The music seemed to be coming from the trees themselves. Under a warm September evening sky at Cary, NC’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre—where acres of forest surround Symphony Lake—three bands took the stage. Railroad Earth, Yonder Mountain String Band, and Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, together for four nights this fall, turned the venue into a meditation on loss and longing with a jolt of happiness.
The sun started the evening hot and warm, the lawn full of chairs and fans as the sun slowly receded. The sky darkened, the light shows commenced and got better with time, and by then the air had cooled a little; a light sprinkle drizzled over the crowds.
Railroad Earth: Mourning to Celebration
Railroad Earth began with “Bird in a House”, its fragile bird metaphor evoking sorrow and entrapment.
The quintet wove through memory and loss (“Dandelion Wine”, “Long Way to Go”, “The Great Divide”) before shifting toward transcendence. “Like a Buddha” was followed by “Running Wild”, whose upbeat and whimsical sound is a reminder of the melodic tie between the Highland culture of the Scots and the Appalachian folk. “Runnin’ Wild” then flowed smoothly into the ever-popular “Mighty River”, which lifted the mood into spiritual terrain, where letting go becomes a form of grace.
Railroad Earth — Koka Booth Amphitheatre — Cary, NC — 9/4/25 — Full Audio
[Audio: tarheelmike1]
Yonder Mountain String Band: Restlessness and Release
Where Railroad Earth had looked for quiet, Yonder Mountain String Band embodied turmoil. They dove into “Fine Excuses”, Jeff Austin‘s introspection of depression, and subsequently “Sideshow Blues”, a blues about not belonging borrowed from singer-songwriter Todd Snider. Their set was never merely heavy, however. “If Only” offered a love song of hope born in pandemic quarantine, while bluegrass standards like “Southern Flavor” and “Boatman” brought the audience back to the roots of the genre in hard living and hard dancing.
“Just the Same” and “What the Night Brings” summoned themes of memory and resignation, and “2 Hits” and cynical Beatles cover “Only a Northern Song” created an uncertain mood. The set welcomed uncertainty and pleasant surprises and was the perfect bridge from opener Railroad Earth to closer Daniel Donato.
Yonder Mountain String Band — Koka Booth Amphitheatre — Cary, NC — 9/4/25 — Full Audio
[Audio: tarheelmike1]
Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country: Tradition Meets Transcendence
Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country broadened the reach with allegory and free improvisation. “Blame the Train” and “Forgotten Days” expressed sorrow and regret, but “Sittin’ on Top of the World” remapped the blues into cosmic jam. “About the Angels” and “Fortunate Sparrow” were close to being parables in intent, inviting listeners to reflect upon resilience, simplicity, and divine richness instead of material riches.
Related: Daniel Donato Plays 3 Shows In 1 Day To Celebrate Ryman Headlining Debut [Videos/Audio]
Donato’s guitar was the string—sizzling runs blurring into reflective improvisations, calling ancient folk wisdom into the here and now. Is that not the Donato signature sound, however? With “Yonder”, Daniel Donato conjured up a land of promise, truth, and innocence, and with “Sunshine in the Rain”, he left the night on a note of complementarity: despair and joy not so much extremes, but as friends.
Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country — Koka Booth Amphitheatre — Cary, NC — 9/4/25 — Full Audio
[Audio: tarheelmike1]
A Shared Meditation
Over the span of three sets, there were recurring common themes. Trains, rivers, and roads became metaphors for movement—toward peace, identity, or wholeness. Happiness and sadness were complementary, rather than opposing, states: a Highland jig (“Runnin’ Wild”), a fleeting romance (“If Only”), sunshine pouring through rain.
The fourth and encore performance featured Daniel Donato and his Cosmic Country band with a couple of special guests, mandolinist John Skehan of Railroad Earth and Yonder Mountain fiddle player Coleman Smith.
We got to enjoy the traditional “I Heard that Lonesome Whistle Blow” with all of its age-old themes of loneliness and regret, respected in a modern manner. Next came George Jones‘ “White Lightning”, which is particularly fitting as it’s a song about a secret moonshine still in the North Carolina hills.
The night closed out with The Stanley Brothers‘ “If I Lose” and its gaming theme of risking everything. With such a loaded bill, the night felt like a conversation among bands and generations. The bands each had their own vocabulary, but as a group, they talked about the many miles from heartache to healing, and how music can be both navigator and companion.
As the crowd dispersed under the trees, the amphitheater itself felt like it was part of the story. What was once a serene lake trail, the space has become a platform for collective history. Thursday night, under the pines, the audience was reminded that the journey is long, but nobody is walking alone.
Check out some photos from Daniel Donato, Yonder Mountain String Band, and Railroad Earth at Koka Booth courtesy of photographer Jerry Friend. The tripleheader run is over, and all three bands have split off in different directions. Visit the Donato, RRE, and YMSB websites for individual tour info.
