By Tom Collins
Staff Writer

When Good Old War’s Tim Arnold announced he would no longer be a part of the successful acoustic folk trio from Langhorne last year, fans were heartbroken. In a band that relied heavily on three part harmonies sung by the distinctive voices of drummer Arnold, keyboardist Keith Goodwin, and guitarist Dan Schwartz, no one was quite sure how they would go on.

Goodwin and Schwartz proved they could fair just as well on their own with the release of a new song, “Tell Me What You Want,” from their forthcoming album “Broken Into Better Shape,” however fans were elated when it was announced that Arnold would be joining the group on their recent spring tour.

The tour wrapped up in Philadelphia on April 12 in the basement of the First Unitarian Church, which will be—at least for the time being—Arnold’s last performance with Good Old War. Both openers Pete Hill and You Won’t did an excellent job warming up the sold out crowd, but they still saved all their energy for when Good Old War took the stage.

After a young woman took the stage and asked the crowd if they were ready to see “the best band in the world,” Arnold, Goodwin, and Schwartz humbly took the stage, laughing at the introduction.

After taking their spots on stage, they broke into one of their best known songs, “Coney Island,” which prompted everyone in the crowd to sing along, which they continued to do for the rest of the night, for almost every song.

The band played songs from all three of their albums throughout the set, highlights including “Better Weather” and “Over and Over” from 2012’s “Come Back as Rain” and “Weak Man” from their debut album “Only Way To Be Alone” which featured an excellent, extended, bluesy guitar solo from Dan Schwartz. They also played several new songs, with guests from the opening bands joining them onstage.

The set list more than pleased all fans at the show, save for one who had a bit too much to drink, who repeatedly shouted at the band from the back of the venue, demanding that they play “Sneaky Louise,” a song from their 2010 self-titled album.

“Come on, man,” Keith Goodwin said, finally acknowledging the drunken fan, “We haven’t played that song in like five years!”

After an encore that included fan favorites “Amazing Eyes” and “Loud Love,” the band members hugged each other as a last farewell to Tim Arnold before walking off stage, directly into the crowd, stopping to chat and shake hands with any fans that were approaching them.

Even after losing an essential member, Good Old War proved with their new material they played live, as well as the singles they have released, that they will continue making incredible music, that will be highly enjoyable for new and old fans alike.