Sam Baker at Susanna’s Kitchen

Whether through poetry or his music, Sam Baker has always been a man of few words. Yet he is a convincing storyteller, painter, and photographer. His keen eye and understanding of suffering help him turn his stories into carefully wrought gems. On June 20, Baker will return to the Susanna’s Kitchen Coffeehouse stage.

Baker’s singular vocals, which are not so much sung as spoken with halting intensity, have been affected by partial hearing loss. As Doug Freeman writing in the Austin Chronicle said, “Baker’s own journey hovers unavoidably behind all his work: recovery from a near-death terrorist attack as a young man in Peru, in which he’s brought back to life with shattered hearing, a crippled left hand, and a palpable sense of wonder and appreciation for life that’s matured into highpitch awareness. Baker’s songs carry with them an intrinsic need to be sung, this world of horror and beauty too much to bear alone.”

Sam Baker’s 2013 album, Say Grace, brought him overdue national acclaim and prompted Rolling Stone to put it in the top 10 country albums of that year. In 2017, he released his fifth and most recent album, Land of Doubt, which garnered numerous accolades as well, with one reviewer finding in it the hushed power characteristic of so much of Baker’s work.

Baker approaches life with a positive attitude – “Life is a gift. I went through a lot of bitterness- a lot of anger. But those things are toxic. Gratitude for what remains is more helpful than resentment for what was lost. Ultimately, I came to understand that these days are wicked short and terribly beautiful. All I’ve got—no matter what I hold in my hands, drive around in, or put in the bank––all I’ve got is this one breath, and if I’m lucky, I get another.”

Susanna’s Kitchen Coffeehouse proudly presents Sam Baker on Thursday, June 20. Doors open by 7:00 p.m. Concert begins at 7:30 pm at Wimberley United Methodist Church (corner RR 12 & CR 1492). Tickets are available only at the door. Adults $20, students under 18 $5. Sugar Shack Bakery pie, tamales, pizza, coffee, and soft drinks are available. Proceeds benefit Barnabas Connection, Camp Good Sam Wimberley, and Operation Good Shepherd, and provides scholarships for WUMC’s Bright Beginnings Preschool. See www.wimberleyumc.org/susannas-kitchen for more information.