Imagine being at a live music show where the energy is electric, the crowd is buzzing, and the band is in the zone. Behind the scenes, amidst the organized chaos of cables and amps, is the man harnessing the madness, Nesto Hernandez. As the tour manager for an eclectic mix of artists, including Chicano Batman, Grabbitz, Andy Summers of The Police, and Talking Head alums Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew, Nesto has mastered the art of balancing a million responsibilities while making sure life on the road runs smoothly. From logistics and scheduling to fostering a sense of family among the crew, Hernandez is the glue that holds it all together.
Hernandez didn’t exactly dream of being a tour manager when he grew up and admits that he “kind of fell into it randomly.” After graduating from the Musicians Institute in Hollywood with a degree in guitar building, he had dreams of working as a guitar tech. But when those opportunities didn’t pan out, he found himself hanging out at festivals, working on guitars for anyone who needed a hand. Through these connections, he landed his first gig as a tour manager, learning the ropes from a veteran bassist who took him under his wing. “From there, I kept meeting different artists and building relationships,” Hernandez explains. “One job leads to the next. Now I’m a full-time tour manager for five artists.”
So, what exactly does a tour manager do? According to Hernandez, it’s a little bit of everything. “You’re the point person for the entire operation,” he explains. “You’re advancing the shows, dealing with the venues, managing the crew, making sure the artist has what they need. It’s a lot of juggling.”
It’s a job that requires a unique combination of skills, from logistics to time management to problem-solving. “You have to be really careful with how you set everything up and try to build the schedule based on travel time, logistics, hotel locations, etc. That’s probably the hardest – putting all those little pieces of the puzzle together.”, Nesto says.
The job starts long before the tour bus pulls out of the lot. “The advance process is probably the most crucial part,” Hernandez says. “That’s where you’re putting together all the different pieces—the schedule, the routing, the hotels, the transportation. If you don’t get that right, the whole thing can fall apart.”
The amount of advance time needed can vary wildly depending on the gig. “If it’s a one-off festival show, that’s going to take way more time than if you’re on a bus tour with 20 dates,” Hernandez explains. “Some shows I’ve spent an hour on, some I’ve spent days on. It’s a huge range.”
On show days, the tour manager is usually the first one up and the last one to bed. “You’re making sure everything is on track from load-in to load-out,” Hernandez says. During the show, you’re the liaison between the artist and the venue, making sure the sound is dialed in, dealing with the lighting, and dealing with any other production issues that come up.”
Of course, life on the road isn’t for everyone. “You definitely have to be a certain type of person to do this job,” Hernandez admits. “You’re away from home for long stretches, you’re working crazy hours, and you’re dealing with a lot of different personalities. This is not for the faint of heart.”
But for Hernandez, the juice is worth the squeeze. “I just want to be on the road, personally. I would love to be on the road all the time,” he reiterates. I love traveling. I just feel like there are so many places I still need to see.”
“It’s almost tougher going back and forth than just being on the road. You get into a rhythm on the road,” Hernandez explains. Personally, I love being on a tour bus. To me, that’s the best way to go. You go to sleep, you wake up, and you’re at the next venue. You have everything you need right there.”
Traveling the country and the world is one of the biggest perks of the job for Hernandez. Even when he’s not on the tour bus, Nesto loves to stay in motion. While he’s seen nearly every corner of the United States, he’s also had the chance to visit far-flung locales like Amsterdam, Chichén Itzá, and Cancun in recent months. “If I had free time, that’s pretty much how I would spend it—traveling and exploring,” he says.
With so many miles logged, Hernandez has been to nearly every major venue in the country. His favorites include the House of Blues and Paradise Rock Club in Boston, the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C. (he got the cupcakes!), and First Avenue in Minneapolis, famous as the setting for Prince’s “Purple Rain.” “I’m also a huge fan of Brooklyn Bowl because it has a bowling alley, so you can bowl a game right there while the concert is going on,” he adds. They just opened up one in Las Vegas, which will be our first show with Chicano Batman, which is going to be awesome.”
For those looking to break into tour management, Hernandez recommends finding an up-and-coming band and offering to help however you can. “The best way to probably do it would be to find a band that’s on the come up and offer to sell merch for them, offer to come out to the show and help them load gear.”
Building relationships is critical, he emphasizes, and putting in the effort to gain experience and prove yourself. “A lot of people drop the ball on that. You have to put in the time. It’s like a pay-your-dues, ride-around-in-a-van kind of thing and not make a lot of money to get some experience you can build off of.”
Hernandez also stresses the importance of being a jack-of-all-trades. “You never know what will come up on the road, so the more skills you have in your toolkit, the better. Whether it’s being able to fix a guitar, drive a bus, or charm a promoter, versatility is key in this business.”
With a packed schedule on deck, including upcoming runs with Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew’s Remain in Light tour, as well as Chicano Batman, Hernandez has zero plans to hang up his tour laminate anytime soon. “Last year I was on the road for like four or five months straight. This year is probably gonna be more like six, at least,” he says with a grin.
For this seasoned road warrior, that sounds like heaven on wheels. As he continues to rack up the miles and build his reputation as one of the industry’s most reliable and resourceful tour managers, one thing is clear: the show will go on, and Nesto will be there to make sure it does.
Connect with Nesto: @nestotours
Photo credit: Michael Weinthrob
