A Tale of Two Gowan Shows

Legend has it that there are no stranger animals than a few internet friends who desperately want to see their favorite artist. That being said, let me tell you a story about three 20-something-year-old gal pals who hopped international borders to see a Canadian national treasure: Lawrence Gowan. It's no secret that I'm a "Gowan gal", and I feel it's my duty as a Gowan fan in the United States to try and bring his solo career to the forefront as much as I can before he physically makes me stop. However, since this is a primarily American-based audience here at Rock DNA, I'm going to first fill you in on some Canadian history.

And I know it's not easy, but I’m also going to need you to forget about Styx for a little while; it’s time to get our minds back on Canada in the 1980s.

To us Americans, we understandably tend to think of the booming and eccentric piano keys of rock legends Styx when we hear Gowan's name. He's been a part of the driving spirit of the group since 1999, but what exactly was he up to up north before then? Styx guitarist Tommy Shaw once proclaimed that Gowan was "mining platinum (records) everywhere he went" with his discography of piano and keyboard-driven, pop-rock masterpieces.

Gowan's breakthrough into the mainstream came 40 years ago in 1985 with his double-platinum sophomore album Strange Animal (to any fellow Yankees who actually took the time to skim through this review, let that record be the first thing you listen to once you're done reading, pretty please). On a string of show dates to commemorate the anniversary of this album, Gowan and his band set out for two back-to-back nights at the Bronson Centre Music Theatre in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. This venue is, by far, one of the most intimate concert halls I have ever been to. Being 100% general admission seating, it’s absolutely perfect for a concert freak such as myself who will do anything to be right up at the front. Having already been to a Gowan show at this venue back in 2023 and having sworn to myself to go back at the first chance I got, I was more than ready to launch into action upon hearing the announcement of his triumphant return.

Remember the first sentence of this article? At the moment the first Bronson Centre show was announced, I was all-systems go. Because of this, and because my friends and I were still riding the high of our Las Vegas 'Styxcation' in January, I somehow convinced two of those long-distance buddies to make the pilgrimage to Ottawa with me. Gowan fans in the U.S. (especially ones in our age group) are very few and far in between. It was dreadfully obvious that we had to come together once more and take advantage of this opportunity.

So, keep in mind that this lengthy article is a tale of two Gowan shows: Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. I will primarily be talking about my first impressions on the first night (the night all the photographs are from), blended with some specifics from the second night.

After my Gowan gal pals made the brave journey outside of the country for the first time, we were more than ready to celebrate the occasion with our favorite kilt-wearing Scottish-Irish-Canadian on Easter night. I, personally, was locked and loaded with my camera to try and rival my shots from the last time Gowan was in town. This would be the first time I ever photographed an artist at the same venue more than once, so I was hoping to get some different results this time! Security told me that I was actually allowed to shoot for the entire duration of that show, which came as a very unexpected surprise to me. But, as per usual, I still warned the front row of my possible obstruction of their views for the first three songs, since it seemed only fair to them. This warning turned out to be in vain, however, because by the third song, I was already trapped against the stage by a wall of ecstatic fans. Quite the blessing, if you ask me!

Before they unleashed the Strange Animal himself, we were first in the good company of golden-haired indie powerhouse Hans ("hans!" on Spotify). Though he is self-described as indie pop, a woman in the crowd turned to me after his set and asked me what genre of music I thought he was playing. Since I couldn't quite put my finger on it at the moment, I answered her with "new-new wave...?" I still stand by this, as Hans is comfortably confident in his own ambient groove of piano/keyboard-based funk. If there's one song of his that deserves a listen, it's "How to Get to Nowhere" without a doubt. It's been stuck in my head for days and it unearths a sort of liminal, uneasily nostalgic emotion that I can't quite understand. Maybe take the time to stream it and comment what you take away from it!

And now, for our feature presentation.

When the lights came up at the start of it all, no one but Lawrence Gowan himself was vividly illuminated in his signature pose: a magnificent stance where he stands over the crowd with one foot on his piano's stool and the other carefully planted on top of its keys. He presided over the crowd like the world’s most elated giant, seemingly very telling of the opening song "Awake the Giant".

