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Thursday, May 20, 2021
GO! magazine — A&E in Northeast Oregon
SETH BROWN kicks off album tour in Halfway
■ He’s returning to his hometown to release ‘Campfire Currency’ during his show May 29
By Lisa Britton
Go! Magazine
S
eth Brown has never played
his original music in his
hometown of Halfway, so he
thinks it is the perfect place to kick
off his music tour.
“We’re so excited we can take the
album home to Halfway,” he said
during a phone interview May 12.
His show will be Saturday, May
29, from 6-9 p.m. at the Halfway
fairgrounds.
The event is a fundraiser for
Halfway’s Fourth of July fi reworks
show. Brown is donating his time.
“It’s our way of helping,” he said.
The opening act will feature his
nephews — Daniel Brown of Baker
City and Gabriel Brown of Halfway.
Seth said the two boys also will join
him onstage during the show, as
will his younger sister, Johannah.
B
rown, 34, grew up in
Halfway, along with his 18
siblings. His parents, Phil
and Gail Brown, still live there.
Music was a big part of his fam-
ily life.
“I’ve been playing music since I
was old enough to walk,” he said.
“At one time I counted 17 different
instruments in our house. My dad
would play us to sleep with his
guitar or accordion.”
Brown started writing songs
when he was 9. But a small town
like Halfway didn’t have a lot of
venues for a young musician to
play.
Except the local churches.
“By the time I was 12, I was
on a rotation,” he said. “Every
Sunday I’d lead music at different
churches.”
Homeschooled, Brown fi nished
his education by 16 and left the
area.
“I’ve traveled all over the world
and played music,” he said.
He met his wife, Emy, in Nash-
ville. They settled in Central
Seth Brown Entertainment/Contributed Photo
Seth Brown, who grew up in Halfway, brings his original music to the stage Saturday, May 29, at the fairgrounds.
He will debut his new album while donating his time to the Fourth of July fi reworks fundraiser.
Oregon and worked full-time jobs.
But they weren’t happy.
“We looked at each other and
said we have to do something dif-
ferent with our life,” he said.
So at the end of 2018 they sold
their home and belongings.
“We headed off in a little van,”
he said. “Looking back, we broke
free. We have more joy and more
passion than we’ve ever had. We’re
living our dream every day.”
Brown wrote songs as they
traveled, and by the end of 2019 he
had enough original music for an
album.
Set on making a life with his
music, Seth and Emy ended up in
Southern Oregon in 2019 and she
began booking shows.
Then the coronavirus pandemic
hit, and concerts were canceled.
“We lost about 50 shows that
year,” Brown said.
He was able to play some shows
in 2020 around Oregon, and he
recorded his debut album with a
full band in Jacksonville, Oregon,
during the last three months of
2020.
The album title is “Campfi re
Currency,” inspired by many nights
camping and meeting new people
as he and Emy traveled.
Once settled, the fi rst thing
they’d do is start a campfi re and
Emy would make up foil “hobo
packs” of food. Then Seth would
visit other campsites and invite
strangers to gather around the fi re.
“We met the coolest people,” he
said. “Every time we got around a
fi re with strangers, everyone had
something to bring and offer, a kind
of currency.”
In early 2021, they decided to
explore the music scene in Florida,
and set off across the country.
But they stopped in Arizona
fi rst, discovered Sedona, and that’s
where they’ve been ever since.
Now they are hitting the road
again.
“Campfi re Currency” releases
May 21 through online streaming
platforms.
The Halfway show will be the
fi rst time people can purchase a
CD.
“After 25 years of writing and
playing, I have a record I’m really
proud of,” Brown said.
He has about 40 shows booked so
far, thanks to Emy who handles the
business side of his music.
“She’s literally the foundation,”
he said. “We’re a great team.”
They are already planning a tour
for 2022, “going north and south, to
states we’ve never been,” he said.
To stay updated on his music
and concerts, follow “Seth Brown
Entertainment” on Instagram and
Facebook.
He also has a website: www.
sethbrownmusicpage.com.
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