In the thick of the winter season, Stephen Sanchez headlined his first Florida show at the House of Blues in Orlando.
The walkways of Disney Springs were filled with holiday spirit as guests gathered to listen to classic Christmas songs played on a carillon outside of Orlando’s House of Blues. When the doors opened at 6:30 PM, a sold-out crowd made their way out of the cold and into the venue.
Singer-songwriter Stephen Day provided sole support, opening at 7:30 PM. Accompanied by bassist Jimi Greene and drummer Scooter Spicer, Day kicked things off with “On Top of the World.” Throughout his set, Day performed tracks spanning his discography including “If You Were the Rain” and “All This Space.” Day’s latest single “4321” was a definite fan favorite which had the crowd screaming along. Throughout the set, Day and Greene pulled from a rack of guitars, with a solo break from Greene that pulled an enthusiastic reaction. A cover of King Harvest’s “Dancing In the Moonlight” preceded the 2016 original “Hey Lady” to close the set.
A playlist of mid-century classics entertained fans during the set changeover. Even teenagers in the pit were singing along to The Chords’ “Sh-Boom” and The Drifters’ “This Magic Moment.” The music soon faded away, replaced by the show’s intro recording. As the voiceover prepared the crowd to hear the story of Sanchez’s debut album Angel Face, bare bulbs lining the edge of the stage pulsed before a soft instrumental segued into the opening number.2023’s Angel Face is a concept album that follows the tale of the Troubadour Sanchez, a fictional version of the singer who finds himself in a deadly love affair. Sanchez’s 2023 tour heavily leans into this narrative, with a setlist that closely followed the order of the album’s tracklist and included spoken interludes between songs to preface important story beats. Album opener “Something About Her” introduces the crowd to the love story of the Troubadour and Evangeline.
The vintage aesthetic present in the wardrobe and set design paired perfectly with the modern-day crooner’s voice. A warm light flooded the stage for the second number, “Evangeline,” as the bulbs shone against a shimmering gold backdrop and a large marquee sign that read “Sanchez Baby!” lit up behind the band. “Doesn’t Do Me Any Good,” a later track from Angel Face, was a crowdpleaser that had fans screaming their approval for Sanchez’s dance moves, which resembled Elvis Presley’s, then for a solo from guitarist Brooks Gengenbach.
The energy reached a high midway through the set with a cover of Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman,” “Shake,” and fan favorite “High.” After this, the story took its final, dark turn into “Death of the Troubadour” and “Send My Heart With a Kiss,” but the set wasn’t finished yet. After the unreleased track “Howlin’ At Wolves,” Sanchez took a moment to interact with the floor, singing “Happy Birthday” to one fan and dedicating a cover of the Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody” to another. The singer had a cheeky rapport with his fans, reading out their signs and accepting gifts thrown on stage including a stuffed bear, a bouquet of roses, and a garter that he hung on his guitar’s headstock. One fan’s sign piqued the singer’s interest and he excitedly read aloud the “I heart Jesse” message to bassist Jesse Houle.
With the holidays quickly approaching, Sanchez treated the crowd to his cover of “Silver Bells,” a tour debut. After “The Pool,” the room erupted with chants for an encore. Sanchez’s breakout single “Until I Found Her” provided the closure fans were looking for. Everyone in the venue swayed along and sang with the band as they lined up at the front of the stage for one final, acapella rendition of the chorus. Sanchez and his band thanked the crowd before taking a few minutes to hand out setlists and sign posters for fans in the front.
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