Standing on the red carpet of the 2023 Country Music Association Awards, Tanya and Michael Trotter Jr. held each other close. Not out of nervousness or fear — the Grammy-nominated duo making up The War and Treaty has gotten used to crowds — but out of habit.
“We see our lives changing by the minute,” Tanya told a reporter. “Every morning that we wake up, there’s something new that happens.”
On June 21, they’ll set their sights on another “new” — Levitt Pavilion Arlington. Their concert will kick off the annual Levitt National Tour across five Levitt venues, with free admission for audiences.
The music is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. with opener Jordan Nix. The War and Treaty performs at 8:30 p.m. Attendees can come to the lawn any time in the day to plant their seats and claim a spot.
“It’s a big deal that we get to be a part of watching their career explode more than it already has,” said Letatia Teykl, executive director at Levitt Pavilion Arlington.
She said the spotlight on The War and Treaty’s achievements as Black artists in the country music scene fits into the greater Levitt mission — to be a place where every community can unite over music, no matter their background.
If you go
What: The Levitt National Tour’s kickoff featuring The War and Treaty, a husband-wife duo with a country-gospel fusion sound, and opener Jordan Nix, a Texas-raised country singer.
When: 7:30 p.m. June 21
Where: 100 W. Abram St.
Price: Free, with food and drink for purchase.
Tips: Attendees may reserve a space on the pavilion’s lawn as early as they want by setting up a lawn chair or blanket.
Visit here for details.
The Trotters founded The War and Treaty in 2014, singing stories about love, conflict, commitment and human connection. Their songs feature tight harmonies over beats blending folk, blues, R&B and country.
Last year, the couple became the CMA’s first Black duo to be nominated for Duo of the Year, and the first Black duo nominated for the Academy of Country Music’s equivalent.
“The Levitt Foundation takes this really seriously; when they bring an artist to the stage, they’re artists that all the communities will recognize and rally behind,” Teykl said.
Since 2014, the national California-based foundation has made the annual tour one of its biggest productions, she said. The foundation knows the attention that big-name headliners can bring to the venues, and it pours over a year of planning into each tour.
Sharon Yazowski, CEO of the Levitt Foundation, said the night is a “can’t-miss show,” and the tour captures Levitt venues’ shared mission to build community through music.
“We want to be one of the top five; when you think of listening to live music, you think, ‘hey, let’s look at the Levitt schedule.’” Teykl said.
Drew Shaw is a reporting fellow for the Arlington Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org or @shawlings601. At the Arlington Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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