Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on 2026-08-29
Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country has released Ryman to Robert’s, a new 36-minute mini-documentary chronicling one of the most significant days of Donato’s career — his sold-out headlining debut at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on August 22, 2025, followed by a late-night return to Robert’s Western World.
The film arrives one day after the release of the band’s first live album, Ryman to Robert’s, which captures the full Ryman performance along with selections from the special after-show set at Robert’s.
Watch Ryman to Robert’s HERE.
The documentary features backstage and live footage from the Ryman, rehearsal footage, the late-night Robert’s Western World set, and an in-store appearance earlier that day, offering an intimate look at a full-circle moment for Donato.
The August 22, 2025 Ryman show also coincided with the release of Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country’s album Horizons. The sold-out performance marked Donato’s first headlining appearance at the historic Nashville venue. After the show, Donato and the band crossed back into the world where much of his musical story began, playing a special set of classic country material at Robert’s Western World.
For Donato, the connection runs deep. As a teenager, he spent years playing Lower Broadway and eventually became a member of the Don Kelley Band at Robert’s Western World, performing more than 460 shows at the legendary Nashville honky-tonk. Remarkably, his 2025 Ryman debut fell exactly 10 years after his final show at Robert’s with the Don Kelley Band.
The new Ryman to Robert’s live album, released August 28 via Retrace Music, documents that entire Ryman performance and includes tracks from the Robert’s after-show. The Ryman set featured songs including “Blame The Train,” “Fortunate Sparrow,” “Broadside Ballad,” “Better Deal Blues,” “Dance In The Desert,” “Waymore’s Blues,” “Mystery Train,” and “Sugar Leg Rag,” while the Robert’s portion returned to classic country and roots material including “Truck Drivin’ Man,” “Big River,” “Sittin’ on Top of the World,” and “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad.”
The release comes as Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country returns to the Ryman Auditorium for a two-night run on August 28 and 29, bringing the story captured in Ryman to Robert’s back to the stage where it began.
Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country performs the second night of the Ryman run tonight, August 29, in Nashville.
