Jessica Pimentel’s Double Life As A Dope Rock Band Frontwoman Is Pretty Amazing

Jorge Rodriguez-Jimenez - 05/03/17 - fierce
credit: @thecrusher007 / Instagram

Jessica Pimentel is the woman who brought OITNB’s Maria Ruiz to life. While most people who know Pimentel know her as her OITNB character, there is a whole other side to this Latina’s star power and résumé: she is a heavy metal rocker. Yep, she shreds the guitar and screams with the best of them. Most recently, you might have seen Pimentel rocking out with Peaches on the stage during Samantha Bee’s Not The White House Correspondents Dinner.

We all know about Jessica Pimentel as Maria Ruiz on Netflix’s hit show “Orange Is The New Black.”

Thank you to @sagawards for this amazing honor. It was humbling to be listed alongside so many great nominees who bring the gift of joy and laughter to the world. I could not be prouder to be a part of #JenjiKohan s ground breaking and revolutionary vision and part of the @netflix and @oitnb #OrangeFamily with a cast and crew, in front and behind the camera, that works sincerely, from the heart with all of our hearts. We bring you these stories with all of our depth, compassion, honesty, passion and focus. We tell these stories without judgement and unpretenciously, knowing that these men and women represent people that have been oppressed, repressed, suppressed, discarded, abused, mistreated, misunderstood, misjudged, misguided, shamed, silenced, overlooked, vilified and scorned. We asked you to look beyond your initial first impression and preconceived notions to a deeper level of what makes us all the same. What unifies us as a human race. We asked you to open your mind and heart, while occasionally breaking it and tickling your funny bone.. and you did. Through these stories we hoped to create reflection and understanding. You saw it..Thank you for taking this journey with us for the past four years. With all my being…Thank you #oitnb #sagawards #dontjudgeabookbyitscover #loveaboveall ?

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Pimentel was one of the standout characters from the 4th season *spoiler* when she started to get involved with overthrowing Piper Chapman and her underground underwear business.

But when she isn’t trying to take over Litchfield, Pimentel is casually rocking out with her heavy metal band Alekhine’s Gun.

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“Alekhine’s Gun is my favorite band I’ve ever been in. We started in 2009, and it’s very personal. This is the first time I got to create my own thing in a band,” Pimentel told Thrillist. “I came up with the name because I’m a dork and I love chess, and I also felt that this music could convey a special message to an audience, and the best way to connect with an audience sometimes is to get down there and look in their eyes.”

Now, it isn’t like she just fell into being the frontwoman for Alekhine’s Gun overnight.

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According to Thrillist, Pimentel first discovered metal when she was about 12 years old. At first, she admits that the kind of music scared her but her mom never really controlled what she listened to so she kept exploring until she understood it. The deeper she has gotten into the world of metal music, the more she has put into her performances, like her corpse paint makeup. She doesn’t even mind that Rihanna stole her corpse paint look.

Pimentel first started her musical career when she was a little girl playing the violin, which she still plays (not the same violin, obvi).

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But it wasn’t long until her mother bought her her first guitar.

Her latest gig was performing alongside Peaches at Samantha Bee’s Not The White House Correspondents Dinner special.

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Talk about a fierce look.

She was part of an all-woman rock band for the night and it looks like she had a great time.

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“I get out of jail to go play a little Rock n Roll and end up running right into #FIG @alysiareiner showed up last night to hang out and support @fullfrontalsamb and had no idea I played guitar for @peachesnisker ! SURPRISE!!!!” Pimentel wrote on an Instagram post.

Her mom even did what most Latina moms do and recorded her daughter shredding her guitar on tv.

When your mom tapes you on TV……than gets mad because you didn't play longer. Love you Mama! #jessicapimentelmusic

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You can check out a performance by Pimentel and Alekhine’s Gun below!


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READ: We Know What The Cast Of OITNB Looks Like Out Of Prison Uniforms, Here Are All The Badass Things They’re Doing

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