Daniel Donato has relocated the Cosmic Country to New York City for this weekend, kicking off a three-night run at Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday. After getting the nod from moe. guitarist Al Schnier in nearby Syracuse on Wednesday, Donato and his band set up camp at the Williamsburg hotspot.
With three nights to spread out, Donato fans can expect a deep dive into the guitarist’s growing catalog and encyclopedic knowledge of classic country. Thursday’s kickoff saw a mix of both, with Reflector‘s “Rose in the Garden”, “Locomotive #9”, “‘Til the Daylight”, and “Hi-Country” all appearing in the first set alone. The yearslong veteran of famed Nashville honky tonk Robert’s Western World also sprinkled some decidedly less-cosmic country, including Johnny Cash favorite “Orange Blossom Special”, Marty Robbins‘ iconic “Big Iron”, and the classic “Riders in the Sky”.
Set two saw Donato and his bandmates Will “Mustang” McGee (bass/vocals), Nathan “Sugar Leg” Aronowitz (keyboards/guitar/vocals), and Will “Bronco” Clark (drums) highlight some of their more recent compositions. Newer songs “Tell Me I’m a Lover”, “Prairie Spin”, “Edge of the Mountain”, and “For A Long Time”—all debuted this year—appeared alongside more Reflector gems “Halfway (In Between)” and “Gotta Get Southbound”. The band’s sense of community extended well beyond their musical groupthink, as they all wore the same matching limited-edition pink DDCC t-shirt, available during the Brooklyn Bowl run to benefit Mel Schnier‘s Rock the Pink campaign to fight breast cancer.
The second set also saw Daniel Donato trace the country evolution into the 1970s with Neil Young‘s “Are You Ready for the Country?” off the singer-songwriter’s landmark 1972 album Harvest. To close the show, Donato kept the country chronology going with “I Ain’t Living Long Like This”, written by Rodney Crowell and first recorded by Gary Stewart in 1977. Emmylou Harris went on to cover the song the following year, with Waylon Jennings—who also recorded a cover of “Are You Ready for the Country?”—following suit in 1979.
Check out some videos from Daniel Donato at Brooklyn Bowl, including his cover of “Are You Ready for the Country?”, below along with photos by Ant Braaten. Donato’s Brooklyn Bowl continues tonight, October 25th, and wraps on the 26th. Find tickets and tour dates here.
Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country — “Forgotten Days” > “Valhalla” — 10/24/24
[Video: Matt Frazier]
Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country — “Are You Ready For The Country?” (Neil Young) — 10/24/24
[Video: Matt Frazier]
Setlist: Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country | Brooklyn Bowl | New York, NY | 10/24/24
Set One: Rose in a Garden, Locomotive No. 9, Honky Tonk Night Time Man, Orange Blossom Special (Rouse Brothers), ‘Til the Daylight, Darlin’ Cory, Big Iron (Marty Robbins), Riders in the Sky (Stan Jones and his Death Valley Rangers), Hi-Country
Set Two: Halfway (In Between), Forgotten Days, Valhalla, Tell Me I’m a Lover, Gotta Get Southbound, Another Dimension, Prairie Spin, Are You Ready for the Country? (Neil Young), Edge of the Mountain, For a Long Time, Chore
Encore: I Ain’t Living Long Like This (Rodney Crowell)
The post Daniel Donato Asks NYC “Are You Ready For The Country?” To Kick Off Brooklyn Bowl Run [Photos/Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
