Phoenix, Arizona stepped into a time machine when Stephen Sanchez and The Moon Crests graced the stage at Arizona Financial Theatre for a night of beautiful music and amazing memories.
As the crowd rustled around, talking amongst themselves, twiddling their thumbs, and waiting in anticipation, a voice came over the loud speaker, catching everyone’s attention. “The Connie Co Show will behind shortly, please make your way to your seats.” There was a palpable energy shift in the room, from a still waiting to an excitement. Everyone did as they were told and made their way to their seats.
When the venue went dark, cheers filled the air, and the dashing Connie Co ran onstage to greet his audience for the night. His smile beamed as he made his introduction, announcing his special guest for the evening, a troubadour from Nashville, Tennessee: Stephen Sanchez.
Connie’s talk show set-up (complete with a desk and lounge chair for Sanchez) turned around slowly, the cheers got louder and Sanchez emerged, debonair and charming as ever. If the noise level was any indication, it was clear the crowd agreed.
For the next hour and a half, Sanchez put on a show full of high energy, jaw-dropping vocals, timeless charisma, and a performance that emphasized the beauty of showmanship.
Amongst the litter of songs spanning his discography, Sanchez sprinkled a few covers of some legends that inspired his 50’s aesthetic and sound. For his first cover, he announced: “I feel like joining you folks down there!” He proceeded to walk through the crowds, serenading every woman who dared make eye contact. As he walked through, grabbing hands to give some lucky audience members a soft twirl and giving an endearing “Hello there,” to others, he effortlessly sang ‘Put Your Head On My Shoulder’.
Following the theme, Sanchez performed a cover of Roy Orbison’s hit ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’. On the stage, he had an incredible energy. Running from side to side, hitting Elvis-Presely-esque dance moves, and captivating the audience as he does so well. Throughout the song, he threw in some of his own adlibs without missing a beat: “Come with me, and I’ll treat you right- don’t you know I will!”
“Oh you look good, Phoenix,” he encouraged, as he got the crowd to clap along to the song with him.
While it is his niche as a performer, hearing Sanchez sing songs from that era is a dream. Not only does his voice float so smoothly, his tone sounds so full and perfect. And his persona lends itself to the performance. He is simply charming. As he wandered through the crowd, it was like a trance fell over everyone and the crowd was full of heart eyes. There’s a soft sensuality to him, and it creates an air around him. He is old Hollywood glamour, entirely unattainable yet you still want to try.
Keeping the story alive, the music stopped, Connie Co joined the stage, and Sanchez took a seat. Sanchez and Connie sat and spoke (improvised or not, it was hard to tell) for about the next 10 minutes in a very 50’s/60’s televised interview style. The moment was simply fun, giving an experience that was different and exciting. Co and Sanchez played a quick, fun game of “This or That”, with some help from the audience. Without further ado, here is everything you ever wondered about Stephen Sanchez:
Spring or Autumn: Autumn
Football or Soccer: Football
Swimming or Running: Swimming
Sports Car or Motorcycle: Sports Car
Hot Dog or Pizza: Hot Dog
Beach or Mountains: Beach (after a very long pause)
Honeydew or Cantelope: Honeydew
Popcorn or Candy: Popcorn
Gin or Whiskey: Whiskey
Dogs or Cats: Dogs (“Sorry to any cat owners- I like cats too! I just had to pick this or that…”)
Connie Co then asked Sanchez a question from Bella in the audience. “What is one of your favorite songs you’ve written?”
“Lady by the Sea!” came from the crowd amidst the deal silence. Sanchez laughed.
“Someone said that the other night too, that is so funny,” he responded. “Its tough to say, really…” He proceeded to tell a story of coming home to Nashville after being in Australia, and writing ‘Fame & Fortune’.
“That song has meant a great deal to me because the guys and I in the band – we’ve said this at every show – we definitely don’t feel famous. And it’s so funny cause we’re here and we play shows and music and the name is plastered on everything and it’s what everybody sees – the face, and all that. But the music has always been so much more important to me, and the heart behind it has always been so much more important to me.”
“That song is just about that – it’s about what’s really important and its not names everywhere and being known by everyone, it’s just about being loved by people that you love.”
There was a hush over the venue as Sanchez played the song. He was simply sitting in the lounge chair with an electric guitar in his lap. It was a moving experience. Sanchez’s voice sat softly over the quiet of the crowd, and you could feel everyone fall under his spell. But this wasn’t about his charm or beauty – this was about his voice and the music. The poetry of the moment wasn’t lost on anyone; he had just told the crowd that the music was most important to him, and that was all this performance was about.
After the song ended, he moved center stage with a new guitar in hand. He beautifully strummed a few chords before admitting with a laugh, “I’m just messing around at this point.”
“I wrote this song for all the girls in the crowd,” he said. Naturally, the mostly female crowd erupted in cheers. “I think it’s easy in a world full of labels to forget who we are, how we see ourselves. Sometimes we pick up on the wrong things.”
“I wanna share a fundamental truth,” his voice went from softly dancing with guitar chords to deep and serious. “If you are here tonight, you are so beautiful. You are so loved. And this song is just for you.” It was to the crowd, yes. But something in his voice hit every heart and it felt personal, as if he was very specifically talking to each individual in the crowd.
“This song is called ‘You Are So Beautiful’.”
Near the end of the song, the normal chorus changed a bit, Sanchez singing “Oh, I… am so beautiful.” As the crowd caught on, they cheered in agreement until Sanchez softly invited everyone in. “Now you sing it,” he said, a smile forming. For an entire minute, the venue filled with an echo of voices cooing the affirmation: Oh, I am so beautiful. Sanchez stepped away from the microphone, peering out into the crowd as everyone sang. It was a touching moment, showing that Sanchez was not just an angel face with a pretty voice, but someone who cares about his fans.
Immediately, you could feel the smile on everyone’s face. So, of course, Sanchez had to keep the good energy going.
The Moon Crests rejoined him on stage and red lights washed them out. Sanchez’s pretty boy persona hardened and he transformed into a rockstar before our eyes.
Something that was not lost on anyone was his ability to be exactly what he needed to be to fit the song. There was theatrics and real, captivating showmanship that elevated his performance. It took songs out of the recording and brought them to life. He played the story of the song, and it created an experience that was engaging and exciting! It felt like what live music was meant to be.
Not only was his performance spectacular, but his vocals were divine. His vocal control while he is hitting high notes, as well as control of the tone of his voice, moving higher or deeper into notes strategically when needed, made the show sonically engaging as well. There was never a dull moment.
To end the show on a high note, Sanchez finished the show with a high energy execution of ‘Shake’, complete with a wild tamborine and guitar shredding from Connie Co himself! Sanchez, Co, and The Moon Crests flailed around the stage, dancing and jumping in a frenzy. The crowd ate it up, almost taking the edge off of the fact that the show was over. As the cheers shook the venue, and everyone on stage took a bow, it was clear that everyone went home with a new love for what live music can be.
Stephen Sanchez is not only a lively, enamoring stage presence, but a dynamic, true storyteller. He embodies his Troubadour Sanchez persona and devotes himself to his audience every night. For an hour and a half, a discography of music becomes a performance. You cannot take your eyes off of him as he saunters around on stage, and you have no choice but to immerse yourself in his voice. He is a performer, through and through, and seeing him on stage is a treat.
