Where did the nick name "Astro" come from??

I've been getting a few emails asking where the nick name "Astro" came from.
...ok, in 1999 the band Toto played at a club I was working at in LA. They didn't have their L.D. (lighting director) with them at the time. I was recommended to run lights for them by my boss "Pilgrim" who is the monitor engineer for "Def Leppard"now. (That was the band that inspired me to start playing guitar in the first place when I was 12 with their album "Hysteria")

To make a long story even longer.... They were very happy with the job I did and asked me to come with them to the east coast to do 3 shows in Atlantic City. I can't tell you how nervous I was during the 5 hour flight to the east cost, it was a long 5 hours. I had never been on tour before and wanted to do the best job I could. The shows went really well and they asked me to continue the tour over the summer with them. Thats where my touring life started. I was 23 at the time. Later that summer, we took a tour bus starting in Nashville and headed south down towards New Orleans. They said, after the show tonight, we're getting on the bus and heading out. I said,"oh, ok.... Greyhound??" and then I heard a huge roar of laughter. Yeah yeah, what can I say, I was young. But that's when the term "Astro" came up. Short for "Astro turf" which is the color "green", Get it?? But now days I've been around the block a few times and it's been shortened to "Stro". So that's where the name comes from. Also, a bunch of my friends call me "Stevo" including OL. Either one works, I'll respond to both.

After that summer traveling with the band they had continued to ask me out on the road with them. The following year, I found my self in a stadium in Mexico City doing a light show for Toto in front of 53,000 people when they opened up for Eric Clapton. One of the biggest highlights of my lighting career. When I was back in LA I would continue to write and record songs with the flamenco guitar and work in the club scene. Over the years my travels led me on a world tour with Toto through the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Lesser Antilles, Mexico, Central America, South America, South Pacific, South East Asia and Europe.



Around that time, I also went out on tour doing lighting for "The Down From the Mountain Tour" which was all of the music from the movie "O Brother Where Art Thou". A great tour with Emmy Lou Harris, Allison Krauss and Union Station, Ricky Skaggs, Ralph Stanley, Patty Loveless etc.. After that I went out on tour doing lighting for Olivia Newton-John and eventually Ottmar Liebert + Luna Negra. That was the tour I brought my guitar along and played back stage with Ottmar during some free time. A great moment in my life especially after he asked me to join the band for the following summer tour.

As for this summer, It looks like I may cross paths with Toto while touring with Ottmar as we'll play the night after they play up at the Mountain Winery. It's a small world.