Lawrence Gowan has been Styx’s keyboardist and lead vocalist since 1999, which puts him on the road for a significant portion of every year with one of classic rock’s more relentless touring operations. What the 40th Anniversary Tour of Strange Animal represents is a deliberate step sideways: back to the solo record that made his name before Styx entered the picture, played start to finish in a Canadian theater circuit that has no American equivalent.
About the Show
The evening is built around a complete performance of Strange Animal, the 1985 album that established Gowan as a commercial force in Canada. Produced by David Tickle and recorded at the historic Tittenhurst Park studio in England, the record peaked at No. 5 on the Canadian charts and generated the radio staples that still define his solo catalog: “(You’re A) Strange Animal,” “A Criminal Mind,” “Cosmetics,” and “Guerilla Soldier.” The sessions drew on Peter Gabriel’s touring ensemble, with bassist Tony Levin among those featured. “A Criminal Mind” earned the Juno Award for Best Video in 1985, and four of Gowan’s songs hold SOCAN Classic Award status — each having cleared 100,000 Canadian radio plays.
Born in Glasgow and raised in Ontario, Gowan earned his ARCT in classical piano from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto at age 19, a credential that shapes the compositional range of Strange Animal even when the record is operating as straightforward pop-rock. His 1982 debut earned a Juno nomination for Most Promising Male Vocalist. Great Dirty World (1987) reached No. 2 in Canada and featured Jon Anderson of Yes on “Moonlight Desires.” In 1998, he performed an original composition with the BBC Orchestra at Princess Diana’s Memorial in England. A recent review of the same tour described his stage presence as energetic and joyful, a performer who brings genuine commitment to the solo show even after more than 3,500 nights with Styx.
Outside of Styx, Gowan does not tour in the United States. His Canadian theater engagements are the only context in which this catalog gets a full live hearing, and the Strange Animal anniversary run is a rare occasion to hear the whole record in sequence.
Venue & Logistics
Kingston Grand Theatre’s Rosen Auditorium holds 776 seats — appropriately scaled for catalog material that always lived closer to the theater circuit than the arena floor. The show is Thursday, April 29, at 7:30 p.m., presented by Grand OnStage. Kingston sits at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, accessible to north-country audiences on both sides of the border.
Tickets
Tickets are $54.50 to $64.50, plus HST and fees. Buy tickets