My weekend was filled with classic rock music and old friends. The Donner brothers on Friday were followed by Johnny Cash – The Official Concert Experience on Saturday.

Sons of the late Ral Donner, Ral and Erik usually perform separately but came together at Paterno’s on the north side of Chicago. With a voice similar to Elvis Presley, father Ral had several hits in the 1960s. Ral and Erik performed songs by their father and others from all decades, entertaining the crowd for four hours. Led by my friends Paul and Lori, our large group accounted for about half the crowd. Along with music, we shared a few delicious pizzas.

Johnny Cash – The Official Concert Experience features videos of Cash from his television show projected on a large screen, with a live band accompanying him. There’s rare footage of the legendary singer, with his only son, John Carter Cash, providing on-screen narration. Male and female singers also perform other Cash songs. It was an interesting combination of Cash singing his classics and fresh voices doing their takes.

Unlike our big group Friday, this was a more intimate couples’ night. This time it was just Paul, Lori and us.

Genesse Theatre in Waukegan, Illinois, was the perfect place for this production. Opened in 1927, it was one of the most luxurious theaters in the country. Updated in 2004, it remains a classic but with all modern amenities.

These were two very different nights, but both shared great music and friends. That made for two fantastic nights.

— John Wroblewski, online writer