Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Nineteen thirty two.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
That work.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Coming to you from the City of Brotherly Love. It's
the scene with Doreene going behind the scenes with the
biggest stars and getting to know the person behind the personality.
I'm Shadow Stevens and no, here's your host, Billboard charting
(00:31):
recording artist and reigning queen on the scene, Doreene Taylor.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yeah, oh my god, I still can't get over that
new intro. Thank you to Shadow Stevens. The Voice of
Americans have forty for our doing our incredible intro. That
is amazing. Oh my god. Oh how it's a hot
one out there today and I'm in the studio trying
to cool off. But it's still hot in here because
I'm sitting next to my incredible sidekick producer with the
(01:00):
most madminarch. I'm sweating.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
You're wow, Well, it ain't me.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
That's sure. It's outside, be on or something.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
It's hot in here. I am sweating a little bit.
I think everything. Now, you know, Triple digits in Philadelphia,
that's pretty crazy.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
AC could only do so much, It's true.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
And it works overtime, and yeah, you're right, it can
only cool down so much. But yeah, this is like
I think twelve thirteen years, it hasn't been this hot.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
Yeah, it's ridiculous too much. It's just that the heat
index makes it even worse. It's like one oh seven,
one o six at this point.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Anything. It's like, oh, they say, well, it's a dry
heat versus a humid heat. I'm like, it's just heat.
I just don't like it. I'm not a hot person
weather person. I don't really like it. I only cold either,
so I'm kind of screwed. I hate hot.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
I would I would choose dry heat over humidity though, sause.
I mean, the last thing you want to do. The
worst is when you get out of the shower and
you're sweating already.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
You need another shower.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Yeah, it's like you can't dry off no matter what.
I got a grand blowing, it doesn't matter.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
So you walk outside and all of a sudden, your
like she fits in. You're just like dripping. You're like,
this is not this is gross. Girls shouldn't sweat. It's
just gross. It's just and then my hair with the humidity,
and I said, I do like the dry better because
you know it wants to you know, I look like
an afro coming out. It looks crazy.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Yeah, and then when you're hot, then you don't want
to be near people. So day like this, which is actually,
if you didn't know, it's National Handshake Day, this is
a day where you probably don't want to touch people
because you're so sweaty. If you don't like touching people
to begin with, today, you definitely don't want to touch people.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
I don't like touching people in any capacity to shape form.
I'm not a germophobe. I'm really well a little, but
I'm not that much. It's just I just don't like
touching people. I don't like people violating my space.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Yeah, I understand.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
I'm kind of a loner. I'm a rebel. I don't
want people around. I know I'm gonna like, you know,
I will shake people's hands, but yeah, have you ever
gotten that clammy wet ikey handshake or you just and
you don't want to embarrass them by wiping it off
on your pants, like after they shake your hands, So
you're like and you're holding your hand out like there
and you look like, if you know, like a robot
or a mannequin with your hand out because you don't
(03:04):
know what to do with it. It's a wet yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
Or or when they don't, they don't fully grip your hand.
If they grip like your your fingers, it's like, whoa dude.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
The little like the limp handshakes.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Yeah, if you're gonna offer the handshake, then give a handshake,
don't just grab my fingers.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
I've also had the opposite where somebody grabs your hand
and it's like they break the bones in your hand.
They're like, squeeze them. What are you trying to prove, man,
that you could squeeze my little girly hand. I'm go.
They don't, they don't let go, they don't. Like That's
another one. How long do you hold a handshake for.
Speaker 5 (03:35):
Hi?
Speaker 4 (03:35):
How you doing there? You go?
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Really? Because there are some people that'll sit there and
they'll shake, and there's like the pump rule, like how
many pumps do you pump with the handshake? I think
like three is the max, and then you're out. You
gotta get out because it's like by then it's getting creepy.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
Yeah you know the saying. I mean, if you shake
it three times, that's something different, a totally diff So
I just go for the go for the fist bump.
You don't have to worry about length. It's it's always
the same length. Just hey, how you doing?
Speaker 2 (03:59):
I like that?
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Go for the fist.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
You ever get the handshake where they do the two
handshake thing where they cup your hand underneath, so now
they've got two hands on it.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
Make sure you don't leave or something.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
They're like pulling you back and I'm like, this is
just beyond my It's like it's like tethered to this person.
All of a sudden, I'm too attached to this and
I'm like, no, I gotta go now.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
Or the handshake where you don't want to go in
because you do the handshake in the hug sometimes yeah,
and you're not sure what you're doing. So is this
person pulling you in closer? What do I do?
Speaker 6 (04:25):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (04:26):
It's like a dance of choreograph. Yeah, and then you're all.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
It's supposed to be is a greeting just how well?
Speaker 2 (04:31):
You know what? I like to say, Hey, Hi, that's good,
I'm good. Don't touch me. I'm good. I could smile.
You get the gist that I'm not a miserable mess.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
But you know, go for the fist bump there you go.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
But it's true because you know what when it's hot.
You do not want to be touching people. It's just gross.
And you know there's that like you know four inch rule,
or you just can't get in the proximity of four
inches of somebody you start to feel their heat.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
And there's sometimes there's people that have questionable hygiene to beginners.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
And then when I'm not one of them, shower I did.
I'd let you know of the studio you wouldn't be
working on the show this long, it's been two years.
It would have been like getting your transfer papers very early.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
And I ask one of my other colleagues of like, hey,
don't you like it?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Who don't you like? Oh, oh it's a great show.
You want to do it?
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Yeah? Yeah, cover your face.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah. So yes, it's that time of year. That's our
PSA for the day. I think, you know what, if
you don't know what to do, don't do it at all,
fist bump or just you know, kind of give it
high and that way. No, it's perfect. Yep, I think
that's good. I'm going to start a coalition, you know,
a group that just says, you know what, enough with this,
you know, speaking.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Of coalition another day today. And this was founded in
twenty nineteen by the Coconut Coalition of the Americas, which
is a real thing appurrently National Coconut Day. I love coconuts, coconut.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
I know a lot of people don't like coconut. I
actually don't. I'm not. I know you love it, cocon
flavor anything really, So you would have like coconut flavored pizza?
Speaker 4 (06:02):
No, I mean, come on.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
You said anything. I'm literal anything.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
That, I mean nobody nobody eats that.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
I mean, you don't know. You could pete pineapple on pizza.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
Maybe disgusting.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Maybe coconut pizza. You never know.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Maybe I try it, but I don't think i'd like it.
I don't like coconut flavored things, like just the other day,
like you ever hear there's some sodas where you could
make it dirty.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I make everything dirty, but you know that goes beyond
the point. But yes, I think I know where you're going.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
You put like a creamer, I think, like a sweet
cream and.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Make a shot of something it's like a liquid.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Yeah, it was actually a sonic and I had like
a diet doctor pepper and it said make it dirty,
and it had coconut and like sweet cream in it,
and I tried it for the first time and I'm like, damn,
this is pretty good.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Little just coffee cream soda dirty was really good. I'll
make my coffee dirty that way then too, because I
do a little coconut creamer not bad coconut water. I
like coconut water and Malibu rome. I mean, you know,
you got to get into that world too. For all
my like over twenty one people I'm speaking.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
That's one of the first college I think alcohols I've
snuck from my parents' liquor cabinet when I was.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
I think I think everything that and that was like
a college thing that wasn't. Sex on the beach had coke,
meilbou ramen and baberries, Mailbow baberries.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
That's a melbow babery and it is anything that's cheap.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Yeah, it was, and it was. It was always gross,
but you drank it.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
And like Mad Dog twenty twenty, that was gross, but
everybody drank it. It was like two dollars a bottle.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
That's it for college kids. We're eating ramen noodles and
we're drinking you know. Sex on the old English forties.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Yeah, I like those though.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
And in this weather. It's like, you know, you want
to have a little bit of those fruit you drinks
the beer. You know, it's that's that weather.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
Yeah, whatever's refreshing.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Yeah, so coconuts refreshing. No handshakes is much more refreshing
for me. And I think you know what else is refreshing.
We have an incredible guest today.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
Yeah, nobody wants to hear us talk about this talk.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
I'm gonna say it is hot. It's going to get
hotter because we have an incredible one of a long
term member of Sticks, which is a great, great band
for many, many years and trances many decades. So I
think we got a lot and got a new album out,
so let's just talk.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
Yeah, let's just get to it.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
A few music groups have had the resilience of the
band Sticks. For over five decades, they've been putting out
successful chart hits, joyous singalongs, and hard diving deep cuts.
Their signature sound led them to become the first band
in history to score four triple platinum albums in a row,
and for over two decades, they have averaged over one
(08:26):
hundred shows a year, proving that good music will never die.
Take a listen.
Speaker 7 (08:33):
Miss Robot, Got Root, Babe, Bye, Love.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Away, Oh Yes. Since nineteen ninety nine, Laurence Gowen or
(09:53):
sometimes known as Just Gowan, has been an integral part
of Styx, replacing Dennis DeYoung on lead vocals and keyboards
and continuing the long legacy and tradition of the band.
Stix just released their newest studio album, Circling from Above,
with its poignant lead off single Build and Destroy, and
they're on the road this summer across the country for
(10:13):
the Brotherhood of Rock Tour. So come sail away with
me today on the scene with doren As. I welcome
the wonderful Lawrence going to the show. Hi, Lawrence, Welcome
to the scene, Doreen.
Speaker 6 (10:24):
It's lovely to be on the scene with you.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
I love having you. And it's interesting because I played
the montage, but it's the first time in history that
I've had someone on the show that You're not in
any of those the original recordings. You had to sit
through all that.
Speaker 6 (10:40):
No I came into the band. I've been with Sticks
now twenty six years, and no I came into the
upper level corner office. I didn't have to do all
the building and that went into putting the band together.
I see ourselves today, Doren as the culmination the efforts
(11:00):
of everyone that's ever been in Styx. I mean, I've
been part of four studio well five studio albums and
a few live DVDs that we've put out over the
years and thousands of shows. But yes, all of the
main cornerstonese so to speak, were in place before I
(11:21):
came into the picture.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Well, you were doing a lot before you came into
the picture because you had your own amazing career. But
let's go back. Let's go back. You were born in Scotland.
Your family moved to Canada while you were very young,
and both your parents were really supportive of your music.
Your dad gave you your first acoustic guitar when you
were eight, and your mom encouraged piano lessons when you
were only ten.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
That's correct, all correct. Yes, my dad was from Ireland
and my mom was from Scotland and they met in Scotland.
I was born there, but they immigrated as a lot
of families did it in the late nineteen fifties, and
I grew up in Toronto. So that's been my home,
still is my home, And yeah, it was a great
musical environment to be in, especially growing up in the
(12:05):
sixties and early seventies. You know, there was such a
great cross current of British and American influences in rock.
They eventually kind of, you know, occupied my life to
such a degree that I just knew I had to
do this.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
I don't hear much of a Canadian accent, though I
grew up near Buffalo, New York, and we even have
a little bit of the boot you know about. I
don't hear it in you very much.
Speaker 6 (12:27):
No, it's probably been watered down over the years, but
holy jeez, I can break into it anytime as you
want me to, Buddy.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
It's true when you go home, all of a sudden,
you can work so hard on getting it like neutral,
and then as soon as you talk to a friend
or someone on the phone from back home, all of
a sudden, bang, you're right back into it.
Speaker 6 (12:44):
It's absolutely true. I have a good friend of mine
from Newfoundland that worked with us for years. I heard
very little of a Newfoundland accident, but the last year
we were playing in Saint John's and wow, it was
like I was meeting a new person because he was
all by Jesus bikes great to see you again.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
See that sounds normal to me. I don't know what
you're doing, because that sounds absolutely like everyone I grew
up with carry Buffalonian, very Buffalonian. We have the we
have buffalo wings, well wings to just us. We don't
say buffalo wings because it's kind of redundant. And we
have the that flat a buffalo accent thing.
Speaker 6 (13:19):
Yes you do.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Yes, there, you got.
Speaker 6 (13:23):
To know paps family food Mark. Well, I used to
watch Commander Tom when I was growing up.
Speaker 8 (13:27):
That was.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Absolutely I had dinner with him as a young girl.
My brother won a contest and it was for Channel seven.
I believe WK I forge who it was, but wk
W yes, and they ran a special sat Tom Joles
for those listening anywhere else and it was at restaurant
Orchard Park. Can't remember, but I was so young and
my brother was older and he won some contest through
(13:52):
the Channel seven and we all had dinner with him
on Father's Day.
Speaker 6 (13:55):
Well, I'm going that's fantastic. That's a lovely story. I
think we can tie together with sticks because Promo the
Robot was one of my favorite hell as when I
was growing up. Yes, so we have that in common.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
We don't worry.
Speaker 6 (14:11):
Got on the Commander Tom Show.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
I love it. And you know, we also have something
else in common. We're both trained classically. So you studied
music formally at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto,
and you were quite disciplined. I know that you would
spend a minimum of six hours a day practicing on piano,
as well as focusing on lovely classes, which, by the way,
despised in my own personal opinion counterpoint, I despise that class,
(14:38):
but you were focused on that and six hours a
day that's insane.
Speaker 6 (14:43):
Well a minimum of that. I mean. The only job
I ever held, we'll call it, that was a part
time I worked at a piano store in Toronto. It's
just part time, but mainly because the owner of the
store there, he actually trusted me enough to give me
the keys. So I would sometimes practic just through the
night in the story because they had all these pianos
(15:03):
and the grand piano and you know, getting ready for
my arct which is a classical piano performance, and so
I would sometimes go right through the night practicing. So
so six hours would be a minimum at that point,
because you know, I wasn't what you'd call a quick study.
