Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country Stops in Charlotte for Long Night of Jamming

While it may seem like Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country is a relative newcomer to the jam-band scene, Donato himself has been at it for years. The 29-year-old guitarist started busking in Nashville at age 14, then became motivated to find his own sound and pathway in the music business after diving into the Grateful Dead discography in high school then seeing Sturgill Simpson perform in 2015.

After playing with country rock band The Wild Feathers for a spell in 2016, he went on to mold his vision for cosmic country as a style and Cosmic Country the band. Following the 2023 release of Reflector, which spent more than seven months on the Americana charts, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country is watching its fanbase expand at a rapid pace, building an impressive following on his Southern celestial foundation.

Here are five takeaways from Cosmic Country’s stop at The Underground on Thursday, the latest on a long tour that will run through to the fall.

1. The buzz is building
Last year, Daniel Donato performed at the Stage Door Theater in February for less than 250 people. The next day, I heard numerous comments about how good the show was and knew I’d have to check him out for myself. The Underground was packed last night, showing that his Queen City audience has grown by nearly four times in just over a year. Name any band that wouldn’t like to see that kind of fanbase growth.

2. Forging his own path
What makes Cosmic Country so appealing is that it treads new ground while also holding on to something familiar. Donato & Co. blend classic country with the psychedelia of jam bands. His covers of music by Merle Haggard, Bob Dylan and Buck Owens fit right in against his originals.

3. Wear comfortable shoes
The entire crowd was moving and grooving for the show’s duration — roughly three hours for two full sets. It’s not unusual for songs to wander for 15 to 20 minutes before circling back to where they started, such as the combination of “Ten Feet of Rope” and “Double Exposure” on Thursday. If you check out one of the band’s shows, be sure you’re ready for the long haul.

4. The riffs can be catchier than the lyrics
A good number of Donato’s tunes stick in your head more for the guitar riffs or rhythms than they do for the lyrics. There were plenty of times his microphone sounded muffled making it hard to hear what he was singing or saying, but the music in the background remained the driving force.

5. The sky’s the limit
With festival gigs lined up and the previously mentioned growing fanbase intact, there’s no telling how high Donato’s star will continue to rise. I could easily seem him performing at the city’s larger venues sooner than later, bringing more good vibes to the masses.

Setlist: Set One
Hi Country
Why You Been Gone So Long
Cigar Time
Ten Feet of Rope > Double Exposure
Fourteen Carat Mind
Better Deal Blues
Yonder > Forgotten Days > Valhalla

Set Two
Honky Tonk Night Time Man
Blame the Train
Love’s Gonna Live Here
Dark Hollow
Translation > Arkansas Traveler
Passing Storm
Tell Me I’m a Lover
Always Been a Lover
Prairie Spin

Encore
Country Pie

Be sure to check out Queen City Nerve’s Soundwave, Charlotte’s most comprehensive live music listing, so you don’t miss out on any shows or concerts coming up. And hell, if you’re looking for something else to do, you can check out our events page as well, which runs the gamut of things to do in Charlotte. You don’t ever have to be bored again. You can check out more of Jeff’s pics and live reviews here.