Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country brought their winter tour to a close at Mr. Smalls Theater in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. The performance highlighted an encore that featured a standout cover of Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” which smoothly transitioned into an energetic, full-band drum jam.
The Cosmic Country band had last performed Dylan’s iconic song, from his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home, on May 16, 2024, after a gap of 114 shows, according to danielbase.com. Their version of “Subterranean Homesick Blues” had a distinctive country twist, with a rhythmic shuffle and harmonica played by keyboardist Nathan “Sugar Leg” Aronowitz. Donato also contributed a signature, twangy guitar solo to close out the song.
Afterward, Donato, Aronowitz, and bassist Will “Mustang” McGee gathered around drummer Will “Bronco” Clark to launch into an extended Cosmic drum jam.
The concert began with a rendition of the Stanley Brothers’ bluegrass classic “If I Lose.” The first set was rich with country and bluegrass covers, including Buck Owens’ “Love’s Gonna Live Here,” Marty Robbins’ “Running Gun,” and Tony Hazzard’s “Fox on the Run.” The set wrapped up with Bill Monroe’s “The Gold Rush.”
The second set began with the new Daniel Donato original “Along The Trail,” followed by “Gotta Get Southbound” from their latest album, Reflector (2023). “Gotta Get Southbound” led into a cover of Miles Davis’ “Jazz Freedom Dance.”
The second set also featured a range of covers, including Muddy Waters’ “Got My Mojo Workin’,” with Aronowitz leading the charge, and Waylon Jennings’ “Waymore’s Blues.” McGee took the mic for his co-write with Donato, “Free Wheelin’.” The set ended with a rendition of “Mystery Train.”
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