When the music duo War and Treaty walked onstage Saturday (Sept. 27) to join country star Zach Bryan for a song, it was an unexpected highlight for 112,000 fans gathered inside Michigan Stadium.
But the cameo was an even bigger surprise for folks 300 miles away at Equestrian Connection, a special-needs therapy organization that had booked the War and Treaty for an Illinois benefit event that same night.
The War and Treaty (Michael Trotter Jr., left, and Tanya Trotter) perform onstage during Grammy Museum’s Hall Of Fame Gala and Concert in Los Angeles on May 21, 2024.
People involved with the fundraising party say the War and Treaty backed out just hours before their event, leaving the night’s 500 guests without the headliner they were promised — and for which they’d bought tickets to support the nonprofit organization.
Many attendees soon learned why: The War and Treaty had been asked that day to join Bryan at his historic Ann Arbor concert, where they linked up onstage that night perform the hit song “Hey Driver.” Bryan’s concert, the first ever at Michigan Stadium, went on to set a U.S. attendance record for a concert by a single artist.
Equestrian Connection, based in the Chicago area, uses horses to offer therapy for children and adults with physical and emotional challenges. The group’s Saturday gala, Marty’s Barn Party, was the 19th edition of that annual benefit.
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“Trying not to judge but hard to understand why the band would cancel their paid commitment or at least give us sufficient prior notice,” the organization posted Sunday on Facebook. “Still trying to process the lack of empathy.”
That post and other social media chatter generated negative comments criticizing the band’s decision.
Equestrian Connection, which says it was alerted just hours before the event, managed to quickly enlist two local bands to sub in as the night’s entertainment.
The Grammy-nominated War and Treaty, formed in Albion a decade ago by husband-wife team Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, has made waves across the music world with its raw, Americana-steeped blend of soul, folk and gospel. “Hey Driver,” the 2023 collaboration with Bryan, was a breakout hit and thrust the group onto the radar of mainstream country fans.
A person close to the band who asked for anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter said Monday the War and Treaty refunded its $50,000 booking fee to Equestrian Connection and made a $5,000 donation. The band’s team has asked the organization to itemize all other expenses for compensation, such as hotel and ground transportation. The group had paid for its flight to Chicago.
The War and Treaty was not paid for its Michigan Stadium performance with Bryan, said the person, who added that the band was in Chicago when it got the Saturday call from the country star asking to join that night’s Ann Arbor show.
The Free Press was unable to reach the Trotters for comment.
The War and Treaty recorded an apology video for Equestrian Connection to disseminate, though it has not been posted, the person said.
Contact Detroit Free Press music writer Brian McCollum: 313-223-4450 or [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: War and Treaty criticized for skipping benefit, playing Zach Bryan show
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