Photos and Review by Stephen Bloch
Some concert runs are a single scoop. Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, parked at the Pabst Theater for two nights, was a double dip, and Milwaukee, a town that knows its way around a custard stand, licked the cone clean.
Friday was the classic scoop: rich, homemade, and served without gimmicks. The band opened with a smooth swirl of “Lose Your Mind” into “Waymore’s Blues” and “Mystery Train,” then kept churning through a menu of country-soul comfort flavors. Nathan “Sugar Leg” Aronowitz took the lead on “Down By The Riverside,” and Will “Mustang” McGee’s upright bass gave “Half Moon Night” and “I Saw The Light” a creamy bottom end. Then came the rare pulls from the back of the freezer: “When The Golden Train Comes Down” and “My Window Faces The South,” each missing from setlists for more than a hundred shows. Aronowitz blew harmonica through “Got My Mojo Workin’,” and the encore served up “Daniel Prayed,” a flavor not scooped since last December, before “Boogie Man” and “Lady Justice” were served as the final course.
Saturday was the hot fudge sundae with a ghost pepper on top. For Halloween, the band unveiled “Donato’s Inferno,” a devilish setlist built around Dante’s trip through hell. The Three Furies opened with “Satan Is Real,” and the sprinkles kept coming: first-time covers of “Highway To Hell”, “Sympathy For The Devil”, “Crossroads,” and “Runnin’ With The Devil.” “Friend Of The Devil” returned after more than 500 shows away, and a Cannibal Corpse cover was the cherry on top of the sundae.
The guest toppings were generous. Jack Reed sat in on drums for Will “Bronco” Clark, who was away for the expected birth of his son, and kept the rhythm thick. Also in the creamy mix were master mandolin player, Ryan Ogburn, Ben Majeska from Armchair Boogie, actors, hula hoopers, men on stilts, and everything in between. 25+ were there at the end for the Garth Brooks cover, “Friends in Low Places”.
Two nights, two flavors, zero regrets. Friday was your favorite scoop, and Saturday was the limited-edition special with extra toppings. Can’t wait to see what Donato brews up in Brewtown for Halloween 2027.
