Styx and ‘renegade’ friends rock the jukebox

On a recent morning after a performance in Nashville, Styx keyboard-vocalist Lawrence Gowan was in an upbeat mood. The affable musician called to talk about the “Renegades and Juke Box Heroes Tour” hitting Alpharetta’s Ameris Bank Amphitheater on Wednesday night. Opening acts Foreigner and John Waite complete the hit-heavy lineup.

“We’re just having a phenomenal run,” Gowan said. “The response has literally been overwhelming.”

He noted that his band hadn’t played with fellow classic rockers Foreigner since 2014. “Now they’re sounding better than ever. I think the whole package just makes total sense.”

Credit: Photo by Jason Powell

Gowan said the show is “four solid hours of classic rock ‘n’ roll. The way we’ve planned it, you’ll know every single note and every word of every song. People are singing along through the whole thing, and they seem to rarely if ever sit down. It’s quite astounding to see from the stage. The songs we’re playing have been around for the better part of three, four or even five decades now.”

Gowan, 67, added that often the material is older than a large portion of the audience. “When you’re playing, you can see that maybe 50% of the audience is under 40, so they weren’t even born when some of these records were first released. Yet the songs have become concurrent with their own musical experiences.”

Since the music is so indelibly etched into listeners’ consciousness, he explained that Styx strictly adheres to familiar arrangements, leaving little room for artistic improvisation within the catalog. “I hate to use the word, but it really is kind of our ‘responsibility’ to deliver these songs as authentically as possible for the fans. That way, we can make sure they still deliver the same kind of emotional connection they felt when they originally heard them.

“We’ve curtailed this set to what we know is going to work well within the overall evening of music,” he continued. “For example, we’ve added ‘Best of Times’ this year. It’s the first time we’ve done a full-blown production of it, and it’s going over amazingly well. It corresponds with the whole idea of the tour.”

But the overall song selection, Gowan is quick to add, is not his job. “I excused myself from that daily discussion many years ago. It’s like [Styx co-founder] James Young says, ‘We have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to great songs.’ I’m glad I don’t have to pick them, but I certainly do my best to play them right.”

Formed in Chicago in 1972, Styx became a prominent part of both commercial Top 40 and adventurous FM radio playlists as the decade unfolded. Best known for its hybrid prog-pop meld of hard rock guitars, catchy melodies and quirky keyboard soundscapes, the band enjoyed a string of hit singles and concept albums throughout the ‘70s and into the ‘80s.

“Lady,” “Babe,” “Mr. Roboto” and “Too Much Time on My Hands” are just a few of the group’s popular songs. Styx is now comprised of founders Tommy Shaw (guitars, mandolin, banjo, vocals), James Young (guitar, vocals), Chuck Panozzo and Terry Gowan (bass) with Todd Sucherman (drums, percussion), Will Evankovich (guitar, keyboards) and Lawrence Gowan (piano, B3 organ, synthesizers, Mellotron and lead vocals).

Foreigner, now on the second leg of its lengthy Farewell Tour run, has been revisiting its own impressive catalog of rock radio staples, including “Feels Like the First Time” and “Double Vision.” Opener Waite, formerly of the Babys and Bad English, is best-known for his massive radio/video hit “Missing You.”

Collectors will note that a special limited edition tour sampler album of Styx and Foreigner’s greatest hits will be available for purchase at merch tables during the show. The vinyl collection features newly recorded versions of their most familiar tunes. The current versions of the groups worked the sessions into their busy road schedules.

“It’s a nice little tour souvenir,” Gowan said. “The musicians you’ll see onstage are the ones on the record.”

Gowan calls staying productive “just a natural thing for us. When I joined Styx a quarter century ago, I think the original goal was to play 100 shows a year for five years. Now we’ve multiplied that goal many times over, with no slowing down in sight. We stay in motion most of the time.”

The band has a new album almost ready to record, he added, after the current tour ends this fall.

It’s a job Gowan is proud to continue. “I’ve had a solo career, but I really think being in Styx is the most rewarding in so many ways. There’ve only been 11 people in this band, and now I’m part of the culmination of all these years of playing and recording. The 2024 Styx lineup is the result of everyone’s continued hard work. We are carrying on the legacy of the band.”

He added the Styx musical brotherhood is a bond of mutual trust. “We really do hold each other up. There’s a definite feeling of inspiration up there every night — because I’m probably just as entertained by those guys as the audience is. I look across the stage at them, and I see there’s a lot of entertainment going on. I saw it last night — despite the summer heat.”

With temperatures surging well into the upper 90s this week, Gowan said sweating is merely part of the job. “I know it’ll be hot when we get to Georgia,” he laughed. But he said there’s a definite upside to the region’s swelter and humidity.

“It’s funny, I can actually deal with it because it’s quite good for your voice! So it’s always a trade-off. Yeah, it’s hot — but you learn to live with it and navigate. When we’re playing in this crazy weather, we’re drenched. Then you look out at the crowd — they’re drenched, too. The thing you have to realize is, we’re all getting through it just fine. So it’s like, ‘Come on, man up — let’s rock.’”

CONCERT PREVIEW

Renegades & Juke Box Heroes Tour, featuring Styx, Foreigner and John Waite

6:45 p.m. Wednesday, July 17. Ameris Bank Amphitheatre. 2200 Encore Parkway, Alpharetta. (404) 733-5010. www.livenation.com .

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