 Courtesy of the Artist
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.” 
While they play the BBR and other outdoor festivals, Turnpike is also one of the founders, along with Jason Boland, of Oklahoma’s Medicine Stone. Edwards says, “The BBR was one of the festivals we thought of when we started Medicine Stone. We knew everyone from the artists to the crowd loved it and had a good time, so we learned from them and applied what we learned to Medicine Stone.”
In addition to the shows and festivals you have played, this year you had the opportunity to play PBS' Austin City Limits. Was that a bucket list item that was able to be checked off? Totally. That show was a cool gateway into music when I was a kid in Oklahoma. I grew up with maybe three television channels and one of them was PBS. ACL was the best music you saw on tv that week unless someone was on a late show. Are there other things y’all want to accomplish or is everything that comes more like icing on the cake? Our goal when we started this band was to play Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa and as we keep going, more things keep coming up. Playing Red Rocks was a bucket list item and we get to do that June 13th. You just check one off and start moving to the next one. Edwards says that while the crowds they play to have grown thus necessitating larger venues, “I love playing any type of venue. I still like playing a dive bar once in a while and then these big outside shows, like the BBR where you have sky country as the backdrop behind crowd…well, that makes for a pretty nice day at the office. We’re just playing music, it’s what we’ve always done and what we’re going to keep on doing." To keep up with Turnpike Troubadours Website/Facebook/Twitter/Insta 2018 Braun Brothers Reunion Challis, Idaho August 9-11th Purchase: 3 Day Pass $124.30 Purchase: 2 Day Pass Friday and Saturday ONLY The BBR is held rain or shine. Tickets purchased online will be picked up at will call at the venue. Tickets are Non-refundable. Kids age 5 and under are free. Kids age 6-12 are $15 a day and can ONLY be purchased at the front gate even if its sold out. Kids age 13 and up pay full adult price. Website/Facebook/Twitter
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