Reid Bros. opens annual Performance Series for Breckenridge’s National Theatre
By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan
During the National Theatre’s opening concert for the 2025-26 Performance Series Saturday night, Austin-native singer-songwriter Reid Umstattd explained to the small crowd scattered around the theater that a personal connection led him to Breckenridge — he was friends with Clark Pitzer, a Breckenridge native who passed away last year at the age of 41.
Reid Bros., including Reid Umstattd, left, and Brian Douglas Phillips, on pedal steel guitar, performed at Breckenridge’s National Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 20. Click here to see more photos from the concert. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
“So, I would be remiss if I were not to speak on the reason that I am in Breckenridge in the first place, which is because of my good friend Clark Pitzer, who passed away last year. His mom and dad are here (tonight),” Umstattd said. “I’m sure that this town felt that loss tremendously. So many people did. I could stand up here and speak for hours and hours about the way that Clark made me laugh and the way that he made me feel special, but we’re going to do that by playing something he showed me.
“He and I had a kind of a special bond through music. He would show me songs all the time, and they were often terrible, terrible songs,” Umstattd said, laughing.
Umstattd, who performs nowadays under the name Reid Bros., went on to talk about a Jeff Bridges song, “What a Little Bit of Love Can Do,” that Pitzer had introduced to Umstattd and his wife, Jena Umstattd.
“So I always had this really, really personal attachment to the song, because I almost felt like Clark was singing to me, and it just got more special once he once he passed away,” Umstattd said. “…if you listen to the words … the sentiment is, is very much Clark, too … it’s about being in a relationship where you want to lift the other person up, and that was what Clark was about.”
They closed the concert with the song.
For most of Saturday’s concert, Umstattd played his original songs, some of which are included on his album “Southern Spheres” and some new ones that will be on an upcoming album.
Jena Umstattd sang backup for her husband, Reid Umstattd during Saturday night’s concert. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Throughout the evening, Jena Umstattd, sang backup for her husband, and Brian Douglas Phillips played the pedal steel guitar and sang backup on some songs. Phillips has also produced both of Umstattd’s records.
Umstattd introduced most of the songs with the often humorous or touching story behind them, telling the audience who he wrote it for or about — his wife and their young daughter (“Fallin’ and Flyin'”), his mom (“Shiloh Road”), a good friend (“Ease My Worried Mind”), a guy he went to high school with (“Wild One”). With the exception of the new material, the Reid Bros. songs are available on albums for sale on his website, on Spotify and on YouTube.
As he explains on his website, Umstattd chose “Reid Bros.” as the project name for his band and his Americana/country solo material. The name Reid Bros. is borrowed from a clothing store run by his grandparents, in Corinth, Mississippi, where he visited often as a child.
Umstattd was previously the lead singer of the Austin-based rock band Nelo, and he was on The Voice in 2018.
This is the fourth annual Performance Series by the National Theatre and the Friends of Historic Breckenridge with Blackhorse Mercantile and Cafe as the presenting sponsor. Other performances planned for this season’s series include:
- 3 Fools on 3 Stools on Nov. 8
- Maggie Amini and Kevin Singleton on Dec. 6
- Bleu Edmonson on Feb. 14
- David Lewis on March 28
Tickets may be purchased on the Friends of Historic Breckenridge website.
The National Theatre is located at 116 E. Walker St. in downtown Breckenridge.
Reid and Jena Umstattd embrace at the end of Saturday night’s concert, after performing “What a Little Bit of Love Can Do,” a song that was introduced to them by their friend, Breckenridge native Clark Pitzer, who passed away last year. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan )
Cutline, top photo: The National Theatre’s 2025-26 Performance Series opened Saturday, Sept. 20, with a concert by Reid Bros., featuring Reid Umstattd, center; his wife, Jena Umstattd; and Brian Douglas Phillips, right. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
