Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country Debut “Cowpoke” Cover in “Desert Fest” Themed Show

Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, image via YouTube

On Sept. 20, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country returned to the stage in Ardmore, Pa. for their third and final performance at the Ardmore Music Hall. The Nashville axeman and his venerable band of Western trailblazers’ first weekend on their Horizons Fall Tour brought some of the best that their electrifying live shows can offer, and Saturday’s series finale was the finest yet. In the course of an expansive “Desert Fest” themed show, Donato and company tore through a litany of fan-favorite originals and covers, adding a new entry to their repertoire along the way.

Donato, alongside keyboardist and guitarist Nathan “Sugar Leg” Aronowitz, drummer Will “Bronco” Clark and bassist Will “Mustang” McGee, set into their first frame with the longtime setlist staple and Reflector standout “Dance in the Desert.” A ripping intro took the song to fascinating new lengths, turned away into “Sunshine in the Rain (Strange Presence),” then returned to the first track, setting a theme that carried on through the show. In the course of set one, the band stopped into “Dance in the Desert” two more times and threaded its motifs through a non-stop medley of covers and originals, including “Everybody’s Talkin’,” “Free Wheelin’” and “Ain’t Living Long Like This.”

Donato and his tried and true trio’s second set began with “Half Moon Night,” deftly combined with “Cosmic Country Gardens.” After stand-alone treatments of “Sittin’ on Top of the World” and “Fortunate Sparrow,” the band debuted a new cover of Elton Britt’s Country classic “Cowpoke,” which launched another high-flying segued sprint through “Ghost Riders in the Sky” and yet another “Dance in the Desert.” With a fleeting beat to recollect themselves, the band launched headfirst into the string that closed their second set, bridging “Lose Your Mind” into “Waymore’s Blues,” “Dance in the Desert” and finally “Mystery Train.” For one last blast of energy to cement the show among their most memorable, the group offered an encore of “Dance in the Desert,” “Luck of the Draw,” “Sugar Leg Rag” and one last “Dance in the Desert.

In August, Donato released Horizons, his long-awaited fourth studio album. The musician’s latest studio set is a document of his artistic cultivation in the two years since he shared Reflector with his Cosmic Country band, clearly announcing his distinct style as a devotee of country’s rich history and determined pioneer for its future. Since the album’s unveiling, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country have followed their momentum to phenomenal moments onstage and off, including the triple-header showcase they staged to accompany the record’s arrival in Music City and the announcement of their third annual Camp Cosmic event at The Caverns.

Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country will return to the stage tomorrow, Sept. 23, for a show at Syracuse, N.Y.’s Westcott Theater. Find tickets and more information at danieldonato.com/tour.

Learn more about Donato and the path to Horizons in the artist’s recent Relix feature.