We all know of his incredible voice and unmatched dexterity on the keys, but that's only the surface of the Gowan experience. If you've never had the thrill of experiencing him live— either solo or with Styx— I'm not sure that my description of his otherworldly stage presence will do it any kind of justice, but I'll do my best to try. If I were to simply call him "enthusiastic", that would be a crime only a criminal mind could commit (get it?). Gowan doesn't just play a concert; he makes sure to put on a show. When not seated at his trademark spinning keyboard, he's violently keeping your attention hostage by dashing, twirling, and dancing around the stage as he pleases. He simply can't stand still, and he spends every second letting his audience know it. His performances are always overflowing with the finest kind of sheer joy— a phenomenon that's sealed with a smile he refuses to wipe off his face. So, if you think you're happier than him to be there, you're dead wrong.

As for the audience, there was so much more energy than the last time Gowan played at the Bronson Centre. Maybe it was the fact that it was significantly warmer than late November, or the fact that "Dancing On My Own Ground" was the third song, but everyone was up front and dancing much earlier than I previously experienced. Seeing loyal fans filled to the brim with glee is also a big part of what makes a concert so enjoyable. For this particular artist, there wasn’t a dull smile to be found.

Also early on: Gowan picked up his 12-string acoustic "moonchild" guitar (to the surprise of some audience members, who were not aware of the extent of his musicianship). While he claims to have limited abilities on guitar, he has made it a point in the past to note that creating an acoustic guitar-based record in 1993 (...But You Can Call Me Larry) was a move that "saved (his) career." Three singles from this record and one from his 1990 album Lost Brotherhood formed a segment in the first half of the show where he took a moment to let keyboardist Ryan Bovaird take over in order to front the stage with his long-time lead guitarist Bob McAlpine. This included watching them both perform my personal favorite song of all time, "All the Lovers In the World", so while Gowan may think his guitar skills are a bit shabby, I'm living proof that they have the power to make someone emotional.

It was at this point that we were approaching the end of the first act. However, this was when the magic was just about to skyrocket, because the entire Gowan band had an ace up their sleeve.

There's a reason why I haven't mentioned the Strange Animal album in regard to the setlist yet, and for a very good reason, too. The beginning half of this high and mighty musical adventure came to a close with the intense and energetic anthem "Keep Up the Fight" from Gowan's eponymous 1982 debut album. Once he had a chance to catch his breath and revel in the fierce appreciation of the audience, he retook his seat behind his keys and reminded us that 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of Strange Animal. He then went on to sarcastically stress how "just for Ottawa" they were going to perform the album in its entirety. That's another thing about the Gowan live experience; he's always cracking up the audience with his unrivaled charm and quick humor.

Three months ago, I saw Styx play their own breakthrough album The Grand Illusion from front to back in Las Vegas as part of their residency and have been wondering ever since if Gowan would ever consider doing that with one of his albums. This was a question I was considering asking him at some point, but when word got around to me a little early about the Strange Animal playthrough, I was overjoyed that I had gotten my answer. No wonder some trademark Gowan songs were so early on in the set this time!

It was increasingly obvious that Gowan was the most excited person to get to this dynamite second act, especially when he jumped the gun and started playing the piano intro to “Cosmetics” a little too early Monday night. What can I say— the man is madly in love with performing. It was such an unbelievable thrill to hear classic Gowan setlist staples such as the dance-worthy “Desperate” and the diva anthem “Cosmetics” played live again. Apart from the usual Strange Animalsongs that appear in his shows, my friends and I each had our own relatively obscure tracks from the record that we were anxiously awaiting.

For me, it was "Keep the Tension On", which delivers a similar message to that of "Keep Up the Fight", but with a much smoother tempo (and a surprise harmonica solo). As I'd always envisioned this song being performed under dark, striking neon lights, seeing that the production team had somehow perfectly matched my vision was nothing short of a fantasy come true. In addition to my selection of the bunch, one of us was eager to witness "City of the Angels" in person. Even days afterwards, we are still all in agreement when we say it was more breathtaking than we had been dreaming of, especially with Gowan masterfully executing a piano solo of the chorus's melody when the song reached its closure. The last member of my group decided that “Walking on Air” was what they were most excited to hear. During this tune, the three of us were shown that no matter how calm the piece of music may be, Gowan will always find a way to make it an in-your-face serenade one way or another. How exhilarating it is to be so close to the action that, at times, you feel like you’re the only audience member!

