Gowan interview
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2010 1:49 pmMusic
New voice of Styx makes his mark
By Kelley Simms
GO.RRSTAR.COM
Replacing an original frontman in a rock band is not an easy thing to do. There’s a feeling of apprehension that the die-hard fans might not accept you.
Canadian Lawrence Gowan was cast into this situation by joining Chicago-born progressive rockers Styx in 1999. Gowan has been the vocalist/keyboardist in the band for 10 years now but always will be compared to Dennis DeYoung.
If you go
What: Styx and REO Speedwagon with guest .38 Special
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Rockford MetroCentre,300 Elm St.
Cost: $69.50, $49.50, $39.50
Tickets and info: metrocentre.com, 815-968-5222
Before joining Styx, Gowan had a successful solo career in Canada, with a No. 1 record in 1985 called “Strange Animal.” “A Criminal Mind,” from that album, is now a crowd favorite at Styx shows. Gowan has proved over the years that he was the right man for the job and has been gradually accepted by the Styx faithful.
Calling from Toronto, Gowan spoke with the Register Star about his joining the band and the anticipation of playing in Styx’s home state:
Register Star: Because Styx is a Chicago-based band, is there a feeling of anticipation from the other members when the band plays in their home state?
Lawrence Gowan: Yes, there is always that recognition of that whenever the band plays Rockford or anywhere in Illinois. Since the band originated in Illinois, it has to live up to the expectations of its roots.
RS: This is a great bill with three huge arena rock bands on it. Can you talk about the nostalgia aspect of it and what the fans can expect at each show?
LG: You have three bands that truly know how to put on a great, unapologetically over-the-top rock extravaganza. And that’s first and foremost of what the fans are going to see, regardless of what age they are. And their reasons for coming can range from nostalgic memories of those songs, to people who have just discovered those songs through “Rock Band,” “Guitar Hero” or through pop culture that keeps referencing the bands from the classic-rock era. In our case, just how profound the music of Styx and how the band has become a part of people’s lives, and why — all of that is going to be rolled out in front of them, plus a really good time.
RS: Styx is such a great live band. How important and enjoyable is it to get out there and play as many shows as you do?
LG: Playing live is the life blood of the band. We’re always climbing, there’s the next rung on the ladder up, never trying to just hang on, but to trying to get the band better than it’s ever been. And the only way we can accomplish that is to keep engaging the audience and keep playing live and exploring the possibilities of our musical fellowship.
RS: When you replaced Dennis DeYoung, what was your mindset at the time, and did you think it would last for this long?
LG: I truly believe (Styx) chose the right person, since they wanted to make a change in the band. I never looked upon myself as a replacement, but merely another member that came along, and suddenly there was an open door for me to come into the group. All I really thought about was trying to make as great a contribution as I possibly could in this era of the band’s existence. And I felt that I could do that. You’d be foolish to think in show business, especially in
the rock world, that it’s going to last anything beyond the next show that you play (laughing).
RS: Did you think it would be some big shoes to fill replacing Dennis, and were you at all nervous? Or do you even think about that anymore?
LG: It would be too flippant to say that I don’t think about it, but at the same time, I really think about the band that I’m in today. I do acknowledge that these were, as you put it, big shoes to fill. Because anytime you’re standing in the place of where one of the front-men of this band once stood, there is something that has to be revered and acknowledged. But at the same time, it has to take its place in your mind where you think there’s a reason why that person isn’t here and you are. I’m here because the band had gone through some backstage drama, something that would occur in any band that’s been around for a quarter of a century, but it erupted to a point where they felt where they had musically parted and suddenly I was the person who musically bonded.
RS: Prior to joining Styx, you had a successful solo career, but what is it about Styx’s history and music that appeals to you?
