Beloved Bass Player Omar Oyoque Steps Away from Silverada Due to Injury

To those that know, Silverada has been one of the best bands in all of country music, both in regards to live shows and studio output for the better part of the last decade. With unparalleled energy and musicianship matched with meaningful and resonant songs, they set the pace for so many others, while still remaining accessible to their fervent fans via the club circuit and cool festivals.

The band has faced some challenges recently, and Friday evening (9-18), yet another one was announced. Beloved bass player Omar Oyoque is being forced to take an indefinite hiatus away from the band to deal with an injury with his right hand that will require surgery. He will perform two final shows with the band Friday evening in Maryville, TN at The Shed, and Saturday in Pelham, TN at The Caverns before departing.

Omar says in a statement,

After two years of dealing with an injury on my right hand, I’ve had to make the difficult decision to take a step back from the band for an indefinite amount of time so that I can have surgery and physical therapy. This decision has been very difficult to make and has not been taken lightly. Playing music means everything to me and for nearly 9 years I’ve been living that dream with Silverada.

My heart is full of gratitude and love for every family member, friend, fan, stage and venue that has been there with me for all of these years. The biggest truth in all of this is that I must prioritize my health to have longevity in my career and continue playing music. My heart will always be with my Silverada/Moonpies family.

Omar Oyoque is so much more than an average bass player in a country band. In many respects, he’s the band’s hype man and a fan favorite muppet-like character as he whips audiences into a frenzy on stage. In most bands, the ego of the frontman would have never jive with Omar’s expressiveness. But Mike Harmeier sensed that Omar could be the band’s secret weapon, and has encouraged Omar’s stage presence. Oyoque also happens to be an extremely skilled musician who is also adept at the steel guitar.

When Oyoque joined what was then called Mike and the Moonpies in 2018, it completely transformed them from an Austin, TX honky tonk band to a nationally-touring powerhouse able to entertain large audiences irrespective of their appeal for country music. Omar not only energized audiences, he helped underscore how they were like their own self-contained supergroup, with top-line players and characters at each position, all with uncanny chemistry.

Omar’s hiatus comes just over a year after Silverada steel guitarist Zachary “Bean Judge” Moulton decided to leave the band, and about 2 1/2 years after the band changed their name from Mike and the Moonpies. The band released their most recent album Living Proof on August 7th to positive reception. Drummer Kyle Ponder also left the band in 2022. Keyboardist Parker Twomey was permanently added to the lineup in 2025, and appears on the new album.

Omar Oyoque replaced bass player Preston Rhone who’d been with the band since their founding in 2009. No word on who might replace Omar in the interim. It’s also important to underscore that Omar is not saying he is leaving the band permanently, only stepping away indefinitely due to the injury.

Silverada has shows planned for early and mid October as well before their current tour ends and they go on a break.

Godspeed, Omar!

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