The War and Treaty cover Otis Redding for CBS America250 special

The War and Treaty’s cover of Otis Redding’s “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” aired as part of CBS’s “The Great American Block Party 250,” a July 4 primetime special built around America’s 250th birthday celebration. CBS said the program was hosted live from Washington, D.C., by “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil and “Entertainment Tonight” co-host Nischelle Turner, and paired live music with a fireworks show.

The Nashville performance carried extra weight because it unfolded at the Woolworth Theatre, a historic downtown venue used for live entertainment and private events. That setting fit a broadcast trying to turn familiar songs into a shared national ritual, with The War and Treaty’s soulful approach giving Redding’s classic a new place inside a larger Independence Day production.

CBS included The War and Treaty alongside exclusive performances from Zac Brown Band, Jon Batiste, Goo Goo Dolls and others, making the special less a single concert than a stitched-together national stage. The production linked two cities at once: Washington, where the live host segments anchored the holiday broadcast, and Nashville, where the duo’s performance added a Southern music backdrop to the celebration.

America250 has cast 2026 as the nation’s Semiquincentennial year and has described its broader effort as “America’s Block Party,” a campaign aimed at connecting major cities and local communities nationwide. The group has also promoted initiatives including “Giving 4th” and “America Gives” as part of that effort to widen participation in the anniversary year.

The War and Treaty were a natural fit for that framing. Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter have built the Grammy-nominated Americana duo around a blend of soul, gospel, country and blues, and their own account of the group traces the story back to 2010, when they met after Michael returned from Iraq. Their materials say the marriage and mission that followed in 2014 pushed them toward writing for their own audience, with music centered on healing and community.

That combination of repertory, venue and broadcast design made the cover more than a nostalgic song choice. CBS used a classic American standard, a downtown Nashville landmark and a national holiday special to help frame the 250th-birthday celebration as a shared story told through old songs recast for a new civic moment.