The Traveling Hurtatos

By M.P. Brickley

On Saturday night June 7, 2025, The Traveling Hurtados electrified the crowd! This local folk-rock trio, consisting of guitarists and vocalists Hector Hurtado, Bobby Montanes, and Steve Puailoa, took the stage at the Alcazar Theatre dressed in their signature Western cowboy shirts. Their show, which ran from 5 PM to 7 PM, kicked off with a high-energy set of acoustic covers, including Prince’s “Little Red Corvette” and CSN’s “Love The One You’re With.” The audience enthusiastically joined in on Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’,” and the first set concluded with an impressive mash-up of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” and Led Zeppelin’s “Ramble On.”

After intermission, Hector, Bobby, and Steve switched to electric guitars and bass, joined by guest drummer Jesse Benenate and keyboardist Eben Drost. The audience danced in the aisles to the sounds of Rolling Stones hits during the all-electric second set, which featured songs by The Beatles, Steve Miller, and The Cars. The Traveling Hurtados wrapped up the show with Petty’s iconic anthem “American Girl,” but the audience at the Alcazar refused to let them leave. Montanes exclaimed, “We’ve been together for 14 years, and we’re still doin’ it!” With that, Hector and the band launched into the encore’s opening chords of “Purple Rain,” creating a thunderous atmosphere filled with pure Rock & Roll magic!