Music in The Mountains: The Braun Brothers Reunion Festival

As summer is winding down and festival season is coming to a close, you might want to start making plans for next year...and visiting Challis, Idaho, the home of the Braun Brothers Reunion.

Many times after a music festival, sites will regale us with lists of “10 of the Best Things We Saw At...” Well, at this year’s Braun Brothers Reunion, that number would total sixteen, the number of artists who played the Reunion, as every single one of them (and their bands) brought something special to the outdoor stage, performing standout sets for a record number of attendees at what could be argued was the best BBR yet.

Having a reputation for providing an environment that attracts not only well-respected artists, but a music loving audience as well, the family owned and operated Festival took place in the beautiful town of Challis, Idaho from August 11-13th. Over the course of three gorgeous days, the BBR hosted beloved Americana artists beginning with Sunny Sweeney who had the audience wrapped around her fierce, sassy (and incredibly humorous) finger as she played songs including “Bad Girl Phase,” and “Drink Myself Single" as well as a few covers. William Clark Green and his crew were up next, performing such favorites as “Sticks and Stones,” and “She Likes The Beatles” before closing with “Ringling Road” while clearly enjoying the welcoming reception from the crowd for their first BBR.  Oklahoma’s Jason Boland and The Stragglers brought a huge crowd front and center where they enjoyed a set that included “Dark and Dirty Mile,” “Holy Relic Sale” and “Electric Bill.” Following Boland was esteemed singer-songwriter Alejandro Escovedo who, with his full band, performed a simply dynamic set. On stage, Escovedo exudes a seasoned professionalism while simultaneously being engaging and energetic, giving a “can’t take your eyes off of him” electrifying performance. While following Escovedo might appear to be daunting, Micky and The Motorcars, who traditionally close out Thursday night, were more than up to the task. Utterly defining the phrase “killed it," the performed songs including “Tonight We Ride,” “Hurt Again” and “Lost and Found", building an enthralling, energetic and exhilarating set. Before closing out the night with “Bloodshot,” they brought Escovedo back to the stage to perform his song “Sister Lost Soul” which is found on their latest album, Hearts From Above.

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