ROCHESTER, NY – Sebastian Marino, who founded Audio Images Sound & Lighting in 1996 after years of touring as a guitarist for heavy metal bands including Anvil and Overkill in the 1980s and 1990s, died Jan. 1, 2023. He was 57.
Marino, a native of Rochester, NY, studied classical guitar at The Hochstein School. He had also attended the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, CA. Don Weeks, head of Audio Images’ lighting operations, had met Marino in the 1980s while both were performing in bands.
As they both were making the move from the stage to backstage operations — with Marino focusing on audio and Weeks on lighting — Marino was also steadily amassing a bigger inventory of gear. The company’s need for space continued to grow, and Marino moved Audio Images’ headquarters from Rochester to Batavia, NY.
Along with his support for music events in upstate New York including the Rochester International Jazz Festival, Fairport Music Festival and concerts staged at the University of Buffalo, Audio Images Sound & Lighting has been supporting concerts staged farther afield, including tours for Yes and other bands traveling up and down the East Coast.
Just prior to his passing, Marino had been working at a New Year’s Eve event in Florida. In late December, his production company had also been announced as one of six regional finalists for the Parnelli Award for Hometown Hero Sound Company of the Year.
Marino is survived by his wife, three daughters, a son, a stepson, two brothers, and his mother. Funeral services took place Jan. 11 and 12.
