The Minnesota State Fair Grandstand opened the season with a sold out Old Dominion show and wrapped up on Monday with Taylor Swift.
Well, not the actual Taylor Swift, but her music did ring through the stands during late morning and mid-afternoon sets from Bri and the Anti-heroes. The band of six friends came together in the spring of 2023 to pay tribute to Taylor Swift. Led by vocalist and North Dakota native Brianna Helbling, the group says they have sold out every show they’ve played, including First Avenue.
Alas, the Anti-heroes’ streak is now broken, as the crowds for the two shows numbered in the hundreds, not thousands. But it was still a blast to hear songs like “”We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “… Ready for It?” performed beneath sunny skies and some of the most gorgeous weather of this year’s Great Minnesota Get-Together.
The New York-based Rock and Roll Playhouse presented the shows. The company promises families “an opportunity to rock out in an effort to educate children and encourage them to explore their creativity” and that they aim to fill “the void for shared musical experiences between parents and children.”
And, well, that’s exactly what happened during the afternoon show on Monday. Bri and the Anti-heroes took the stage promptly at 3 p.m. with “Cruel Summer,” the 2019 song that became a hit four years later thanks to its placement in Swift’s wildly successful Eras Tour.
In a nod to that two-year outing, the Anti-heroes performed the 75-minute show in mini blocks devoted to specific Swift albums, from 2008’s “Fearless” to last year’s “The Tortured Poets Department.” Helbling, who sparkled with her strong voice and cheery disposition, even (quickly) changed outfits for each record represented, with help from her mother, who was stationed backstage.
Families started to trickle into the open space in front of the stage, with more filling in with each song. Early on, the band urged everyone to move closer to the stage and they did. By the time the Anti-heroes moved into the “1989” era, the floor was hopping, with the kids — almost entirely ages 10 and under — singing and dancing with the sort of pure, utterly carefree glee rarely found outside the pre-pubescent set.
The Anti-heroes added rapped verses to “Bad Blood,” a saxophone to “Shake it Off” and led several games with the crowd, including a lively limbo contest. And, again, the kids loved it. So did a lot of the dads. It was a terrific way to bid farewell to the State Fair and Grandstand for the year.
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