If you love Texas Music, you know Robert Earl Keen.

If you love barbecue, you know all about Meat Church.

About six weeks before they both come out to Troubadour Festival (March 28 at Midtown Park in Bryan), the two got together for an incredible day of conversation, cooking, storytelling, and a few songs.



Meat Church's Matt Pittman, who helms one of the biggest BBQ brands in the world, hosted REK to record an episode of Robert Earl Keen's Americana Podcast and film a cooking video for Meat Church's incredibly popular YouTube channel.

The two cooked chicken fried venison the episode will be released on February 25. REK also performed a few songs for Pittman and the Meat Church crew, and you know he played his crowd favorite "Barbeque."

I've known Matt for about 12 years and we've done a lot of BBQ festivals together. I know this was an extra special day for him.

Robert Earl Keen co-headlines Troubadour Festival with Flatland Cavalry on March 28, and they'll be joined by Waylon Wyatt, Jason Boland & The Stragglers, Tyce Delk, and more.

Matt Pittman is one of 30 of the world's most renowned pitmasters who will sample BBQ at the festival. He'll be among six pitmasters in the Meat Church & Friends BBQ activation, alongside Rossler's Blue Cord BBQ, Bar-A-BBQ, B4 Barbeque, Evie Mae's Barbecue, and Dayne's Craft BBQ (all Texas Monthly Top 50 or Top 10 restaurants). Other themed BBQ areas include South of the Border BBQ, Hogs Wild, Beef, and Wild Card.

Be sure to get your tickets! VIP and VIP+ tickets are more than halfway sold out. We also have BBQ + Music and Music tickets available depending on if you want to sample BBQ and enjoy the show, or just get concert tickets (you gotta have BBQ, right?).

All the details on Troubadour Festival 2026:

When: Saturday, March 28
Where: Midtown Park, Bryan
Who: 30 of the best BBQ joints in Texas and live country music on two stages
Tickets: Click here for info & to buy
What else: Don't miss the FREE pre-party on Friday, March 27, at The Palace Theater in Downtown Bryan and the first-ever Sunday BBQ Brunch on Sunday, March 29, at The Palace. Click here for more info.