Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country: Cheers to the Future
It’s been nearly 60 years since the Grateful Dead came along and helped usher in a musical revolution with their unique live performances and a fascinating combination of musical influences. Those ripples can still be felt by the throngs of young musicians, inspired by the timeless tunes of the Dead, who are now expanding even further and taking the jams into new directions.
Few names are currently maintaining a schedule like that of Daniel Donato and his outfit Cosmic Country. They’ve toured alongside just about every major name out there while headlining plenty of small venues, and seemingly every festival lineup announcement you see these days features Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country on the bill.
In the midst of his crazy touring schedule, Donato and his band of folky explorers made a stop in Richmond, VA as a part of Friday Night Cheers at Brown’s Island. I was there to see this rising star in person for the first time.
A Collision of Scenes
FNC is a long-running Richmond tradition signaling the start of summer with live music, local vendors, and low ticket prices. Bands booked for FNC typically lean towards modern country, so it’s not usually a jam band kind of scene. However, Donato delivers his own spin on jamming by fully embracing his country roots.
Just 24 hours before this night, Donato played with Phil Lesh & Friends at The Warfield in San Francisco, putting on an excellent performance of Dead tunes before hopping on an overnight flight to the opposite side of the country for this solo showcase. Quite the eventful week for Donato.
Brown’s Island can be a wonderful venue when all of the elements line up. A dreary Friday evening didn’t discourage a solid turnout of locals. Tonight’s crowd featured an interesting mixture of jam band fans ready to see lift off, and the FNC regulars who enjoy the cheap tickets and country music.
Donato’s presentation can uniquely satisfy both camps. A clash of cultures where wooks and country fans collide. Even as a relatively new name on the scene, there were already numerous people wearing Cosmic Country merch, and as usual, numerous Stealies and dancing bears indicated a strong presence of local Heads.
When Cosmic Country Comes to Town
You’d never know he was playing on the other side of the country less than 24 hours prior. From the get-go, he looked excited for his biggest Richmond show yet after previous visits to the humble digs of The Camel and Capital Ale House. This night kicked off with “Workin’ Man Blues” by Merle Haggard to get everyone warmed up as the sky slowly drizzled over the crowd.
As the band found its footing, the skies finally eased up into a calming overcast to keep us all cool while the jams heated up. The rest of the set mostly showcased Donato’s original material; full of country roots influence and extended jam sequences that broaden the flavor palette with freeform jazz sections and rockin’ crescendos.
The jams clearly take great influence from the Dead. Donato’s guitar lines bob and weave through the landscape, similar to how Jerry could stitch together narratives between songs and verses. Donato builds his foundation on classic country from the roots of Nashville, but it brings in a wide range of influences to create something that can remind you of Merle Haggard just as much as it does the Dead; a captivating mix of spacey and twangy, truly living up to the name of Cosmic Country.
It’s always fascinating to watch a new stage of evolution unfold in the jam band world. With his full embrace of country, Donato opens the door to an entirely new world of fans who might have otherwise never listened to a jam band.
Looking over the FNC crowd, it was clear many in attendance weren’t accustomed to 10-minute+ instrumental sequences. While a pocket of dedicated listeners gathered close to the stage, just about every other place on the massive island was filled with chatter and people just casually listening.
This clearly didn’t matter to the band on stage. The single 90-minute set never wavered on energy or creativity. The crowd might have been casual, but the peaks brought the heat and drew big cheers from all corners of the huge audience.
Goin’ Down the Country Roads
Donato’s schedule will bring him back to Richmond for the annual Jampacked Festival in August (which I look forward to covering here!), where he’ll grace the Brown’s Island stage once again for a festival set. At the rate he’s playing and gathering fans, he’s become one of the fastest-rising stars in the scene, and for good reason.
Donato is a product of many artists and bands. While the jams harken the Dead, his songwriting goes all in on the country sound. The Dead utilized country as one of their many building blocks, but Donato flies that flag the highest, and in the process creates something that’s entirely him.
This young guitarist embodies everything a Head would want out of a new jam vehicle. Even if you don’t personally listen to country music (like me), Donato’s take on the genre feels immediately authentic. Once the group goes for liftoff, the possibilities become endless. Country might be where they start, but the sky truly is the limit with the chops and chemistry of this group.
At the rate they’re touring, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country will come by your neck of the woods somewhere down the line. This commitment to the road will surely develop deeper bonds with the music while bringing more fans to come along on the cosmic journey.
The music never stops!
Featured Image via nugs.net, subscribe to Nugs and hear the soundboard from this show!