Last week he headlined at Grainstock – Woodstock for agriculture folk in Soda Springs, Idaho – and now cowboy poet and humorist Baxter Black is set to perform in San Juan Capistrano this weekend. Black is an author, a radio commentator and a large-animal veterinarian. Though the Arizona resident's presentations of cowboy poetry – a genre that began as tall tales and folk songs – typically take him to rural landscapes in states like Montana, Black says there's still a place for cowboys in Orange County: "There are a lot of reasons why you need cowboys," he said as he thumbed through one of his books, "Blazin' Bloats & Cows on Fire!" "The world needs cowboys for the same reason we need knights, punt returners, banjo players and Marines. You have to have someone you can send in first. There are a lot of people who ride horses in San Juan Capistrano. They may not be working with cows, but they come out there and bring their horses and ride on this beautiful Rancho Mission Viejo. "That's how I know about Orange County. They're cowboys at heart, but they may not be cowboys in real life." Q. You perform for a lot of different groups: the agriculture folks, cowboys and now in Orange County. Do you cater your performance to the different audiences? A. I have to divide my material into "cowey" and generic. ... Farming isn't very funny, so I don't have too many farming stories, but cows and horses are funny. You can have so many cow wrecks, and cowboy poetry is about wrecks. I have concluded after writing my column over the years that, just like there's an infinite number of love songs, there's an infinite number of ways a cowboy can get bucked off. ... It's the truth in humor that makes it funny. That's why there are no science-fiction jokes...more
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Tales for O.C.'s 'cowboys at heart' (Baxter Black Interview)
Last week he headlined at Grainstock – Woodstock for agriculture folk in Soda Springs, Idaho – and now cowboy poet and humorist Baxter Black is set to perform in San Juan Capistrano this weekend. Black is an author, a radio commentator and a large-animal veterinarian. Though the Arizona resident's presentations of cowboy poetry – a genre that began as tall tales and folk songs – typically take him to rural landscapes in states like Montana, Black says there's still a place for cowboys in Orange County: "There are a lot of reasons why you need cowboys," he said as he thumbed through one of his books, "Blazin' Bloats & Cows on Fire!" "The world needs cowboys for the same reason we need knights, punt returners, banjo players and Marines. You have to have someone you can send in first. There are a lot of people who ride horses in San Juan Capistrano. They may not be working with cows, but they come out there and bring their horses and ride on this beautiful Rancho Mission Viejo. "That's how I know about Orange County. They're cowboys at heart, but they may not be cowboys in real life." Q. You perform for a lot of different groups: the agriculture folks, cowboys and now in Orange County. Do you cater your performance to the different audiences? A. I have to divide my material into "cowey" and generic. ... Farming isn't very funny, so I don't have too many farming stories, but cows and horses are funny. You can have so many cow wrecks, and cowboy poetry is about wrecks. I have concluded after writing my column over the years that, just like there's an infinite number of love songs, there's an infinite number of ways a cowboy can get bucked off. ... It's the truth in humor that makes it funny. That's why there are no science-fiction jokes...more
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The purpose of his visit to Capistrano is noble and I'd like to see more celebrities promoting therapeutic riding but in my crowd of disabled folks I don't know a lot who can afford $100 for the show. Double that for a couple.
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