Here are 2 video clips from The Infamous Stringdusters Bluegrass Underground performance… November 2008.
Click to watch videos

The most unique concert hall in the Southeast—if not the world—rests some 300 feet below the Cumberland Plateau and just outside McMinnville, Tenn. Carved by millions of years of underground river flow, the Volcano Room, one of the caves that make up the labyrinth of Cumberland Caverns, has become home to the monthly concert series known as Bluegrass Underground.

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Hey Folks,

If you haven’t had the opportunity to listen to this show, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND IT! The sound is absolutely spectacular; the levels are perfect – no distortion whatsoever, so you can crank it as loud as you want; the clarity and separation are second to none. The vocals are as good as any I’ve heard – Jeremy really has it going. The instrumental exchanges/transitions are awesome, especially during Count Me In – Jesse lays down one lick that makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck, and Gettin’ Down The Road – Jesse and Andy H. trading licks during a superb jam – WOW. “Rivers” has this Pure Prairie League feel to it – I hope this makes the next album – what a sweet tune. Then there’s travis’ “Holy Cowan” vocals (holds a note for over 10 seconds) and Panda wailing away during Sunny Side Of The Mountain.

Phil…you’re a genius! This is a perfect show for a live double-cd, after you get Mexicali Live out.  How do I pre-order?
Click to view setlist

I did the coolest thing today. I listened to a band. In a cave.

To get there, you leave McMinnville, Tennessee, and wind down a country road littered with the splashiest shades of orange and yellow leaves. Not too long after losing cell reception, you reach Cumberland Caverns, home of the Bluegrass Underground.

I’d never heard of such a thing until my friend Leeann found out about it on NPR and asked me last night if I wanted to go. The music was GREAT–we had the privilege of hearing The Infamous Stringdusters, a bluegrass band that apparently plays here in Nashville on a regular basis. They’re beyond talented (and adorable–I decided that if I get married it’s going to have to be to a bluegrass musician). They played bluegrass staples like "Uncle Pen" and "Fox on the Run" (which made me think of my Daddy), as well as originals.

For $15, it was quite the happymaking Saturday afternoon. I highly recommend it.

via For Lack of a Better Word: Bluegrass Underground .

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