Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country **SOLD OUT**

Hardly anybody knows how close we came to booking Goose and Billy Strings at the Crazy Horse years ago. Those ships have long since sailed, with both artists launching into the stratosphere. Thankfully Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country won’t be added to the list of bands that got away. On a chilly Tuesday night in January, the lucky few will embark upon a sonic journey inside the cozy confines of the Crazy Horse Saloon. The kind that will probably be talked about for years and perhaps even become part of lore to be passed on to future generations.

25-year-old Daniel Donato has already achieved cult-like status in his hometown of Nashville and many other places throughout the country. He carries the sort of mystique where it’s plain to see that there’s nothing ordinary about this musician. This was already apparent at age 16 when he became the youngest musician to regularly play the iconic Nashville honky tonk – Robert’s Western World – while gigging with the Don Kelley Band.

You’ve got to love the fact that Donato discovered his aptitude for music via the video game Guitar Hero. It wasn’t long before he was onto the real thing, busking for eight hours a day on the streets of Nashville. A pivotal moment occurred when he snuck into Robert’s to see the Don Kelley Band. “So, I’m literally watching them play and I’m crying. I decided right then that I wanted to be the best guitar player in the world.” Aside from his jaw-dropping talent, the telecaster-wielding wunderkind carries a shamanic type of presence where one would never doubt that he’s capable of anything.

In addition to being deeply influenced by country legends like Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and John Prine, his passion for the music of the Grateful Dead plays a major role in defining Donato’s old-soul modality. Thus the inclusion of the “Cosmic” in the equation. This link was fully actualized this past August when he was invited to be an honorary member of Bill Kreutzmann’s Billy and the Kids for a show in Baltimore.

It was back in May, at Donato’s late-night show during New Orleans’ Jazz Fest (a performance that some referred to as their highlight of the entire festival) when the two bonded. Their 70-minute collaboration on “Dark Star” and “Cumberland Blues” was described by the legendary drummer as an “unexpected journey across time and space.” We live for that kind of thing here at the Crazy Horse and the stage will be set for whatever muse Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country cares to follow.

“If Bob Weir and Waylon Jennings had a love child, it would be Daniel Donato.” – Grateful Web

“A strong case can be made without extending any hyperbole or prejudice to Daniel Donato that he is the best young guitarist in country music.” – Saving Country Music