- Adventures of Don & Maria -

Thanks for stopping by. When Maria and I are not working weddings and other events, we like to attend concerts and shows by some of our favorite artists. In the last few years, we have seen concerts by Heart, Breaking Benjamin (twice), Bone Thugs n Harmony (3 times), Dog Pound, Tove Lo, Maroon 5, Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Twista, R. City, Edwin McCain, and Smokin Joe Robinson and probably a few more that I left out. I also recently got to see The Beach Boys in my hometown with my mother, on their 50th Anniversary Tour.

On this page, we document all the fun. Feel free to check out our videos, photos, and stories from all of these amazing shows. Enjoy!!

Breaking Benjamin | The Orange Peel | Asheville, NC

This was by far one of my favorite concerts ever. For Christmas, Maria got me VIP Tickets to see one of my favorite bands, Breaking Benjamin, at The Orange Peel in Asheville. This was a once in a lifetime experience. We got to meet Breaking Benjamin and give them the really cool gift bags that we put together for them. We got to tour the backstage and get our photos taken with the band. I was completely stoked getting to be on stage with them as they performed 3 songs, including my favorite, 'So Cold'. The best part of the show was when Ben, the lead singer, came out to the crowd and mingled with us while singing the song 'Ashes of Eden.' The band also gave us some really cool autographs and memorabilia, which I save in a glass showcase for safe keeping. This was our second time seeing Breaking Benjamin in Concert.

Bone Thugs n Harmony | Imperial Ballroom| Atlanta, GA

This concert was actually a rave, that had Bone Thugs n Harmony headling between a bunch of DJ Sets. We were in the front row and got to interact with the group. After the concert, we got to meet Bizzy Bone, Flesh n Bone, and Layzie. I grew up listening to these guys, so meeting them was a completely surreal experience. I also managed to snag a leather hat for my collection.

Edwin McCain | Diana Wartham Theatre | Asheville, NC

This concert was one of the most "chill" concerts ever. There were no crazy lines, over zealous security guards, or nonsense to deal with. The tickets were gifted to Maria by me for Valentines Day of 2017. The show was opened by Australia born rocker Smokin Joe Robinson, who at one point played 3 guitars at once. Edwin McCain definitely delivered. As shown in the videos below, he smashed his hits 'Ill Be' and 'I Could Not Ask For More,' among others. After the show, I got to meet Smokin Joe and get a guitar pick and autograph from Edwin McCain. We are looking forward to seeing this Greenville, SC native again soon.

On year for Christmas, I decided to get Maria tickets to see her favorite band, Maroon 5. They had just announced a world tour, and trying to get tickets without Maria finding out was next to impossible. I managed to get some basic seats, but sold those for closer VIP type seats right before Christmas. The way the gift was slipped under the tree was great, as seen in the first video below. While in Knoxville, we stayed on the top floor of an exclusive hotel and also got tattoos. Maria's tattoo is the CM Logo with the Treble Clef & Heart, seen at the top of this page. For mine, I got the Maroon 5 logo to symbolize the whole event. Tove Lo was the opening act. Check out these great videos.

Maroon 5 | University of Tennessee | Knoxville, TN

Snoop Dogg, Bone Thugs n Harmony, Warren G, Twista, Louisville Palace | Louisville, KY

For this concert, we traveled to my birth city of Louisville, Kentucky to see "Uncle Snoop." Seeing Snoop Dogg in concert has always been a lifelong dream of mine, and to welcome him to the city I was born in was amazing. Then, the fact he brought Bone, Warren G, Twista, and Tha Dogg Pound was awesome. To see them all pay tribute to 2pac was very heartfelt and Snoop ended his set with some Bob Marley. Check out some of the awesome videos below.

Breaking Benjamin | Harrah's Casino | Cherokee, NC

This concert was epic. It was my first time seeing one of my all time favorite bands, Breaking Benjamin, and they were playing very close to where I live. There were so many people jumping around, we could feel the floor shaking. We also ran into our good friends and clients Shawn & Joy Burrows. At the merch booth, they were selling an autographed guitar with passes to meet the band for you and 10 friends. This was $500 bucks. Problem was, I was broke as a joke and didn't have the money to meet them that day. I vowed to one day meet them and tell them how they help change my life, which I did a year or so later at a VIP Meet & Greet at the Orange Peel. I did manage to snag a guitar pick that I keep on a necklace and wear occasionally to shows. I showed them this necklace at the Meet & Greet.

Bone Thugs N Harmony | The Orange Peel | Asheville, NC

This concert was the most memorable because it was the concert where I decided that I was having fun without alcohol and didnt need it or want it. 3 years later, I am still without alcohol and I feel great. I couldn't imagine being wasted when my favorite rap group of all time came out, and I certainly made the right decision. The group was short a few members, but I mainly wanted to see WishBone, so all was good, since Wish was there and rocked it. This was the first time Maria and I had attended a show together. This was also my first visit to The Orange Peel. I don't think I even grabbed any souveniers either, I was just so stoked to see Bone and caught up in the moment. Video Below.

This was the first time we had visited the Casino together. We didn't gamble nor did we eat. We just got wet, soaking wet. We had to park a mile or better from the venue and walk/run to the entrance - only to realize that Maria left her ID in the car. Being the gentleman that I am, I had Maria wait at the entrance while I ran back to the car. We eventually made it into the show and Heart rocked. The lead singer, Ann Wilson, was 64 years old at the time of the show and she did not disappoint. Her sister, Nancy Wilson, still jammed on the guitar and never missed a lick.

Heart | Harrah's Casino | Cherokee, NC

The Beach Boys | SMPAC | Franklin, NC

This concert took place only a few miles from my house. I didn't even know The Beach Boys were going to be in town until after the concert was already sold out. Luckily, I ran across a pair of tickets on Facebook and decided to take my Mama to the show. This was thier 50th anniversary tour and they sang all the great hits that we all know and love. After the show, I manged to meet Mike Love and Bruce Johnston, two original Beach Boys, and get some great gear and autographs.

For this show, I got Maria the tickets as a birthday gift a month prior. The day of the show, it was also lead singer Danny's birthday too. We actually spoke to each other a little bit during the show. He called me his "SuperFan" for knowing it was his birthday. They played all the old hits, including The Man Who Can't Be Moved, Breakeven, and Nothing. The also played a few from their new album, including my favorite, Rain. After the concert, we waited near the bus for a few hours with some other fans and the band came out to hang with us. They were super cool guys and complimented us on the band T-Shirts that we made. I got them to sign mine and they took a pic with us. They even told Maria Happy Birthday. The band was very humble and gracious to all of the fans. To commemorate the event, I got Danny's autograph tattooed on my arm near another musical tattoo that I have. I also got another guitar pick for my collection. I am look forward to seeing these guys again for sure.