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Edmond Life and Leisure - June 19, 2025
Storyteller & singer Joe Baxter to have concert June 29
ARCADIA—Joe Baxter is an excellent storyteller. That’s why he’s also prolific songwriter and performer. We get to hear Joe Baxter tell stories and sing songs on Sunday, June 29th at 1 p.m. at the Arcadia Round Barn.
Baxter is a fourth-generation Okie; a proud descendent of original hard-scrabble homesteaders. He’s retired from doing any actual WORK, but continues to perform as much as possible.
Joe has been knocking around the Oklahoma music scene for several decades. Known as a capable and copius songwriter, Joe’s songs deal with Everyman’s Every Day. Love, hate, pain, joy, silly, and serious. All of Joe’s followers, friends, and family have a “favorite” JB song. A few of his songs have won awards. My personal favorite is “Romeo’s Girl.”
The discography spans thirty years, and includes 11 all original albums from 1994’s “Blue Tape” through 2023’s “Interesting Times.” Joe’s songwriting mantra is “We record, therefore we are!”
In Joe Baxter’s own words, he is: “A longsuffering, little-known, hometown, pre-Americana, redneck, short-haired, red-faced, irreverent, irresponsible, quirkily well-read,
bombastic yet insightful, mouth-breathing, loud-laughing, dog-loving, nap-taking, noworkin’, fish-catching, backroad-driving ... Okie song writer.”
You’ll find Baxter at the Round Barn 2-3 times a week, often he plays with his friends Curt and Richard, who play mandolin and fiddle. Together they are the Round Barn Ramblers. When Baxter was interviewed (by KFOR’s Galen Culver), Joe explained that “BARN MUSIC is a subgenre of OKIE NOIR.” I loved that JB quote and I learned that Okie Noir is sub-genre created by Oklahoma’s best-selling auhor Faith Phillips.
Lucky for the Round Barn, Baxter also happens to be the Music Director. He’s responsible for recruiting professional musicians for dozens of FREE concerts at the Barn every year.
“We’re so fortunate to have him, Joe is a fantastic volunteeer in addition to being a dynamic songwriter and musician,” said Linda Simonton, President of Arcadia Historical & Preservation Society.
Check out JOE BAXTER and the Lost Cause under the shade of the historic Elm tree, outside of the 1898 Round Barn in Arcadia.