LG: First and foremost, they are the only band, to my knowledge, that ever came out of America that had any success at all doing progressive rock, like Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd and the later era of the Beatles. There aren’t very many progressive bands outside of the U.K. that were successful, but in America, Styx is the one that comes to mind. I supposed to some degree, you can put Journey and Boston in that category, but they weren’t as much in the progressive rock era as Styx had to emerge in; Styx emerged at the time of Emerson Lake & Palmer and Jethro
Tull, and they were successful.
RS: “A Criminal Mind” was originally one of your solo songs, and it gets a great response live. How did the band decide to perform it as Styx?
LG: I opened for Styx at the old Montreal Forum in 1997, and when I came offstage I remember Tommy (Shaw) saying to me, “You know, some of your songs could be Styx songs, especially that ‘Criminal Mind.’” I thought at the time it was a nice compliment, but a serious compliment and a couple of years later, it became a Styx song. It also shows the depth of which we musically integrated with each other’s vibes.
RS: What do you bring to the older songs? Do you try to stay true to the vocal stylings of Dennis?
LG: In the keyboard playing, I like very much the parts that were put on those records, everything (Dennis) played on the records. I try to stay as true as possible because I think they’re fantastic parts and so well arranged and they fit into the music so dynamically. On the other hand, your voice is a different thing entirely; that’s where your personality comes out. I sing the songs and I connect with the lyrics in a way that makes sense to me. When I’m singing “Grand Illusion,” it probably has a different interpretation, and therefore a different reflection coming out of my mouth than it does coming out of Dennis DeYoung’s. So vocally, I have to inject my own personality because it’s evident there anyway.
RS: Even though I did like what Dennis did with the band, your style of vocals seems to be more suitable to the Styx sound of today, and it complements even better Tommy’s voice. How’s that make you feel to know that you are accepted by the Styx faithful?
LG: I think there will always be a divide, but that divide has seemed to have waned, particularly in the past five years. There was a long time there where I couldn’t picture Phil Collins being in front of Genesis, but then I found out that it was perfectly acceptable to be a Genesis fan and a Peter Gabriel fan at the same time (laughing). I kind of get a sense of that from the Styx faithful out there that their band has not been destroyed and they feel in some ways it has been enhanced, because it wouldn’t exist today if it wasn’t in this form.
RS: You’ve recorded two studio albums now with Styx. Are you starting to be more involved with the songwriting and are you planning a new studio album soon?
LG: Planning a new studio album is very difficult. We’re always recording stuff, but there’s just a big demand for the band to play live all around the world. And the music industry right now as such is so connected to the live performance, it’s the only thing that can’t be downloaded. It’s the only experience you can get in the flesh that resonates that way, and you really can’t manufacture it. The band looks at it primarily as keeping that live thing going as much as possible and the recording is done on our little bits of time off. We haven’t set aside time or plan to do a studio album, because it’s kind of counterproductive at this stage of the band’s existence.
RS: Rockford’s a blue-collar, hardworking, classic rock town. Any last words or comments you’d care to share with the fans before you play here?
LG: As you said before, “Do we think about the fact that we’re playing in Illinois?” Yeah, we do! There was a wellspring of musical wealth that came out of that area in the form of Styx and Chicago. It’s a tremendous place where some great classic rock sprang from and we’re looking forward to playing there.
Did you know about REO Speedwagon?
Popular arena rock band in the early ’80s from the Champaign-Urbana area. No. 1 hits include “Keep On Loving You” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling.” The band took its name from a flatbed truck and fire engine, named after the company’s founder, Ransom Eli Olds, who also founded Oldsmobile.
Going to the show?
Send your review of the show by noon Thursday to lglowinski@rrstar.com and you may see it in GO Saturday, Feb. 27. You can also leave previews and reviews in the Comments section of this story.
One random reviewer will receive “REO Speedwagon: Live in the Heartland,” a DVD featuring performances of “Keep On Loving You, “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and other hits, as well as bonus interviews with the band.
I just couldn't resist to see what original posts we'll get out of Toph, Froy, and Higgy.
