Concerts For Our Own reaches out for Farragut support
KNOXVILLE — Concerts For Our Own is partnering with Yee-Haw Brewing Company to present the Brewnevolence Concert Series, a three-show lineup blending great music, craft beer and community giving.
Held at the Yee-Haw Knoxville Stage, 745 N. Broadway in Knoxville, this series kicks off at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 17, with The Ultimate Garth Brooks Tribute featuring Shawn Gerhard, “promising an unforgettable night of high-energy entertainment for a great cause,” a CFOO press release stated.
Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door, with a three-show series pass $75.
Other concert dates are May 8, The Highwaymen Show – American Outlaw Tribute, and Sept. 25 – Exodus – A Tribute to Bob Marley.
Background
Concerts For Our Own, LLC, is a company owned by local businessman and promoter Aaron Snukais that has one primary goal each season when bringing in area and regional singing talent.
“I just pick different charities every year that I feel can use the money and that are small and have their boots on the ground and do good work,” Snukais said.
This year’s beneficiaries are The Love Kitchen in East Knoxville along with Breast Connect, “a support group for women who are going through mastectomies,” he said.
“This will be the third year we’ve done this,” Snukais added. “So far, we’ve given $61,000 to different local East Tennessee charities.
“And these are real small charities that probably get overlooked.
“My goal is that each one of the charities walk away with at least $10,000.”
The inspiration
A retired radio station general manager and sales manager in the Knoxville market with experience “booking concerts” while also lending his services to Second Harvest Food Bank, “I found out when I retired that I wasn’t very good at it,” Snukais, 71, said.
“I also found out that I should have asked my wife how much she wanted me around, and I would have found out she didn’t want me around that much,” he added.
“I got a little office and I started doing these concerts. I’m blessed that I’m financially stable, so I’m able to give all the money that these concerts make to local East Tennessee charities. And that’s why it’s called Concerts For Our Own because the money goes to our own charities here in Knox.”
How it operates
Known as the ‘Chief Happiness Officer,’ Snukais explained the operation.
“There’s no staff, except when I do a show, and that’s when I hire people or I get volunteers to help me with ticket taking and arm banding people and all that stuff,” he said. “A lot of the volunteers come from the local charities that we work with.”
For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.concertsforourown.org
Three more fall shows
“We’re doing three shows at Yee Haw Brewing Company, and then we’re going to be doing three shows in the fall at the Tennessee Ampitheater,” Snukais said about three other benefit shows — details still not set — in September and October also to benefit The Love Kitchen and Breast Connect.
“The shows that I do at the Ampitheater are reserved seats, and it’s a little bit more elevated, I guess,” he added. “These shows that we’re doing over at the brewery, just come have a good time, drink some beer and help us raise some money.”