I needed to really really work at it, and I did.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Oh, yes you did. And you have those letters after
your name now it's like CPA or MD. You have
that after your name. Now you can actually use that.
Speaker 9 (15:31):
Yes, yes, Well how often do you apply what you
learned in classical music when you crossed over to rock,
which is a much more simplistic version, but it still
has principles behind it.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Did you throw it all out the window once you
crossed over? Do you still like, you know, yeah, not
at all?
Speaker 6 (15:48):
Doing it was really honestly, I was really studying classical
music only because I wanted to kind of broaden my
musical vocabulary, so to speak. Because I knew I wanted
to be a songwriter. I knew, I always knew it
was going to be a rock musician. That's what I
grew up on. But if you think about the history
of rock, I started to hear a classical influence really
(16:08):
beginning to permeate into rock music. I think the first
time I really really took notice of it was on
the song eleanor Rigby, you know, when I heard the
string courtet in there, and the whole kind of classical
Baroque almost influence that was in there, and then the
Rolling Stones did She's a Rainbow, where I discovered Nicky
Hopkins piano playing, you know, and how classically informed that was.
(16:33):
And in the early seventies, you know, like nineteen seventy
seventy one, seventy two there, that's when I discovered people
like Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson and Tony Banks and
then John and then Freddie Merricury and all these great
piano players that I could tell were very, very heavily
influenced by classical music. And I remember reading that Elton
(16:53):
John and Rick Wakeman had both gone to the Royal
Academy in London, England, and so the Royal Conservatory in
Toronto was the Adian equivalent. If it has Royal in
front of it means that the Queen gave it a
stamp of approval. Yeah, and so that's really why I
was doing that. And but you know, I mean rock,
You're right, it may seem more simplistic because it is
(17:13):
an ensemble played music. You've got four or five players,
three four or five players playing together sometimes or and
so the parts are far as simpler than it would
be in a classical endeavor, especially if you were a
piano soloist. But there's still a lot of there are
intricacies in that as well. Yeah, which learning to play
with others.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
It's deceptively simple. I've always said that about rock music,
because there's some things like in Queen's Reich, you know,
where they'll point out something and I'm like, oh, that's
fresh out of like you know, an eighty eight piece orchestra.
That is something you would hear on a sound stage somewhere,
and yet you know, they put it in popular music
and it's kind of nice to hear. I've always been
a fan of flip flopping between the genres like that.
Speaker 6 (17:56):
Yeah, myself as well, I really like that. I think
I think, you know, our association or our upbringing with
rock music was that it was very transient. It would
would be something that would come and go very quickly,
and we were happily from from my in my interest anyway,
we were wrong because it hastood the test of time.
(18:18):
I mean, we're talking about some music right now that's
nearly seventy years old and it still stood up and
still kind of affects people. And I see that on
a daily basis.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
It's true now I've had several incredibly talented musicians on
the show who were trained classically or they've loved that style,
like we had Kip Winger, we had Steve Vi and
even a close colleague of yours, John Anderson of Yes,
who I know you've worked with in your your former
going days. You know, they all went on and created
really incredible orchestral and even operatic works. Like John any
(18:50):
desire to go that route and kind of just you know,
to say, I'm going to go out there and I'm
going to do like a whole orchestral score, and I'm
going to do it with the San Francisco Symphony or whoever.
Speaker 6 (19:00):
I've performed with orchestra as both solo as Gowan and
also with sticks. But to go deep into that, I mean,
I wouldn't rule it out. But quite honestly, during I
really don't think much ahead more than the next six months.
I'm having too much fun doing what I'm doing. Good Now,
I can imagine all kinds of big projects in the future,
you know, but until I arrive at that moment, I
(19:24):
wouldn't really put too much faith in it.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
I arrive at that moment, well, I say, live in
the moment. That's what the thing I think most people
today don't do. With cell phones and social media and
all this stuff, We're not actually enjoying the moment. We're
kind of always doing everything else. And I like that
answer that you're just you're having a good time now
and enjoying it and not caring about it.
Speaker 6 (19:44):
I can be just as guilty as anyone of that. However,
one of the great things about playing live concerts is
that obviously we don't have any cell phones on stage.
There's plenty in the audience, but we it is it's
a couple of hours every day when we truly get
to engage in the real world world and connect with
people on the humanistic or whatever way you want to
describe it, a human to human level, right, and just
(20:07):
have this joyous couple of hours of music that we
really really are just getting off on. And that's I
think that's become more and more value as as compared
to the world as you just described it, where we're
very fractioned in our attention spans.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
I got a chuckle when I was researching you. I
saw you once called sticks the penicillin of rock me Yes,
I thought I saw that did you say that. I
thought that was a story about you where they seem
to kind of ferment like a fine wine, and that
they ferment over time, and they were called the penicillin
of rock. If you didn't say it, I say, you
take it, because it's sort of like that.
Speaker 6 (20:44):
I will take that accolade. I might have said it.
I mean, penicillin was discovered in Toronto.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
There you go. Maybe you did that too, and you
just don't remember.
Speaker 6 (20:56):
I have indulgence of it over the years.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
Yes, I've attitude, Yes, thank God for penicillin once in
a while exactly.
Speaker 6 (21:04):
So I wouldn't disagree with that, though whoever said it,
and it sounds a little too clever for me.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
I say take credit where it is. You know what,
Let's do it. Let's say you did.
Speaker 6 (21:15):
It the accolades. Yeah, no, it's true though I do
see from the stage every night, I do see there's
something about embracing music, especially in a live situation like that,
that is that can be quite healing. Honestly for whatever
ails you.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Yeah, it's true.
Speaker 6 (21:36):
We are definitely, we are definitely that to some degree.
You know. I'm glad you didn't say the valium.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Well, vallium can be fun too on different levels, or
or beneficial on different levels. But I wouldn't say for
rock music. You're right, vallium wouldn't be the kind of description.
Speaker 6 (21:54):
I've never tried it, but I understand it. It's a
little more native than a stiction.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Yeah, a little bit of sleepy that would go more
to the classical, probably.
Speaker 6 (22:05):
Far more lively than that, like a shot a penicillin.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
There you go, good old penicillin. You have mentioned about
your live shows, and it's fascinating to see that almost
fifty percent of your audience they're not the baby boom
boomers who grew up with you. You're getting like these
younger generations who maybe they heard mister Roboto as their
first you know, sticks tune, or maybe even the crash
of the Crown album in twenty twenty one. They're coming
to see you now, and it's this whole new world
(22:30):
coming to you.
Speaker 6 (22:32):
I'm so glad you bring that up, because I often
have to kind of slide that into an interview. But
that's true. Half the audience on any given night, half
the audience can be under i'll say arbitrary age of forty,
because if you're forty, you weren't born when the biggest
records of the classical rock classical classic rock era came out.
So I've discovered this music. It's somehow it vibrates with
(22:55):
your life and you relate to it as if it's
concurrent with your life. I'll give you one of my
favorite stories is as a young as a young guy
that used to come and see us, who was only
I think when I met him, he was only ten
or eleven years old, and this would be in the
early two thousands, and he wanted to play keyboards and
he loved sticks and was it really into classic rock?
Speaker 10 (23:15):
And his dad wound up building him a spinning keyboard
stand like I have.
Speaker 6 (23:21):
Yeah, thats uh. And so I met him because he
wanted to be a keyboard player. I happened to meet him,
and we struck up a good friendship and that he
wanted to be a keyboard player, and I could I
saw some videos of him. I could see he had talent,
et cetera. And not that I, you know, it did
anything to kind of bring him along, but he as
(23:41):
the years went by, I saw just how much this
music meant to him, even though he was such a
young guy. He wasn't around. Well, there are thousands and
thousands of young guys like that right now, and and
and girls who have who have discovered classic rock music.
The reason I bring him up is because eventually now
he's one of the keyboard and.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
Toto, Oh there you go.
Speaker 6 (24:02):
I mean, you know, and he says it would only
be maybe twenty nine thirty at this point. That may
be a younger. I don't know, but that's what I
mean is that this music really has crossed generations. And
we see that, and I mean talk about an energy boost.
That's that's way beyond penicila.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
And it's more like, hell, we don't want to get
into those class of drugs that No, no, I'm jumping,
I'm joking.
Speaker 6 (24:27):
I'm being careful as hell. I'm gonna say, a high
energy drink.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
There you go, red Bull. I like that, just the
red Bull, red Bull of rock music.
Speaker 6 (24:35):
You know what it is like A like a good
triple espresso.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
There you are, there you go, a double shot. I
love it.
Speaker 6 (24:41):
Now, a drug we can all agree on.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Yes, it's good. We all partake of that once in
a while.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
I do.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Anyway, what do you think of sticks that multi generational
resilience that the other bands of the era or even
modern bands aren't able to capture. What is it about Sticks?
Speaker 6 (24:57):
I'd say, really, on one level, that's very difficult to answer.
But on another, if I were to really say, well,
what are the ingredients? I think a great melody, once
it gets into someone's head, it never leaves, even if
they've forgotten it. It's the moment they hear it again
and we see this. And even in you know, there
are therapeutic places now where people that have long lost
(25:20):
their mental capacity will take an old piece of music
that they've heard in their youth and be able to
recite it or sing along with it. I think a
great melody just does something to people, and it's I
think Sticks happen to be very rich in that area.
Couple that with lyrics that people can relate to or
(25:41):
see themselves in the picture in some way or somehow
put themselves in the story. I think once that's in
people's minds, it's never going to leave. I think, obviously,
you know, the masters of that would be the Beatles.
That's why you knows so many people still reference them
as I reference them every day and some capacity and
(26:01):
and that to me is the the ultimate map of
how to write a piece of music with a with
a melody that just absolutely sticks and people's heads.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
No pun intended, and uh it's it stays with people. Yes,
there you go.
Speaker 6 (26:20):
That's I think. I think ultimately it's that if someone
writes a great melody, now, any young band and it
gets to people, it's going to it's going to stay
with them. And regardless of the genre. You know, I hear.
Let me reference a couple of younger bands. You know,
I really like came In Palla. That's one that I
really really like that. There's some great melodies, and Royal
(26:42):
Blood is another one.
Speaker 11 (26:43):
Uh uh.
Speaker 6 (26:46):
There's new stuff that comes out all the time. But
even I even had the melody of speaking of espresso.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
You know that song Express Carpenter.
Speaker 6 (26:55):
Yeah, yeah, that's been in my head for a year
now because it's a great melody.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
That's an earworm that I think gets in there. Yeah,
that will never go away. I don't know, good or bad,
it'll never go away.
Speaker 6 (27:05):
I think the one good thing that the penicillin doesn't
cure is earworms.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
It's true, many a night I've had to Humlake Mary
had a little lamb just to get some other song
out of my habit. It never works. There's no secret
to getting it out of your head either, and many
hours have been lost of sleep for me from that.
Speaker 6 (27:25):
Well, that's what happens. That's why even a great television
show theme, you know, if I just say the words Flintstones,
you're already singing it.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Oh no, now what did you do? Look at what
you're doing on the break, I'm going to be singing
and I'll have to get it out of my head. Well,
speaking of that, you know, it's money. You mentioned like
the pop culture references and how sticks. The music of
Sticks has been in many, many shows, but it was
then that seventies show Billions, The Simpsons and my personal
favorite South Park, and Cartman in the car says that
(27:54):
he can't hear the first line of Come sail Away
without having to finish it, and they go on to
finish it the whole song, and that's sort of the
leads to that that he can't hear that first line
without finishing and he has to finish the song. Oh oh,
your play.
Speaker 6 (28:11):
You know it's funny because I think Cartman's version of
comes other Way that is the most masterful of all.
I think it's just the best.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Really, No, why do you think that I have to know?
Because I love south.
Speaker 6 (28:21):
Park, they love south Park, and because of his enthusiasm.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Yes, he really loves that song. Yes, you know what,
there are many things in my life almost daily that
come back to South Park for me, good or bad.
There is some reference in my life to South Park,
and I think I might need therapy.
Speaker 10 (28:40):
But yeah, oh, there's always a little philosophy that runs
through the end of every South Park episode and I
begin to turn to it for my as my philosophy
of the day if it's not on my tea bags.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
And you know what, they love Canadians in that series.
They to pick the Canadians as a very interesting group.
Speaker 6 (29:04):
We are blame Canada.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
It is blame Canada. There you go that. I think
on that note, I need to pause for the cause
here a little bit and take a little break. I'm
Doreene Taylor and you're listening to the scene with Dory
nationally syndicated Coast to Coast. I've been shouting with Lawrence Gowin,
lead vocalist and keyboardist for the band Sticks. When we
come back, we're gonna get into the new album, The
Brotherhood of Rock Tour, and we're gonna wrap it all up.
So do not go anywhere.
Speaker 8 (29:26):
No more mold, no more damage, no more outdated old bathroom,
no mars slipping, un hurting, no more stress. Make your
ordinary bathroom extraordinary for only ninety nine dollars per month.
New shower, new door, new tub, new wall, new anti
slip technology, face dress bree Call eight hundred eighty two
seven forty sixty seven. BCI Bathroom Shower is made in
(29:49):
America for the highest quality. Ask about our militarians and
your discounts your dream bathroom and as little as one day.
First fifty colors, say fifteen hundred dollars on a never
clear glass street a door. Call now for free premium
color upgrades. Eight hundred eight two seven forty sixty seven.
Call BCI Bath and Shower the leader at bathroom or modeling.
