Stephen Sanchez’s latest tour blended nostalgic visual storytelling with immersive audience lighting, creating a live experience that balanced intimacy and scale across every performance.

Supporting the production throughout the run, PRG supplied a lighting package designed to complement the artist’s warm retro aesthetic while maintaining the flexibility required for a modern touring production.

Sanchez's sound draws from the smooth swing of the 1950s and the energy of classic rock and roll, with artists including Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Frank Sinatra cited as formative influences.

That identity carries through to the live show — from his stage presence to the warm, saturated colour palette that defines the production. The creative direction is clear from the outset, and every element on stage is built to feel connected to the music.

Lighting the emotion of the show

Delivering Stephen Sanchez's lighting design was David Kneipp, a Lighting Designer and Programmer who has spent more than a decade shaping the feel of live music. From arenas to intimate stages, he has built the visual worlds behind artists including Stephen Sanchez, Brandi Carlile, Mat Kearney, OK Go, Gregory Alan Isakov, Sierra Ferrell, JOHNNYSWIM and Colony House.

"When I began conceptualising the design, to achieve this look, I drew heavy inspiration from 1970s live shows, when walls of PAR cans behind the band created a raw, saturated look," explained Kneipp. "Having worked closely with Stephen for three years now, I have a strong understanding of his aesthetic. He loves those old school vibes, but we also wanted the show to have the energy and impact of a modern production. The goal throughout was to find the balance between vintage styling and high energy contemporary programming, and I feel we really achieved that on this tour."

Thirty eight Martin MAC Aura fixtures formed the backbone of the rig, positioned across the back of the stage and integrated throughout the set design to create layered beam looks and rich washes.

"We spent a lot of time discussing fixture choices because we wanted something that could capture the vintage aesthetic while still offering modern functionality," said Kneipp. "We landed on the Martin MAC Aura because, for the size of venues we were playing, they still pack a punch and photograph beautifully even at lower intensities. They may be a classic fixture, but they continue to perform exceptionally well and were a key part of delivering the look we wanted."

Eight Chroma-Q Color Force 12 units handled the illumination of the show's rectangular set pieces, cycling through combinations of deep red, yellow, green and purple throughout the performance. The fixtures provided the output needed to saturate the scenic elements while maintaining consistent colour rendition across a wide range of looks.

"A major visual element of the design came directly from Stephen's album artwork," continued Kneipp. "We built eight wooden panels painted in the album's signature colours, which became a central feature of the stage.”

Each panel was lit with a dedicated Chroma-Q Color Force 12, with every fixture assigned a single colour for the entire show. He added “The fixtures gave us exactly the brightness and consistency we needed, while helping reinforce the visual identity of the album throughout the performance."

"The show was programmed on grandMA3 with roughly 80 per cent recipes and the software was exceptional for everything we needed to pull this off," said Kneipp. "I spent a week programming at Parallel Control Systems in Nashville and couldn't have been happier with the experience. The space and the team there are great and it's an excellent previs environment."

Across a run of venues with differing layouts, ceiling heights and audience configurations, maintaining consistency in how the show felt, rather than simply how it looked, remained a key priority. Working closely with the touring team, PRG ensured the lighting package could adapt to each venue while preserving the creative intent behind the design.

"The team at PRG UK was outstanding from start to finish, keeping us informed every step of the way and remaining flexible whenever last minute changes came up," added Kneipp. "We also had PRG technician Dylan Keme join us for our London show who supported prepping before the tour and he was a pleasure to work with."

On the Road

Leading Tour and Production Management was Jawsh Thomas, whose experience across touring, live production and front of house engineering brought a strong understanding of both the creative and technical demands of the show.

Over the course of his career, Thomas has worked with a wide range of internationally recognised artists including Shania Twain, Backstreet Boys, Our Lady Peace, Barenaked Ladies, Big Wreck and The Tea Party, alongside extensive touring experience across North America and Europe. His background also includes production management for major K-pop touring artists including NCT127, Red Velvet and Taeyang, delivering large scale arena productions across Canadian and North American dates.

That breadth of experience helped shape a production approach on the Stephen Sanchez tour that balanced consistency, atmosphere and scalability, ensuring the visual identity of the show translated seamlessly from venue to venue throughout the run.

Thomas and Kneipp worked with PRG Account Director Kelly Cornfield & Project Planner Hamzah Wahbi who provided technical support throughout.

Advancing a rig through venues of varying size and specification requires close communication between vendor and production team from an early stage, and that groundwork was laid well before the tour opened.

Kelly Cornfield, reflecting on the run, points to the clarity of the creative vision as a key factor in the production's consistency across the tour. "Working with Jawsh, David and the touring team was straightforward from day one. The design had a very clear identity and our job was to make sure the rig supported that every night — the Mac Auras and Color Force 12s gave us the flexibility to do exactly that across a varied run of venues."