Daniel Donato Welcomes Duane Betts, Holly Bowling and More at Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival

Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, photo by Bill Kelly

From August 8-10, a collection of Americana’s foremost innovators scaled the mountains of Alta, Wyo., for the Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival. Grand Targhee Resort’s stacked summit united generational talents from the realms of bluegrass, country, folk, jam and everything in between, including sets from Greensky Bluegrass, Lukas Nelson, Molly Tuttle and The Infamous Stringdusters. In the spirit of those traditions, the weekend was a highly collaborative affair, and no performer highlighted that more than Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country.

Nashville axeman Donato and his tried and true band of keyboardist/guitarist Nathan “Sugar Leg” Aronowitz, bassist Will “Mustang” McGee and drummer Will “Bronco” Clark stormed the stage as the penultimate set on Saturday, August 9, with the recent staple “Blame the Train.” After following that classic country theme into the 2025 debut “Riding that Midnight Train,” he merged “Broadside Ballad” into the traditional “Hangman’s Reel,” solidifying a more rootsy approach for his first act. The fresh originals “Fortunate Sparrow” and “Guilty Jubilee” paved the way to the evening’s first cover; for a treatment of Rodney Crowell’s outlaw essential “Ain’t Living Long Like This,” featuring guest guitar from Duane Betts, who was not an announced performer on the festival’s bill.

Betts’ sit-in sparked a blazing last lap of Donato’s set. Betts stayed in the mix for the ensuing cover of JJ Cale’s “Ride Me High,” then rolled out to clear a space for keyboardist Holly Bowling on the traditional “Samson & Delilah” in the style of the good ol’ Grateful Dead. When Bowling peeled off to get ready for her headline set with Greensky Bluegrass, Donato and company went back to the basics for their road-tested closing medley of “Luck of the Draw” and “Sugar Leg Rag,” then finally closed out the set with a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Big River” with Shadowgrass’ Kyser George and Mountain Grass Unit’s Luke Black. 

Daniel Donato will return to the stage on August 16 for a performance at Denver’s Cherry Hills Village. Find tickets and more information at danieldonato.com/tour.