The War and Treaty elevate souls at Brooklyn Bowl concert

Americana Music Award-winning and Academy of Country Music Award-nominated vocal duo The War and Treaty's electrifying and tear-jerking headlining set (with rising star First Nations artist William Prince opening) at Brooklyn Bowl made a solid argument that Country Music's fundamental social tenets -- possibly for the first time in the genre's history -- are embodied best by African-American performers.

The couple is not defined by race. Rather, it's the level of soulfulness achieved by Michael Trotter, Jr. -- a military veteran who once used his soulful tenor as a tool to soothe the spirits of injured military officers -- and the level of sanctified performance from his wife. Tanya Trotter is a rare level of gospel and hip-hop artist, able to claim both being in "Sister Act 2" with Lauryn Hill and being signed to Bad Boy Records -- before The Notorious B.I.G. died.

Perhaps, because country music is so exorbitantly successful and largely wealth-driven in 2023, the genre, wholesale, has gotten away from itself. Pause for a second if you are a country fan, and consider that, potentially, the truth has become a trope. Then, even deeper, think that genuine authenticity requires incredible uniqueness.

These are real notions that demand immediate course correction.

If country music is more prominent, broader and more encompassing than ever -- but is still a genre moved by three chords and the truth -- then it's probably time to take a moment and reconsider which three chords we're playing and which truths connectively lie deepest within the genre's expansive community, that best highlight valid, trustworthy originality at its core meaning.

Now, dive into The War and Treaty singing "Blank Page" 15 minutes into their show at Brooklyn Bowl.

The duo's latest album, "Lover's Game," blends soulful elements, rootsy Americana vibes and the work of top Nashville producer Dave Cobb ("Elvis" film soundtrack, Chris Stapleton, among many credits) to craft a spirit-uplifting homage to family, faith and fun.

Michael Trotter, Jr., just three hours prior, was still elevating and resting the left ankle he broke after falling and knocking himself unconscious three months ago after attempting to "take the audience higher" at the Ryman Auditorium.

During the performance of "Lover's Game" track "Blank Page," Trotter, Jr. exultantly kicked out that left foot connected to his left ankle that was tapping on the floor as he was playing his keyboard onstage during a moment in the duet where his wife's voice -- as it has so often during the last decade they have performed together -- seemed to float effortlessly higher and higher to the disco ball-laden ceiling of Brooklyn Bowl.

That "higher" place Trotter had wanted to lead the Ryman to three months prior?

Within 15 minutes of the opening of the last show of the most important tour of his musical career, he finally achieved the level of vocal performance and exultant reaction for which he has passionately aimed his career.

At that moment, Michael Trotter, Jr.'s truth was no trope.

He's a son and father who has survived being at war in Baghdad and homelessness at multiple points in his life. He's also survived having to prove, then re-prove, himself as an artist capable and gifted in gospel, then folk, followed by Americana, now country music. As well, he's gutted through 52 consecutive days on the road with a broken ankle that culminated with The War and Treaty's first nomination for a country music award (for Duo of the Year at the 58th Academy of Country Music [ACM] Awards), yet another onstage award show performance (at the same ACM Awards) and a tour-closing headlining show at Music City's Brooklyn Bowl.

"I've got some truth for you about Tanya and I holding hands during that ACM Awards performance," Michael Trotter, Jr. starts a story to The Tennessean before The War and Treaty took the stage at Brooklyn Bowl.

"We were holding hands so tightly and staring into each other's eyes not just because we were in love but terrified to a level that we've never felt before. We were afraid because we felt the stress of shouldering the world's pain and we didn't know how to handle the anxiety [related to] the moment."

Exhaling, then encouraged by relieving himself of one -- of many -- honesties of his reality at present, Michael Trotter, Jr. continues.

"Also, in country music, it's usually been us up there with the golden boys doing things where we can hide behind the song and the artists we're singing with, too. Like, how are you going to boo Dierks Bentley singing U2 ("Pride [In The Name Of Love]" at the 56th ACM Awards), The Brothers Osborne covering The Rolling Stones ("It's Only Rock 'n Roll [But I Like It]" at the most recent Country Music Association [CMA] Awards) or any time we sing Christmas carols on a TV special."

"But finally, at the ACMs, they put us up on that stage all alone."

Trotter, Jr. laughs with thunderous, heaven-shaking might.

He's relieved and growing empowered by the second.

"We were in Connecticut," he keeps talking, the stories flowing from him. Tanya, appears stunned yet encouraging.

"This 70-plus-year-old man comes up to the merch table and tells the merch girl, our daughter, 'I don't usually follow Blacks. Where I come from, we used to beat Blacks up -- throw stuff at them, spit at them, too. But I was watching TV and saw [The War and Treaty] once. So then, I waited for them to come to this town -- because, even though I don't follow Blacks, I wanted to see what The War and Treaty were all about.'"

"When I tell you that we had, in my opinion, one of the worst shows of the tour that night, we did. Everything was off. I thought about that man and I can't tell you how sad I was," Michael Trotter, Jr. continues.

"We get to New York for the next night, we look out in the crowd at the end of the show and that same man from Connecticut is in the front row and his eyes are filled with tears."

"He said, 'I don't know what y'all did to me. I've seen all the greats, but I've never been moved like this.' Then, he hugged us deeply and gave my wife pearls and my daughter diamond earrings."

Fast forward to near the close of The War and Treaty's Brooklyn Bowl performance. Tanya Trotter, dressed in a white fringe dress that recalled Tina Turner's countrified rock and soul roots in Nutbush City, Tennessee, 160 miles away, is shaking, shimmying and spinning onstage while singing Aretha Franklin's "Respect."

There have been zero African-American female No. 1 hit artists in country music's century-long history.

Tanya Trotter's tired but keeps on trying. The country music industry is runnin' out of foolin', and Trotter, plus the likes of Brittney Spencer (in attendance in the capacity-filling crowd) or Miko Marks and Rissi Palmer (playing Nashville's City Winery on May 18, 2023), aren't lyin'.

Michael Trotter, Jr. adds a final statement summarizing the power of The War and Treaty's recent national tour and what they feel they've earned next in their careers.

"What can country music be like when it's not just Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, Dottie West, Tanya Tucker, Trisha Yearwood or Chris Stapleton now being Entertainer of the Year and having the soul in their style being the defining factor of how country music values greatness?," he asked. "The spirituality that we add to the soulfulness of our voices -- and the uniqueness of our empathy and experience -- has connected and deserves to connect even deeper with the country music industry."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: The War and Treaty elevate souls at Brooklyn Bowl concert