Sam Baker is no stranger to Mason. After all, he now lives in Mason County. What many do not know is that the Wall Street Journal called Sam, “The Bard of the Workaday World,” and NPR’s All Things Considered says, “Sam Baker is an artist worth waiting for.”
Sam is a lyric writer, artist, and survivor. His songs are stories of everyday people facing everyday challenges. The defining moment in Sam’s life came in 1986 when he was traveling on a train to visit Machu Picchu in Peru. A terrorist bomb exploded in his train car. Seven died and Sam was gravely injured, losing most of his hearing and suffering serious injuries to his left arm. Through a series of miracles, and the help of everyday people doing their best -- his angels -- he survived. The consequent physical, emotional, and spiritual journey he experienced helped him form his passionate view of the world and develop his uniquely hushed and quietly powerful performance style. Since his acclaimed debut in 2004, Sam has released a string of well-received albums that evoke the austere melodicism of Townes Van Zandt and the heart and humor of John Prine’s narrative style.
NPR music critic Robert Christgau described Sam’s music as "simultaneously beautiful and broken, like cracked crockery," and Lone Star Music called him, "maybe the most captivating songwriter in America." Neon Filler declared, "Sam Baker is an island of warmth and hope in dangerous times."
Although Sam has written directly about his experiences, most of his songs are about other lives. Many of his songs are like short stories, written in the voices of characters. Of his 2013 album Say Grace, which Rolling Stone ranked as one of the 10 best country music albums that year, Jim Fusilli wrote, "In Mr. Baker's tales, the personal becomes universal through his keen-eyed writing, supported by well-chosen instrumentation and what might be called spoken-word melodies."
Tickets are $25 per person if purchased in advance and $30 at the door (cash only at the door). Tickets may be purchased below with a credit card or Paypal. Please note, tickets are NOT issued. Your receipt is your ticket. Please print and bring with you. Your name will appear on the WILL CALL list at the door.
For additional concert information and questions regarding reservations, email concerts@TheOdeonTheater.com.
Doors open at 6:15 p.m. Open seating.