowd with exclamations of salud. They also deviated from their standard set, playing quite a few deep cuts that were suggested from the crowd.

 

Roger Clyne and Peacemakers will continue to lay it all out on the road on this tour, wrapping up in early September in Las Vegas.