Joe Walsh Appears at War On Drugs Charity Show

Special guest Joe Walsh joined The War On Drugs (TWOD) onstage at Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia for the Drugcember To Remember benefit, where he delivered a high-impact finale. The two-hour, 15-minute TWOD performance benefited the Fund for the School District of Philadelphia.

Walsh, the James Gang founder, solo artist, and guitarist for the Eagles band, not the team, performed his own “Rocky Mountain Way” and “In The City.” He then joined TWOD on their track “Under The Pressure.”

Walsh was joined by a set of guitarists onstage that included Granduciel, Anthony LaMarca, and, at times, newest band member Eliza Hardy Jones, who also played percussion and contributed to backup vocals throughout the evening.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Walsh's appearance followed a cultivated friendship after attending TWOD's VetsAid performance in 2023, where he expressed admiration for their live sound.

“We became friends, we stayed in touch,” Granduciel said. “And he wanted to come to Drugcember. He wanted to see all you guys. He wanted to breathe the air that we're breathing,” Granduciel reported to The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

According to the Inquirer, during the Drugs' set at VetsAid, Walsh said, “I was walking around backstage and I listened to 'em. And I never heard them live. They make nice records. But, boy, this thought: I couldn't help it. ‘Damn! I'd sure like to play in a band like that.' Be careful what you … wish for!”

Walsh also engaged with the band on the closing number of the night, “Under the Pressure,” from 2014's Lost in the Dream.