​Nestled in the mountains of central Idaho, the picturesque town of Challis bustles every August when it plays host to the Braun Brothers Reunion Festival. Regarded as one of the state’s premier musical gatherings by both attendees and artists alike, the BBR is a family-friendly event that draws thousands of visitors from across the globe, bringing artists and fans together in an unparalleled setting for three unforgettable days. 

This year, the BBR will be held from August 9th-11th and will feature fifteen plus Americana, Texas, and Red Dirt artists including returning favorite, singer-songwriter Jason Eady, who will be releasing his vibrant new album, I Travel On, on August 10th - the day of his performance at the BBR. Ahead of the festival, Eady spoke about what makes the reunion special to him, the forthcoming album, and more.

Once again you’re headed out to Challis for the BBR, what keeps you returning?
The BBR is just an unbelievable festival, with such an attentive crowd. When we first made the trip, we played acoustic and it was like we were in an outdoor listening room. There were about 1500 people there and they were incredibly attentive, and that doesn’t happen very often.
There are so many additional things that make it great as well. The setting is one of a kind, the artists they bring in are incredible, and it’s organized and run so well. I tell people if they’re thinking of starting a festival, they should go hang out at Braun Brothers and watch how it’s done.
And the other thing I absolutely love about it, one of my favorite things, is that after all these years, they have kept it to one stage. I love that whatever act is on stage is what the show is and that is who everybody is watching; there’s no deciding between two or three different things going on, so you don’t have to worry about splitting your time. And as an artist that’s great because you’re playing to everyone who is there at the time.

You mentioned that you played acoustic when you first made the trip. Will you be bringing your band this year?
Yes. Originally, we were not going to bring the band, but once we set the album release date and planned the tour, we were already going to be on the road anyway. We are beginning our CD release tour July 5th in the middle of the country and we’ll make our way to Challis before we head to Montana, Seattle, and California.
What will be great is that the people at the BBR will get two band shows out of it. Courtney [Patton, Eady’s wife] and I will split our set time, not in a song swap style, but in the sense that she’ll do half and I’ll do the other half because we want to have the time to play the songs from the new album. We always perform together when we’re in the same room though, she’s never just watched my shows and I’ve never just watched hers. So, when I’m up there, she’ll sing and then we’ll switch places. We can’t help it, it’s what we do (laughing).

​Nestled in the mountains of central Idaho, the picturesque town of Challis bustles every August when it plays host to the Braun Brothers Reunion Festival. Regarded as one of the state’s premier musical gatherings by both attendees and artists alike, the BBR is a family-friendly event that draws thousands of visitors from across the globe, bringing artists and fans together in an unparalleled setting for three unforgettable days. 

This year, the BBR will be held from August 9th-11th and will feature fifteen plus Americana, Texas, and Red Dirt artists including Turnpike Troubadours who regularly close out the Friday night. Ahead of the Festival, R.C. Edwards kindly spoke about their years playing the BBR and more.

Turnpike has been a permanent fixture at the BBR for quite a few years now. What keeps you returning?
We’ve been coming out to play somewhere in the neighborhood of five or six years. We heard about the Reunion for forever and were so excited the first time we got to play it. I’d never been to Idaho before we played there the first time, it’s a little-hidden gem and we love the town, the festival, and the Brauns so much; they treat us like family.

The town, people, and festival are definitely special. Besides growing in size, do you think it has changed over the years?
I don’t think it's changed. The crowds have gotten bigger, but the spirit is the same – people are there to have a good time and experience the music. I love that they call it a Reunion because it does feel like a big family gathering. We try to stay as many days as we can so we’re able to hang out with our friends and enjoy Idaho. It’s going to be a great time.

Over the years, Turnpike Troubadours have found incredible success in Texas and the surrounding states, but the last couple of years has seen their fanbase grow exponentially throughout the US. Edwards notes, “All of that didn’t happen overnight. There were lots of miles and nights singing in bars, but all of that is definitely paying off. Our motto has always been that ‘success is a product of hard work’ and we surely believe that.”