Legendary rock band STYX ready to rock NIBROC

In its time, Classic Rock-n-Roll group Styx has played venues and events across the world and across Kentucky, including Rupp Arena and the Kentucky State Fair.

The group, which is comprised of Tommy Shaw, James "JY" Young, Lawrence Gowan, Todd Sucherman and Ricky Phillips, will take the main stage of Nirbroc Friday night.

Gowan, who sings and plays keyboard, said events like Nibroc are a great time for the audience and the band alike.

"Because we are the only ones on stage aside from maybe an opening act, we get to play a longer set," Gowan said. "It is an opportunity to delve deeper into our catalogue of songs."

Gowan added that coming to Nibroc, which is following a concert at Wisconsin State Fair, gives the band the opportunity to visit parts of the country it may only see while passing through on the way to the next show.

"I don’t know Corbin, Ky. as well as New York, but it seems that when we go to a town that we are less familiar with, we wind up having our best nights," Gowan said. "It makes you feel renewed."

When the band takes the stage, Gowan said it is a matter of finding the right balance between older fans who have come to hear Styx’s classic hits such as, "Lady," "Come Sail Away," and "Too Much Time on My Hands," and those who prefer the band’s more recent releases that may not get as much airplay on radio.

"There are Styx standards that have to be in the show and there are songs that people might not have realized are Styx," Gowan said.

When asked what drives the band to continue to tour and to put out new music, if the members can find time off to get into the studio, Gowan said it is audience demand.

"We are from an era that we put on this pompous show and we do it very well," Gowan said. ""Every member of the band derives tremendous pleasure with how our shows affect people. As long as there is an audience, we will continue to go out there night after night."

Gowan noted the band will be on the road continuously throughout the remainder of the year, playing another 50 shows, not only in the U.S. and Canada, but also around the world.

"There is an insatiable demand for Styx to play," Gowan said. "Most of our time is spent trying to accommodate that."

While the band members may agree to disagree on the best type of venue, arena, festival or amphitheatre, Gowan said he leans towards the festivals such as Nibroc because that was his first experience attending a rock concert.

"Every time I get on stage at a fair, I am immediately connected to that first experience as a 14-year-old," Gowan said.

"Live music is still where music is most meaningful because of the human experience," he said. "It is the greatest form of entertainment. People are going to love seeing Styx in Corbin."