Stephen Sanchez • The Brook & The Bluff • September 21, 2024 • Sandy Amphitheater
Reviewed and Photographed by Josilyn Wakkuri Lybbert
A line of a little over fifty people had already formed when I arrived to Sandy Amphitheater around 3 pm on Saturday, September 21st. Stephen Sanchez, joined by The Brook & The Bluff, made it back to Utah for his sold-out, “Live From The Connie Co Show,” tour stop. Making it his third show here in the last year and a half! It’s always extra fun to be able to attend a show as a fan while also getting to document the night! I’ve been a fan of Stephen’s for a few years, and when I first discovered his music, he only had one song released!
I’ve really enjoyed watching his career take off, and it’s been awesome to cover each one of his Utah shows and see the performances evolve and the crowd grow with each one! I think it goes without saying, but I was looking forward to this show!
Not long after I arrived, music started to play from inside the gates of the amphitheater. After a few solely instrumental songs, we heard the uncanny voice of Stephen Sanchez himself. About twenty fans, including myself, climbed up a small hill that lead to the fence surrounding the venue to get a look at what was going on. A barefoot, casual dressed Stephen was sound-checking what I assumed was a new song of his. Once he noticed the gathering of fans at the fence, which gave the appearance of a scene straight out of something like Beatlemania, he said, “Oh hi!” He continued to interact with the group as he proceeded with sound-checking hits like, “Evangeline,” “Only Girl,” and, “Emotional Vacation!” We thought that that was a pretty good way to start our wait time prior to the show!
As the wait continued, patient concertgoers could be seen playing card games, having a pre-show dinner, making new friends, putting the finishing touches on hair and makeup, and swapping concert stories! One group of girls even invited those around them to make bracelets!
Thanks to all of that excitement, the hours flew by until the doors opened. Fans moved swiftly into the venue and found their seats. A line full of people excited to get tour merchandise could be seen wrapped around almost the entire venue.
The Brook & The Bluff
It wasn’t long before show time, and The Brook & The Bluff were the first on stage! Though I knew and liked a few of the band’s songs prior, I wasn’t incredibly familiar with them. But, having heard rave reviews from different friends, I was confident that their set was going to be great! And was it ever! The five-piece effortlessly cool indie band from Birmingham, Alabama stepped on stage and several fans throughout the venue jumped out of their seats in excitement.
They started out with, “Off The Lawn,” which was upbeat but gave off chill, relaxing vibes at the same time. A few songs in, “Misnomer,” had fans up and dancing and joyfully enjoying the great music!
The lead vocalist, Joseph Settine, had a pure, crisp-sounding voice that was so nice to listen to. Between that and the stunning harmonies that the band collectively pulled together, the vocals provided by The Brook & The Bluff were top-notch! Not only were they incredibly musically and vocally talented, but they were also engaging, interactive performers! They would direct the crowd to clap in double time to one song or teach a “step, touch,” dance move to another. Those were simple acts, but they really created a cohesive feeling amongst a sold venue of strangers! Joseph could often be seen pulling out some fancy dance moves that made the crowd want to join in! All band members took turns making various people’s day by simply giving a wave! The band seemed so humbled, and almost speechless, as fans cheered and shouted out, “I love you!”
The Brook & The Bluff favored the crowd with their newest release, “Bad Bad News!” It was a groovy, easy listen and fans were loving it! The reaction from the crowd again had the band floored as they said, “ Salt Lake, what the hell? This is amazing!” They shared that that show was the biggest crowd they’d ever played for in Utah!
The last song of their set, “Doobie Bronson,” had a feel of an Eagles song, mixed with some riffs that reminded me of The Beatles’, “Get Back,” all while sounding uniquely their own! At this point, everyone was out of their seats jumping and dancing, taking in every last minute with the incredible band! The Brook & The Bluff were absolutely beloved by Utah concertgoers!
Stephen Sanchez
Soon, the stage was transformed into that of a set of a talk show from the 60s, fixed up with details such as shag carpet, vintage-looking cameras, and an, “Applause,” sign. Stephen’s portion of the concert would be set as a performance taking place during a retro late-night show called The Connie Co. Show. Taking it back to the 60s aligned with the feel of his album Angel Face.
The role of the host Connie was played by musician, Austin Cain, who stepped on stage looking like he really did just step right out of the 1960s! The sea of primarily teen to twenty-something girls squealed in anticipation of the man of the night who would be on stage any second! “Connie” announced, “the troubadour,” Stephen Sanchez!
