Arizona band making waves in Rocky Point for Circus Mexicus
By Dan Marries/KOLD News 13
Pack your bags, it’s time to head for the beach. Circus Mexicus is taking place this weekend in Rocky Point, Mexico and it’s become a tradition of sorts for a lot of Tucsonans. Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers (RCPM), a national band based in Tempe, will be joined south of the border by five other bands from California, Colorado and Arizona along with thousands of fans on the annual pilgrimage that combines the cultures of the American southwest and Mexico.
The three day oceanside event kicks off Friday night at JJ’s Cantina. That’s when drummer P.H. Naffah hosts the “Hot Dog & a Smile” charity event. Donations will be accepted for hot dogs and sodas with all proceeds going to Esparanza Para los Niños. The band raised $11,000 last year for the private, non-profit orphanage.
The big event is Saturday, June 6, with live music starting at 3 p.m. at Chango’s Rocky Point Bar. Gates for the main show open nearby at 6 P.M. with RCPM kicking off their high-octane show at about 8:30. There are two big changes to this year’s event. First, a valid passport is a must to cross the border. Second, the band welcomes new lead guitarist Jim Dalton to the lineup.
“There’s nothing quite like the Mexico show. You have to live it to experience it,” says Clyne, who first gained national attention in the late 1990s with his band the Refreshments. The Refreshments enjoyed hits such as “Banditos” and “Down Together” and recorded the theme song for the popular TV show “King of the Hill.” Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers is the only independent band to debut in the top 10 on Billboard’s internet sales chart for six consecutive albums, including two #1 entries.
The band is reminding its fans to use common sense and conduct themselves responsibly, as is wise in any foreign country. “I believe in Mexico, and in the spirit of rock ‘n roll,” says Clyne.
