En Fuego, one of Long Island’s premier bands, will be competing in the ‘Battle of The Bands’ competition this Friday at Ponquogue Beach. This annual event is a showcase for local music groups to show off their skills whilst competing against other bands in an electric and energetic atmosphere.

But for two of the five members in the band, this may be their last big gig. Dan Stark and Jack Oats, two graduating high school seniors, will be heading off to their respective colleges after this summer. With almost 50% of En Fuego leaving the island, what happens next?

Dan Stark spoke about the uncertainty of the situation. “We’re honestly not sure what the plan is right now after this summer. Our focus right now is on the shows we have this summer and making them great.”

After ‘Battle of The Bands,’ the group will continue performing in the coming months. They still have a number of shows booked at various locations, such as Fishtales, The Masury, and Übergeek Brewing Company.

Jack Oats, the guitarist, says that En Fuego’s future is still up in the air. “After this summer, it’s tough to say what the future [of En Fuego] is.”

The other three members, Hunter Montgomery, Luke Hefter, and Nellie Nicolovaube, could potentially continue performing. But it will be difficult. “We may get together during the summer to continue playing, but if not, we urge the other members to keep the band alive even if we are not a part of it,” Jack Oats said.

Despite this, Dan Stark believes the legacy and reputation that En Fuego has built over the last few years will continue to live on. “I don’t know how long this band will last, but here’s what I will say- the legacy of the music we played will certainly live on.”

Right now, the only thing that matters is ‘Battle Of The Bands.’ What comes next? Nobody really knows for sure. But what we do know is that the band’s performance this Friday, and all of its performances prior to that, will leave a forever-lasting impact on Long Island, and the Long Island music industry. Dan Stark gave his final thoughts about this potential final tuneup. “Battle this year is going to be special. We’ve got a great set planned that the crowd is going to love, so we hope to see a lot of people there. I also want to thank all the Fuego fans out there for their support these past two years and I hope to see them this year.”

Friday, June 10th. Ponquogue Beach. 9 pm. $5 tickets. Be there, or be square.

Editor’s note: En Fuego took first place at the 2022 Battle of the Bands on June 10, 2022.  Follow them @enfuegoband on Instagram