{"id":129946,"date":"2024-04-30T20:14:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-01T00:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=129946"},"modified":"2024-04-30T20:14:00","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T00:14:00","slug":"the-war-and-treaty-to-headline-the-2024-levitt-national-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=129946","title":{"rendered":"The War and Treaty to Headline the 2024 Levitt National Tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

The magnetic, multi-GRAMMY-nominated duo\u2014whose new single, \u201cStealing A Kiss,\u201d is out now\u2014brings their exhilarating blend of blues, gospel, soul, bluegrass, country\u00a0and more to Levitt venues across the country.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Bethlehem, Lehigh Valley, PA., April 25, 2024 – Mark your calendars for a night of phenomenal live music as the multi-GRAMMY nominated duo\u00a0The War and Treaty<\/strong>, selected as this year’s headliner of the 2024 Levitt National Tour, will perform at the Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks on\u00a0Friday, July 26.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, a social impact funder supporting nonprofits nationwide at the intersection of music, public space\u00a0and community building, announces the return of its annual Levitt National Tour this summer.\u00a0The War and Treaty<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong>\u00a0the multi-GRAMMY-nominated Nashville duo, will headline the tour, which is scheduled to visit five Levitt venues, free admission for audiences. The tour kicks off in\u00a0Arlington, Texas<\/strong><\/a>, on Friday, June 21, and continues to\u00a0Bethlehem, Pa.\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>(Friday, July 26);\u00a0Sioux Falls, S.D.<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(Friday, August 9);\u00a0Dayton, Ohio<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(Saturday, August 24); and concludes in\u00a0Denver<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(Friday, September 13).<\/p>\n

Continuing the Foundation\u2019s mission of building community through music, The War and Treaty will headline the eighth iteration of the Levitt National Tour, which began in 2014 with the world-music fusion of\u00a0Playing For Change<\/strong><\/a>. A highlight of the free concert seasons at Levitt venues across the country, other Levitt National Tour artists have included\u00a0La Santa Cecilia<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(2023), celebrated for their electric fusion of cumbia, rock, bolero\u00a0and jazz; the danceable rock, pop and soul of trio\u00a0The New Respects<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(2022);\u00a0Flor De Toloache<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(2019), with their blend of traditional mariachi with jazz, salsa and pop music; Southern rocker\u00a0Paul Thorn and gospel legends Blind Boys of Alabama<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(2018); Gulf Coast soul sensation\u00a0The Suffers<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(2017); and genre-busting violin duo\u00a0Black Violin<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(2015).<\/p>\n

Since forming in 2014, The War and Treaty have amassed a following as varied as their sound, a bluesy yet joyful fusion of Southern soul, gospel, country\u00a0and rock and roll. Known for a live show nearly revival-like in intensity, the husband and wife duo of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Blount-Trotter create an exhilarating exchange of energy with their audience.<\/p>\n

Recently earning GRAMMY nominations for Best New Artist and Best American Roots Song for \u201cBlank Page,\u201d they also received this year their first ever Duo of the Year nomination from the Country Music Association, Vocal Duo nomination from the Academy of Country Music, plus recognition by the Country Music Hall of Fame, Grand Ole Opry\u00a0and Americana Music Association including earning AMA Duo\/Group of the Year for the second straight year. One of the most electrifying groups in American music today, the duo just released their first new single of 2024, \u201cStealing A Kiss\u201d\u2014a seductive envelope of country soul (listen\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>).<\/p>\n

Highlighting the collective impact of Levitt venues in communities across the country and a shared mission to build community through music, the Tour is a collaborative programming effort of the Foundation and its Levitt venue partners. \u201cCollectively, the Levitt network presents the largest free outdoor concert series in America, and we are beyond excited that this year The War and Treaty will be sharing their powerful music as part of our National Tour,\u201d says Sharon Yazowski, CEO of the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation. \u201cKnown for creating an energetic, electric atmosphere through their resounding, soulful beats and compelling lyrics that speak to contemporary themes and issues, The War and Treaty are the perfect artist for this year\u2019s Tour.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Trotters aren\u2019t strangers to Levitt stages, either\u2014back in 2018 and 2019, they mesmerized\u00a0Levitt Shell Memphis<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(now Overton Park Shell) and\u00a0Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0audiences with their commanding presence, defined by Tanya\u2019s soaring twang, Michael\u2019s effortless piano prowess, and the couple\u2019s full-bodied harmonies, all bolstered by an equally expressive supporting band. \u201cFor me, [the best part of playing at Levitt venues] is seeing people sit down at first\u2014then, after a little while, they end up in front of the stage, dancing and having themselves a good ole\u2019 time, a good ole\u2019 party,\u201d Michael Trotter Jr. says. \u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re looking forward to most about these upcoming shows.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 2024 Levitt National Tour will also see the return of the #LevittTour superfan campaign on the\u00a0Foundation\u2019s Instagram channel<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(@levittfoundation). One lucky Levitt audience member will win memorabilia signed by The War and Treaty: a one-of-a-kind memento! The winner will be selected from photo and\/or video submissions by Levitt audiences that capture the energy and excitement of the Tour and include the hashtag #LevittTour in the caption. Additional details will be announced leading up to the start of the Tour.<\/p>\n

