Fairgrounds heat up with music festival in Baker City

Published 12:00 pm Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Summer Jam is Aug. 22-23

BAKER CITY — The Baker County Fairgrounds heat up with two days of music for the first-ever Summer Jam, Aug. 22-23, in the rodeo arena.

Friday features Micky and the Motorcars, Nate Botsford, Lance & Lea, and Jordan Shaw. Saturday brings Kaleb Austin, Tylor and the Train Robbers, Scotty Wilson and Music Medicine, and Countryfied.

Gates open at noon and the music starts at 2 p.m. each day. The headliner takes the stage at 8 p.m.

The festival includes food vendors, and beverages will be available from Towin’ Tipsy mobile bar.

Tickets

General admission (metal bleachers) is $30, and the covered grandstand seats are $40. The party pit — standing room only — is $50, and two-day passes range from $55 to $95, depending on the location.

Online purchases at bakerfair.com will have credit card and processing fees (all fees are upfront), while those who pay by cash or check can purchase printed tickets at the Baker County Fairgrounds front office, 2600 East St., with no fees.

Micky and the Motorcars

Micky and the Motorcars will headline the Friday show. Formed in Stanley, Idaho, 25 years ago, the band has been based in Austin, Texas, since 2002.

“It has a great music scene — it’s the live music capital of the world,” said Micky Braun, one of the band’s founding members. “We made the move and went for it — so far, so good.”

He and his brother, Gary, come by music naturally — they performed with the family band, Muzzie Braun and the Little Braun Brothers, on “The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson.”

The band’s sound is described as “red dirt country,” a description based in the Texas/Oklahoma music scene.

“It’s like Americana country rock,” Braun said.

They’ve released 11 albums, including two live — one recorded in Germany, and one at Billy Bob’s Texas. Their newest album was released in June.

At first, Micky wrote most of the songs, but now Gary writes, as well.

“It’s almost 50/50 on the songwriting,” Micky said.

With 25 years of material, he said, their show can be influenced by the audience — either more country, or more rock.

“We definitely have fan favorites,” he said. “A mix of new stuff, old stuff and everything in between. We put on a high-energy show.”

Nate Botsford

Also playing Friday is Nate Botsford, who first played music at age 3 by outfitting a popcorn popper toy with rubber bands and a belt strap.

“That was my guitar for a little bit,” he said with a laugh.

He started learning piano at 5, and a real guitar at 12. He played in bands through high school, and after graduation, he pursued a career as a firefighter.

He changed his mind two days into training.

“This isn’t what I want to do — I gotta do music,” he recalls about that decision. “I took my guitar and started playing anywhere people would let me.”

Labeled as a country artist, his music is influenced by Americana and bluegrass.

“I’ve always loved country music, the fan base and the storytelling aspect,” he said.

Lance & Lea

Lance & Lea join the Friday lineup to share a music style created by a combination of their backgrounds — she grew up Amish, listening to country music and singing in church, while Lance played in a rock band in Texas.

They met in Nashville and started writing songs.

“We wrote four or five songs in a couple hours,” Lance said. “We started writing songs and fell in love.”

With nearly 1,000 original songs in the sound of country rock, the duo has toured for about six years, playing 70-80 shows and logging 30,000 miles a year.

“We literally go from east coast to west coast, north to south, and everywhere in between,” Lea said. “It’s been really fun for both of us to express our roots, and the music we love to play.”

In 2024, they released a double album titled “Boots & Blues” — it is, appropriately, half country and half blues/rock. In Baker City, they’ll be joined by a full band.

“It’s gonna be a blast,” Lance said. “The guys we’re flying out are the best of the best.”

Jordan Shaw

Jordan Shaw grew up in North Carolina and moved to Boise about nine years ago.

He grew up singing at church.

“In the south, if you have any musical talent at all, you end up singing in church,” he said.

After coming west, his focus shifted to country music. He had a few original songs, then set out to learning more.

“I memorized 200 country songs,” he said.

He started playing at local bars, and now tours around the Pacific Northwest to play shows and festivals. He’s currently working on an acoustic album.

“Just vocals and acoustic guitar,” he said.