Spafford and Daniel Donato share first onstage collaboration during January 16 Nashville performance at Basement East
A guest spot that linked two touring jam scenes in Music City
Spafford’s Friday, January 16, 2026 concert at The Basement East in Nashville featured a notable sit-in by Nashville guitarist and bandleader Daniel Donato, marking the first documented live collaboration between the two acts. Donato joined Spafford on the song “Ain’t That Wrong,” a performance that was subsequently distributed through multiple official live-music outlets.
The appearance took place at the end of Spafford’s first set and stretched the band’s original track into an extended jam. The venue, The Basement East—known locally as “The Beast”—opened in April 2015 and is located at 917 Woodland Street in East Nashville.
What was played: set structure and guest feature
On recordings and published setlists from the night, Spafford’s first set built toward the guest moment through a three-song sequence before moving into “Ain’t That Wrong,” with Donato credited as the featured guitarist for that closing selection.
- Set One: “Double Time,” “Broken Wing,” “Windmill,” “Ain’t That Wrong” (with Daniel Donato)
- Set Two: “Chuck’s Dream,” “Take Your Mama” (Scissor Sisters cover), “Electric Taco Stand,” “Plush” (Stone Temple Pilots cover), “The Postman”
- Encore: “Frog Gossip”
The night’s second set combined original material with two rock-era covers and included “Electric Taco Stand,” one of Spafford’s longer-format vehicles in live performance. The encore returned to original material.
How the collaboration circulated: video and official audio
Footage of “Ain’t That Wrong” featuring Donato was released as pro-shot video, expanding access beyond the room. In parallel, official audio from the Nashville show was made available through platforms that distribute artist-authorized concert recordings, and the band also issued a Bandcamp release dated January 17, 2026 that credits Donato’s guest spot on the same track.
Context: who the artists are
Spafford is a U.S.-based jam band that originated in Prescott, Arizona, and is currently listed with a lineup that includes guitarist and vocalist Brian Moss, keyboardist and vocalist Cory Schechtman, drummer and vocalist Nick Tkachyk, and bassist and vocalist Shon Gordon.
Donato, a Nashville-raised guitarist and songwriter, leads the project Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, a band and brand associated with a country-rooted improvisational approach. His recent touring and release activity has included extensive live documentation as well as studio work under the Cosmic Country banner.
The January 16 performance added a new chapter to Nashville’s ongoing role as a meeting point for touring jam, rock, and country-adjacent improvisational acts.