Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country Welcome Billy Failing at Rhythms on the Rio

Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, photo by Bill Kelly

On Sunday, Aug. 4, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country took the stage at Rhythms on the Rio for the festival’s final headline set. Against a stunning backdrop of nightfall on the Rio Grande River in Del Norte, Colo., Donato and his tried-and-true backing ensemble delivered two sprawling sets that pored over his catalog and a litany of beloved covers to conclude the 18th annual fundraising festival for South Fork Music Association in style. The evening’s energy culminated in the encore, during which the band welcomed a sit–in from banjo powerhouse Billy Failing, best known for his work with Billy Strings.

Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country stormed the stage at 6:15 p.m. on Sunday night with “Love’s Gonna Live Here,” the Buck Owens classic they’ve offered 27 times since its 2022 debut. With the original “Lay Low Lucy” and the traditional “Darlin’ Cory,” the quartet waded into a set that centered on the deep roots of their far-reaching cosmic country sound. Alongside originals like “Locomotive #9,” “Blame the Train” and the newer entry “Fortunate Sparrow,” which showcased their reverence for the history of American country and folk songwriting, the band delivered heartfelt tributes to some of their inspirations through covers like the Doc Watson-popularized traditional “Sittin’ On Top of the World” and a medley of Johnny Cash’s “Big River” and his arrangement of “Ghost Riders in the Sky.” To wrap the first set, the band channelled their own “Rose in a Garden” into a quick-picking treatment of Tony Rice’s “The Gold Rush.”

Following a 45-minute intermission while Failing performed on the second stage, Donato and his band returned to the spotlight by merging the loping “Better Deal Blues” into The New Mastersounds’ “Cigar Time.” For their second set, the group built on the foundation they’s laid earlier with some more adventurous and spacey improvisation, stretching out and flexing their jam prowess on “Hi-Country,” “Country Pie” and a rendition of “Tell Me I’m a Lover” which traded the lead vocals and guitar over to keyboardist Nathan “Sugarlegg” Aronowitz.

The quartet built speed with high-spirited takes on “Sunshine in the Rain (Strange Presence)” and “Guilty Jubilee,” then let bassist Will “Mustang” McGee take the microphone on “Free Wheelin’” to launch a closing medley of Harry Nilsson’s “Everybody’s Talkin’” and “Down Bedford.” With a roar of demand from the audience, the band returned to the stage for an encore of “Riding That Midnight Train,” bolstered by banjo from Failing.

Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country will return to the stage on Friday, Aug. 8, for a performance at Grand Junction, Colo.’s Mesa Theater. Find tickets and more information at danieldonato.com/tour.

Read the full setlist from Sunday night below.