Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country and Molly Tuttle recently played a co-billed show at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center on a hot night. It was the first of four such shows they’re playing together. With temperatures breaking 100 degrees and an early 7pm start to the show, the crowd was drenched before the bands even took the stage. But even as hot as the day had gotten, the show got even hotter. I don’t know if there’s an official ISO measurement for notes played per minute, but records had to be set tonight.
Molly Tuttle took the stage first on July 1, with her band including Mair Meyer on mandolin, violin and keys, Vanessa McGowan on electric and upright bass, Karl Smakula on banjo and pedal steel guitar, and Megan Jane on drums.
All of these musicians were outstanding, but Molly clearly stands out as special. If you’re not familiar with her, imagine if Taylor Swift and Lizzy Hale had a baby, and that baby was raised in the the cellar of the Grand Ole Opry with a guitar as her only companion. She played favorites such as “Dooley’s Farm” (her take on “Copperhead Road”) and “Crooked Tree”, and personalized a couple of covers, including Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi,” The Stones’ “She’s a Rainbow” and CSNY’s “Ohio.”
Tuttle, Meyer and McGowan gathered around a single microphone for “San Joaquin,” played faster than its namesake train ever traveled. The rest of the band joined them for “a cowgirl song” (“Side Saddle”) and “a political song — we can all get behind — seeing as we’re in DC.” (“Down Home Dispensary”)
Molly brought out Donato to join in on the long-jam combo of “Dooley’s Farm” and “Ohio.” She closed out the show with “Old Me (New Wig),” during which she got a big cheer from the crowd when she yelled “You like my hair?” while tossing her wig high into the air.
Watch Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway perform “Dooley’s Farm” live on YouTube:
Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country came out for the second half of the show with Donato on his customary Telecaster, Will McGee on electric and upright bass, Nathan Aronowitz on keyboards and guitar, and Will Clark on drums. I’ve enjoyed these guys at much smaller venues and festivals before and, although much less intimate, they had no trouble filling the Filene Center with their huge cosmic country sound. This is another extremely talented band. (As an aside, if you haven’t heard any of Aronowitz’s solo work as Sugarlegg, go check it out.)
“Translation” and “Lose Your Mind” featured long cosmic journeys before returning to finish, allowing the audience to “lose your mind in a song.” A cover of Albert Lee’s “Country Boy” was a blazing chicken-picker that featured solos from each musician, and an homage to Looney Tunes ñ That’s all Folks! A couple songs slowed things down to allow several couples in the audience to dance, including “Waymore’s Blues.” “If you want to get to heaven, you’ve got to D-I-E.”
Watch Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country perform “Waymore’s Blues” live at Robert’s Western World on YouTube:
Cosmic Country played their own blazingly fast train song, with “Mystery Train.” This one brought the crowd to its feet once again, and featured a little nod to “Folsom Prison Blues.”
The night came to a close with Donato inviting Molly Tuttle out to join him. Whether she was teasing us or there was an issue backstage, it took her a while to make it to the stage, with the crowd chanting, “Molly! Molly!” to encourage her. Once they got her microphone working, she joining in on an energetic cover of “Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms” to top off a wonderful night of skillfully executed bluegrass-influenced modern country rock.
Here are some photos of Daniel Donato performing live at Wolf Trap on July 1, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Steve Satzberg.
Here are some photos of Molly Tuttle performing live at Wolf Trap on July 1, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Steve Satzberg.
