If you ever want to be serenaded, look no further than a Stephen Sanchez concert. On September 14, Sanchez took to the stage for a night of love ballads and electrifying performances at the Santa Barbara Bowl. Dressed in a crisp red button up and slacks, Sanchez acted as a guest on the Connie Co Show, the fictional 50’s talk show that serves as the theme for Sanchez’s tour.
The show opened with The Brook & The Bluff, a band from Birmingham, Alabama. Their alternative-indie music was a fitting match to Sanchez’s musical vibe.
Starting off with a favorite, “Evangeline,” Sanchez had the crowd up on their feet before jumping into “Only Girl,” and “Emotional Vacation,” the audience eagerly singing along with, “If you got time and love to waste it, emotional vacation / I can be the one you need.” Sanchez occasionally took breaks to address the crowd, teasing that certain songs were “for the ladies.”
Sanchez also covered Paul Anka’s “Put Your Head on My Shoulder,” while walking through the crowd. Even from where I was sitting, I could see the surprised but excited faces of fans who were close up as he sang and kissed the back of someone’s hand. He also covered and danced to Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman.” Sanchez’s voice and musical style was great for these covers, and fit perfectly with the show’s theme.
After playing songs from his older discography, including “Hey Girl,” from his first album and “Hold Her While You Can,” Connie Co made his reappearance to sit down and speak with Sanchez, the two playing into a bit about Sanchez being invited to the Connie Co Show sometime in the early 50’s. They also answered one fan question picked from Sanchez’s Instagram story poll that he posts hours before each show.
While still sitting with Connie Co, Sanchez sang “Fame or Fortune,” and then an acoustic performance of a new song called “You Are So Beautiful,” where he had the crowd repeat the words “I am so beautiful,” until the song’s end. Sanchez jumped back into his upbeat performance with “Howling at Wolves,” and “High,” before tossing a rose into the crowd to one lucky person.
Of course, there’s no Stephen Sanchez show without a performance of one of his most popular songs. And as the set began to come to an end, the crowd erupted in screams as he played the opening notes to “Until I Found You.” It’s difficult not to sway along with everyone else as he sings “I would never fall in love again until I found her / I said, ‘I would never fall unless it’s you I fall into’ / I was lost within the darkness, but then I found her / I found you.”
The tour is a fitting end to the Angel Face album era and I certainly can’t wait to hear what other love songs he has in store next.
