Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

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FEATUREThursday 22 March 2018
In Tennessee, music is being made deep below Earth's surface
By JEFF MARTIN
Associated Press
MCMINNVILLE, Tenn. (AP) —
By the time Nashville song-
writer Travis Meadows took
the stage on a recent Sun-
day afternoon, more than
500 music fans had found
their way 333 feet (100
meters) below the ground,
some taller guests ducking
their heads just a bit.
They took their seats in
lounge chairs and on a
handful of rock outcrop-
pings beneath an antique
chandelier that once
adorned a New York City
theater. The enormous light
is now bolted into the ceil-
ing of the Volcano Room
inside Tennessee's Cumber-
land Caverns.
"The patrons and perform-
ers are all sort of awed by
this magical and majestic
setting," said Todd Mayo,
who had the idea of host-
ing concerts 10 years ago,
during a family vacation
that included a tour of the
cave.
The phenomenon draws
fans since it pairs live music
with the lure of exploring
the caves and their unique
environments, promoters
say.
"Caves are spiritual, special
places, so when you com-
bine that natural wonder of
a cave with music, it's just
special," Mayo said.
Tennessee will soon have
not just one, but two caves
vying for fans who want to
see music performed in a
subterranean environment.
Mayo is the creator and
executive producer of the
PBS show "Bluegrass Under-
ground," which has filmed
concerts in the Volcano
Room since 2009.
He recently bought his
own cave at the base of
Monteagle Mountain near
Pelham, Tennessee, and is
planning that cave's first-
ever show Saturday with
performances by Nashville
artist Billy Strings and a band
from Havana, Cuba known
as the Sweet Lizzy Project.
The PBS show is also mov-
ing to that cave known as
The Caverns, where Mayo
hopes to put on about 40
to 50 shows this year. It can
seat 750 people or expand
to 1,000 for standing-room-
only shows.
Meanwhile, the original
home of the PBS show in
Cumberland Caverns is
continuing to host concerts
on its own and aims to book
about 20 shows this year
beneath the giant crystal
chandelier in the Volca-
no Room, spokeswoman
Amanda Blank said. Atlan-
ta singer-songwriter Shawn
Mullins recently performed
in the Volcano Room,
which has a capacity of
around 700.
"These shows, because they
are so unique and on a lot
of music lovers' bucket lists,
I think there are enough
people to fill both places,"
In this Feb. 25, 2018 photo, singer-songwriter Chris Knight (cen-
ter) and his band perform 333 feet below ground in Cumberland
Caverns near McMinnville, Tenn.
In this Feb. 25, 2018 photo, music fans fill much of the expansive Volcano Room beneath an an-
tique, 1,500-pound chandelier that once hung in the Loew's Metropolitan Theatre in New York City.
in McMinnville, Tenn.
In this Feb. 25, 2018 photo, singer-songwriter Chris Knight, cen- "It was kind of surreal, man,
ter, and his band perform 333 feet below ground in Cumberland in its own kind of way," said
Caverns near McMinnville, Tenn. Jimbo Hart, a bass guitarist
who performed in the Vol-
Associated Press cano Room with Alabama
artist Jason Isbell's band,
The 400 Unit.
"It sparked the science nerd
in me," said Hart, who had
studied geology at the Uni-
versity of North Alabama
and found himself noticing
the waterfalls, the stalac-
tites and various formations
of the cave.
Tim Nielsen, a bass player in
the Georgia band Drivin' N
Cryin', recalls their gear be-
ing loaded into the cave
on small all-terrain vehicles.
Fans are guided about 900
Blank said. yards (820 meters) past un-
Mayo said the shows have derground pools and wa-
drawn fans from around terfalls to reach the Volca-
the world, from the United no Room for shows.
Associated Press Kingdom and the Nether- "We had no idea what we
lands to Thailand and the were getting into, but we
United Arab Emirates. were just like 'Ok, we're go-
"It's a destination now — ing to play in a cave way
people want to come do down under the Earth,'"
this," he said. Nielsen said. "It was a cool
While producing the PBS vibe, a cool experience."
shows in the Volcano Mayo said there are sev-
Room, Mayo recalls meet- eral reason he went cave-
ing a woman from Dubai shopping, and ended up
who had seen the show, buying one historically
and sold her car to buy known as "Big Mouth" for
plane tickets to fly to Ten- the new venue he's named
nessee to see a show. "The Caverns." It's closer to
The artists who have per- Nashville and Chattanoo-
formed there say they ga, Tennessee, and also al-
didn't know exactly what lows easier access for fans
to expect. to get inside, he said. And
it gives him the ability to
install permanent lighting
and audio equipment.
"The cave is very carefully
lit because the cave is the
co-star for whoever is on
stage," Mayo said. "The
lighting is very subtle and it's
really beautiful and it's real-
ly respectful of this natural
environment."q
Associated Press