Swine flu? What swine flu?
Roger Clyne has read the headlines, and he's going ahead with his Circus Mexicus concert.
The concert, typically held in May and October, is part of a weekend of beer drinking and suntanning south of the border, highlighted by a nearly four-hour performance by Clyne and his band, the Peacemakers.
Circus Mexicus draws nearly 1,800 fans to Rocky Point, Sonora. They pay roughly $30 to stand in a fenced-in dirt lot surrounded by hotels, cantinas and the Gulf of California.
This year, Clyne — who calls himself "Captain Suburbia" and spends his off days in Tempe with his daughter, Lily, 10, and sons, Rusty, 10, and Otis, 12 — has decided he's going to play Circus Mexicus only once, and that it's going to be bigger and better than ever.
Say goodbye to the dirt lot.
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According to the band's Web site, "this year's show will be in a lot near the Sonoran Sea and Sonoran Spa resorts, and the entrance to Las Palmas, between the ocean and Sandy Beach Road and near Chango's Rocky Point Bar and Grill."
Clyne said, "We moved the event over towards where there are more condos and hopefully more foot traffic."
Clyne was born in Tucson and lived here for three years before his family moved to Tempe. Growing up, he spent a lot of time on a Sonoita-area ranch with his dad, and he also traveled to Rocky Point. JJ's Cantina, where his Circus Mexicus meet-and-greets traditionally happen, has been a hangout of his since high school.
Besides a new location for the concert, Clyne has made several other improvements, including controlled drink prices.
"Sometimes bar owners when they have a captive audience they get a little crazy with prices," Clyne says.
This year's concert might be a tough sell due to tighter passport requirements, escalating drug violence near the Mexican border and continued fears about the H1N1 virus, or swine flu.
On May 15, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed the recommendation that U.S. travelers avoid travel to Mexico.
In a release, the Atlanta-based health organization said "there is evidence that the Mexican outbreak is slowing down in many cities," and "the risk of severe disease from novel H1N1 virus infection now appears to be less than originally thought."
But the downgrade hasn't done much for Circus Mexicus ticket sales.
Two weeks before the show, Clyne said sales were off by 33 percent. But no matter the attendance, the rocker said he'll take the stage.
"If it's just one person, I'll be there," he said.
On Friday night, P.H. Naffah will host his annual charity barbecue, with proceeds going to Esparanza Para Los Niños orphanage. Bands playing at the event will include the Wiley One, Random Karma, Jason Boots, and the Railbenders, new guitarist Jim Dalton's college band.
On Saturday, Dead Rock West will open the show at 7 p.m., and Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers will take the stage at 8.
There will be a hangover bash at JJ's Cantina on Sunday featuring discounted Bloody Marys.
The Peacemakers' new guitarist, Jim Dalton, will be playing in Rocky Point for the first time. He joined the band in March, replacing Steve Larson.
If you go
• What: Circus Mexicus. Three days of beer, sun and music courtesy of Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers.
• When: Friday through Sunday.
• Where: Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point), Mexico.
• Cost: $30 ($20 for military).
• More info: www.azpeacemakers.com