Be smart, safe and stay a step ahead of inflation
(30:12):
with our interest free financing options. Call eight hundred eight
two seven forty sixty seven. Love your bathroom with free upgrades.
Call eight hundred eight two seven forty sixty seven. Eight
hundred eight two seven forty sixty seven.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
Hey guys are you loving show. You want to see
more of the scene, Well, guess what you can, because
The Scene with Doreen is now a weekly segment on
the nationally syndicated television show The Daily Flash. The Daily
Flash is your daily destination for trending stories, celebrity updates,
and industry highlights, and it's now your home to watch
the Scene with Doreen. You can turn us on and
(30:49):
watch every Wednesday across the country. Check your local times
and listenings at the Scene with Dorine dot com.
Speaker 8 (30:56):
One out of eight women in the United States will
be diagnosed with breast cancer in our life time, and
the chances are you know at least one person who's
been personally affected. But right now you can help. It's simple.
Donate your unwanted vehicle RV or trailer to the United
Breast Cancer Foundation. It's the easiest way to contribute to
one of the nation's leading charitable organizations. The process is fast,
(31:18):
easy and free. Not only will you be helping, but
you'll also receive a tax deduction. The United Breast Cancer
Foundation offers an array of programs and services that help
and support families and individuals dealing with breast cancer. But
we can't do it alone. We need your help. Simply
give us a call to get started and we'll schedule
a pickup date that is convenient for you. If you
(31:40):
have any questions you would like answered before initiating the
donation process, please feel free to call us toll free
at eight hundred three seven three ninety six thirty six.
That's eight hundred three seven three ninety six thirty six
eight hundred three seven three ninety six thirty six.
Speaker 6 (31:57):
On the Ruins US.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
Then Alah, your dreamers like me.
Speaker 5 (32:03):
As you suspect Retestine.
Speaker 2 (32:32):
To Destroy. Welcome back to the scene with Dorena Proud,
part of the Beasley Media Group Family. I'm your host,
Doreene Taylor, and I have been chatting with lead vocalist
and keyboardist of the quintessential rock band Sticks coming out
of the break you heard the first release Build and
(32:54):
Destroy off their newest studio album, Circling from Above, available
to purchase now at sticksworld dot com or available to
stream and download everywhere on July eighteenth. Lawrence, congrats on
the release of the new studio album, Circling from Above.
It's your first release, Build and Destroy. That is really
such a great reminder of why Styx is the music
(33:14):
powerhouse that has been relevant for over fifty years.
Speaker 6 (33:17):
Well, thank you very much. Yes, it is an exciting time.
We're very we're very you know, energized by the by
the mere aspect of a bandit's into his fifty third
year of his existence, having something new that we're all
really loving playing, and people seem to be embracing.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
Now, stick with me for a second. This is one
of my longer little roundabout questions. But for listeners you
know from the scene, if you're new to the stick scene.
In eighty three, Styx came out with the concept album
Mister Kilroy Was Here, which spawned the hit Mister Roboto.
It's about the struggle for freedom of expression and the
dehumanizing effects of a society that seeks to control its citizens.
(33:57):
And now your tune Build and Destroyer right off. Your
new album is about humanity's relationship with technology and nature,
and you even cite AI in your lyrics. These songs
are forty two years apart, yet they seem scarily connected
and each one is equally relevant today.
Speaker 6 (34:14):
Yeah, I agree, that's I mean, it's one of the
biggest subjects of our life. I think mister Roboto, that
song was very prescient and foresaw, you know, I mean,
you can go as far back as I think the
nineteen thirties and see where people knew that robots were
going to be part of our life and that technology
basically not as robots, but I mean technology was going
(34:37):
to have a fairly profound influence on where humanity was
going to go and what we were going to build
and what it might get destroyed in the process, et cetera.
And I think that it's you know, it's great fodder
for classic rock material anyway, because we're usually trying to
write songs there. It's somewhat relatable to life, but also
(34:59):
larger than life. And so I think mankind's humankind's connection
with technology and how we try to maintain as much
of our humanity as possible is really good subject.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
Matter, absolutely, And the song Build and Destroy it was
inspired by a conversation about an app that tracks defunct satellites.
Speaker 6 (35:21):
That really well, that was more of an overriding That
was an overriding conversation we're having that that resulted in
surpling from above. As we were working on the record,
and we were also thinking about the fact that nature
is also surfing from above, you know, and the words
et cetera, and and that we you know, we have
these watchful eyes on us all the time and whatever whatever,
(35:44):
you know, great plans we have, you know, there's that,
there's that there's an old saying. I think this says,
you know, a man makes plans and guard laughs or
something of that nature, something like that. And I think
in a lot of ways that's that's what happens with
our know, we observe from on high, and yet see
a lot of our great things wreaking havoc with us,
(36:06):
you know, as much as they do great things for us.
I mean, we talked about these, you know, with our
cell phones, et cetera. What they how they have you
know impact, you know, have affected our daily lives and
our interaction with each other.
Speaker 12 (36:19):
Right and so, but for Build and Destroy, that was
a song that that I came up with the beginnings
of it anywhere, the musical theme of the and the
title uh kind of connect into this circling from above idea.
Speaker 6 (36:32):
And this this idea of watching man and nature kind
of interact, and ultimately nature wins. We already know who wins.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
Oh absolutely, it's just how is it going to play out?
Speaker 6 (36:45):
I know that's it. We we all know, and we've
known for a long time. But no matter what we do,
and nature is going to ultimately be the they're going
to raise the Stanley Cup. If it's still.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Around there, you go bring it back to hockey. I'm
a hockey fan, so I appreciate that. Still waiting for
my Stanley Cup, Buffalo Sabers, But anyway, we won't go there.
You know. It's also very thought provoking though, the commentary
about when I started really digging into the lyric and
especially the whole album as as a total work. It's
(37:19):
really interesting how our society has it's really disposable with
our dreams and how they can when they're in viewed
as illogical or impractical, we just abandon it. We just
abandon our dreams. Like you were saying, the satellites. There's
these amazing things that we put out there that was
someone's dreams, someone's you know, pinnacle of their work, and
then either they become outdated or they just don't work anymore,
(37:39):
and we just leave it there for, you know, for
whatever to create you know, space trash, and it's kind
of a very interesting topic.
Speaker 6 (37:48):
Yeah. I mean, there's there's a quote in the album
this is all Mankind's dreams lie in the void. There's
a positive and negative to that, but that's really it's
it's an unfortunate reality of it. The one thing we
know that last is our interaction with each other and
what we you know, what we do human to human
(38:09):
and how we treat each other. Those are the things
that actually have a far more lasting impression in the
long run. Now I'm getting way too deep on Oh no.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
I love it. I'm getting into it. I'm kind of
asking you questions to get you there. I love it.
Speaker 4 (38:23):
I love it.
Speaker 6 (38:24):
I can get I can get just just from the
shallow ends, just where it starts to kind of drop off.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
Well, there you go. Let's go a little toe in
it and everything will be fine.
Speaker 4 (38:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (38:33):
So no, no, I think that that this is, this
is you know, ultimately the thing that you know. This
will seem timely, but but you know, Brian Wilson, Okay,
so I just got the messages. He just he left
us and we we had a great date with him
(38:54):
in the studio. I know this is way off topic,
but because it's it's timely. Today we had a great student,
Dan's studio with him, and he actually sang with us
on our Cyclorama album back in two thousand and three.
And you know, I'm thinking of him today. And what
you know, obviously is what he left behind with his family,
et cetera. That's that's the most thing of value to them.
(39:17):
But to the world, he left behind some great lyrical things,
you know that, and melodies that have enriched our lives.
And I think music, you know, we talk about love,
and we talk about you know, you know, the mercy
and all the other good things, just love and mercy.
There you go, right Wilson, right there. But these these
(39:39):
are these are really lasting things. And I'm going to
add music to that equation as well, because it does
elevate the human experience to to such a wonderful degree,
and that riches our lives. And our inventions enrich our lives.
But only to a certain point. Only if they kind
of bring about about those other, those other aspects and
(40:00):
and magnify them to some degree, do they really have
a lasting value. Ultimately, you know, a courage just transports
you from one place to another. I'll just go with
a sample one ear. But ultimately, it's what it connects
you to that's really important, not the invention itself. That
was deep.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
Actually, yes, that was very good. I think you should
trademark that. Maybe their next song lyric that you put
out there. That was very good.
Speaker 6 (40:24):
I wonder if it will make as much for me
as penicillin.
Speaker 2 (40:28):
Nothing will make as much as penicillin has. When I
get my next infection, I will remember you fondly. Well,
you know, well, build a destroy It makes mention of AI,
which is timely and it's vary. It's in the news
every single day, every day. It's you gotta say, though,
(40:50):
your music video I assume was heavily generated by AI.
I'm watching it, I'm not thinking that the thing, the
graphics that I'm seeing, you guys weren't actually doing that.
Speaker 6 (41:00):
Well, that's that's that's actually as we shot that, it
was a we we brought it in at just under
fifty million dollars. No, there's no AI in that at all.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
Yeah, not at all.
Speaker 6 (41:10):
Of course, of course it's AI. It's entire well, it's
entirely AI. Accept that there is the human behind it.
My friend to Jay z Barth in Toronto, who you know,
he's got to input his his own artwork and et
cetera into the device in order to bring it out.
And then, of course it's extremely debatable as to how
much is Jay and how much is his AI pal. Obviously,
(41:32):
the the end result is the is the AI. What
I found really intriguing, disturbing funny about the video is
that you know, each band member appears in various parts
of it, know who it is, but it doesn't actually
look like us. It's it's the computer's interpretation. At one
point they gave me this enormous jaw.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
And that was the pen of Sellin.
Speaker 6 (41:58):
Yeah, I mean yeah, so that was kind of nice
to see. Hey, look I've got a really manly looking
job for once.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
Well it's interesting. Yeah, I can do good things, but
it can do some bad things too. It always gives
us weird fingers, like it doesn't know how to interpretate hands.
Speaker 6 (42:15):
The finger thing is hilarious because there were there were
a couple along the way where my brother Terry on base.
I noticed, Wait a second, he's got seven fingers.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
On that that's why he plays so good.
Speaker 6 (42:25):
I thought, wow, I got to go check that out again,
and sure enough, no, he only had five on that hand.
But yeah, I liked and I find that it's you know,
it's it's a controversial subject. Some people absolutely cannot stand
what aight I has done and and and there are
others that absolutely embrace it and love it as as
(42:48):
a as a it's a new tool basically, is what
what's going to be used for? And it's going to
be used for some pretty awful things. I began reading
about the you know, there's a horrible carbon foot that
it comes from, et cetera. And that's a terrible thing
as but that also comes, i'd have to, you know,
add from the Space program and from all kinds of
(43:09):
things that have kind of helped to advance our lives
and yet pull them back at the same time. It's
it's this constant trade off that we go through, isn't
it douring that you know? And that's what Building Destroyer
is all about.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
It is Well, I say this on the show so often,
and I don't want to, but it always comes back
to this, with great power comes great responsibility. And we're
inventing things, I think before we actually know how to
harness that power or respect the power of what we're creating.
And I think that is sometimes you know, we're creating
things that we can't really control.
Speaker 6 (43:43):
Well, we can't foresee. I saw an interview with David
Bowie that he did maybe at least a quarter of
a century ago, maybe it was even early late nineties
where he said, the effect of the Internet and what
it's going to do to the planet is unimaginable. That word.
It's just it's going to have an effect. That's and
(44:03):
and look where we are, Look where we can't even
agree on what a fact is anymore. We can't agree
on what because it's it has fractured our our you know,
our interactions with each other. It's just such a kind
of terrible degree. And yet it's been such an enlightening
tool as.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
Well, right, double edged sort.
Speaker 6 (44:22):
Yeah, And I guess that's really what the universe is,
and a I will will play out exactly the same
way as all these inventions that since the since the wheel.
You know, yeah, I'm saying one scene I wanted never mind.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
You're going down a tangent. You were putting that toe
a little deeper into that deep end. Weren't you jogging
in the dressing room the other night?
Speaker 6 (44:45):
That a good cartoon would be you know, those cartoons.
You have a caveman who suddenly, you know, he comes in.
He goes, look at this, and he shows everybody the wheel, right,
and then these four guys that they're carrying, you know,
the grand pooba on their shoulders, go well, thanks a lot.
You just put us out of work.
Speaker 2 (45:07):
That is good. You should write for the New Yorker,
like you know with the Lane and Seinfeld. You need
to come up with your own.
Speaker 6 (45:15):
It's that kind of thing. I just said. Yeah, he
pissed off four guys like just like that.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
Where were you five minutes ago? Yeah? Always a little
too late? A dollar and a donut? What is it?
A dollar and a donut too short? Something like that.
I don't even know anymore, the old adage, but yeah,
donut the donut. Yeah, there's something about a donut being
too there you go see. I'm ooh, the brain's working.
I see the wheel in your head ering.
Speaker 6 (45:38):
We can all coexist. I mean, the donut didn't ultimately
put the Claire out of business.
Speaker 1 (45:43):
No.
Speaker 2 (45:43):
I enjoyed both, and I will take them both at
the same time, you know what, I'll take them. Well,
are you ever going to use it? Are you ever
gonna say you know what. I'm going to embrace AI
in my music and I want to see what it
can do. Are you are you going to open that
Pandora's box? Are you just gonna stayed to the old
school way?
