Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country’s Bob Dylan Cover Breakout Leads To Full-Band Drum Jam In Pittsburgh

Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country brought their winter tour to Mr. Smalls Theater in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. The guitarist and his band kicked off their encore with a bust-out cover of the Bob Dylan classic “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” which evolved into an all-out drum jam.

Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country last played the opener off Dylan’s 1965 LP, Bringing It All Back Home, on May 16, 2024, for a gap of 114 shows, as per danielbase.com. The Cosmic Country rendition of “Subterranean Homesick Blues” is a shuffling, countrified take on the Dylan standout, complete with harmonica from keyboardist Nathan “Sugar Leg” Aronowitz. Donato also added a tasty, twangy solo to cap the song.

Donato, Aronowitz and bassist Will “Mustang” McGee then gathered around drummer Will “Bronco” Clark for a Cosmic drum jam. Watch the Dylan breakout and drum jam below:

Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country opened the concert with The Stanley Brothers bluegrass standard “If I Lose.” The first frame was heavy on country and bluegrass, with covers from the catalogs of Buck Owens (“Love’s Gonna Live Here”), Marty Robbins (“Running Gun”) and Tony Hazzard’s (“Fox on the Run”). Bill Monroe’s “The Gold Rush” wrapped the first set.

Set two got underway with the relatively new DD tune “Along The Trail,” followed by “Gotta Get Southbound” off the band’s most recent studio album, 2023’s Reflector. “Gotta Get Southbound” gave way to a cover of Miles Davis’ “Jazz Freedom Dance.”

Additional covers performed in the second set included the Muddy Waters-popularized “Got My Mojo Workin,” led by Aronowitz, and Waylon Jennings’ “Waymore’s Blues.” McGee also stepped to the mic for his co-write with Donato, “Free Wheelin.” The second set concluded with a cover of “Mystery Train.”

Following the Dylan tune and drum jam, the band debuted the Dave Dudley-recorded “Six Days on the Road.” Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country kicks off a two-night stand in Washington D.C. tonight (March 13). Scroll down for their itinerary and ticket info.

Setlist (via danielbase.com)

Set One: If I Lose, Love’s Gonna Live Here, Fox On The Run, Darlin’ Cory, ‘Til The Daylight, Translation, Walkin’ The Dog, Running Gun > Rose In A Garden, The Gold Rush

Set Two: Along The Trail, Gotta Get Southbound > Freedom Jazz Dance, Got My Mojo Workin’ [1], Lady Justice, Another Dimension, Free Wheelin’ [2], Lose Your Mind > Waymore’s Blues > Mystery Train

Encore: Subterranean Homesick Blues > [3] All Four Band Members Playing Drums (FTP) > Six Days on the Road (FTP)

Annotations:

• [1] Nathan Aronowitz on lead vocals, guitar, and keys
• [2] Will McGee on lead vocals
• [3] Nathan Aronowitz on harmonica and keys