Photos and a review of Gowan in Ottawa
[Zachary Resnick and Melody Maloney were there for us. – AC]
The chilly night air was all but forgotten as Gowan heated things up at Ottawa’s Bronson Music Theatre on Friday, February 6th. An eager crowd filled the venue for the first of two nights headlined by the poppy prog rock legend.
The show was opened by half of Ottawa’s own Main Street Revival, who kept us entertained with an intimate, slower set, reminiscent of old MTV Unplugged performances. Opening with ‘Release Me’ and ‘Long Road,’ the latter of which boasted some particularly wistful lyrics, the vibe was low-key, making the room feel cozier than normal.
A spotlight lit the trio for ‘Hiding,’ a “song about hibernation” – apropos for the season, featuring floaty, dreamy keys.
‘Shot in the Dark’ had great vocal harmonies, and ‘The Company Dime,’ off their most recent album, had a bit more bite, lighting the band in cool blue during the chorus.
Main Street Revival finished up their set with ‘That Part of My Life,’ hyped us up for Gowan, and left us all feeling grateful for live music.
It didn’t take long for the main event to arrive. Emerging to Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s ‘Relax,’ amidst pulsing lights, Lawrence Henry Gowan and co. hit the stage to a huge pop. The titular frontman, adorned in a leather jacket and kilt perched explosively atop his keyboard, which was of course mounted on its signature centre-stage spinning podium.
Starting off strong with a fiery rendition of ‘Awake the Giant’ to hype the crowd even further, he followed up with ‘One Brief Shining Moment,’ whose synth-y keys and dreamlike vocals allowed our blood pressures to stabilize ever so slightly.
After a brief pause to greet the audience and grab his guitar, we were treated to the good time beats of ‘Dancing on My Own Ground,’ a song I’m ashamed to admit I forgot how much I loved.
Calling over his guitarist and bassist, we got an early Valentine’s gift with an acapella start to ‘When There’s Time (For Love),’ which flowed into ‘All the Lovers in the World,’ both seeing the band glowing under soft pink lights.
Gowan cranked the energy way back up with 1982’s ‘Keep Up the Fight,’ and can I just mention how insane it is the way he runs all over the stage, belting out his lyrics at 69 years of age?!?
Finishing out this block of the show was an intimate, keys-only rendition of Styx’s ‘Khedive,’ and Gowan’s own sombre ‘Dedication.’
The rest of the band returned and Gowan reminded us that 2025 was the 40th anniversary of his seminal album “Strange Animal.” As such, we were treated to a live performance of the record, front to back – which I have to tell you, was a dream come true for me – as they launched into ‘Cosmetics.’
Blue and white lights flashed in turn for ‘Desperate,’ while ‘City of the Angels’ opened with weighty keys and drums. There was barely a moment to catch your breath before the high-energy of ‘Walking on Air.’
It was during ‘Keep the Tension On’ that my mind and ears really honed in on Gowan’s unique timbre. There’s really no other voice out there quite like his. It makes sense why his music has stood the test of time, why Styx was so eager to snap him up as their lead when Dennis DeYoung could no longer perform the role, why new fans are discovering his songs even now, forty years later.
The militaristic drums of ‘Guerilla Soldier’ (provided by the great Sekou Lumumba, of Big Wreck) snapped me back into my current reality, and Gowan descended into the crowd to sing from amongst his fans during the bridge.
Then, we got what we were all waiting for. The one-two punch of super hits. The audience erupted as ‘Strange Animal’ began. The room was electric. People were on their feet singing and dancing along. Gowan shed his jacket, and the crowd ate it up as smoke billowed from the risers.
Donning a vest for the album’s final track, the lights went low. The opening notes of ‘A Criminal Mind’ earned another huge pop, and Gowan’s voice gave us all chills as he put his all into this number.
I couldn’t have asked for a better show during this dreary February. I left the Bronson Centre, heart warmed, full of good memories, both old and new, all thanks to the songs of one incredible Canadian Scotsman.