Speaker 6 (46:03):
I doubt it because I haven't. I haven't found any
AI pieces of music yet that have had any entertainment
value whatsoever greatly so far, I just haven't. I've heard,
I've thought of good applications for it in music. We
won't go into those now, but there are some good applications,
but not in there, not on the creative side. I
think far more in what it can do to enhance
(46:25):
sound I think is ultimately where it can it can
be helpful. But in the visual world, I mean, you
know when CGI came in, you know that was another
step forward, and you know in a lot of ways,
and so no, I think it'll be harnessed better and better,
(46:46):
and we're some wor as time. As time goes on.
Speaker 2 (46:49):
Yeah, it's one of those things where you're it's like
a David Bowie interview from decades ago. It's how it's
going to play out in the future and where we're
going to be. We're going to look back and go, oh,
totally wrong, or oh, we should have listened, And I
have a feeling we're at the oh we should have
listened portion of our tour here.
Speaker 6 (47:07):
Uh yeah, very very likely. I mean, but I don't know.
I don't know how you put these things back in
the box.
Speaker 2 (47:13):
One we can't. It's the Pandora's box, it is, and
once you open it, all we have left is hope.
And that is sort of where we are. And that's
kind of sad because I still have more to talk about.
I don't want to like leave on that note, because
you know, for a quarter of a century, Styx has
become this touring juggernaut and the band is back at
it again this summer on the Brotherhood of Rock tour
across the country. You know, speaking of brotherhood, Unlike a
(47:36):
lot of bands out there, you guys really love and
respect each other and it's refreshing to see that, and
it's become more than a band. It's really family for you.
Speaker 6 (47:44):
We we enjoy each other's company, I say quite often.
You know, it's it's such an entertaining band and we
have this galvanizing experience on a nightly basis. You know,
at least one hundred times a year when we play concerts,
at the end of the night, we're looking at as
as an ensemble, We're looking at thousands of people with
their arms in the air and gigantic smiles and their
faces wanting more. And that does so much for your
(48:08):
for your sense of worth and just the whole endeavor
of it just feels so inspiring, right honestly, and I
have said this many times. I look across the stage
during our show and I'm as entertained as the audience
is by all the all my bandmates, you know, and
we we have this shared vision of how you know,
what sticks can can continue to be, and we throw
(48:31):
ourselves into that very deeply every night. We've also seen,
you know, other bands around us and how those kinds
of you know, backstage dramas, how they can, how they
play out, and ultimately, when you when you hit on
a good combination, you know, it just it's it's something
to be thankful for.
Speaker 2 (48:49):
And we are absolutely and a lot of you have
had other careers. You've had other like other bands and
other successes, and you're coming together now at a certain
place in each other's lives lives, and maybe that's great
maybe because you've gotten all the other stuff out of
the way and now you're forming just to really make
make it about the music and the camaraderie.
Speaker 6 (49:07):
Yes, there's a lot. There's a lot to that. There's
a lot to that doory, and there's you begin to
really value certain things in your life as you get older,
certain relationships that you may have taken for granted when
you were younger. That's one of the one of the
follies of youth, I think, is that we think we're
going to make these great, lasting, really great relationships, and
then we can sometimes toss them aside, you know, before
(49:31):
they've really given us everything that they could, and that's
an unfortunate learning experience. So now we're at a point
in our lives where we really do value each other.
Speaker 2 (49:41):
Yeah, that's wonderful because I hear so much the other
way or you know, so many artists they've had to
split because of egos or this or that or whatever
it is, and it's so refreshing.
Speaker 6 (49:51):
Sticks are no exception to that.
Speaker 2 (49:53):
Absolutely, But you never ever really well, did you guys?
You didn't break up once? Did you guys break up twice?
I think Sticks in their history is a twice, but
you've kept going.
Speaker 6 (50:00):
I think they busted up a couple of times.
Speaker 2 (50:02):
Yeah, I think it was twice. Yeah, Glue, it worked.
I gotta tell you, since you it's like you're the
secret formula. Maybe that question I asked earlier about what's
the secret sauce that keeps you guys going? Maybe it
is Lawrence, could be and.
Speaker 6 (50:17):
None of that, but yeah, every I think I think
they should put it into law that every band you
know needs at least one Canadian Hi.
Speaker 2 (50:24):
Eh, yes, that's what it's about. Hey, yeah, no, I
love it. And you know, you've done so much. Like
I said, you had your solo career, and you've you've
performed with other bands, and you've had the youth aspect
and now you're at this, you know, chapter of your life.
How have you evolved at this point in your life?
How have you evolved as a musician where you have said,
you know, I've changed for the better. How how have
(50:46):
you evolved.
Speaker 6 (50:48):
That I think can only be measured really measured. I
guess in two ways. One is just as a songwriter,
hopefully I'm as good as I was at least and
hopefully I've learned some things in that in that regard
and as a performer, because that's a great deal in
my life, just as a way of interacting with an
audience on stage. I think I've grown in that regard
(51:10):
in that when I see, you know, older stuff of
myself from decades ago, Yeah, I can, I can sometimes WinCE.
Speaker 2 (51:19):
We all do that, Oh yes, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 6 (51:21):
You know what I thought looked really cool and it
was turned out to not to be and.
Speaker 2 (51:26):
You got to get it out of your system, at.
Speaker 6 (51:27):
Least at least by today's standards.
Speaker 13 (51:29):
You know.
Speaker 6 (51:30):
The great thing is I have I guess I've tried
to maintain, you know, whatever, whatever I was doing well
in the past. You know, I know now I can
say that I was doing some things well, and I
know that there's I have to put the work into
to maintain those things, like I still do, like this year,
I'll do about one hundred stick shows and twenty five
(51:51):
gallon shows, you know, across Canada, and uh, you know,
I have to kind of continue to kind of lean
into it. I guess that maybe where the where the
growth can be measured is that I don't think I've
taken too much of a backstep yet. You know, eventually
you know the realities of life are going to intercede
(52:11):
in that in that way, but I'm going to fight
against that as hard as I can, for as long
as I can.
Speaker 2 (52:16):
Your mouth God's ear. Ah wonderful. I want everyone visit
sticksworld dot com, get the new album Circling from Above,
check out their Brotherhood of Rock tour dates, and stay
connected to everything that is Sticks and Lawrence Gowan. You
are wonderful, my friend. I know you're coming, and we're
in the Philadelphia area. You're coming, I believe a little
in a few months to the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion. You're
(52:37):
going to be in Camden, New Jersey, right or outside
of Philly. So a lot of my listeners, you know,
check you out. That's gonna be fun.
Speaker 5 (52:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (52:44):
I want to come out now. I want to I
want to meet you.
Speaker 6 (52:47):
Right yeah, please, please do you. I can guarantee this.
I've never ever, you know, encouraged someone to come to
a Stick show without hearing back from them the very
next day. Oh my god, that was fantastic, And that's
really the best thing of all. You know that I'd
invite anyone to come to a Stick show and I
defy them not to have a great time.
Speaker 4 (53:05):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (53:06):
I say that's a challenge, and challenge accept it. All
my listeners, all my viewers, take the challenge because I've
seen you guys live and yeah, yeah, you're not going
to be disappointed. It's amazing. It's it's quite the show.
It's a tour deforce.
Speaker 6 (53:18):
I think this is one of the best shows we've
ever done. We play the Grand Illusions in its entirety wonderful,
the whole collection of hits, and then we squeeze, build
and destroy in there and the whole thing we've got.
We've got great video content on this to our great
artistic stuff from beginning to end, and people are thoroughly
enjoying it. So I hope you make it out during I.
Speaker 2 (53:37):
Love it and I will definitely do that. I want
to say, Hi, I want to make sure that we
talk a little bit more about AI. No, no, no,
We'll talk about penicillin one.
Speaker 6 (53:45):
I wish I had more to say about it. I
just felt I just found it entertaining and a good
way to put this song across.
Speaker 2 (53:51):
I love it, and I think it is very poignant,
like I said, and I think it is a precursor
for a lot of things that are to follow, and
we will probably probably we can revisit this maybe in
two years and see how things have aged. If we're
still here, if we're still here more.
Speaker 10 (54:07):
If we're still here, one more worry about that. I mean,
ultimately in the building destroy video. That's the war between
the birds and the bees, and that is eternal.
Speaker 2 (54:14):
It's true. That is the whole premise of my life.
The birds and the bees. That's what I've lived my
whole life for now. They have a way of working together, though,
they find a way to coexist, and humans have yet
to kind of master that yet.
Speaker 6 (54:27):
Let's keep working on it.
Speaker 2 (54:28):
We will. And I've had a wonderful time working with
you today and co existing with you today on the scene.
Thank you so much for being here today.
Speaker 6 (54:36):
My pleasure. Great to chat with you again. And we'll
see you up the road soon.
Speaker 2 (54:40):
I would love that and you have wonderful I know
you're on tour right now. Where are you? What city
are you in? Tonight?
Speaker 6 (54:44):
Lake City?
Speaker 2 (54:45):
So All Lakes? Because I can tell that's not your
beautiful bedroom right behind you.
Speaker 6 (54:49):
This is not my beautiful bedroom. No, this is a
beautiful hotel room.
Speaker 4 (54:54):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (54:55):
The tour life.
Speaker 6 (54:56):
I tied it up as much as I could before
I got in the air with you.
Speaker 2 (54:59):
It's very good. I gotta say, I'm impressed, you know, guy.
Speaker 6 (55:01):
Traveling You not impressed?
Speaker 2 (55:04):
Oh okay, let's see.
Speaker 4 (55:06):
Oh my god, Oh you know what.
Speaker 2 (55:08):
You just ruined my whole illusion. Well, there you go.
That's all you need. I love it. You're gonna have
a play out music for us. You can, yeah, you
can do play us out. No, it was wonderful. You're awesome.
Have a great gig tonight, and I will see you soon.
By bye bye, Thank you too.
Speaker 3 (55:27):
Bye.
Speaker 2 (55:28):
Hey, guys, that's all the time we have for today.
Thank you to my guest, the wonderful Lawrence Gowing. For
more interviews, visit the Scene with Doreen dot Com I,
Dorian Taylor on behalf of Matt myself and the rest
of the Scene with Dorian Crewe see you next week.
Speaker 13 (56:00):
Sponsored by our radio listening post in Ukaipa, Ukaipa Farm
Fresh Produce where you can get healthy in the heart
of Ukaipa. You'll find locally sourced fresh fruit, vegetables, farm eggs, honey,
fresh bread, nuts, and for your sweet tooth, delicious ice
cream and locally produced candy, from liquorice to chocolates, all
to your heart's content. It's Ukaipa Farm Fresh Produce just
(56:24):
down the street from Tuscano's Pizza between thirteenth and fourteenth
on Ukaipa Boulevard. Open every day weekdays from eight am
to six pm and on weekends to five pm. For
more info, you can call nine O nine seven nine
zero sixty one oh six. That's nine O nine seven
nine zero six one zero six. Shop local with Ukaipa
(56:45):
Farm Fresh Produce. Tell them you heard it on this
radio station and saw it on the DNA advertising screen
inside the store. It's Ukaipa Farm Fresh Produce. News on
CACAA Lomlada sponsored by Teamsters Local nineteen thirty two protecting
(57:05):
the Future of Working Families Teamsters nineteen thirty two.
Speaker 5 (57:09):
Dot org.
Speaker 14 (57:16):
M scene is Radio. I'm Brian Shook. The Senate's vote
rama is continuing into the night. Lawmakers are voting on
unlimited amendments to President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill. There's been
at least twenty votes related to the bill today. The
man charged with killing four University of Idaho's students in
November twenty twenty two is taking a plea deal. Brian
(57:39):
Coburger accepted a plea deal that removed the death penalty
in exchange for him pleading guilty to committing the four
murders and serving life. The White House will look into
a report that says the head of the Federal Reserve
lied to Congress. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt was asked about
a New York Post report that says fed Shair Jerome
Powell told Congress US a two and a half billion
(58:01):
dollars makeover of the Central Banks Washington headquarters does not
include lavish upgrades.
Speaker 2 (58:07):
I'll have to take a look at those allegations, and
I will raise them to the President's attention and let
him speak on them himself.
Speaker 14 (58:13):
The Post reports plans include specific items Powell denied while
being questioned, such as special elevators. A new app could
play a key role in detecting wildfire hotspots and high
smoke exposure. Chris Keragio has more.
Speaker 11 (58:28):
Researchers at Harvard developed smart flames to identify where fires
are more likely to burn, as well as where public
health impacts are highest. They looked at northern California's wildfire
season in twenty twenty and found that areas treated with
prescribed burns did not overlap with high risk areas. If
lands were targeted better, smoke exposure in the area would
(58:49):
have decreased by seventeen percent. The app can be used
by policymakers to implement management strategies like Prescribe Burns. I'm
Chris Krajio.
Speaker 14 (58:57):
Paul Simon's Quiet Celebrattion tour hit a snag when he
was forced to cancel two shows in Philadelphia over the
weekend due to chronic and intense back pain. You're listening
to the latest from NPC News Radio.
Speaker 1 (59:13):
Located in the heart of San Bernardino, California, the Teamsters
Local nineteen thirty two Training Center is designed to train
workers for high demand, good paying jobs and various industries
throughout the Inland Empire. If you want a pathway to
a high paying job and the respect that comes with
a union contract, visit nineteen thirty two Trainingcenter dot org
(59:36):
to enroll today. That's nineteen thirty two Trainingcenter dot org.
Speaker 15 (59:45):
Ten fifty am. Don't forget that number. And for you
young people who got here by accidentally fat fingering your
FM band selector, we're an AM radio station, and AM
refers to more than just the time of day.
