Author: Ty Fox

Posted: Sep 16, 2024

The Troubadour with the Angel Face Serenades San Diego

Stephen Sanchez visits San Diego halfway through his studio debut album tour, “Angel Face”. It was clear from the get go Stephen has a dedicated following to the 50’s aesthetic of the album with many fans dressing in attire of Hepburn-esque dresses and carnations and roses galore. The stage was dawned with an applause sign and a large set for “The Connie Co Show” which got many excited before the lights even dimmed. When the lights did dim, the show started with a bang. Our host, the handsome Connie Co danced his way into the spotlight introducing Stephen Sanchez to the crowd.

Stephen entered the stage on the Connie Co set spinning to reveal him as our star for the night. The crowd roared as he introduced the night with two songs from the new album, “Evangeline” and “Other Girl”. He had a commanding stage presence, dragging the mic stand around and shaking his hips to the beat of the music. His voice echoed through the astounding open air venue for the night, the Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre on the SDSU campus. The Campus offers a hidden gem with a steep face of the theater offering no bad seat in the house, even from the peak near to the entrance. During one song Stephen invited the crowd to help him finish a song as fans had brought their own homemade signs and Stephen couldn't help but laugh at the humor he invites on tour with his fans. It showed a really beautiful sentiment of not only having that humorous relationship with his fans but his fans also being dedicated enough to his music to help fill out the rest of the song.

Stephen continued the night with amazing performances and covers. His cover of “Pretty Woman” was iconic and had the whole theater dancing the night away while fans danced in the steep isles. The performance that stuck with me most through the night was for the song “The Other Side”. The song has a slow build up with the sounds of the organ and Stephen’s absolutely beautiful voice bringing us into the swelling chorus where the rest of the band comes in like a wave of sound crashing over during the peak of the song where they infuse this fuzzy guitar sound to compliment his vocal riffs and he hits an insane high note to bring the song back down to its end.

The production of each song, stage production of the set and how they utilized lighting provided a show I will not soon forget. He kept the energy high as he jumped off the stage and ran around the venue surrounded by waves of fans trying to get an inch away, it felt like a scene from the Ed Sullivan show with the Beatles. People fawned over each other just to get to a point where they could see him up close and personal while he serenaded fans moving from section to section. It really showcased another amazing aspect of this venue, in every show I have attended at this theater the artist performing has used the unique architecture to bring an intimate moment to the sets that always make them incredible.

The show also gives you a much closer look at the man himself in a mid show late night style interview as the rotating stage re-reveals Connie Co and “The Connie Co Show” set. They gave us a better idea as to who the character Stephen Sanchez is, revealing a quirky funny guy just making music and doing what he loves. Connie Co brings us questions from fans, leading with “What is something you wish you could have done before your music career?”. He follows with a story about how he used to work in a steakhouse and how he used to want to be a barber, ultimately landing on how he always wanted to open up a record shop which shows the true passion he has for music. The second question presented was “What is the most meaningful song of yours?” in which he answered with a story about the song “Fame and Fortune” and how much it meant to have his bandmates join him on tour. Connie Co invited him to sing Fame or Fortune on the set and he obliged, performing a stripped, really intimate version of the song. The show wasn’t just a musical performance but an overall spectacle that is so impressive to think he throws nearly every night all around the world.

Stephen picks the pace of the show back up as we are entering the final phase of the night. We got an absolute ground shaking rendition of “Tutti Frutti” that was impossible not to dance to. He also brought out a heavy hitter with his hit song receiving over a billion streams worldwide, “Until I Found You”. The band brought it to this show, as I’m sure every other, while they all had their moment to shine through the night they still complimented Stephen’s voice which was truly unforgettable. This unique venue offers a safe and convenient way to and from the stage being right on the SDSU MTS stop. Nothing is worse than escaping a live show parking lot but here you don’t have to! Stephen ended the night speaking a little bit about his platform and the responsibility he feels being in such a large position. He wanted to share that he feels we all need to lead more with love in this life as he introduced us to an unreleased anthem. He led the crowd into this new chorus, having us all sing into the open air “I am so beautiful”, leaving us all with a breath of fresh air and a light note that summarized the whole event as a place of love.

📸 + ✍🏼: Ty Fox Photo @tyfoxphoto