And there he was, dressed in a white suit jacket and hair slicked back like Elvis. Stephen started out with, “Evangeline,” which, like many of his songs, sounds like it could be a retro, timeless classic! With streams of over 77 million on just that song alone, it was no surprise that the entire venue could be heard singing along at the top of their lungs!
Stephen made his way from the tiered TV set stage down to the front of the stage for another hit, “Only Girl!” While it’s pretty common for fans to scream throughout the entirety of Stephen’s shows, that song brings out the shrieks of excitement, even back when I saw him perform it live while it was still unreleased! Between the song itself, and Stephen’s dance moves thrown into the mix, it’s certainly a fan favorite!
He continued with songs like, “It Doesn’t Do Me Any Good,” “Be More,” and, “No One Knows.” Each one showcased a different realm of his skillful vocal abilities from high notes to power-packed ballads. Then he favored the crowd with a swoon-worthy cover of the iconic classic, “Put Your Head On My Shoulder.” The crowd enthusiasm during that one made it feel like we’d all time traveled back sixty years ago – it really resembled that of a crowd for the likes of Elvis back in the day! Another cover followed, “The Other Side.” This time, it was a rocking rendition of, “Pretty Woman,” by Roy Orbison, where he again pulled out all the stops with dancing and gave a performance that Roy Orbison would no doubt be proud of!
As the show continued, he played some of his earlier songs like, “Hey Girl,” and, “The Pool.” There was a proposal that took place in the front row during, “The Pool”. Stephen appeared to be beside himself with excitement for the happy couple!
The host of the evening joined Stephen on stage to interview him with some questions submitted by fans. For an answer to one of the questions, Stephen shared the story of his first kiss that took place in the second grade! He also had to draw a song and genre/style out of a hat to sing on the spot. Chappell Roan’s, “Hot To Go,” in the style of Bob Dylan was the challenge for this show, and fans were ecstatic about that! Then he announced that he would be performing a new song for the first time. It was called, “What Love Did To Us.” It was hauntingly and heartbreakingly beautiful.
The crowd that hadn’t been quiet the whole night fell silent to take in the emotional song. Another new, unreleased song, “Still Burning,” followed! It was one of the songs he was rehearsing as we watched the sound check earlier in the day, so that was cool to see in go from that part of the day to showtime! The song was upbeat and fun, and the crowd loved it! It was awesome to get a sneak peek into the next era of Stephen Sanchez music!
Throughout the entirety of the show, his band could be seen giving their best performances, too! Even though they were set up further back on the stage, their musicality and stage presence didn’t go unnoticed! I’d catch myself mesmerized by the power exuded from the drummer, Watson Maack. Or the impressive multitasking of Anson Eggerss as he played the keyboard while jumping around, sometimes even on one foot! The lighting effects also really amplified the show. They seemed to match the ambiance of each song perfectly from spotlights to strobe lights and everything in between!
After a song or two, all of a sudden Stephen was off the main stage and performing, “High,” in the middle of the crowd! Fans from all sections tried to get as close to him as they could. Those who got there stood in awe that he was right in front of them! Even from further away, I was in awe! It was so cool to see him rocking out in the middle of a sea of people. I could only imagine what a thrill that was for him!
As the show started to draw to a close, it was time for the song that took the world by storm. Seriously, it has been streamed billions of times! As Stephen sang, “Until I Found You,” fans sang their hearts out along with him.
The last song of the night was the high energy, “Shake.” Stephen was jamming on stage with all of his bandmates, then ended up in the crowd again! He even changed some of the lyrics to, “Well, down in Salt Lake City, and somewhere down in Utah”. Which of course was a hit!
Usually, this is where my review ends, but we stuck around for a bit after the show. We ended up meeting band members Jesse Houle and Anson Eggerss. When my friend asked Anson if Salt Lake was really one of their favorite stops, he said that it’s not just a sentiment that they throw around. That the Utah crowds are always the loudest!
Each band member trickled out of the venue. They started making the rounds around the semi-circle of fans still waiting to say hi. Then the man of the night, Stephen Sanchez, also came out to greet fans! He took time to talk with each person waiting to see him. Even offering to take photos and sign something if they wanted him to! Needless to say, that was a pretty cool way to end the night!
From the strong start to the night with the wonderful The Brook & The Bluff to Stephen Sanchez’s charismatic, born to perform stage presence and phenomenal vocals, this show was one for the books! It’s no secret that Utah loves Stephen Sanchez. I feel like I speak for all fans when I say, we can’t wait for the next time he comes to town!