Those familiar with the Strange Animal record already know of the anticipation that builds up with each track on the B-side. “Keep the Tension On” sets the tone with its dark and serious pulse, and “Guerilla Soldier” tricks you into thinking the tension is at its peak via its playful pessimism. As a first-time listener, one might think that a third song in the same stoic vein would follow, but we— the faithful crowd— knew this was where the fun interjected.

Gowan’s performance of “(You’re A) Strange Animal” was, by far, the most fun the crowd had both nights at the Bronson Centre. If there were still people sitting down by this point in the show, this was when they finally stood up and joined everyone else in dancing. This track has such a thought-provoking lyric that seemingly everyone can relate to it in some manner. However, even if you can’t, you can always just associate it with the man onstage singing it to you, as he truly is the strangest animal of all. Gowan is always prepared to share his passion for live music through whatever instrument he so chooses and demonstrated this yet again by returning to his electric guitar for the outro of possibly his most iconic and successful song.

After such an enthusiastic and eager atmosphere was created, the lights of the Bronson Centre darkened. Gowan dawned his black, ribbed, shoulder-padded vest, and seated himself behind his keys in an excited silence. When the lights slowly came up, he began to play once more. I say that "(You're A) Strange Animal" is "possibly" his most iconic song because only the album's grand finale, "A Criminal Mind", can rival its success. The haunting, powerful piano ballad not only pulls in your focus on Gowan's songwriting abilities but might even make you fear them. What starts out as a simple melody gradually builds up into a striking and shameless crescendo that may cause a fleeting moment of sympathy for the criminal who tells his story.

By the end of the Strange Animal album in its entirety, there wasn't enough room in the venue for all the praise being showered onto Gowan and company. Though an encore was inevitable, that didn't stop anyone from exerting as much cheer as they could. This communal call eventually led the band back onto the stage to perform "Moonlight Desires", the ethereal serenade from Gowan's 1987 album Great Dirty World. I found it rather bittersweet that they chose to both begin and end these shows with songs from this record, as it's the Gowan release next in line to celebrate its 40th anniversary. While "Moonlight Desires" is the lead single off the album, Gowan tends to save this song for the encore in his setlists; truly saving the most romantical of pieces for last.

Have you forgotten about Styx yet? If I'm being perfectly honest, no one in the crowd did, either. One unique perk about seeing Gowan on this particular tour is that he basically stole half of Styx's lineup (including himself) for his own use. However, Styx did also recently steal his younger brother Terence Gowan to have as their new bassist, so it seemed like a fair trade for him to take back Terry and include drummer Todd Sucherman along for this ride. Gowan and Styx tend to go hand-in-hand these days, and as the days go on, the more I'm convinced it was a match made in heaven.

Before my first Gowan show in 2023 came to an end, I was well aware in the middle of his set that I was currently having the most fun I'd ever had at a concert. Being able to watch two of my closest friends witness that same overwhelming emotion was priceless, to say the least.

Be warned: it is very easy to get hooked on Gowan's music. Regardless of the era, he creates something so audially refreshing that strikes a chord with one's deepest emotions— regardless of whether it's joy, yearning, vanity, or despair. It would be so easy for me to say, "if you like Styx, you'll like Gowan." This is something I simply cannot and will not do, because Gowan's solo creations of the 1980's and 1990's are worth so much more than just the simple comparisons one can draw. Being able to witness him live is so overwhelmingly positive of an experience that putting it into words took me a solid week. Is it just me, or does he have his ways of making every person in the audience feel like they’re the only one he’s playing to? Call it magic, you’re sure to walk out of a Gowan show feeling like you’re more special than you previously knew of.

If I've somehow succeeded in my efforts to pique your American interest, and if you're now feeling a little bit sad that you can't witness this fine maestro without Styx, fear not. Gowan will be performing a solo show this October as part of the Rockin' In Paradise With Styx event in Miramar beach, Florida. Be nice to him, everyone! Maybe, just maybe, if we show him enough love from the States, he’ll finally play some more solo shows down here. Who knows?

If that seems too far to go for some fine showmanship, just remember sometimes you need to make a pilgrimage for what you love. As someone who has made the trip up north twice in order to get a close encounter of the Gowan kind, I greatly encourage anyone to do the same for whatever strange animal they wish to follow.

O ominous spiritus!