The Refreshments (American band)

The Refreshments were an alternative rock band from Tempe, Arizona. Mercury Records let the band's recording contract lapse in early 1998. The Refreshments sold 10,000 units in December 1997, their last month with the label.

The second Refreshments album, 1997's The Bottle & Fresh Horses, spent one week on the chart. The band exited its deal with Mercury around the time Blush's drug problem peaked. In 1998, the band could no longer tolerate his substance use, and Blush was removed from the band. Blush pawned his publishing rights for both "King of the Hill" and the Refreshments catalog to Roger Clyne.

Roger Clyne had toyed around with what he called a spaghetti western rave up and when Manager, Michael Lustig, told him to turn something in for a Mike Judge cartoon in the works, he offered up what he would name "Yahoos and Triangles." For the recording of it, the band was on tour and told the crowd during a show they were going to play something for them and to cheer at the end of it for the recording...unknown to Clyne, the sound engineer included his prodding of the audience in the recording and gave the band the piece from the soundboard to turn in...a week later Clyne received a call with his manager and others on the line. They started in on Clyne for prodding the audience and "how dare you try and trick us with fake crowd cheers", silence ensued for a full minute with Clyne thinking he blew it, until the two others on the line followed the chastising with, "Just kiddin' man, we love it!"

The band was known for its "Southwestern sound", similar to other bands hailing from Arizona such as the Sidewinders, Gin Blossoms, the Meat Puppets and Dead Hot Workshop. The group had two charting singles, both from 1996's Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy (both written by Roger Clyne): "Banditos" (U.S. Mainstream Rock No. 11, Modern Rock No. 14), and "Down Together" (Modern Rock No. 38).

Current

Lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary songwriter Roger Clyne and drummer Paul "P.H." Naffah renamed the group Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers in 1998, and still perform most of the Refreshments songs live in concert. Clyne & The Peacemakers have released eight studio albums, two live albums and a live DVD of their annual music festival, Circus Mexicus, in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico. They also went on to form a close relationship with the Major League Baseball team the Arizona Diamondbacks, writing/performing the team's theme song, "The D-Back's Swing". The band has also performed concerts for the team after ballgames at Chase Field and other various team events.

Art Edwards is now a writer, and self-published his novels Stuck Outside of Phoenix and Ghost Notes, with another, Badge, released in early 2014.

Stuck Outside of Phoenix was made into a full-length feature film which premiered May 2, 2013. It was produced by Nico Holthaus and directed by Dean Mongan, and stars Brandon Hannifin.

In March 2013, Roger, PH and Brian re-united and performed as the Refreshments to a raucous crowd at the Circus Mexicus Music Festival in June 2013. Once again, Roger, PH and Brian played at Circus Mexicus in 2016, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy.

In 2017, the documentary film titled Here's To Life – The Story of the Refreshments was released on digital/DVD/Blu-ray. The film chronicles the group's beginnings as a bar band, their rise to fame on a major label and issues within the band and the music industry that led to their sudden end.

On February 27, 2021 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy, Roger and PH invited Brian (Edwards declined) and played a live streamed performance of the album in its entirety.

Band members

Former members

Dusty Denham – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1992–1995)
Arthur Eugene "Buddy" Edwards – bass guitar, backing vocals (1993–1998)
Brian David Blush – lead guitar, backing vocals (1993–1998, 2010, 2013, 2016)

Current Lineup

Roger Clyne – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica, kazoo (1992–present)
Paul "P.H." Naffah – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1995–present)
Nick Scropos – bass guitar, backing vocals
Jim Dalton – lead guitar, backing vocals

Discography

Studio albums

Wheelie (self-released, 1994)
Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy (Mercury Records, 1996)
The Bottle & Fresh Horses (Mercury Records, 1997)

EPs

Lo, Our Much Praised Yet Not Altogether Satisfactory Lady (1995)

Demos

Seattle Demos (1994)

Singles

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title

!scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year

!scope="col" colspan="4"| Peak chart positions

!scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album

!width="60"|US Mod

!width="60"|AUS

!width="60"|CAN

!width="60"|CAN Alt