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First broadcast in 1994, Tent Show Radio is a weekly one-hour radio program showcasing the best live recordings from acclaimed music acts and entertainers who grace the Big Top Chautauqua stage each summer in beautiful Bayfield, WI. In the program's nearly 30 year history it has featured artists like Johnny Cash, B.B King, Brandi Carlile, Willie Nelson, Don McLean, and many more. Hosted by celebrated New York Times best-selling author Michael Perry-who weaves stories and humor throughout each episode - Tent Show Radio features performances from renowned national & regional artists, with regular appearances featuring Big Top’s own unique brand of shows that feature songs and stories performed by its acclaimed house band, The Blue Canvas Orchestra.

 

Tent Show Radio is independently produced by Big Top Chautauqua, a non-profit performing arts organization, with a mission to present performances and events that celebrate history and the environment - along with their annual summer concert series - nestled in the woods on the shores of Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands.

Mar 20, 2020

About This Episode

When it comes to making music with both extraordinary passion and exceptional chops, few acts today can surpass the sheer excellence of The War And Treaty. Newly signed to Rounder Records—and named the 2019 Emerging Act of the Year by Americana Music Association—the husband-and-wife team of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Blount-Trotter deliver a dynamic sound that joyfully blends Southern soul with elements of gospel, country, rock-and-roll, and blues. Also known for their phenomenal live show, the Nashville-based duo are now gearing up to make their Rounder debut with a sophomore album showcasing their boundless energy and tremendous generosity as songwriters and performers.

Despite the deep sense of communion that infuses their music, Michael and Tanya hail from wildly different backgrounds. Originally from just outside Washington, D.C., Tanya discovered her supreme vocal skills at a young age and promptly pursued a career in music and acting. Meanwhile, Michael grew up in Cleveland and D.C., spending part of his childhood in homeless shelters and later enlisting in the U.S. Army. While stationed in one of Saddam Hussein’s palaces several years after 9/11, he gained access to a piano and quickly captivated his fellow troops with his powerful vocal presence. Soon tasked with writing and performing songs in memoriam to his unit’s fallen soldiers, Michael cultivated a distinct songwriting voice that he further developed upon returning home. After he and Tanya shared the stage at a music festival, the two began creating music together, eventually marrying and forming The War And Treaty. Their EP Down to the River arrived in July 2017, and the duo made their full-length debut with Healing Tide—a widely acclaimed effort. The Associated Press called them, “…a powerhouse R&B duo who sound as though they were born to sing together,” while Billboard went on to claim that, “The music world…has definitely shown that it’s ready to love The War and Treaty.”

About Michael Perry

Michael Perry is a New York Times bestselling author, humorist and radio show host from New Auburn, Wisconsin.

Perry’s bestselling memoirs include Population 485, Truck: A Love Story, Coop, and Visiting Tom, and his latest, Montaigne in Barn Boots: An Amateur Ambles Through Philosophy. His first book for young readers, The Scavengers, was published in 2014 and first novel for adult readers, The Jesus Cow, was published in May of 2015.

Raised on a small Midwestern dairy farm, Perry put himself through nursing school while working on a ranch in Wyoming, then wandered into writing. He lives with his wife and two daughters in rural Wisconsin, where he serves on the local volunteer fire and rescue service and is an intermittent pig farmer. He hosts the nationally-syndicated “Tent Show Radio,” performs widely as a humorist, and tours with his band the Long Beds (currently recording their third album for Amble Down Records). He has recorded three live humor albums including Never Stand Behind A Sneezing Cow and The Clodhopper Monologues.

Learn more about Michael and where to get his publications at www.sneezingcow.com.

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