Moss Center Opens New Season, Celebrates Name Change with Eighth Annual Backyard Bash

Free outdoor beach-themed event features yacht-rock headliners Pablo Cruise Band and Pure Prairie League.

By: Sep. 27, 2022
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Moss Center Opens New Season, Celebrates Name Change with Eighth Annual Backyard Bash

Knowing that life is better in flip flops, the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center (formerly South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center) is hosting a beach-themed Backyard Bash on Saturday, October 22, 2022, as the official kickoff to their 2022-2023 season.

The free event on the Center's Back Yard Concert Lawn and Plaza in Cutler Bay will include a variety of family-fun activities, attractions, and vendors in a relaxed outdoor setting - complete with white sands and pink flamingos. The Center will also be announcing its recent name change, in honor of former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Dennis C. Moss, who served from 1993 to 2020.

This eighth annual Backyard Bash will also feature two hugely popular Yacht Rock favorites: the Pablo Cruise Band and the Pure Prairie League.

Pablo Cruise Band formed in 1975, the Pablo Cruise Band is known for their easygoing, blue-eyed soul style of music that captured the true spirit of Californian soft rock. The band toured internationally with top 10 hits such as "Whatcha Gonna Do When She Says Goodbye?" and "Love Will Find a Way" along with several other top-20 songs.

With millions of albums sold, the Pablo Cruise Band has been a leading creator in the industry, producing seven total studio albums. After a 20-year break, and briefly reuniting in 2005, the band now performs with two of the original four members and continues to dazzle stages across the world in a passionate revival of their 1970s hits.

Pure Prairie League

Joining Pablo Cruise is the Pure Prairie League, a country rock band that started in 1973 in a small rural town in Ohio yet is still sailing strong as a Yacht-Rock favorite worldwide. They recorded several top albums, including "Burstin' Out" and "Two Lane Highway" that set the stage for their influence on the American music scene of the 70s and 80s.

Pure Prairie League's top singles, "Sad Luke" and "Amie," which became a Billboard Top 40 hit, helped pave the way for country rockers like Keith Urban, Nickel Creek, and more. The band disbanded in 1988, but to the delight of fans worldwide, Pure Prairie League has since regrouped and continues to perform with a mix of original and new members.

Most Popular Community Event

"We are excited to introduce this new concept for our most popular community event of the year, complete with a white-sand beach, where the whole family can kick back and have a great time," said Eric Fliss, Managing Director of the Moss Center. "With a combination of great food and beach-themed adult beverages on a backdrop of Yacht Rock, we are creating an unforgettable experience where flip flops are optional and good vibes are required!"

Backyard Bash is a free community event. There will be opportunities to purchase tickets for the season's lineup as well, which includes musical tributes like A Charlie Brown Christmas Concert and DJango Festival All Stars; Broadway-style events such as World of Musicals and Taj Express; and dance performances including Farruquito and Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami: Latin Voices.

Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. No coolers are permitted, as food and drink are available for purchase. All patrons entering the grounds require tickets - which are available at no cost, regardless of age (including children and infants). Registration for the event opens on Tuesday, October 4, 2022. Free tickets are available by calling 786-573-5300 or by visiting MossCenter.org.




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