Well, hold onto your reins, because that mule is still kicking! Enriched through the years by diverse musical tastes and robust group chemistry, the band will pull into this town of Trenton hamlet on Saturday, June 3, for an 8:00p.m. concert inside the warm wooden walls and arched ceiling of Unity Hall’s Landecker Auditorium at.
General admission for the show is $18 in advance. Tickets are available through Eventbrite and the Adirondack Cheese Company atThrough the years, Moss Back has played in concerts with the likes of Charlie Daniels; Lynyrd Skynyrd; Freddy King; Hank Williams, Jr.; Pure Prairie League; Commander Cody; the Subdudes; and other national acts—but their strongest appeal has grown largely from their long-standing involvement with the Central New York music community.
These days, the band focuses its performances on Americana and original music influenced by the blues, boogie woogie, swing, and rock and roll. They share a common stylistic vision as they write and arrange music to fit their quartet of seasoned players.
The group still brandishes three of its founders: Steve Quenneville on guitar and vocals, Dave Liddy on keyboards and vocals, and Hal Kent on bass. Dave Pallas, one of Central New York’s in-demand drummers, completes the mix with his percussive rhythms and vocals.
Through the years, the band and its various members have won some musical recognition. In 2020, Quenneville, Liddy and Kent were inducted into the Syracuse Music Hall of Fame, and Liddy also was named a “Great Blues Artist” in New York’s Blues Hall of Fame.
Quenneville and Liddy also joined with hammered dulcimer player John O’Hara several decades ago to form the acoustic trio String Bee, known for its blue grass, Appalachian and pop renditions. The trio has produced four CDs, two of which earned Syracuse Area Music Award (SAMMY) nominations and one of which—“Alive from the Hive”—won the award.
The Moss Back Mule Band concert is made possible by Unity Hall Foundation member support and sponsor support from 96.9FM WOUR and Town Square Media of Utica. The Unity Hall music series is also made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program through the New York State Council on the Arts, with support from the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by CNY Arts.
