Braun Brothers Reunion RECAP!

A place of fellowship, family, & down-right good tunes was shared at the 46th Braun Brothers Reunion this weekend in Challis, Idaho. This year the torch was passed from Muzzie Braun & brothers to Willy Braun & brothers, a family affair having started in 1979.

Let me set the scene for you:

This festival immediately presented itself as something wise, something true. Held nestled between towering hills, the town of Challis is exactly the right place with exactly the right feel. Old wooden buildings lined main street with Route 66-esque store signs lighting up the very dark nights. Young kids staked claim to the sidewalks, selling lemonade, really cool rocks, & hand crafted little goodies. Laughter could be heard outside the Roadhouse saloon down to the Village Inn parking lot. The second you step into the daylight of Challis, you feel at home, at ease while the night stars offer endless magic.

BBR festival grounds continued the backyard feel with a rustic stage worthy of a Tombstone cameo seated at the bottom of an earthen amphitheater. When I tell you that's the best grass my toes have ever burrowed in, I mean it. The McClures & I ditched our shoes most of the festival for the damp dandelion dirt, something I'm still thinking about now. Unlike most outdoor festivals I've attended, there was clear separation between rings of energy. The top of the hill hosted some canopy tents & families with unruly kids, playing tackle football & rolling wild-bodied down the hill (something I also partook in!) The middle of the hill held hundreds of neatly lined fold out chairs from the many returning festivalers, smart in their choice for back support. Front stage of the hill was for the dancers, the pit possums, & the blanket nappers. Merch & beer tents lined the sides, never a space without a good view of the stage while you waited in line. This is probably the best festival setup I've ever seen while simultaneously the simplest. During the wait for live music, the house speakers played Guy Clark, The Great Divide, even Chappell Roan!

THE MUSIC

Thursday started with a honky tonk bang brought by Ellis Bullard. His hillbilly attitude & dance tunes brought out many a head bang & shimmying shoulder. Jeff Crosby, an honorary Braun family son, shared stories behind the songs while keeping the rhythm alive. Cody Canada did something exciting by playing "the B side set." He brought out unsuspected bangers & didn't play any of the "A side" list you think of. It was a massive hit! American Aquarium brought their usual rock 'n roll set, getting hands in the air & legs flailing. Finishing the night was Micky & the Motorcars, a Braun family band. The pit was filled with friends singing along to every word while dancers swung about on the sidelines. An incredible first night of music!

Friday upped the ante. Django Walker hosted a songwriter round with Shelby Stone & Cruz Contreras. I hadn't listened to Cruz before then, but was totally blown away. His songwriting was my personal favorite of the weekend, similar to a Walt Wilkins or John Prine sound. Cruz also shredded a killer lead guitar on a surprise Jason Eady performance of "Way Down in Mississippi." Stone stopped listeners in their tracks with her powerful vocals & straight to the gut lyrics. Throughout the weekend, I had the pleasure of witnessing tons of new fans come up & gush over her exemplary performance. Django told stories of his songwriting inspirations, his favorite songs, & tales of past BBRs. Taylor Hunnicutt gave the crowd a good ol' Alabaman lesson of twang & blues, shaking that tambourine around while people moved & grooved. Shinyribs did what Shinyribs does, get the crowd GOING. Kevin (lead) jumped off the stage in his sparkly suit & led a conga line of smiling participants, making our knees bend whether we were aware or not. A Shinyribs set is pure, wild, overwhelming joy. The Wilder Blue took that energy & shifted it into a master class of musicianship. I've said it before & I'll say it again, the Wilder Blue is one of THE BEST musicianship bands presently. Zane's (lead) lyricism & the magnetic instrumentals from top tier artists bring you a killer, professional, fearsome set. Finishing out Friday was our favorite good time havers, Silverada. Every time, every show, Silverada puts on the performance of a lifetime. There's guitars flying, there's hair dancing, there's steel guitar blowing everybody's dang faces away. Without fail, this band brings good vibrations & solid country gold.

Saturday was sunny & 75 with another fire lineup. Crow & Gazelle (Chrislyn & Mike McClure) debuted their duo, presenting something beautiful & kind. After doing some photos, I sat side stage for this set I was deeply looking forward to after having seen them at Mile 0 Fest. Members of the Braun family audibly praised the duo for their thought-provoking lyricism & ethereal heart feel. One person even tapped Micky Braun on the shoulder & said "where did you find THEM?! This is amazing." The Braun family band followed, having brought up generations of singers & musicians. Tunes from Strawberry Wine to Dylan rang throughout the amphitheater. Dale Watson set fire to the crowd after with his blacked out band & beer drinking music. I found myself dancing with strangers the entire set, dress parachuting in the breeze & boots spinning off of wet blades. Sunny Sweeney brought her Texas twang, continuing the dancehall theme. Corb Lund reminded us we are all rural rockabilly darlings at heart with blue collar anthems & slick cowboy tunes. He did a tribute to Ian Tyson with "Someday Soon." I was walking down from the top of the hill with the McClures as he sang this. I started screaming the lyrics in delight, a true surprise. Closing out the fest was Reckless Kelly, another Braun family band. Selectively playing every Idaho song in their discography, the pit went WILD. Side stage family members were crying. Braun babies were smiling. Fans were throwing cowboy hats in the air & ladies swayed atop broad shoulders. Canada came out to play a few songs with Reckless, shredding & smiling the entire time. It was such a beautiful close out to a rocking 3 days of music.

THE FAMILY

Something that must be said about this festival, the true magic that makes it different, is the family aspect. Festival goers brought their kids to enjoy the field. Entire families sang together. There was rarely a fight in sight. I noticed SO MANY couples holding each other, arms around one another, kissing across the field. Love in all places. It was genuine wholesome goodness.

Behind the stage, the Brauns fed every artist every day. The food alone needed its own lineup. There was lasagna, there was midnight chili, there was coconut bread cake!? The family even made gluten free & vegan options for those with dietary restrictions. Besides my own grandmas, I think I had the best chicken & rice I've ever eaten!! Humps, local legend of sorts, explained to me who cooked every year, what they made, & showed photos of his deep love for pies. His favorite part of the festival every year is family feast for sure. As someone with a love of cooking & hosting, I noted that NO ONE complained. Every single member of the family had a shift serving food, handling security, manning the artist bar. Not a single person had a negative attitude & every single Braun was happy to be there. It filled my heart in a way I hadn't ever seen as a festival. 

Besides the Brauns, the entire town of Challis was kind. Taxi drivers took $5 rides & shared their favorite memories. Waiters at the only restaurants were sassy & hilarious. The local kids asked for dances & picked wildflowers for friends. There's a saying for the festival, even written on walls: "Don't Be an Asshole." I'd say there was nary one in sight. 

I tent camped in a secluded field, welcomed with open arms by the campground leaders. My neighbors became family. There was a group of Twin Falls folk that I congregated under the full moon with. We shared moonshine & told tales of deer & music. My tent neighbor also drove in from Dallas & we bonded over experiences & love for t-shirt quilts. In the darkness of the night, I walked home to my tent down a golf course road & didn't once feel afraid of a mean drunkard or malicious intent. I truly felt completely safe & in the arms of new family. It was so peaceful in these mountains that I sat under the sturgeon moon & cried a little bit from utter happiness. 

This is a festival I plan on attending again, & hope you do, too. As always, if you have any BBR stories to share or thoughts to add, please leave them in our comments section.

Stay tuned for our in-depth interviews with CROW & GAZELLE tomorrow & SHELBY STONE Friday.