It was only a matter of time until a band like Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country came along. A blend of classic roadhouse country and rock and roll, twisted into soaring psychedelic jams.

Broadly speaking, seemingly everyone has “gone country” in one way or another in recent years. From Beyoncé to Ringo Starr, crossing over into one of America’s most distinct genres has become a rite of passage in the music world. But the seeds of what Daniel Donato has done—and what he brought to The Troubadour in West Hollywood over Presidents’ Day Weekend—were planted long ago.

After all, the jam scene in which he has become ascendant was built on all kinds of Americana. Jerry Garcia and Ron “Pigpen” McKernan made bluegrass the backbone of what would become the Grateful Dead. Jam has boomeranged back to bluegrass in a big way over the years, with Billy Strings now holding court across the country as the king of “jamgrass.” Now, honky tonk-style country music has its own Billy Strings—one who wears leather boots and a cowboy hat, and picks a mean electric Fender Telecaster.

Though Donato was born and partly raised in New Jersey, he came by country in perhaps the most honest way possible: by busking on the streets of Nashville as a teenager. That effort ultimately landed him a spot in the Don Kelly Band, with whom he learned classic tunes by the likes of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, and Marty Robbins. Between that education in old-school bluegrass, his high school introduction to the Dead, and countless hours spent keeping up with legends like Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and Stevie Ray Vaughan on Guitar Hero, Donato was steeped in a potent stew of hands slow and fast alike—all of whom helped to form the foundation of what he’s dubbed “Cosmic Country.” That melding of genres took its fullest form to date on 2023’s Reflector, his first album of entirely original material.

After diving deep into his own catalog during his Sunday debut at the Troubadour, Donato returned to his roots on Monday with two sets comprised of country covers and plenty of his own creations. The first set took more of a classic shape, with a smattering of jams dropped in among staples of Americana. Traditional tunes like “Railroad Bill” and “Hangman’s Reel” took center stage, alongside familiar features like Mississippi Sheiks’ “Sitting on Top of the World” and Waylon Jennings’ “Waymore’s Blues”.

DDCC originals like “Rose in a Garden”, “Broadside Ballad”, and “Lose Your Mind” made the cut before intermission, as if to remind the audience who was presently onstage. Donato clarified any confusion, courtesy of his exemplary axemanship on unique renditions of Rufus Thomas’ “Walkin’ The Dog”, Ernest Tubbs’ “Drivin’ Nails in My Coffin”, and Tony Rice’s “The Gold Rush”.

The highlight of the first set, though, may well have belonged to Nathan “Sugarleg” Aronowitz, whose keyboard solo on a closing cover of Little Junior’s Blue Flames’ “Mystery Train” sent cowgirls and hippies alike into a tizzy.

Donato and his band returned from a 20-minute set break with a song list that was predominantly populated by his own personal repertoire. In fact, the only covers in the second set came courtesy of “Everybody’s Talkin’”—the Fred Neil recording made ubiquitously famous by Harry Nilsson—and the Irving Berlin standard “Blue Skies”. Both came off as wholly new tunes, thanks to cosmic jams that ranged from deep and jazzy to purely psychedelic.

Such creative reworking aligned those age-old songs with Daniel’s handiwork, including “Chore”, “Take Me Back”, and “Free Wheelin’”, the last of which featured bassist Will “Mustang” McGee on lead vocals. “Blue Skies”, in particular, emerged as a captivating detour in the midst of a bifurcated version of “Weathervane”, with “Sugarleg” showing off some serious chops on guitar. Donato and his band ended the second set by sending the room into a collective spin with “Dance In The Desert”.

Before bidding farewell to The Troubadour, Donato raffled off a brand-new Fender Telecaster, with the proceeds benefiting Backline in its efforts to support musicians affected by the recent wildfires in and around Los Angeles. The guitar went to an older gentleman named Brad, who—along with his wife, Donna—has been following the band on this tour.

Donato, in turn, was kind enough to break in the Telecaster for his fans during a night-ending rendition of “Dark Hollow” by Bill Browning and His Echo Valley Boys.

Check out fan-shot video of Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country at The Troubadour and click below to view a gallery of photos.

With WeHo in their rear view, Donato and company will spend the rest of the winter and most of spring cosmically criss-crossing the country en route to a busy summer festival season. That run includes a pair of dates in Arizona, two more in Texas, and a pitstop in Oklahoma before heading to Colorado for a slew of shows—among them, an appearance at WinterWonderGrass in Steamboat Springs. Find a full list of upcoming tour dates and ticketing details here.

Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country – The Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA – 2/17/25

[Video: Todd Norris]

Setlist: Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country | The Troubadour | Los Angeles, CA | 2/17/25
Set One: Rose In A Garden, Railroad Bill, Walkin’ The Dog, Broadside Ballad > Hangman’s Reel, Drivin’ Nails In My Coffin, Sittin’ On Top Of World, The Gold Rush, Lose Your Mind > Waymore’s Blues > Mystery Train
Set Two: Chore [1], Free Wheelin’ > [2], Everybody’s Talkin’ > Weathervane > Blue Skies > Weathervane (Reprise), Take Me Back [3], Dance In The Desert [1]
Encore: Dark Hollow [4]

Annotations:
[1] Nathan Aronowitz on guitar and keys
[2] Will McGee on lead vocals
[3] Nathan Aronowitz on lead vocals, guitar, and keys
[4] Daniel announcing winner and playing Wildfire Raffle Telecaster