Review: The War and Treaty hit the State Fair with hurricane force and it was a good thing

A torrential rain with nasty winds forced the cancellation of concerts Monday night at the Minnesota State Fair. On Tuesday, a hurricane called The War and Treaty hit the fair’s Leinie Lodge Bandshell with such force that fair officials might consider cancelling all other concerts and booking The War and Treaty for the rest of the run.

The War and Treaty — the Americana Music Award-winning husband-and-wife duo of Michael and Tanya Trotter — have played the State Fair before. As Michael pointed out, the first of their two shows got cancelled last time, so he urged fans to just show up for the second night whenever the duo returns to the Great Minnesota Get-Together.

The scene: A full house gathered at the Bandshell, with some fans wearing The War and Treaty T-shirts as Michael proudly noticed and some sporting Zach Bryan shirts because he was just in Minneapolis on Saturday and his song “Hey Driver” features The War and Treaty.

A self-described country-gospel group, The War and Treaty took the crowd to church and to the Grand Ole Opry. And in the middle of the set, the Trotters broke into “The Star Spangled Banner,” during which the concertgoers stood and many removed their caps. Tanya later pointed out that she was wearing a camo top because it was Military Appreciation Day at the fair and Michael is an Army veteran who served in Iraq.

The music: The War and Treaty hit the stage with an explosive “Proud Mary” (not the nice and easy version) before segueing into their own romp “Lover’s Game,” the title track of last year’s album. Backed by a first-rate group of five musicians as well as Michael’s piano, the Trotters leaned heavily on that record, their third full-length, and performed a few new numbers due on an album next year.

The church-reared, Michigan-launched duo has made a name for itself since relocating to Nashville and plugging into the world of country music. They have performed on country award shows and earned a nomination for best new artist at this year’s Grammys. The War and Treaty were named group of the year in the Americana Music Awards in 2023. And they’re nominated for a People’s Choice country award on Sept. 26 when they will perform on that show.

Biggest takeaways: If they came across like the Mike and Tanya Trotter Revue last year at the Fine Line club in downtown Minneapolis except, unlike Ike and Tina Turner, they truly love each other, this time The War and Treaty impressed like the next gen duo of Al Green and Aretha Franklin gone gospel. Their singing was that remarkable. Michael showcased an elastic voice, with robust depth and angelic highs. And Tanya’s humongously soulful, goose-bump-inducing pipes would have rattled the roof if there had been one in this outdoor venue.

Their love for one another was beyond palpable. The way they sang face to face, dabbed the sweat off each other and created sparks with their public displays of affection, it made you want to shout “get a room.”

Coolest moments: “Hey Driver” as the second selection was a smart move. “Blank Page” was a glorious love song, especially when Michael pulled Tanya in close. “Yesterday’s Burn,” the duo’s purest country tune accompanied only by acoustic guitar, felt like a modern-day George Jones and Tammy Wynette duet. And don’t overlook the upcoming single “Amen,” an uplifting gospel love song that they’d never performed live before.

Best banter: Michael has some lines that he might have used before. To wit: “We aren’t like the rest of country music. We country gospel. We get to the bottom of the church pew, with the gum on it.” But he had some fresh material for the State Fair. He pointed out that he tried two different pizzas on Tuesday at the fairgrounds, which he called “my fat boy duty.” He declared the best was from Spaghetti Eddie’s because it was “less healthier.”