While pivoting for the pandemic, the Minnesota State Fair hasn't forgotten about music performances for this year's revamped "At Home Edition." The fair will be offering a trio of mini-concerts this coming weekend.
Saturday's performance features Caitlyn Smith, a 2001 winner of the State Fair's amateur teen talent contest who is now a rising pop-country star in Nashville. Having released her second album, "Supernova," this year, the Cannon Falls native is perhaps best known for writing the Meghan Trainor/John Legend smash, "Like I'm Gonna Lose You."
Tank and the Bangas, who performed at the State Fair in 2017, have been turning heads for the last several years with their mix of New Orleans funk and hip-hop. Led by cofounder Tarriona "Tank" Ball, the Crescent City group has earned lots of acclaim, including winning the NPR Tiny Song Contest in 2017 and being nominated for the best new artist Grammy in 2019. The ensemble is set for Sunday.
The War and Treaty, who performed at the fair last year, are the husband-and-wife duo of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Blount Trotter. The Michigan couple first gained attention locally after earning a standing ovation at Chris Thile's "Live From Here" singing old spirituals. Like the Staple Singers, the War and Treaty offer a soul-stirring mix of gospel, rock and R&B. They are booked for Labor Day.
Each newly recorded three-song mini-concert starts at 6 p.m. on YouTube.
This series is organized by Monique Linder of OMG Digital Media Solutions, who has helped the State Fair for the past few years with promoting diversity.
