Lotus and Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country provided a guitar lover’s dream to the sold-out Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater audience as they anchored the Friday night installment of the Mountains of Music concert series that rocked Vail, CO over the weekend. Mountains of Music serves as the sonic section of the GoPro Mountain Games event, which brings over 4,000 athletes and 90,000-plus spectators to the seasonal ski town for a four-day celebration of athletes, art, music, and majestic scenery. Sponsored by the nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation, in conjunction with a combination of local and national businesses, the gathering reminds folks that there’s more seasonal, recreational fun to be had outside of the packed wintery slopes.
While tickets to the nightly Mountains of Music performances were surprisingly affordable for shows of their caliber, there was also a variety of free daytime concerts scattered throughout the event village. Local and regional bands including Rocky Mountain Grateful Dead Revue, Rapidgrass, The Shakedown Family Band, Mama Magnolia, Daniel Rodriguez (Elephant Revival), and more gave music enthusiasts a chance to see some eclectic roots tunes during each day. Meanwhile, over at “The Amp”, Lotus and Donato’s Friday jamfest was sandwiched between Thursday’s Xavier Rudd and Mike Love installment and Saturday’s Dispatch show with support from Leftover Salmon’s Andy Hall & Friends.
One of the many strengths of the Mountains of Music series is the diverse musical matchups it pairs at The Amp, allowing attendees to witness cross-genre pairings they might never have experienced otherwise. As such, both bands on the lineup could be certain they would have the opportunity to earn some fresh fans while representing their respective corners of the music scene. Fortunately, neither of Friday’s bands had much to be concerned about when, performance-wise, it came their time to shine.
Daniel Donato and his Cosmic Country bandmates bolted out of the gate with a beautiful, lilting “Chore” that instantly set the tone for the rest of their set. The dynamic range of that first song showcased every element of Daniel’s playing style, from the twangy, rip-chord sharp leads to echo-laden wails he can produce; it also gives his entire band a chance to pick up and advance the musical baton. While Donato’s rapidly rising all-star credentials have been bolstered night-in and night-out by his consistently impressive guitar hero playing, his fellow onstage performers make his efforts possible.
The Cosmic Country touring band—featuring bassist Will “Mustang” McGee, multi-instrumentalist Nathan “Sugar Leg” Aronowitz, and drummer Will “Bronco” Clark—is as capable and dexterous of a unit as any on the scene in terms of genre-hopping. Akin to a musical game of “follow the leader,” the band is fully versed in which directions its MVP is likely to zig and zag, backing Donato’s plays perfectly. Throughout their hour-plus set, Donato frequently called his own number but took great pains to get his other players involved early and often. Each part of the front line got a chance to shine, sing a tune, or even, in the case of Aronowitz, take over lead guitar duties on “Got My Mojo Workin’” as well.
Lotus guitarist Tim Palmieri popped off the bench to warm up by helping double up the guitar fast break, assisting Daniel Donato in closing out strong on “Dance in the Desert”. After the climactic collaboration closed the set, Danny D took a moment to give away a guitar from and online tutor extraordinaire Marty Schwartz. As the lucky recipient excitedly waved and the band saluted his fortune, venue staff hurriedly switched over the stage and in the blink of an eye, the lights dimmed to signal Lotus’ much-anticipated arrival.
Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country —Gerald R. Ford Amphitheatre — Vail, CO — 6/7/24 — Full Audio
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The first time you see Lotus, one can’t help but be stunned by the full extent of music four performers can produce. Newcomers are challenged by the sheer density of the music Lotus manages to make out of the limited roster, as in-the-know fans eagerly anticipate that familiar sensation of awe. Drummer Mike Greenfield works overtime to produce machine-precise beats with a human element of authenticity from behind his impressive kit as brothers Luke and Jesse Miller elevate the proceedings with pinpoint, borderline telepathic teamwork.
Twins Luke—guitarist and keyboard wizard—and his brother Jesse—the techno technician on bass and modular synthesizer—create a sonic wave that washes over all within earshot. Completing this ensemble is scene legend Palmieri (Kung Fu, The Breakfast), whose singular focus on the guitar has afforded him some top-tier, well-honed progressive skills that he displays with every note he plays.
Lotus’ signature brand of ever-shifting, minor chord-driven, dense instrumentals is groovily predictable enough to dance to while also mathematically hypnotic enough to trance out to simultaneously. Its challenging instrumentals rely on all four members performing alternating tasks in complete unison, a feat the well-drilled band is more than capable of with clockwork efficiency a quarter-century into its tenure. Lotus has spent decades honing its signature fusion of electronica and live guitar-led style of play and it shows in everything the band does on stage.
Whether in more contained sections like the opening “Gilded Age” and “Catacombs” or the lengthier, free-flowing transitions of the four-song “Nematode” > “Triplet” > “Spaghetti” > “Spiritualize” segment at the heart of the evening’s offerings there was no defense against the onslaught. By the time Lotus finished its encore, a hearty “Elephant” by way of Tame Impala, the mountain of Vail had been thoroughly shaken by both the band’s infectious sonic vibrations and the crowd’s unrelenting gyrations. The audience slowly gathered their thoughts as all around them cheers roared to life before fading, slowly, away.
Lotus —”Gilded Age”, “Catacombs” [Pro-Shot] — 6/7/24
The pairing of Daniel Donato and Lotus at Mountains of Music showed two bands at different stages in their careers but unified in the undeniable quality of their musicianship. The lucky fans in the packed amphitheater got a show of musical art and dexterity impressive enough to have won the gold in any event they could have entered.
Though Mountains of Music is over, the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater has concerts scheduled all summer. Highlights include Umphrey’s McGee, Black Pumas, a free Dogs in a Pile show, Dark Star Orchestra, Ziggy Marley with special guest Lettuce, and many more. Find tickets and a full schedule here.
Setlist: Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country | Mountains Of Magic | Vail, CO | 6/7/24
Set: Chore, Broadside Ballad > Hangman’s Reel, Rose In A Garden, Good Old American Guest (Merle Haggard), Translation, Free Wheelin’ [1] > Got My Mojo Workin’ (Ann Cole With Suburbans) [2], Tumbling Tumbleweeds > Dance In The Desert [3] (3)(4)
[1] Will McGee on lead vocals
[2] Nathan Aronowitz on lead vocals
[3] w/ Tim Palmieri
Setlist: Lotus | Mountains Of Magic | Vail, CO | 6/7/24
Setlist: Gilded Age, Catacombs, Nematode > Triplet > Spaghetti > Spiritualize, Opus, Eats the Light, Umbilical Moonrise
Encore: Elephant (Tame Impala)