STLFT Cover - FINAL Ep 6 - Jerry Fuentes.jpg — To see him now — making records for a major label and touring the world with a rock icon — you’d never guess how close musician and producer **Jerry Fuentes** came to missing out on his dream: four days and $400.
Dropping in via Zoom from his home studio in Nashville, the **Last Bandoleros** frontman walks us through the early days of Texas burger joints and tourist traps, his hardscrabble Brooklyn years, and the big break in Los Angeles that almost never happened.
He also explains how technology has changed the music-making process, what he’s learned from (and about) frequent collaborator Sting, and why his own band’s biggest blessing is also a curse. Enjoy.

THE BAND

Though he still produces other acts and sits in for sessions whenever this guy calls, most days are spent writing, touring, and recording with his Nashville-based, genre-bending quartet The Last Bandoleros. Rolling Stone praised their “unabashedly Rock ‘n Roll sound,” “Tejano flourishes,” and “danger” — all qualities that Fuentes says can excite fans but confuse Country radio programmers.

"We are definitely making a type of culturally-injected music that's hard for people to put a finger on,” he said. “That's what I like about us, but it's also our biggest hurdle in the major marketplaces... it's easier when something is in a category or a box."

THE LIVE SHOW

Born from a desire to share dozens of previously-unreleased songs, Around A Neon Cactus is a weekly Facebook Live show featuring original music, behind-the-scenes conversations, and some truly inspired covers (see below).

Currently on hiatus while the band records a new album, AANC returns later this year with Season 3.

THE THING ABOUT STING

While the Bandoleros were still in their early days, Fuentes was invited to a studio jam session with legendary British rocker Sting. Evidently he made quite an impression, because in the intervening years he (and the band) have toured and recorded with the Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer several times — even joining him on Jimmy Kimmel Live and at the NBA All-Star Game.

“I've been lucky enough to work with some of the top people in this industry, and they all have some kind of crazy OCD work ethic that puts them there,” Fuentes said. “Sting doesn't quit. His work ethic is unsurpassed... he still busts his ass. That stuff doesn't go away."

THE TIME HE PLAYED ZZ TOP WITH A BEER BOTTLE

Fresh off globetrotting tours with Sting and The Mavericks (separately, although that would be one helluva lineup), The Last Bandoleros headlined a 2018 show at one of Denver’s most beloved intimate venues, Lost Lake. At one point, Fuentes grabbed a fan’s beer and put it to work on his Telecaster.

He kicked off our interview with a breakdown of the many differences — some obvious, some subtle — between playing small clubs, 15,000-seat arenas, and The Grand Ole Opry.

He concedes there’s “no substitute” for dense throngs of fans screaming their appreciation. But “our show changes when we're playing for thousands of people. We don't take as many chances as when we're playing a small, sweaty club."

SOMETHING(S) TO LOOK FORWARD TO

As the nation slowly re-opens and live music makes its way back from the pandemic-induced slumber, The Last Bandoleros are about to hit the road. Here are a few upcoming shows.