The War and Treaty

The Read

The War and Treaty come out of soul and gospel and land somewhere adjacent to Americana, mostly because Nashville needed a shelf to put them on. The actual sound is two enormous voices trading and colliding, backed by a band that knows when to get out of the way. They are married, and the performance does not pretend otherwise — a lot of the drama is aimed across the stage rather than at the audience. The Ryman suits them. It is a room with pews and church acoustics, and this is functionally a gospel act that took a detour. Expect volume, expect at least one moment where the band drops out entirely, expect the crowd to answer back. A Sunday night, which is the right night for it.

The Room

Ryman Auditorium

116 5th Ave N

Built in 1892 as a tabernacle by river captain Thomas Ryman, who was converted at a Sam Jones revival — little did he know it would become the church of American roots music.