The War and Treaty – led by the powerhouse duo, Tanya and Michael jr. Trotter – stopped by Philadelphia with their Lover’s Game tour for cheesesteaks and a Friday night show at World Cafe Live. Fans showed up early with some sporting their cowboy hats and The War and Treaty baseball jerseys. The room was fully engaged – from Leon Timbo’s opening set to the end of The War and Treaty’s hour and a half performance. During their set, the Trotters’ told us how they’ve been nominated for two People’s Choice Country Awards and they also shared that they’ve been asked to perform at the awards live from the Opry House on September 26th.
Leon Timbo Band | photo by Ellen Miller for WXPN
Southern singer-songwriter Leon Timbo had the room’s attention for his whole opening set through storytelling, humor, the blend of soft and powerful lyrics and vocals. He played through a mix of energetic songs countered with quieter ones, and introduced several with personal stories. Timbo had a father/daughter song for a friend, a grandparents song he described as “happily-depressive,” and sing-a-longs to a couple great covers including “You’ve got a Friend” and “Ain’t No Sunshine.”
The War and Treaty | photo by Ellen Miller for WXPN
Making an incredibly strong start to their night in Philadelphia, The War and Treaty took the stage singing “Rolling in the River” and shaking hands with fans in the front row. The set just kept building up to the climax in the form of their 2023 Grammy-nominated song “Blank Page” around mid-show. This was immediately followed up with an extended pause for a moment of applause and appreciation; a moment that felt similar to the standing ovation Phillies fans gave Rhys Hoskins his first night back at Citizens Bank Park earlier this year (though on a smaller scale, obviously).
The set slowed down for a few songs after that as Michael and Tanya had a “husband and wife moment” and performed a song just the two of them, then brought their guitarist Max Brown and sang “Yesterday’s Burn” before continuing with the full band for the rest of the night. The setlist was filled with songs from their 2023 album Lover’s Game, but they also tried out some brand new songs towards the end of the set. It felt like the music really took over making it a great Friday night gig to transition from the work-week into the weekend.
Check out photos from the show below, and see where The War and Treaty’s tour stops next at their website; Lover’s Game is out now.