Headlined by the spectacular, multi-GRAMMY-nominated country soul duo The War and Treaty—comprising husband and wife Michael and Tanya Trotter—the 2024 Levitt National Tour brought energetic joy to five Levitt venues across the country.

The Tour kicked off in June with The War and Treaty’s show at the Levitt Pavilion in Arlington, Texas, followed by performances at Levitt venues in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Dayton, Ohio, and ending in September in Denver, Colorado. At each concert, community members relished the full, live rapture of the band’s signature sound—a lionhearted blend of Southern soul, gospel, country, and rock ‘n’ roll—while dancing, relaxing, and singing alongside friends, family and neighbors on their Levitt lawn.

Each stop created buzz and excitement. In North Texas, Angela Peña, Communications and Program Development Director at Levitt Arlington, shared that a number of community members had attended the Academy of Country Music Awards in nearby Frisco, Texas, where the country soul duo had been nominated just a month before.

“Not only was their appearance great timing, but The War and Treaty also had a hometown feel to their performance,” Peña explained. “They were singing about loving one another and having grace and gratitude towards your neighbors. It was truly a performance that represented our community. Their powerful message combined with the soulfulness of their voices together brought happy tears to community members’ eyes—it was such a moving experience.”

Peña also remarked on the camaraderie and connectivity during Levitt Arlington’s National Tour meet-and-greet. “We had a mixture of sponsors, staff, and audience members connecting with Tanya and Michael,” Peña said. “It was beautiful to see a melting pot of people from different walks of life come together and bond over the joy that music brings.”

In Sioux Falls, community members of all backgrounds considered the Tour to be a highlight of their Levitt summer concert series, noted Levitt Shell Sioux Falls Executive Director Nancy Halverson.

“We could sense the excitement and anticipation in our community from the moment they were announced as the National Tour artist, and the band still exceeded our expectations,” Halverson said. “The dance floor was packed the entire night, and the venue was buzzing with the joy and love they brought to our stage. We are so grateful to the Levitt Foundation for making such a memorable night possible for Sioux Falls.”

Echoing similar sentiments was Lisa Wagner, Executive Director of Levitt Pavilion Dayton—where The War and Treaty’s show attracted a record-breaking audience of nearly 4,000 people.

“We always hope [Levitt Tour performances] will introduce the venue to new people and encourage them to keep coming out to the lawn and dance with us all summer long,” explained Wagner. “The War and Treaty was our largest turnout since becoming a permanent venue in the network, and the show was so full of love and hope that it amplified what we’re all about to many new friends on our lawn.”

Members of the Levitt Foundation team including Vanessa Silberman and Chris Dzialo traveled to Dayton to interview the artists themselves—check out the video below to hear from The War and Treaty on their own experiences of the 2024 Levitt National Tour!