Speaker 6 (01:00:02):
Joa conjul case
Nineteen thirty two.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
That work.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Coming to you from the City of Brotherly Love. It's
the scene with Doreene going behind the scenes with the
biggest stars and getting to know the person behind the personality.
I'm Shadow Stevens and no, here's your host, Billboard charting
(00:31):
recording artist and reigning queen on the scene, Doreene Taylor.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yeah, oh my god, I still can't get over that
new intro. Thank you to Shadow Stevens. The Voice of
Americans have forty for our doing our incredible intro. That
is amazing. Oh my god. Oh how it's a hot
one out there today and I'm in the studio trying
to cool off. But it's still hot in here because
I'm sitting next to my incredible sidekick producer with the
(01:00):
most madminarch. I'm sweating.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
You're wow, Well, it ain't me.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
That's sure. It's outside, be on or something.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
It's hot in here. I am sweating a little bit.
I think everything. Now, you know, Triple digits in Philadelphia,
that's pretty crazy.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
AC could only do so much, It's true.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
And it works overtime, and yeah, you're right, it can
only cool down so much. But yeah, this is like
I think twelve thirteen years, it hasn't been this hot.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
Yeah, it's ridiculous too much. It's just that the heat
index makes it even worse. It's like one oh seven,
one o six at this point.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Anything. It's like, oh, they say, well, it's a dry
heat versus a humid heat. I'm like, it's just heat.
I just don't like it. I'm not a hot person
weather person. I don't really like it. I only cold either,
so I'm kind of screwed. I hate hot.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
I would I would choose dry heat over humidity though, sause.
I mean, the last thing you want to do. The
worst is when you get out of the shower and
you're sweating already.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
You need another shower.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Yeah, it's like you can't dry off no matter what.
I got a grand blowing, it doesn't matter.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
So you walk outside and all of a sudden, your
like she fits in. You're just like dripping. You're like,
this is not this is gross. Girls shouldn't sweat. It's
just gross. It's just and then my hair with the humidity,
and I said, I do like the dry better because
you know it wants to you know, I look like
an afro coming out. It looks crazy.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Yeah, and then when you're hot, then you don't want
to be near people. So day like this, which is actually,
if you didn't know, it's National Handshake Day, this is
a day where you probably don't want to touch people
because you're so sweaty. If you don't like touching people
to begin with, today, you definitely don't want to touch people.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
I don't like touching people in any capacity to shape form.
I'm not a germophobe. I'm really well a little, but
I'm not that much. It's just I just don't like
touching people. I don't like people violating my space.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Yeah, I understand.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
I'm kind of a loner. I'm a rebel. I don't
want people around. I know I'm gonna like, you know,
I will shake people's hands, but yeah, have you ever
gotten that clammy wet ikey handshake or you just and
you don't want to embarrass them by wiping it off
on your pants, like after they shake your hands, So
you're like and you're holding your hand out like there
and you look like, if you know, like a robot
or a mannequin with your hand out because you don't
(03:04):
know what to do with it. It's a wet yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
Or or when they don't, they don't fully grip your hand.
If they grip like your your fingers, it's like, whoa dude.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
The little like the limp handshakes.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Yeah, if you're gonna offer the handshake, then give a handshake,
don't just grab my fingers.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
I've also had the opposite where somebody grabs your hand
and it's like they break the bones in your hand.
They're like, squeeze them. What are you trying to prove, man,
that you could squeeze my little girly hand. I'm go.
They don't, they don't let go, they don't. Like That's
another one. How long do you hold a handshake for.
Speaker 5 (03:35):
Hi?
Speaker 4 (03:35):
How you doing there? You go?
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Really? Because there are some people that'll sit there and
they'll shake, and there's like the pump rule, like how
many pumps do you pump with the handshake? I think
like three is the max, and then you're out. You
gotta get out because it's like by then it's getting creepy.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
Yeah you know the saying. I mean, if you shake
it three times, that's something different, a totally diff So
I just go for the go for the fist bump.
You don't have to worry about length. It's it's always
the same length. Just hey, how you doing?
Speaker 2 (03:59):
I like that?
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Go for the fist.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
You ever get the handshake where they do the two
handshake thing where they cup your hand underneath, so now
they've got two hands on it.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
Make sure you don't leave or something.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
They're like pulling you back and I'm like, this is
just beyond my It's like it's like tethered to this person.
All of a sudden, I'm too attached to this and
I'm like, no, I gotta go now.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
Or the handshake where you don't want to go in
because you do the handshake in the hug sometimes yeah,
and you're not sure what you're doing. So is this
person pulling you in closer? What do I do?
Speaker 6 (04:25):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (04:26):
It's like a dance of choreograph. Yeah, and then you're all.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
It's supposed to be is a greeting just how well?
Speaker 2 (04:31):
You know what? I like to say, Hey, Hi, that's good,
I'm good. Don't touch me. I'm good. I could smile.
You get the gist that I'm not a miserable mess.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
But you know, go for the fist bump there you go.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
But it's true because you know what when it's hot.
You do not want to be touching people. It's just gross.
And you know there's that like you know four inch rule,
or you just can't get in the proximity of four
inches of somebody you start to feel their heat.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
And there's sometimes there's people that have questionable hygiene to beginners.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
And then when I'm not one of them, shower I did.
I'd let you know of the studio you wouldn't be
working on the show this long, it's been two years.
It would have been like getting your transfer papers very early.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
And I ask one of my other colleagues of like, hey,
don't you like it?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Who don't you like? Oh, oh it's a great show.
You want to do it?
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Yeah? Yeah, cover your face.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah. So yes, it's that time of year. That's our
PSA for the day. I think, you know what, if
you don't know what to do, don't do it at all,
fist bump or just you know, kind of give it
high and that way. No, it's perfect. Yep, I think
that's good. I'm going to start a coalition, you know,
a group that just says, you know what, enough with this,
you know, speaking.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Of coalition another day today. And this was founded in
twenty nineteen by the Coconut Coalition of the Americas, which
is a real thing appurrently National Coconut Day. I love coconuts, coconut.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
I know a lot of people don't like coconut. I
actually don't. I'm not. I know you love it, cocon
flavor anything really, So you would have like coconut flavored pizza?
Speaker 4 (06:02):
No, I mean, come on.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
You said anything. I'm literal anything.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
That, I mean nobody nobody eats that.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
I mean, you don't know. You could pete pineapple on pizza.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
Maybe disgusting.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Maybe coconut pizza. You never know.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Maybe I try it, but I don't think i'd like it.
I don't like coconut flavored things, like just the other day,
like you ever hear there's some sodas where you could
make it dirty.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I make everything dirty, but you know that goes beyond
the point. But yes, I think I know where you're going.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
You put like a creamer, I think, like a sweet
cream and.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Make a shot of something it's like a liquid.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Yeah, it was actually a sonic and I had like
a diet doctor pepper and it said make it dirty,
and it had coconut and like sweet cream in it,
and I tried it for the first time and I'm like, damn,
this is pretty good.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Little just coffee cream soda dirty was really good. I'll
make my coffee dirty that way then too, because I
do a little coconut creamer not bad coconut water. I
like coconut water and Malibu rome. I mean, you know,
you got to get into that world too. For all
my like over twenty one people I'm speaking.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
That's one of the first college I think alcohols I've
snuck from my parents' liquor cabinet when I was.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
I think I think everything that and that was like
a college thing that wasn't. Sex on the beach had coke,
meilbou ramen and baberries, Mailbow baberries.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
That's a melbow babery and it is anything that's cheap.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Yeah, it was, and it was. It was always gross,
but you drank it.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
And like Mad Dog twenty twenty, that was gross, but
everybody drank it. It was like two dollars a bottle.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
That's it for college kids. We're eating ramen noodles and
we're drinking you know. Sex on the old English forties.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Yeah, I like those though.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
And in this weather. It's like, you know, you want
to have a little bit of those fruit you drinks
the beer. You know, it's that's that weather.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
Yeah, whatever's refreshing.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Yeah, so coconuts refreshing. No handshakes is much more refreshing
for me. And I think you know what else is refreshing.
We have an incredible guest today.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
Yeah, nobody wants to hear us talk about this talk.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
I'm gonna say it is hot. It's going to get
hotter because we have an incredible one of a long
term member of Sticks, which is a great, great band
for many, many years and trances many decades. So I
think we got a lot and got a new album out,
so let's just talk.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
Yeah, let's just get to it.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
A few music groups have had the resilience of the
band Sticks. For over five decades, they've been putting out
successful chart hits, joyous singalongs, and hard diving deep cuts.
Their signature sound led them to become the first band
in history to score four triple platinum albums in a row,
and for over two decades, they have averaged over one
(08:26):
hundred shows a year, proving that good music will never die.
Take a listen.
Speaker 7 (08:33):
Miss Robot, Got Root, Babe, Bye, Love.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Away, Oh Yes. Since nineteen ninety nine, Laurence Gowen or
(09:53):
sometimes known as Just Gowan, has been an integral part
of Styx, replacing Dennis DeYoung on lead vocals and keyboards
and continuing the long legacy and tradition of the band.
Stix just released their newest studio album, Circling from Above,
with its poignant lead off single Build and Destroy, and
they're on the road this summer across the country for
(10:13):
the Brotherhood of Rock Tour. So come sail away with
me today on the scene with doren As. I welcome
the wonderful Lawrence going to the show. Hi, Lawrence, Welcome
to the scene, Doreen.
Speaker 6 (10:24):
It's lovely to be on the scene with you.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
I love having you. And it's interesting because I played
the montage, but it's the first time in history that
I've had someone on the show that You're not in
any of those the original recordings. You had to sit
through all that.
Speaker 6 (10:40):
No I came into the band. I've been with Sticks
now twenty six years, and no I came into the
upper level corner office. I didn't have to do all
the building and that went into putting the band together.
I see ourselves today, Doren as the culmination the efforts
(11:00):
of everyone that's ever been in Styx. I mean, I've
been part of four studio well five studio albums and
a few live DVDs that we've put out over the
years and thousands of shows. But yes, all of the
main cornerstonese so to speak, were in place before I
(11:21):
came into the picture.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Well, you were doing a lot before you came into
the picture because you had your own amazing career. But
let's go back. Let's go back. You were born in Scotland.
Your family moved to Canada while you were very young,
and both your parents were really supportive of your music.
Your dad gave you your first acoustic guitar when you
were eight, and your mom encouraged piano lessons when you
were only ten.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
That's correct, all correct. Yes, my dad was from Ireland
and my mom was from Scotland and they met in Scotland.
I was born there, but they immigrated as a lot
of families did it in the late nineteen fifties, and
I grew up in Toronto. So that's been my home,
still is my home, And yeah, it was a great
musical environment to be in, especially growing up in the
(12:05):
sixties and early seventies. You know, there was such a
great cross current of British and American influences in rock.
They eventually kind of, you know, occupied my life to
such a degree that I just knew I had to
do this.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
I don't hear much of a Canadian accent, though I
grew up near Buffalo, New York, and we even have
a little bit of the boot you know about. I
don't hear it in you very much.
Speaker 6 (12:27):
No, it's probably been watered down over the years, but
holy jeez, I can break into it anytime as you
want me to, Buddy.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
It's true when you go home, all of a sudden,
you can work so hard on getting it like neutral,
and then as soon as you talk to a friend
or someone on the phone from back home, all of
a sudden, bang, you're right back into it.
Speaker 6 (12:44):
It's absolutely true. I have a good friend of mine
from Newfoundland that worked with us for years. I heard
very little of a Newfoundland accident, but the last year
we were playing in Saint John's and wow, it was
like I was meeting a new person because he was
all by Jesus bikes great to see you again.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
See that sounds normal to me. I don't know what
you're doing, because that sounds absolutely like everyone I grew
up with carry Buffalonian, very Buffalonian. We have the we
have buffalo wings, well wings to just us. We don't
say buffalo wings because it's kind of redundant. And we
have the that flat a buffalo accent thing.
Speaker 6 (13:19):
Yes you do.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Yes, there, you got.
Speaker 6 (13:23):
To know paps family food Mark. Well, I used to
watch Commander Tom when I was growing up.
Speaker 8 (13:27):
That was.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Absolutely I had dinner with him as a young girl.
My brother won a contest and it was for Channel seven.
I believe WK I forge who it was, but wk
W yes, and they ran a special sat Tom Joles
for those listening anywhere else and it was at restaurant
Orchard Park. Can't remember, but I was so young and
my brother was older and he won some contest through
(13:52):
the Channel seven and we all had dinner with him
on Father's Day.
Speaker 6 (13:55):
Well, I'm going that's fantastic. That's a lovely story. I
think we can tie together with sticks because Promo the
Robot was one of my favorite hell as when I
was growing up. Yes, so we have that in common.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
We don't worry.
Speaker 6 (14:11):
Got on the Commander Tom Show.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
I love it. And you know, we also have something
else in common. We're both trained classically. So you studied
music formally at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto,
and you were quite disciplined. I know that you would
spend a minimum of six hours a day practicing on piano,
as well as focusing on lovely classes, which, by the way,
despised in my own personal opinion counterpoint, I despise that class,
(14:38):
but you were focused on that and six hours a
day that's insane.
Speaker 6 (14:43):
Well a minimum of that. I mean. The only job
I ever held, we'll call it, that was a part
time I worked at a piano store in Toronto. It's
just part time, but mainly because the owner of the
store there, he actually trusted me enough to give me
the keys. So I would sometimes practic just through the
night in the story because they had all these pianos
(15:03):
and the grand piano and you know, getting ready for
my arct which is a classical piano performance, and so
I would sometimes go right through the night practicing. So
so six hours would be a minimum at that point,
because you know, I wasn't what you'd call a quick study.
