Photos and Review by Jolene Rheault
CHARLOTTE, NC — Let’s just get this out of the way up top: if you’re not hip to Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country yet, it’s time to catch up. Kicking off his 30th birthday weekend, the man and his merry band of sonic cowboys rode into The Fillmore Underground last Thursday night and turned that cozy corner of Charlotte into a stardust-drenched honky-tonk on another planet. Donato delivered a performance full of energy, technical precision, and a sense of joyful exploration that kept the audience fully engaged.
There was no opener, no warmup — just a full-on rocket launch straight into the stratosphere. Right around 8 PM, the lights dimmed and out came Donato, grinning like he already knew what kind of magic was about to unfold. The band dropped into “Hi Country,” the leadoff from Reflector, and from there? Total liftoff.
This wasn’t a night of cookie-cutter country tunes — this was Cosmic Country in its purest, most untamed form. Tracks like “Yonder,” “Forgotten Days,” and “Valhalla” melted into each other like watercolor on canvas, each song stretching its legs and running wild. Donato’s Telecaster didn’t just sing — it spiraled out into long-form improvisations that made your brain buzz in the best way.
The show continued with standout transitions, including a seamless run from “Ten Feet of Rope” into a powerful “Double Exposure.” A mix of classic covers—like Gene Watson’s “Fourteen Carat Mind”—and Donato originals like “Better Deal Blues” showcased both his respect for tradition and his forward-thinking approach to songwriting. The powerful “Yonder > Forgotten Days > Valhalla” trio closed the first set with a soaring sense of momentum.
After a short break, the band returned with a second set that doubled as a celebration. They opened with Merle Haggard’s “Honky Tonk Night Time Man,” then moved into “Blame the Train” and a string of crowd-pleasers, including Buck Owens’ “Love’s Gonna Live Here” and an incredible version of “Dark Hollow.”
Instrumental duos like “Translation > Arkansas Traveler” let the band stretch out and explore new terrain, while tracks like “Tell Me I’m a Lover” and “Always Been a Lover” brought warmth and emotional depth. The main set wrapped with a fiery rendition of “Prairie Spin,” but the evening wasn’t over—Donato and company returned for a second encore, sending the crowd home smiling with a joyful take on Bob Dylan’s “Country Pie.”
What Daniel Donato is doing with Cosmic Country isn’t nostalgia, and it sure as hell isn’t mimicry. It’s a frontier — a wide open expanse of jam, groove, and grit. With each show, he’s charting new maps.
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