About The War and Treaty<\/strong><\/p>\n

Comprising wife and husband Tanya Trotter and Michael Trotter Jr.,\u00a0The War and Treaty<\/strong>\u00a0has emerged as one of the most electrifying new acts in American music. Since 2014, the critically acclaimed duo has dazzled audiences in the U.S. and internationally on stages in Europe and Australia, earning accolades from the Country Music Association (nominated for Duo of the Year), the Academy of Country Music (nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year), Folk Alliance International (winner of Artist of the Year)\u00a0and the Americana Music Association (2x winner of Duo\/Group of the Year award). In addition to recognition from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry,\u00a0The War and Treaty<\/strong>\u00a0most recently received two GRAMMY nominations for Best New Artist and Best American Roots Song (for their 2023 song \u201cBlank Page\u201d).<\/p>\n

With a name that pays homage to the dichotomy between hard times and healing\u2014partially inspired by army veteran Michael Trotter Jr. who, at 19, left for a tour of duty in Iraq\u2014The War and Treaty<\/strong>\u00a0crafts warmhearted roots music that shares narratives of love, loss, commitment, and conflict. In 2016, the pairing released their first album,\u00a0Love Affair<\/em>, under the pseudonym Trotter & Blount (Blount being Tanya\u2019s maiden name). Not long after, in 2018, the musicians changed their stage name to\u00a0The War and Treaty<\/strong>; with that new handle came a new record,\u00a0Healing Tide<\/em>, which garnered rave reviews. Following was 2020\u2019s\u00a0Hearts Town<\/em>, and last year, the Trotters released their fourth album as a pair and their first on a major label (Mercury Nashville),\u00a0Lover\u2019s Game<\/em>\u2014a sonic feat of wholehearted, soulful rock \u2018n\u2019 roll evidencing that \u201cthe colossally talented pair continue their commando, no-limits journey to the top of the music world,\u201d as noted by the Associated Press. Thematically, the album takes listeners on a voyage of love winding across different situations and seasons.<\/p>\n

Described by\u00a0The Tennessean<\/em>\u00a0as \u201cunlike any other act in music,\u201d\u00a0The War and Treaty\u00a0<\/strong>has collaborated with country stars like Zach Bryan, Wilder Woods\u00a0and Brothers Osborne and has opened for living legends like Al Green and Van Morrison and celebrated artists Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, John Legend, Jason Isbell\u00a0and Lauren Daigle. With their immense talents, the Trotters have electrified their industry peers and captivated audiences across the globe. Learn more at\u00a0TheWarandTreaty.com<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

About Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks<\/strong><\/p>\n

Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is part of a national network of outdoor Levitt music venues and Levitt AMP concert sites dedicated to strengthening the social fabric of communities in America through free, live music in public spaces. Presenting high-caliber talent and a broad array of music genres and cultural programming, Levitt venues are welcoming, inclusive destinations where families, friends and neighbors of all ages and backgrounds come together. Levitt venues are managed, programmed and supported by Friends of Levitt nonprofit partners, and the Levitt AMP Music series is presented by a range of nonprofit organizations.\u00a0For more information, visit\u00a0www.levitt.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

About the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation is a private family foundation that exists to strengthen the social fabric of America. We support changemakers and nonprofits across the country to activate underused outdoor spaces through free outdoor concerts, creating welcoming and inclusive destinations where the power of free, live music brings people together, fosters belonging, and invigorates community life.\u00a0Levitt venues and concert sites attract people of all ages and backgrounds and reflect the character of their town or city, while benefitting from the framework and best practices of the Levitt program.<\/p>\n

In 2024, the Levitt network is presenting 650+ free concerts in 45\u00a0towns and cities across the country, with audiences over 800,000. In addition to supporting free concerts, the Levitt Foundation is dedicated to advancing equitable music ecosystems through research and partnerships.\u00a0www.levitt.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

About ArtsQuest<\/strong><\/p>\n

ArtsQuest\u2019s mission is to provide access to exceptional artistic, cultural and educational experiences using arts and culture as key elements of economic development for our urban communities. ArtsQuest\u2122 supports this mission via the presentation of performing and visual arts, film, arts education classes and outreach, youth programming and cultural events.<\/p>\n

Through festivals such as its flagship event,\u00a0Musikfest<\/a><\/strong>; the\u00a0Banana Factory Arts Center<\/a><\/strong>; and the ArtsQuest Center at\u00a0SteelStacks\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>arts and cultural campus, ArtsQuest\u2019s programming reaches more than 1.9 million people annually. The organization\u2019s programs and events, over 50% of which are free to attend, have a combined economic impact of more than $136 million annually in the region.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Information provided to TVL by:
\nBryn Keeney<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The magnetic, multi-GRAMMY-nominated duo\u2014whose new single, \u201cStealing A Kiss,\u201d is out now\u2014brings their exhilarating blend of blues, gospel, soul, bluegrass, country\u00a0and more to Levitt venues across the country.\u00a0 Bethlehem, Lehigh … Continue reading The War and Treaty to Headline the 2024 Levitt National Tour<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":129886,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5717,69,482],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bethlehem","category-in-the-valley","category-press-release-2"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/wat-and-treaty.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129946"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=129946"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129946\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/129886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=129946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=129946"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=129946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}