Daniel Donato Celebrates ‘Horizons’ Release with Ryman Debut and Nashville Triple-Header
Daniel Donato, photo by Dino Perrucci
On Friday, Aug. 22, Daniel Donato released Horizons, his long-awaited fourth studio album. The rising Nashville-based axeman’s latest studio set is a document of his artistic cultivation in the two years since he shared Reflector with his Cosmic Country band, clearly announcing his distinct style as a devotee of country’s rich history and determined pioneer for its future. To properly celebrate the new record, Donato returned to his longtime stomping grounds for an event no less significant than the release it heralded: his headline debut at the hallowed Ryman Auditorium.
For a studied up-and-comer of Music City like himself, Donato’s spotlight at Country’s Mother Church was a landmark certifying rare musical achievement. Since his early teens, the artist committed himself to carrying the city’s musical mantle and exploring his own voice, quickly making a name for himself as a kid prodigy busking in the streets and soon rising to a steady seat at Robert’s Western World, a legendary local proving ground. On Friday night, Donato recalled his journey so far with a tireless triple-header, stringing three stops at hotspots together into one electrifying expression of gratitude for his hometown.
“Dreams are just an alleyway away,” Donato wrote in a post to social channels. “I started buskin’ on the streets, then found my way to Robert’s Western World to discover the magical spirit of traditional country music, where I started gigging all the time. Each night, while waiting for the cash from the tip jug, I’d sit and stare at the Ryman. I was captivated by its majestic history and beacon-like grace. Every night on stage, I go to the Ryman in my mind, but on Friday night, we finally got to go there in space and time. The evening was beyond words. Friday’s ‘Horizons,’ release show and Cosmic Country’s first ever headlining experience at The Ryman will forever live in my mind as an apex experience of what life can offer when serving truth, beauty, and goodness.”
Donato’s big night out on the town began with a stop at Nashville’s vinyl institution Grimey’s New & Preloved Music, where he appeared at midday for a pop-up set and signing. In the store’s close confines, the musician shared a short and sweet solo acoustic set, coupling four songs from his new project with the enduring favorite “Half Moon Night” from Reflector and “Fortunate Sparrow,” one of the newest entries to his ever-expanding catalog of originals.
After greeting his public face-to-face, Donato shuffled off to the imposing red brick tabernacle that had loomed large in his visions of stardom. As evening fell, he formally joined the ranks of countless legends who’ve crossed the storied stage with his headline debut at The Ryman, just over a year after his first trip to the venue as an opener for Greensky Bluegrass in 2024. Accompanied as always by his tried and true Cosmic Country band of bassist Will “Mustang” McGee, drummer Will “Bronco” Clark and keyboardist and guitarist Nathan “Sugar Leg” Aronowitz, Donato tore into a two-set, 21-track reflection of his career so far, well worthy of the celebrated space.
Donato, wearing a custom cowboy brim cut with openings shaped like the Ryman’s windows, set off his debut with his finely honed cover of Merle Haggard’s “Workin’ Man Blues,” which lit the fuse on his own “Blame the Train,” the opening cut from Horizons. The Cosmic Country cohort touched on six further entries from the new 15-track record through the show–“About the Angels,” “Broadside Ballad” “Hangman’s Reel,” “Along the Trail,” “Better Deal Blues” and “Chore”–within a mix of older favorites like “Sunshine in the Rain (Strange Presence),” “Dance in the Desert” and “Sugar Shack” and covers of Hank Williams’ “I Saw the Light,” Waylon Jennings’ “Waymore’s Blues,” Junior Parker’s “Mystery Train” and more. After an exhilarating performance, the band took their bow with a segued encore of “Luck of the Draw” and “Sugar Leg Rag.”
Though the lights fell and the crowd came to a roar, Donato’s celebration was only beginning. From the stage, the artist and his band slipped out to the alley behind the Ryman’s stage door and into Robert’s Western World. Donato’s surprise return to Robert’s was also a return to his musical roots; wielding his original seaform green Telecaster, the singer-songwriter lit into a shredding 16-cover salute to his country forebearers, featuring selections from Haggard, Buck Owens, Doc Watson, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Flatt & Scruggs, Rodney Crowell and the good old Grateful Dead.
I” discovered traditional country music at Robert’s Western World when I was 14 years old, through the Don Kelley Band,” Donato wrote in a social post. “I had never heard Telecasters, upright basses, two-beat swing rhythms, and song stories of the tragedy and happiness of life before. This style illuminated my spirit and drew me in to become obsessed with authentic country music. I eventually got the chance to play at Robert’s for close to 500 shows where I received the experience of a lifetime. Robert’s is one of the most important and sacred establishments in Nashville. It is critical to the identity of Music City, in a time where tradition, truth, and community is as necessary as ever.”
Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country will return to the stage this weekend for an appearance at Lotus Summerdance in Garrettsville, Ohio. Find tickets and information on the band’s full live itinerary at danieldonato.com/tour.
