image via Youtube

The Maybe It Was the Roses Music Festival is currently underway in Ventura, CA. Sunday’s lineup includes the debut of Dead Aces, which will draw together a number of musicians who shared the stage with Bob Weir over the years, including: Alphonso Johnson, Aron Magner, Dave Ellis, John Molo, Mark Karan and Reed Mathis. Magner will also perform with two additional projects: SPAGA (featuring special guest Ellis) and Deadtronica.

Last night in Ventura, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country performed a headlining set. In the spirit of the Grateful Dead-inspired event the group debuted Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come” a longtime Jerry Garcia Band staple. Cris Jacobs sang lead on the tune with Kanika Moore adding background vocals. Jacobs first joined in on the previous selection, singing Johnny Cash’s “Big River” with Donato (a longtime Dead cover). Jacobs also contributed guitar to the band’s take on “Dark Hollow,” a staple of the Dead’s acoustic sets in 1970 and 1980, as well as Bob Dylan’s “The Mighty Quinn” (another song in GD rotation over the years). The core quartet also performed fitting versions of “Turn On Your Lovelight,” “Samson and Delilah” and “Tangled Up In Blue.” Earlier in the set, during Donato original “Sunshine In The Rain (Strange Presence),” he moved to a Garcia replica guitar for the tune.

Next up for Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country is a performance at the Palisade Bluegrass & Roots Festival in Palisade, CO before Donato performs a three-night stand at the Bearsville Theatre with Grahame Lesh.

Setlist via Daniel Base:

Why You Been Gone So Long
Sunshine In The Rain (Strange Presence) 1
Weathervane >
Blue Skies >
Weathervane (Reprise)
I Second That Emotion 2
Turn On Your Love Light 3
Big River 4 5
The Harder They Come (FTP) 4 6 7
Dark Hollow 4
Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn) 4 8
The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy) 9
Luck Of The Draw >
Sugar Leg Rag
For A Long Time > 10
Samson And Delilah
Dance In The Desert
Half Moon Night

Encore

Tangled Up In Blue

Annotations
[1] Daniel On Jerry Garcia Replica Guitar (Song)
[2] Kanika Moore On Lead Vocals (Song)
[3] Daniel And Kanika Moore Sharing Lead Vocals (Song)
[4] Cris Jacobs On Guitar (Song)
[5] Daniel And Cris Jacobs Sharing Lead Vocals (Song)
[6] Cris Jacobs On Lead Vocals (Song)
[7] Kanika Moore On Backing Vocals (Song)
[8] Whole Band Alternating Lead Vocals (Song)
[9] Nathan Aronowitz On Lead Vocals (Song)
[10] Will McGee On Lead Vocals (Song)