New voice of Styx makes his mark
By Kelley Simms
GO.RRSTAR.COM
Replacing an original frontman in a rock band is not an easy thing to do. There’s a feeling of apprehension that the die-hard fans might not accept you.
Canadian Lawrence Gowan was cast into this situation by joining Chicago-born progressive rockers Styx in 1999. Gowan has been the vocalist/keyboardist in the band for 10 years now but always will be compared to Dennis DeYoung.
If you go
What: Styx and REO Speedwagon with guest .38 Special
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Rockford MetroCentre,300 Elm St.
Cost: $69.50, $49.50, $39.50
Tickets and info: metrocentre.com, 815-968-5222
Before joining Styx, Gowan had a successful solo career in Canada, with a No. 1 record in 1985 called “Strange Animal.” “A Criminal Mind,” from that album, is now a crowd favorite at Styx shows. Gowan has proved over the years that he was the right man for the job and has been gradually accepted by the Styx faithful.
Calling from Toronto, Gowan spoke with the Register Star about his joining the band and the anticipation of playing in Styx’s home state:
Register Star: Because Styx is a Chicago-based band, is there a feeling of anticipation from the other members when the band plays in their home state?
Lawrence Gowan: Yes, there is always that recognition of that whenever the band plays Rockford or anywhere in Illinois. Since the band originated in Illinois, it has to live up to the expectations of its roots.
RS: This is a great bill with three huge arena rock bands on it. Can you talk about the nostalgia aspect of it and what the fans can expect at each show?
LG: You have three bands that truly know how to put on a great, unapologetically over-the-top rock extravaganza. And that’s first and foremost of what the fans are going to see, regardless of what age they are. And their reasons for coming can range from nostalgic memories of those songs, to people who have just discovered those songs through “Rock Band,” “Guitar Hero” or through pop culture that keeps referencing the bands from the classic-rock era. In our case, just how profound the music of Styx and how the band has become a part of people’s lives, and why — all of that is going to be rolled out in front of them, plus a really good time.
RS: Styx is such a great live band. How important and enjoyable is it to get out there and play as many shows as you do?
LG: Playing live is the life blood of the band. We’re always climbing, there’s the next rung on the ladder up, never trying to just hang on, but to trying to get the band better than it’s ever been. And the only way we can accomplish that is to keep engaging the audience and keep playing live and exploring the possibilities of our musical fellowship.
RS: When you replaced Dennis DeYoung, what was your mindset at the time, and did you think it would last for this long?
LG: I truly believe (Styx) chose the right person, since they wanted to make a change in the band. I never looked upon myself as a replacement, but merely another member that came along, and suddenly there was an open door for me to come into the group. All I really thought about was trying to make as great a contribution as I possibly could in this era of the band’s existence. And I felt that I could do that. You’d be foolish to think in show business, especially in
the rock world, that it’s going to last anything beyond the next show that you play (laughing).
RS: Did you think it would be some big shoes to fill replacing Dennis, and were you at all nervous? Or do you even think about that anymore?
LG: It would be too flippant to say that I don’t think about it, but at the same time, I really think about the band that I’m in today. I do acknowledge that these were, as you put it, big shoes to fill. Because anytime you’re standing in the place of where one of the front-men of this band once stood, there is something that has to be revered and acknowledged. But at the same time, it has to take its place in your mind where you think there’s a reason why that person isn’t here and you are. I’m here because the band had gone through some backstage drama, something that would occur in any band that’s been around for a quarter of a century, but it erupted to a point where they felt where they had musically parted and suddenly I was the person who musically bonded.
RS: Prior to joining Styx, you had a successful solo career, but what is it about Styx’s history and music that appeals to you?
LG: First and foremost, they are the only band, to my knowledge, that ever came out of America that had any success at all doing progressive rock, like Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd and the later era of the Beatles. There aren’t very many progressive bands outside of the U.K. that were successful, but in America, Styx is the one that comes to mind. I supposed to some degree, you can put Journey and Boston in that category, but they weren’t as much in the progressive rock era as Styx had to emerge in; Styx emerged at the time of Emerson Lake & Palmer and Jethro
Tull, and they were successful.