I needed to really really work at it, and I did.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Oh, yes you did. And you have those letters after
your name now it's like CPA or MD. You have
that after your name. Now you can actually use that.
Speaker 9 (15:31):
Yes, yes, Well how often do you apply what you
learned in classical music when you crossed over to rock,
which is a much more simplistic version, but it still
has principles behind it.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Did you throw it all out the window once you
crossed over? Do you still like, you know, yeah, not
at all?
Speaker 6 (15:48):
Doing it was really honestly, I was really studying classical
music only because I wanted to kind of broaden my
musical vocabulary, so to speak. Because I knew I wanted
to be a songwriter. I knew, I always knew it
was going to be a rock musician. That's what I
grew up on. But if you think about the history
of rock, I started to hear a classical influence really
(16:08):
beginning to permeate into rock music. I think the first
time I really really took notice of it was on
the song eleanor Rigby, you know, when I heard the
string courtet in there, and the whole kind of classical
Baroque almost influence that was in there, and then the
Rolling Stones did She's a Rainbow, where I discovered Nicky
Hopkins piano playing, you know, and how classically informed that was.
(16:33):
And in the early seventies, you know, like nineteen seventy
seventy one, seventy two there, that's when I discovered people
like Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson and Tony Banks and
then John and then Freddie Merricury and all these great
piano players that I could tell were very, very heavily
influenced by classical music. And I remember reading that Elton
(16:53):
John and Rick Wakeman had both gone to the Royal
Academy in London, England, and so the Royal Conservatory in
Toronto was the Adian equivalent. If it has Royal in
front of it means that the Queen gave it a
stamp of approval. Yeah, and so that's really why I
was doing that. And but you know, I mean rock,
You're right, it may seem more simplistic because it is
(17:13):
an ensemble played music. You've got four or five players,
three four or five players playing together sometimes or and
so the parts are far as simpler than it would
be in a classical endeavor, especially if you were a
piano soloist. But there's still a lot of there are
intricacies in that as well. Yeah, which learning to play
with others.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
It's deceptively simple. I've always said that about rock music,
because there's some things like in Queen's Reich, you know,
where they'll point out something and I'm like, oh, that's
fresh out of like you know, an eighty eight piece orchestra.
That is something you would hear on a sound stage somewhere,
and yet you know, they put it in popular music
and it's kind of nice to hear. I've always been
a fan of flip flopping between the genres like that.
Speaker 6 (17:56):
Yeah, myself as well, I really like that. I think
I think, you know, our association or our upbringing with
rock music was that it was very transient. It would
would be something that would come and go very quickly,
and we were happily from from my in my interest anyway,
we were wrong because it hastood the test of time.
(18:18):
I mean, we're talking about some music right now that's
nearly seventy years old and it still stood up and
still kind of affects people. And I see that on
a daily basis.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
It's true now I've had several incredibly talented musicians on
the show who were trained classically or they've loved that style,
like we had Kip Winger, we had Steve Vi and
even a close colleague of yours, John Anderson of Yes,
who I know you've worked with in your your former
going days. You know, they all went on and created
really incredible orchestral and even operatic works. Like John any
(18:50):
desire to go that route and kind of just you know,
to say, I'm going to go out there and I'm
going to do like a whole orchestral score, and I'm
going to do it with the San Francisco Symphony or whoever.
Speaker 6 (19:00):
I've performed with orchestra as both solo as Gowan and
also with sticks. But to go deep into that, I mean,
I wouldn't rule it out. But quite honestly, during I
really don't think much ahead more than the next six months.
I'm having too much fun doing what I'm doing. Good Now,
I can imagine all kinds of big projects in the future,
you know, but until I arrive at that moment, I
(19:24):
wouldn't really put too much faith in it.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
I arrive at that moment, well, I say, live in
the moment. That's what the thing I think most people
today don't do. With cell phones and social media and
all this stuff, We're not actually enjoying the moment. We're
kind of always doing everything else. And I like that
answer that you're just you're having a good time now
and enjoying it and not caring about it.
Speaker 6 (19:44):
I can be just as guilty as anyone of that. However,
one of the great things about playing live concerts is
that obviously we don't have any cell phones on stage.
There's plenty in the audience, but we it is it's
a couple of hours every day when we truly get
to engage in the real world world and connect with
people on the humanistic or whatever way you want to
describe it, a human to human level, right, and just
(20:07):
have this joyous couple of hours of music that we
really really are just getting off on. And that's I
think that's become more and more value as as compared
to the world as you just described it, where we're
very fractioned in our attention spans.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
I got a chuckle when I was researching you. I
saw you once called sticks the penicillin of rock me Yes,
I thought I saw that did you say that. I
thought that was a story about you where they seem
to kind of ferment like a fine wine, and that
they ferment over time, and they were called the penicillin
of rock. If you didn't say it, I say, you
take it, because it's sort of like that.
Speaker 6 (20:44):
I will take that accolade. I might have said it.
I mean, penicillin was discovered in Toronto.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
There you go. Maybe you did that too, and you
just don't remember.
Speaker 6 (20:56):
I have indulgence of it over the years.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
Yes, I've attitude, Yes, thank God for penicillin once in
a while exactly.
Speaker 6 (21:04):
So I wouldn't disagree with that, though whoever said it,
and it sounds a little too clever for me.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
I say take credit where it is. You know what,
Let's do it. Let's say you did.
Speaker 6 (21:15):
It the accolades. Yeah, no, it's true though I do
see from the stage every night, I do see there's
something about embracing music, especially in a live situation like that,
that is that can be quite healing. Honestly for whatever
ails you.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Yeah, it's true.
Speaker 6 (21:36):
We are definitely, we are definitely that to some degree.
You know. I'm glad you didn't say the valium.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Well, vallium can be fun too on different levels, or
or beneficial on different levels. But I wouldn't say for
rock music. You're right, vallium wouldn't be the kind of description.
Speaker 6 (21:54):
I've never tried it, but I understand it. It's a
little more native than a stiction.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Yeah, a little bit of sleepy that would go more
to the classical, probably.
Speaker 6 (22:05):
Far more lively than that, like a shot a penicillin.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
There you go, good old penicillin. You have mentioned about
your live shows, and it's fascinating to see that almost
fifty percent of your audience they're not the baby boom
boomers who grew up with you. You're getting like these
younger generations who maybe they heard mister Roboto as their
first you know, sticks tune, or maybe even the crash
of the Crown album in twenty twenty one. They're coming
to see you now, and it's this whole new world
(22:30):
coming to you.
Speaker 6 (22:32):
I'm so glad you bring that up, because I often
have to kind of slide that into an interview. But
that's true. Half the audience on any given night, half
the audience can be under i'll say arbitrary age of forty,
because if you're forty, you weren't born when the biggest
records of the classical rock classical classic rock era came out.
So I've discovered this music. It's somehow it vibrates with
(22:55):
your life and you relate to it as if it's
concurrent with your life. I'll give you one of my
favorite stories is as a young as a young guy
that used to come and see us, who was only
I think when I met him, he was only ten
or eleven years old, and this would be in the
early two thousands, and he wanted to play keyboards and
he loved sticks and was it really into classic rock?
Speaker 10 (23:15):
And his dad wound up building him a spinning keyboard
stand like I have.
Speaker 6 (23:21):
Yeah, thats uh. And so I met him because he
wanted to be a keyboard player. I happened to meet him,
and we struck up a good friendship and that he
wanted to be a keyboard player, and I could I
saw some videos of him. I could see he had talent,
et cetera. And not that I, you know, it did
anything to kind of bring him along, but he as
(23:41):
the years went by, I saw just how much this
music meant to him, even though he was such a
young guy. He wasn't around. Well, there are thousands and
thousands of young guys like that right now, and and
and girls who have who have discovered classic rock music.
The reason I bring him up is because eventually now
he's one of the keyboard and.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
Toto, Oh there you go.
Speaker 6 (24:02):
I mean, you know, and he says it would only
be maybe twenty nine thirty at this point. That may
be a younger. I don't know, but that's what I
mean is that this music really has crossed generations. And
we see that, and I mean talk about an energy boost.
That's that's way beyond penicila.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
And it's more like, hell, we don't want to get
into those class of drugs that No, no, I'm jumping,
I'm joking.
Speaker 6 (24:27):
I'm being careful as hell. I'm gonna say, a high
energy drink.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
There you go, red Bull. I like that, just the
red Bull, red Bull of rock music.
Speaker 6 (24:35):
You know what it is like A like a good
triple espresso.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
There you are, there you go, a double shot. I
love it.
Speaker 6 (24:41):
Now, a drug we can all agree on.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Yes, it's good. We all partake of that once in
a while.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
I do.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Anyway, what do you think of sticks that multi generational
resilience that the other bands of the era or even
modern bands aren't able to capture. What is it about Sticks?
Speaker 6 (24:57):
I'd say, really, on one level, that's very difficult to answer.
But on another, if I were to really say, well,
what are the ingredients? I think a great melody, once
it gets into someone's head, it never leaves, even if
they've forgotten it. It's the moment they hear it again
and we see this. And even in you know, there
are therapeutic places now where people that have long lost
(25:20):
their mental capacity will take an old piece of music
that they've heard in their youth and be able to
recite it or sing along with it. I think a
great melody just does something to people, and it's I
think Sticks happen to be very rich in that area.
Couple that with lyrics that people can relate to or
(25:41):
see themselves in the picture in some way or somehow
put themselves in the story. I think once that's in
people's minds, it's never going to leave. I think, obviously,
you know, the masters of that would be the Beatles.
That's why you knows so many people still reference them
as I reference them every day and some capacity and
(26:01):
and that to me is the the ultimate map of
how to write a piece of music with a with
a melody that just absolutely sticks and people's heads.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
No pun intended, and uh it's it stays with people. Yes,
there you go.
Speaker 6 (26:20):
That's I think. I think ultimately it's that if someone
writes a great melody, now, any young band and it
gets to people, it's going to it's going to stay
with them. And regardless of the genre. You know, I hear.
Let me reference a couple of younger bands. You know,
I really like came In Palla. That's one that I
really really like that. There's some great melodies, and Royal
(26:42):
Blood is another one.
Speaker 11 (26:43):
Uh uh.
Speaker 6 (26:46):
There's new stuff that comes out all the time. But
even I even had the melody of speaking of espresso.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
You know that song Express Carpenter.
Speaker 6 (26:55):
Yeah, yeah, that's been in my head for a year
now because it's a great melody.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
That's an earworm that I think gets in there. Yeah,
that will never go away. I don't know, good or bad,
it'll never go away.
Speaker 6 (27:05):
I think the one good thing that the penicillin doesn't
cure is earworms.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
It's true, many a night I've had to Humlake Mary
had a little lamb just to get some other song
out of my habit. It never works. There's no secret
to getting it out of your head either, and many
hours have been lost of sleep for me from that.
Speaker 6 (27:25):
Well, that's what happens. That's why even a great television
show theme, you know, if I just say the words Flintstones,
you're already singing it.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Oh no, now what did you do? Look at what
you're doing on the break, I'm going to be singing
and I'll have to get it out of my head. Well,
speaking of that, you know, it's money. You mentioned like
the pop culture references and how sticks. The music of
Sticks has been in many, many shows, but it was
then that seventies show Billions, The Simpsons and my personal
favorite South Park, and Cartman in the car says that
(27:54):
he can't hear the first line of Come sail Away
without having to finish it, and they go on to
finish it the whole song, and that's sort of the
leads to that that he can't hear that first line
without finishing and he has to finish the song. Oh oh,
your play.
Speaker 6 (28:11):
You know it's funny because I think Cartman's version of
comes other Way that is the most masterful of all.
I think it's just the best.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Really, No, why do you think that I have to know?
Because I love south.
Speaker 6 (28:21):
Park, they love south Park, and because of his enthusiasm.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Yes, he really loves that song. Yes, you know what,
there are many things in my life almost daily that
come back to South Park for me, good or bad.
There is some reference in my life to South Park,
and I think I might need therapy.
Speaker 10 (28:40):
But yeah, oh, there's always a little philosophy that runs
through the end of every South Park episode and I
begin to turn to it for my as my philosophy
of the day if it's not on my tea bags.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
And you know what, they love Canadians in that series.
They to pick the Canadians as a very interesting group.
Speaker 6 (29:04):
We are blame Canada.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
It is blame Canada. There you go that. I think
on that note, I need to pause for the cause
here a little bit and take a little break. I'm
Doreene Taylor and you're listening to the scene with Dory
nationally syndicated Coast to Coast. I've been shouting with Lawrence Gowin,
lead vocalist and keyboardist for the band Sticks. When we
come back, we're gonna get into the new album, The
Brotherhood of Rock Tour, and we're gonna wrap it all up.
So do not go anywhere.
Speaker 8 (29:26):
No more mold, no more damage, no more outdated old bathroom,
no mars slipping, un hurting, no more stress. Make your
ordinary bathroom extraordinary for only ninety nine dollars per month.
New shower, new door, new tub, new wall, new anti
slip technology, face dress bree Call eight hundred eighty two
seven forty sixty seven. BCI Bathroom Shower is made in
(29:49):
America for the highest quality. Ask about our militarians and
your discounts your dream bathroom and as little as one day.
First fifty colors, say fifteen hundred dollars on a never
clear glass street a door. Call now for free premium
color upgrades. Eight hundred eight two seven forty sixty seven.
Call BCI Bath and Shower the leader at bathroom or modeling.
