Clyne loves to wow fans

BOULDER, Colo. — Roger Clyne sits in a small room under the Boulder Theater, his feet propped up as he drinks the last drop from his water bottle. His shirt is drenched with sweat as if he had just performed outside on this rainy October night. He is completely drained, having left every ounce of energy he could muster on the stage directly above him.

Just minutes earlier, Clyne and his band the Peacemakers wrapped up a 135-minute set (almost 30 songs) of nonstop rock 'n' roll. Even though it was the last night of a monthlong leg of a seemingly never-ending tour in front of just a few hundred people, the energy level was still reminiscent of a Springsteen performance from the '70s.

"The crowd was amped," says lead guitarist Steve Larson, who stops by for a minute before going back upstairs to mingle with the crowd.

Those who go to Saturday night's show in Park City are hoping for a similar performance from the Tempe, Ariz., quartet as they set off on yet another leg of their 2007 tour, which will take them once again through the Rocky Mountain region and the Northwest.

Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, or just RCPM to fans — consisting of Clyne, Larson, bassist Nick Scropos and P.H. Naffah, one of the best unknown drummers in rock — played well past 1 a.m. during their last show at Club Suede earlier this year.

Following the noise and unpredictability of a rock concert, Clyne enjoys those brief moments of just sitting by himself after a show. "Typically I like to indulge in a little bit of silence. Five minutes of just blank."

But it's not long before Clyne, his own worst critic, starts reviewing that night's show in his head. He likes to address each bandmate before he heads out the door, whether it's to talk with fans or head straight to the tour bus to sleep.

Even if there was a minor blip in that night's show, Clyne will always bring up something good that each member did, making sure everyone departs on a positive note.

Even dating back to the days of Clyne and Naffah's previous band, The Refreshments, it's been the live performances that have given Clyne and company a legion of hard-core followers. What pushes Clyne to give such intense performances night after night is his other great passion in life, his family.

If he has to be away from them, Clyne wants to make sure he isn't just wasting his time by giving semi-enthusiastic shows. "The reason we give it everything is because the kids are at home and we're not with them. To make a choice to be a musician ... it has its high points and it has its low points.