High-velocity southern-born guitar sensation Daniel Donato brought two separate bands and loads of instrumental firepower to Denver, Colorado’s beloved Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom for a two-night frenzied sonic assault. Between leading his own band, Cosmic Country, and playing a more collaborative role in the Allman Brothers Band legacy act Trouble No More, Donato managed to showcase his impressive array of talents.
Donato was flanked by no shortage of talented musicians throughout the weekend. Alongside the extremely impressive cadre of his own Cosmic Country band, including Nathan Aronowitz on keyboards and vocals, Will McGee bass and vocals, and Will Clark on drums and percussion, he had his other band, Trouble No More, waiting in the wings to close out each night.
Donato is an integral component of the formidable force assembled by booking agent and Mint Talent Group co-founder C.J. Strock in his efforts to re-contextualize and carry on the spirit of the Allman Brothers. The stacked lineup of Trouble No More features fretboard firebrand Brandon “Taz” Niederaurer on guitar and vocals alongside Donato and pedal steel guitar stalwart Roosevelt Collier.
Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom – 1/5/24
Taz has a surplus blues and funk licks and his chemistry with his fellow guitar heroes is a wonder to witness. Collier, himself a longtime jam scene staple, has been wowing folks for years fronting his own band and sitting in with others, including the Allman Brothers Band. Joining them are Taz’s brother Dylan Niederauer on bass, and Jack Ryan, the drummer not the spy, next to The Nth Power and Punkadelic percussive powerhouse Nikki Glaspie on the kit, with ABB family legacy Lamar Williams Jr. belting out some truly soulful vocals and Pete Bergen channeling the spirit of Gregg Allman on keys and vocals.
Both shows followed the same basic formula, with Donato and CC knocking out an earthy blues twangfest of originals during their long opening set before Trouble No More came out to anchor the evenings with a huge slab of classic ABB material and countless guitar overload moments. Friday also saw Cosmic Country get a little extra help from Lettuce trumpeter Eric Benny Bloom, who was celebrating the release of his debut country album.
Acting as the lynchpin tying the two acts together, Donato went above and beyond the call of duty. Thanks to his tireless work the double-barreled blast of psychedelic soul and rebel rock hit the target dead center to the delight of the sold-out crowd at Cervantes’.
Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom – 1/6/24
Donato’s southern-fried rocket ride is gaining momentum as outings like last weekend’s continue to leave behind a trail of shell-shocked old guard fans and awestruck instant converts. His ability to lead a sonic assault and work as a part of a larger unit serves him well in his crusade to plant his flag on the map and rise through the ranks of greatness.
Check out photos and footage from Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country at Cervantes’ courtesy of Ant Braaten below. Both shows are available to stream in their entirety (including Trouble No More’s sets) via nugs.net.
Donato’s winter tour continues with a string of West Coast dates. He will also host a special Camp Cosmic event at The Caverns on 4/20 and has a number of upcoming festival appearances, including Jam Cruise, WinterWonderGrass Steamboat Springs, Hogs for the Cause, Major Rager, Panic en la Playa, Rooster Walk, and Dark Star Jubilee. Click below for a full list of tour dates, and to purchase tickets, visit Daniel Donato’s website.
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The post Daniel Donato Stages Two-Night Assault On Cervantes’ With Cosmic Country & Trouble No More [Photos/Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
