MCMINNVILLE — Bluegrass fans most likely listen to their favorite artists and albums on the radio or in concert, but they have probably never experienced anything quite like “Bluegrass Underground.” On Saturday, Aug. 16, bluegrass fans need to prepare themselves for a journey that will take them to the center of the earth where they will discover a world of bluegrass magic.

Cumberland Caverns of McMinnville is hosting the syndicated radio show “Bluegrass Underground,” airing on 650 WSM. The show will be recorded before a live audience 333 feet below the earth’s surface in The Volcano Room, a naturally-occurring amphitheater where time and water have worked together to make one of the most purely acoustical spaces on earth.

Todd Mayo, the show’s producer, stumbled upon the idea for “Bluegrass Underground” when he and his family took a Memorial Day tour of the caves.

“I’ve been wanting to do a show, but I didn’t know where — you know, I was looking in Nashville… at an old, historic theatre — and so, when we came to this room called the Volcano Room, I told my wife… ‘This is it.’ I had a practical vision: you can put enough people right here.”

Mayo is particularly excited about the un-amplified, acoustic setting the musical performance will have, thanks to the caverns.

“The acoustics in the cave really are incredible. The huge thing about it is that the performances are entirely un-amplified, not just acoustic, but without any amplification whatsoever.” said Mayo. “It’s the old way of listening to live music, and the cave’s acoustics make it akin to listening to a concert inside a recording studio that’s 3.5 million years in the making.

“I do see this evolving into kind of an ‘Austin City Limits’ for acoustic music… basically, the un-amplification that we’re using here is kind of a unique thing, besides, of course, the visual in the cave and the novelty of doing it somewhere like this,” added Mayo.

Teddy Jones, the marketing director of Cumberland Caverns, is equally as excited about the location of the show. “Cumberland Caverns is proud to be making musical history here in the hills of Tennessee. As far as we know, nothing of this nature has been done in any cave, anywhere.”

Before guests arrive for the concert, there are a few things they need to know about the experience.

“We generally say the tour is mildly strenuous. If someone is used to walking on a daily basis, or can get around and hike just a little bit, then there should be no problem. It’s not handicap-accessible, but for the most part it’s very easy to get around. It is an adventure,” said Jones.

Aside from the caverns being lit by indoor lanterns, the guides will be carrying flashlights to help guests move around the caves.

The caverns are a constant 56 degrees, no matter the season. Those who work at Cumberland Caverns jokingly refer to the cool temperature as “Nature’s Air Conditioning.”

“Aug. 16 is going to be a perfect day to be in the caves,” said Jones, talking about the relief the caves give from the summer heat.

Guests will want to wear appropriate footwear for hiking, and may want to bring a pullover, although the 99-percent humidity in the caverns offsets the potential chill of the underground temperature.

The concert is from 4-6 p.m., and Mayo asks that guests arrive by 3:30 p.m. in order to be guided and seated before the show starts.

“What we’ll do is have a couple of different groups, and we’re just trying to tell everybody to come early because I mean, you have to have a tour guide. This is a historic landmark, and you have to be escorted, so we’ll try to have the people that come early — we’ll take a group of them up — and then take another group, and then right before the show, take the last group on up. I guess we’ll have to figure something out about the stragglers because you know there are always will be some, particularly with people that have never been here,” said Mayo.

The bluegrass journey will begin when tour guides lead concert-goers through the cave entrance into a different world. Descending below the earth’s surface will take visitors past underground pools made of pure water. The pools are home to albino blind crayfish that have adapted to the cave’s darkness. Waterfalls trickling into the caves from the earth’s surface feed the crystal-clear pools.

Bluegrass fans who attend the show will also see actual tools used by saltpeter miners during the Civil War to make gun powder.

After the 15-minute hike through this other world, eager fans will arrive at The Volcano Room. A chandelier, weighing 1,500 pounds, hangs from the ceiling, decoratively illuminating the underground concert hall. Guests will be seated in front of the stage on rows of folding chairs and at tables that are always present for tourist-use in the cavern. Underground concessions and restrooms are available for use, making the location ideal for guests.

Because of the un-amplified nature of the concert, Mayo wants to keep the crowd intimate, limiting it to 300 guests.

Once guests are comfortably in place, the ancient silence and darkness of the enormous cavern will then be interrupted by the sounds of some of the greatest bluegrass musicians on, or under, the earth.

Each month “‘Bluegrass Underground’ will feature established and up-and-coming traditional and progressive bluegrass and acoustic musicians in an otherworldly venue, without amplification, to a worldwide audience of music-lovers,” said Mayo.

“The show will feature traditional bluegrass but also brands of acoustic music, country, Americana, folk, and will also feature bluegrass covers of non-bluegrass music.”

The show’s debut performance will be by Nashville bluegrass band The Steel Drivers, made up of Richard Balley, Mike Fleming, Mike Henderson, Tammy Rogers and Chris Stapleton. The Steel Drivers’ highly-praised debut album arrived in January of this year, and the band made an appearance on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” last month. Mayo is excited and thankful to have such a big-name band to perform at the first “Bluegrass Underground.”

The second show will be Sept. 27, performed by The Grascals.

Future performances will include Tim O’Brien and The Stringdusters.

“Bluegrass Underground” will be heard on the last Friday night of each month on 650 WSM in McMinnville and 1320 WMSR in Tullahoma. Mayo is hoping to nationally syndicate the show, and is searching for a station to host it in Cookeville.

Sound engineer Phil Harris, 2007 Grammy-winner for Best Country Instrumental for his recording of Doc Watson and Brian Sutton, will record, mix and edit each show.

Tickets can only be purchased on the show’s Web site at www.bluegrassunderground.com. Each ticket is $15.

“It’s a pretty good deal because the actual adult ticket (at Cumberland Caverns) is a $15 ticket to take a tour of the cave, and the concert tickets are $15, and you’re getting a (partial) tour and a show for $15,” said Mayo.

“Bluegrass Underground” will be a fun monthly entertainment choice for the whole family.

“With gas prices being so high, many folks are going on ‘staycations’ instead of vacations, where they do things closer to home. ‘Bluegrass Underground’ and Cumberland Caverns would fit right in there,” said Mayo.

This show is expected to be a musical event that makes history. Mayo and Jones are expecting it to reach the heights of Grand Ole Opry.

“They’ll be talking about ‘Bluegrass Underground’ after we’re gone,” said Jones.

Cumberland Caverns is open May 1-Aug. 31 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sept. 1- April 30 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The caverns are located just off Hwy. 8, six miles southeast of McMinnville via U.S. Hwy. 70S. Look for yellow signs that point the way to the entrance.
By NICOLL BURLESON

Read the original article… Cookeville Herald-Citizen Online:
http://www.herald-citizen.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=A315D0CF-19B9-E2E2-67DBC18E6AFE74BD

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