RS: “A Criminal Mind” was originally one of your solo songs, and it gets a great response live. How did the band decide to perform it as Styx?
LG: I opened for Styx at the old Montreal Forum in 1997, and when I came offstage I remember Tommy (Shaw) saying to me, “You know, some of your songs could be Styx songs, especially that ‘Criminal Mind.’” I thought at the time it was a nice compliment, but a serious compliment and a couple of years later, it became a Styx song. It also shows the depth of which we musically integrated with each other’s vibes.
RS: What do you bring to the older songs? Do you try to stay true to the vocal stylings of Dennis?
LG: In the keyboard playing, I like very much the parts that were put on those records, everything (Dennis) played on the records. I try to stay as true as possible because I think they’re fantastic parts and so well arranged and they fit into the music so dynamically. On the other hand, your voice is a different thing entirely; that’s where your personality comes out. I sing the songs and I connect with the lyrics in a way that makes sense to me. When I’m singing “Grand Illusion,” it probably has a different interpretation, and therefore a different reflection coming out of my mouth than it does coming out of Dennis DeYoung’s. So vocally, I have to inject my own personality because it’s evident there anyway.
RS: Even though I did like what Dennis did with the band, your style of vocals seems to be more suitable to the Styx sound of today, and it complements even better Tommy’s voice. How’s that make you feel to know that you are accepted by the Styx faithful?
LG: I think there will always be a divide, but that divide has seemed to have waned, particularly in the past five years. There was a long time there where I couldn’t picture Phil Collins being in front of Genesis, but then I found out that it was perfectly acceptable to be a Genesis fan and a Peter Gabriel fan at the same time (laughing). I kind of get a sense of that from the Styx faithful out there that their band has not been destroyed and they feel in some ways it has been enhanced, because it wouldn’t exist today if it wasn’t in this form.
RS: You’ve recorded two studio albums now with Styx. Are you starting to be more involved with the songwriting and are you planning a new studio album soon?
LG: Planning a new studio album is very difficult. We’re always recording stuff, but there’s just a big demand for the band to play live all around the world. And the music industry right now as such is so connected to the live performance, it’s the only thing that can’t be downloaded. It’s the only experience you can get in the flesh that resonates that way, and you really can’t manufacture it. The band looks at it primarily as keeping that live thing going as much as possible and the recording is done on our little bits of time off. We haven’t set aside time or plan to do a studio album, because it’s kind of counterproductive at this stage of the band’s existence.
RS: Rockford’s a blue-collar, hardworking, classic rock town. Any last words or comments you’d care to share with the fans before you play here?
LG: As you said before, “Do we think about the fact that we’re playing in Illinois?” Yeah, we do! There was a wellspring of musical wealth that came out of that area in the form of Styx and Chicago. It’s a tremendous place where some great classic rock sprang from and we’re looking forward to playing there.
Did you know about REO Speedwagon?
Popular arena rock band in the early ’80s from the Champaign-Urbana area. No. 1 hits include “Keep On Loving You” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling.” The band took its name from a flatbed truck and fire engine, named after the company’s founder, Ransom Eli Olds, who also founded Oldsmobile.
Going to the show?
Send your review of the show by noon Thursday to lglowinski@rrstar.com and you may see it in GO Saturday, Feb. 27. You can also leave previews and reviews in the Comments section of this story.
One random reviewer will receive “REO Speedwagon: Live in the Heartland,” a DVD featuring performances of “Keep On Loving You, “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and other hits, as well as bonus interviews with the band.
I just couldn't resist to see what original posts we'll get out of Toph, Froy, and Higgy.
What a really great man Gowan is and i do feel that some of the fans really like him now after 10 years.He know that there will always be the ones that will never get into him and that is fine as well.