Be smart, safe and stay a step ahead of inflation
(30:12):
with our interest free financing options. Call eight hundred eight
two seven forty sixty seven. Love your bathroom with free upgrades.
Call eight hundred eight two seven forty sixty seven. Eight
hundred eight two seven forty sixty seven.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
Hey guys are you loving show. You want to see
more of the scene, Well, guess what you can, because
The Scene with Doreen is now a weekly segment on
the nationally syndicated television show The Daily Flash. The Daily
Flash is your daily destination for trending stories, celebrity updates,
and industry highlights, and it's now your home to watch
the Scene with Doreen. You can turn us on and
(30:49):
watch every Wednesday across the country. Check your local times
and listenings at the Scene with Dorine dot com.
Speaker 8 (30:56):
One out of eight women in the United States will
be diagnosed with breast cancer in our life time, and
the chances are you know at least one person who's
been personally affected. But right now you can help. It's simple.
Donate your unwanted vehicle RV or trailer to the United
Breast Cancer Foundation. It's the easiest way to contribute to
one of the nation's leading charitable organizations. The process is fast,
(31:18):
easy and free. Not only will you be helping, but
you'll also receive a tax deduction. The United Breast Cancer
Foundation offers an array of programs and services that help
and support families and individuals dealing with breast cancer. But
we can't do it alone. We need your help. Simply
give us a call to get started and we'll schedule
a pickup date that is convenient for you. If you
(31:40):
have any questions you would like answered before initiating the
donation process, please feel free to call us toll free
at eight hundred three seven three ninety six thirty six.
That's eight hundred three seven three ninety six thirty six
eight hundred three seven three ninety six thirty six.
Speaker 6 (31:57):
On the Ruins US.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
Then Alah, your dreamers like me.
Speaker 5 (32:03):
As you suspect Retestine.
Speaker 2 (32:32):
To Destroy. Welcome back to the scene with Dorena Proud,
part of the Beasley Media Group Family. I'm your host,
Doreene Taylor, and I have been chatting with lead vocalist
and keyboardist of the quintessential rock band Sticks coming out
of the break you heard the first release Build and
(32:54):
Destroy off their newest studio album, Circling from Above, available
to purchase now at sticksworld dot com or available to
stream and download everywhere on July eighteenth. Lawrence, congrats on
the release of the new studio album, Circling from Above.
It's your first release, Build and Destroy. That is really
such a great reminder of why Styx is the music
(33:14):
powerhouse that has been relevant for over fifty years.
Speaker 6 (33:17):
Well, thank you very much. Yes, it is an exciting time.
We're very we're very you know, energized by the by
the mere aspect of a bandit's into his fifty third
year of his existence, having something new that we're all
really loving playing, and people seem to be embracing.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
Now, stick with me for a second. This is one
of my longer little roundabout questions. But for listeners you
know from the scene, if you're new to the stick scene.
In eighty three, Styx came out with the concept album
Mister Kilroy Was Here, which spawned the hit Mister Roboto.
It's about the struggle for freedom of expression and the
dehumanizing effects of a society that seeks to control its citizens.
(33:57):
And now your tune Build and Destroyer right off. Your
new album is about humanity's relationship with technology and nature,
and you even cite AI in your lyrics. These songs
are forty two years apart, yet they seem scarily connected
and each one is equally relevant today.
Speaker 6 (34:14):
Yeah, I agree, that's I mean, it's one of the
biggest subjects of our life. I think mister Roboto, that
song was very prescient and foresaw, you know, I mean,
you can go as far back as I think the
nineteen thirties and see where people knew that robots were
going to be part of our life and that technology
basically not as robots, but I mean technology was going
(34:37):
to have a fairly profound influence on where humanity was
going to go and what we were going to build
and what it might get destroyed in the process, et cetera.
And I think that it's you know, it's great fodder
for classic rock material anyway, because we're usually trying to
write songs there. It's somewhat relatable to life, but also
(34:59):
larger than life. And so I think mankind's humankind's connection
with technology and how we try to maintain as much
of our humanity as possible is really good subject.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
Matter, absolutely, And the song Build and Destroy it was
inspired by a conversation about an app that tracks defunct satellites.
Speaker 6 (35:21):
That really well, that was more of an overriding That
was an overriding conversation we're having that that resulted in
surpling from above. As we were working on the record,
and we were also thinking about the fact that nature
is also surfing from above, you know, and the words
et cetera, and and that we you know, we have
these watchful eyes on us all the time and whatever whatever,
(35:44):
you know, great plans we have, you know, there's that,
there's that there's an old saying. I think this says,
you know, a man makes plans and guard laughs or
something of that nature, something like that. And I think
in a lot of ways that's that's what happens with
our know, we observe from on high, and yet see
a lot of our great things wreaking havoc with us,
(36:06):
you know, as much as they do great things for us.
I mean, we talked about these, you know, with our
cell phones, et cetera. What they how they have you
know impact, you know, have affected our daily lives and
our interaction with each other.
Speaker 12 (36:19):
Right and so, but for Build and Destroy, that was
a song that that I came up with the beginnings
of it anywhere, the musical theme of the and the
title uh kind of connect into this circling from above idea.
Speaker 6 (36:32):
And this this idea of watching man and nature kind
of interact, and ultimately nature wins. We already know who wins.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
Oh absolutely, it's just how is it going to play out?
Speaker 6 (36:45):
I know that's it. We we all know, and we've
known for a long time. But no matter what we do,
and nature is going to ultimately be the they're going
to raise the Stanley Cup. If it's still.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Around there, you go bring it back to hockey. I'm
a hockey fan, so I appreciate that. Still waiting for
my Stanley Cup, Buffalo Sabers, But anyway, we won't go there.
You know. It's also very thought provoking though, the commentary
about when I started really digging into the lyric and
especially the whole album as as a total work. It's
(37:19):
really interesting how our society has it's really disposable with
our dreams and how they can when they're in viewed
as illogical or impractical, we just abandon it. We just
abandon our dreams. Like you were saying, the satellites. There's
these amazing things that we put out there that was
someone's dreams, someone's you know, pinnacle of their work, and
then either they become outdated or they just don't work anymore,
(37:39):
and we just leave it there for, you know, for
whatever to create you know, space trash, and it's kind
of a very interesting topic.
Speaker 6 (37:48):
Yeah. I mean, there's there's a quote in the album
this is all Mankind's dreams lie in the void. There's
a positive and negative to that, but that's really it's
it's an unfortunate reality of it. The one thing we
know that last is our interaction with each other and
what we you know, what we do human to human
(38:09):
and how we treat each other. Those are the things
that actually have a far more lasting impression in the
long run. Now I'm getting way too deep on Oh no.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
I love it. I'm getting into it. I'm kind of
asking you questions to get you there. I love it.
Speaker 4 (38:23):
I love it.
Speaker 6 (38:24):
I can get I can get just just from the
shallow ends, just where it starts to kind of drop off.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
Well, there you go. Let's go a little toe in
it and everything will be fine.
Speaker 4 (38:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (38:33):
So no, no, I think that that this is, this
is you know, ultimately the thing that you know. This
will seem timely, but but you know, Brian Wilson, Okay,
so I just got the messages. He just he left
us and we we had a great date with him
(38:54):
in the studio. I know this is way off topic,
but because it's it's timely. Today we had a great student,
Dan's studio with him, and he actually sang with us
on our Cyclorama album back in two thousand and three.
And you know, I'm thinking of him today. And what
you know, obviously is what he left behind with his family,
et cetera. That's that's the most thing of value to them.
(39:17):
But to the world, he left behind some great lyrical things,
you know that, and melodies that have enriched our lives.
And I think music, you know, we talk about love,
and we talk about you know, you know, the mercy
and all the other good things, just love and mercy.
There you go, right Wilson, right there. But these these
(39:39):
are these are really lasting things. And I'm going to
add music to that equation as well, because it does
elevate the human experience to to such a wonderful degree,
and that riches our lives. And our inventions enrich our lives.
But only to a certain point. Only if they kind
of bring about about those other, those other aspects and
(40:00):
and magnify them to some degree, do they really have
a lasting value. Ultimately, you know, a courage just transports
you from one place to another. I'll just go with
a sample one ear. But ultimately, it's what it connects
you to that's really important, not the invention itself. That
was deep.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
Actually, yes, that was very good. I think you should
trademark that. Maybe their next song lyric that you put
out there. That was very good.
Speaker 6 (40:24):
I wonder if it will make as much for me
as penicillin.
Speaker 2 (40:28):
Nothing will make as much as penicillin has. When I
get my next infection, I will remember you fondly. Well,
you know, well, build a destroy It makes mention of AI,
which is timely and it's vary. It's in the news
every single day, every day. It's you gotta say, though,
(40:50):
your music video I assume was heavily generated by AI.
I'm watching it, I'm not thinking that the thing, the
graphics that I'm seeing, you guys weren't actually doing that.
Speaker 6 (41:00):
Well, that's that's that's actually as we shot that, it
was a we we brought it in at just under
fifty million dollars. No, there's no AI in that at all.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
Yeah, not at all.
Speaker 6 (41:10):
Of course, of course it's AI. It's entire well, it's
entirely AI. Accept that there is the human behind it.
My friend to Jay z Barth in Toronto, who you know,
he's got to input his his own artwork and et
cetera into the device in order to bring it out.
And then, of course it's extremely debatable as to how
much is Jay and how much is his AI pal. Obviously,
(41:32):
the the end result is the is the AI. What
I found really intriguing, disturbing funny about the video is
that you know, each band member appears in various parts
of it, know who it is, but it doesn't actually
look like us. It's it's the computer's interpretation. At one
point they gave me this enormous jaw.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
And that was the pen of Sellin.
Speaker 6 (41:58):
Yeah, I mean yeah, so that was kind of nice
to see. Hey, look I've got a really manly looking
job for once.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
Well it's interesting. Yeah, I can do good things, but
it can do some bad things too. It always gives
us weird fingers, like it doesn't know how to interpretate hands.
Speaker 6 (42:15):
The finger thing is hilarious because there were there were
a couple along the way where my brother Terry on base.
I noticed, Wait a second, he's got seven fingers.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
On that that's why he plays so good.
Speaker 6 (42:25):
I thought, wow, I got to go check that out again,
and sure enough, no, he only had five on that hand.
But yeah, I liked and I find that it's you know,
it's it's a controversial subject. Some people absolutely cannot stand
what aight I has done and and and there are
others that absolutely embrace it and love it as as
(42:48):
a as a it's a new tool basically, is what
what's going to be used for? And it's going to
be used for some pretty awful things. I began reading
about the you know, there's a horrible carbon foot that
it comes from, et cetera. And that's a terrible thing
as but that also comes, i'd have to, you know,
add from the Space program and from all kinds of
(43:09):
things that have kind of helped to advance our lives
and yet pull them back at the same time. It's
it's this constant trade off that we go through, isn't
it douring that you know? And that's what Building Destroyer
is all about.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
It is Well, I say this on the show so often,
and I don't want to, but it always comes back
to this, with great power comes great responsibility. And we're
inventing things, I think before we actually know how to
harness that power or respect the power of what we're creating.
And I think that is sometimes you know, we're creating
things that we can't really control.
Speaker 6 (43:43):
Well, we can't foresee. I saw an interview with David
Bowie that he did maybe at least a quarter of
a century ago, maybe it was even early late nineties
where he said, the effect of the Internet and what
it's going to do to the planet is unimaginable. That word.
It's just it's going to have an effect. That's and
(44:03):
and look where we are, Look where we can't even
agree on what a fact is anymore. We can't agree
on what because it's it has fractured our our you know,
our interactions with each other. It's just such a kind
of terrible degree. And yet it's been such an enlightening
tool as.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
Well, right, double edged sort.
Speaker 6 (44:22):
Yeah, And I guess that's really what the universe is,
and a I will will play out exactly the same
way as all these inventions that since the since the wheel.
You know, yeah, I'm saying one scene I wanted never mind.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
You're going down a tangent. You were putting that toe
a little deeper into that deep end. Weren't you jogging
in the dressing room the other night?
Speaker 6 (44:45):
That a good cartoon would be you know, those cartoons.
You have a caveman who suddenly, you know, he comes in.
He goes, look at this, and he shows everybody the wheel, right,
and then these four guys that they're carrying, you know,
the grand pooba on their shoulders, go well, thanks a lot.
You just put us out of work.
Speaker 2 (45:07):
That is good. You should write for the New Yorker,
like you know with the Lane and Seinfeld. You need
to come up with your own.
Speaker 6 (45:15):
It's that kind of thing. I just said. Yeah, he
pissed off four guys like just like that.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
Where were you five minutes ago? Yeah? Always a little
too late? A dollar and a donut? What is it?
A dollar and a donut too short? Something like that.
I don't even know anymore, the old adage, but yeah,
donut the donut. Yeah, there's something about a donut being
too there you go see. I'm ooh, the brain's working.
I see the wheel in your head ering.
Speaker 6 (45:38):
We can all coexist. I mean, the donut didn't ultimately
put the Claire out of business.
Speaker 1 (45:43):
No.
Speaker 2 (45:43):
I enjoyed both, and I will take them both at
the same time, you know what, I'll take them. Well,
are you ever going to use it? Are you ever
gonna say you know what. I'm going to embrace AI
in my music and I want to see what it
can do. Are you are you going to open that
Pandora's box? Are you just gonna stayed to the old
school way?
