Fork in the Road…

Rivers

In the 50-odd years that Cumberland Caverns has been open to the public, thousands of visitors have passed through the Volcano Room, but it was a recent visit by music fan Todd Mayo that led to the series genesis. “My wife and I were like so many other visitors going down to the caverns,” says Mayo. “We went through the Volcano Room and we were awed by its majesty. It’s spectacular. Being a music fan, I asked the tour guide if they ever had live music down there. They had not. We finished the tour and I wouldn’t shut up about it. I’d had ideas about shows before, but at that moment it crystallized.”

Mayo gained the support of legendary WSM Radio—the home of the Grand Ole Opry—and enlisted the help of Grammy-winning sound engineer Phil Harris. It soon became obvious to all involved that they were on to something incredible. Says Harris, “The natural acoustics in the Volcano Room rival the finest studios in Nashville. Taken with the cave’s natural features and 350 million years of evolution, there isn’t another performance space like it anywhere on the planet.”

Both musicians and audiences alike have been taken with the opportunity to participate in a subterranean concert. Bluegrass phenoms The Infamous Stringdusters played the series’ third show in November, and bass player Travis Book noted that it was unlike anything the band had ever done before. “Playing in the cave was completely surreal,” he says. “Being underground brought about a lack of distraction, and the sense that what we were doing at that moment was so completely unique—unlike anything else that was going on in the world at the time—made it truly special.”

Mayo has heard audience members echo these sentiments. “We’re really pleased with the audience response,” he says. “It’s amazing to see the looks on their faces. It’s a musical adventure because most of the people that come to the Volcano Room have never done anything like this before. I’ve been told more than once that it is almost a spiritual experience. That tells me we’re off to a good start.”

via Underground Bluegrass: The Concert Hall in a Cave – Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine .

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?

Set 1
No More To Leave You Behind
One More Bridge
Golden Ticket
I Wonder
Bound For Tennessee
Rivers
Won’t Be Coming Back
You Can’t Handle The Truth
Lonesome River
Uncle Pen
Black Rock

Set 2
Fork In The Road
Well, Well
When Silence Is The Only Sound
Count Me In
Poor Boy’s Delight
Three Days In July
Gettin’ Down The Road
Travelin’ Teardrop Blues >
Glass Elevator
Sunny Side Of The Mountain

via “dusterhead” at Stringduster Nation • Bluegrass Underground – The Cavern, not the band! .

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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