Speaker 6 (46:03):
I doubt it because I haven't. I haven't found any
AI pieces of music yet that have had any entertainment
value whatsoever greatly so far, I just haven't. I've heard,
I've thought of good applications for it in music. We
won't go into those now, but there are some good applications,
but not in there, not on the creative side. I
think far more in what it can do to enhance
(46:25):
sound I think is ultimately where it can it can
be helpful. But in the visual world, I mean, you
know when CGI came in, you know that was another
step forward, and you know in a lot of ways,
and so no, I think it'll be harnessed better and better,
(46:46):
and we're some wor as time. As time goes on.
Speaker 2 (46:49):
Yeah, it's one of those things where you're it's like
a David Bowie interview from decades ago. It's how it's
going to play out in the future and where we're
going to be. We're going to look back and go, oh,
totally wrong, or oh, we should have listened, And I
have a feeling we're at the oh we should have
listened portion of our tour here.
Speaker 6 (47:07):
Uh yeah, very very likely. I mean, but I don't know.
I don't know how you put these things back in
the box.
Speaker 2 (47:13):
One we can't. It's the Pandora's box, it is, and
once you open it, all we have left is hope.
And that is sort of where we are. And that's
kind of sad because I still have more to talk about.
I don't want to like leave on that note, because
you know, for a quarter of a century, Styx has
become this touring juggernaut and the band is back at
it again this summer on the Brotherhood of Rock tour
across the country. You know, speaking of brotherhood, Unlike a
(47:36):
lot of bands out there, you guys really love and
respect each other and it's refreshing to see that, and
it's become more than a band. It's really family for you.
Speaker 6 (47:44):
We we enjoy each other's company, I say quite often.
You know, it's it's such an entertaining band and we
have this galvanizing experience on a nightly basis. You know,
at least one hundred times a year when we play concerts,
at the end of the night, we're looking at as
as an ensemble, We're looking at thousands of people with
their arms in the air and gigantic smiles and their
faces wanting more. And that does so much for your
(48:08):
for your sense of worth and just the whole endeavor
of it just feels so inspiring, right honestly, and I
have said this many times. I look across the stage
during our show and I'm as entertained as the audience
is by all the all my bandmates, you know, and
we we have this shared vision of how you know,
what sticks can can continue to be, and we throw
(48:31):
ourselves into that very deeply every night. We've also seen,
you know, other bands around us and how those kinds
of you know, backstage dramas, how they can, how they
play out, and ultimately, when you when you hit on
a good combination, you know, it just it's it's something
to be thankful for.
Speaker 2 (48:49):
And we are absolutely and a lot of you have
had other careers. You've had other like other bands and
other successes, and you're coming together now at a certain
place in each other's lives lives, and maybe that's great
maybe because you've gotten all the other stuff out of
the way and now you're forming just to really make
make it about the music and the camaraderie.
Speaker 6 (49:07):
Yes, there's a lot. There's a lot to that. There's
a lot to that doory, and there's you begin to
really value certain things in your life as you get older,
certain relationships that you may have taken for granted when
you were younger. That's one of the one of the
follies of youth, I think, is that we think we're
going to make these great, lasting, really great relationships, and
then we can sometimes toss them aside, you know, before
(49:31):
they've really given us everything that they could, and that's
an unfortunate learning experience. So now we're at a point
in our lives where we really do value each other.
Speaker 2 (49:41):
Yeah, that's wonderful because I hear so much the other
way or you know, so many artists they've had to
split because of egos or this or that or whatever
it is, and it's so refreshing.
Speaker 6 (49:51):
Sticks are no exception to that.
Speaker 2 (49:53):
Absolutely, But you never ever really well, did you guys?
You didn't break up once? Did you guys break up twice?
I think Sticks in their history is a twice, but
you've kept going.
Speaker 6 (50:00):
I think they busted up a couple of times.
Speaker 2 (50:02):
Yeah, I think it was twice. Yeah, Glue, it worked.
I gotta tell you, since you it's like you're the
secret formula. Maybe that question I asked earlier about what's
the secret sauce that keeps you guys going? Maybe it
is Lawrence, could be and.
Speaker 6 (50:17):
None of that, but yeah, every I think I think
they should put it into law that every band you
know needs at least one Canadian Hi.
Speaker 2 (50:24):
Eh, yes, that's what it's about. Hey, yeah, no, I
love it. And you know, you've done so much. Like
I said, you had your solo career, and you've you've
performed with other bands, and you've had the youth aspect
and now you're at this, you know, chapter of your life.
How have you evolved at this point in your life?
How have you evolved as a musician where you have said,
you know, I've changed for the better. How how have
(50:46):
you evolved.
Speaker 6 (50:48):
That I think can only be measured really measured. I
guess in two ways. One is just as a songwriter,
hopefully I'm as good as I was at least and
hopefully I've learned some things in that in that regard
and as a performer, because that's a great deal in
my life, just as a way of interacting with an
audience on stage. I think I've grown in that regard
(51:10):
in that when I see, you know, older stuff of
myself from decades ago, Yeah, I can, I can sometimes WinCE.
Speaker 2 (51:19):
We all do that, Oh yes, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 6 (51:21):
You know what I thought looked really cool and it
was turned out to not to be and.
Speaker 2 (51:26):
You got to get it out of your system, at.
Speaker 6 (51:27):
Least at least by today's standards.
Speaker 13 (51:29):
You know.
Speaker 6 (51:30):
The great thing is I have I guess I've tried
to maintain, you know, whatever, whatever I was doing well
in the past. You know, I know now I can
say that I was doing some things well, and I
know that there's I have to put the work into
to maintain those things, like I still do, like this year,
I'll do about one hundred stick shows and twenty five
(51:51):
gallon shows, you know, across Canada, and uh, you know,
I have to kind of continue to kind of lean
into it. I guess that maybe where the where the
growth can be measured is that I don't think I've
taken too much of a backstep yet. You know, eventually
you know the realities of life are going to intercede
(52:11):
in that in that way, but I'm going to fight
against that as hard as I can, for as long
as I can.
Speaker 2 (52:16):
Your mouth God's ear. Ah wonderful. I want everyone visit
sticksworld dot com, get the new album Circling from Above,
check out their Brotherhood of Rock tour dates, and stay
connected to everything that is Sticks and Lawrence Gowan. You
are wonderful, my friend. I know you're coming, and we're
in the Philadelphia area. You're coming, I believe a little
in a few months to the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion. You're
(52:37):
going to be in Camden, New Jersey, right or outside
of Philly. So a lot of my listeners, you know,
check you out. That's gonna be fun.
Speaker 5 (52:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (52:44):
I want to come out now. I want to I
want to meet you.
Speaker 6 (52:47):
Right yeah, please, please do you. I can guarantee this.
I've never ever, you know, encouraged someone to come to
a Stick show without hearing back from them the very
next day. Oh my god, that was fantastic, And that's
really the best thing of all. You know that I'd
invite anyone to come to a Stick show and I
defy them not to have a great time.
Speaker 4 (53:05):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (53:06):
I say that's a challenge, and challenge accept it. All
my listeners, all my viewers, take the challenge because I've
seen you guys live and yeah, yeah, you're not going
to be disappointed. It's amazing. It's it's quite the show.
It's a tour deforce.
Speaker 6 (53:18):
I think this is one of the best shows we've
ever done. We play the Grand Illusions in its entirety wonderful,
the whole collection of hits, and then we squeeze, build
and destroy in there and the whole thing we've got.
We've got great video content on this to our great
artistic stuff from beginning to end, and people are thoroughly
enjoying it. So I hope you make it out during I.
Speaker 2 (53:37):
Love it and I will definitely do that. I want
to say, Hi, I want to make sure that we
talk a little bit more about AI. No, no, no,
We'll talk about penicillin one.
Speaker 6 (53:45):
I wish I had more to say about it. I
just felt I just found it entertaining and a good
way to put this song across.
Speaker 2 (53:51):
I love it, and I think it is very poignant,
like I said, and I think it is a precursor
for a lot of things that are to follow, and
we will probably probably we can revisit this maybe in
two years and see how things have aged. If we're
still here, if we're still here more.
Speaker 10 (54:07):
If we're still here, one more worry about that. I mean,
ultimately in the building destroy video. That's the war between
the birds and the bees, and that is eternal.
Speaker 2 (54:14):
It's true. That is the whole premise of my life.
The birds and the bees. That's what I've lived my
whole life for now. They have a way of working together, though,
they find a way to coexist, and humans have yet
to kind of master that yet.
Speaker 6 (54:27):
Let's keep working on it.
Speaker 2 (54:28):
We will. And I've had a wonderful time working with
you today and co existing with you today on the scene.
Thank you so much for being here today.
Speaker 6 (54:36):
My pleasure. Great to chat with you again. And we'll
see you up the road soon.
Speaker 2 (54:40):
I would love that and you have wonderful I know
you're on tour right now. Where are you? What city
are you in? Tonight?
Speaker 6 (54:44):
Lake City?
Speaker 2 (54:45):
So All Lakes? Because I can tell that's not your
beautiful bedroom right behind you.
Speaker 6 (54:49):
This is not my beautiful bedroom. No, this is a
beautiful hotel room.
Speaker 4 (54:54):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (54:55):
The tour life.
Speaker 6 (54:56):
I tied it up as much as I could before
I got in the air with you.
Speaker 2 (54:59):
It's very good. I gotta say, I'm impressed, you know, guy.
Speaker 6 (55:01):
Traveling You not impressed?
Speaker 2 (55:04):
Oh okay, let's see.
Speaker 4 (55:06):
Oh my god, Oh you know what.
Speaker 2 (55:08):
You just ruined my whole illusion. Well, there you go.
That's all you need. I love it. You're gonna have
a play out music for us. You can, yeah, you
can do play us out. No, it was wonderful. You're awesome.
Have a great gig tonight, and I will see you soon.
By bye bye, Thank you too.
Speaker 3 (55:27):
Bye.
Speaker 2 (55:28):
Hey, guys, that's all the time we have for today.
Thank you to my guest, the wonderful Lawrence Gowing. For
more interviews, visit the Scene with Doreen dot Com I,
Dorian Taylor on behalf of Matt myself and the rest
of the Scene with Dorian Crewe see you next week.
Speaker 13 (56:00):
Sponsored by our radio listening post in Ukaipa, Ukaipa Farm
Fresh Produce where you can get healthy in the heart
of Ukaipa. You'll find locally sourced fresh fruit, vegetables, farm eggs, honey,
fresh bread, nuts, and for your sweet tooth, delicious ice
cream and locally produced candy, from liquorice to chocolates, all
to your heart's content. It's Ukaipa Farm Fresh Produce just
(56:24):
down the street from Tuscano's Pizza between thirteenth and fourteenth
on Ukaipa Boulevard. Open every day weekdays from eight am
to six pm and on weekends to five pm. For
more info, you can call nine O nine seven nine
zero sixty one oh six. That's nine O nine seven
nine zero six one zero six. Shop local with Ukaipa
(56:45):
Farm Fresh Produce. Tell them you heard it on this
radio station and saw it on the DNA advertising screen
inside the store. It's Ukaipa Farm Fresh Produce. News on
CACAA Lomlada sponsored by Teamsters Local nineteen thirty two protecting
(57:05):
the Future of Working Families Teamsters nineteen thirty two.
Speaker 5 (57:09):
Dot org.
Speaker 14 (57:16):
M scene is Radio. I'm Brian Shook. The Senate's vote
rama is continuing into the night. Lawmakers are voting on
unlimited amendments to President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill. There's been
at least twenty votes related to the bill today. The
man charged with killing four University of Idaho's students in
November twenty twenty two is taking a plea deal. Brian
(57:39):
Coburger accepted a plea deal that removed the death penalty
in exchange for him pleading guilty to committing the four
murders and serving life. The White House will look into
a report that says the head of the Federal Reserve
lied to Congress. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt was asked about
a New York Post report that says fed Shair Jerome
Powell told Congress US a two and a half billion
(58:01):
dollars makeover of the Central Banks Washington headquarters does not
include lavish upgrades.
Speaker 2 (58:07):
I'll have to take a look at those allegations, and
I will raise them to the President's attention and let
him speak on them himself.
Speaker 14 (58:13):
The Post reports plans include specific items Powell denied while
being questioned, such as special elevators. A new app could
play a key role in detecting wildfire hotspots and high
smoke exposure. Chris Keragio has more.
Speaker 11 (58:28):
Researchers at Harvard developed smart flames to identify where fires
are more likely to burn, as well as where public
health impacts are highest. They looked at northern California's wildfire
season in twenty twenty and found that areas treated with
prescribed burns did not overlap with high risk areas. If
lands were targeted better, smoke exposure in the area would
(58:49):
have decreased by seventeen percent. The app can be used
by policymakers to implement management strategies like Prescribe Burns. I'm
Chris Krajio.
Speaker 14 (58:57):
Paul Simon's Quiet Celebrattion tour hit a snag when he
was forced to cancel two shows in Philadelphia over the
weekend due to chronic and intense back pain. You're listening
to the latest from NPC News Radio.
Speaker 1 (59:13):
Located in the heart of San Bernardino, California, the Teamsters
Local nineteen thirty two Training Center is designed to train
workers for high demand, good paying jobs and various industries
throughout the Inland Empire. If you want a pathway to
a high paying job and the respect that comes with
a union contract, visit nineteen thirty two Trainingcenter dot org
(59:36):
to enroll today. That's nineteen thirty two Trainingcenter dot org.
Speaker 15 (59:45):
Ten fifty am. Don't forget that number. And for you
young people who got here by accidentally fat fingering your
FM band selector, we're an AM radio station, and AM
refers to more than just the time of day.
Speaker 6 (01:00:02):
Joa conjul case
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.