Imagine this: You're 333 feet underground in a massive cave. There's a brightly lit stage underneath a huge glittery chandelier. Top-notch musicians are playing their tails off and the acoustics are incredibly good! It just does not get any cooler than that – whether in terms of cultural cache or temperature. The Cumberland Caverns near McMinnville, Tenn., where the Bluegrass Underground music series bursts forth from the subterranean Volcano Room performance stage, stay a constant 56 degrees. There are about 25 Bluegrass Underground concerts a year in – despite the name – a mix of musical genres.
Cumberland Caverns, 1437 Cumberland Caverns Road, McMinnville, Tenn. 931-668-4396, bluegrassunderground.com
Music City’s Iconic Music Series
Everybody who’s anybody in country music – and those who are on their way to becoming somebody – play The Grand Ole Opry, Nashville’s iconic music and broadcast series. The four-night-a-week summer schedule at the Grand Ole Opry House on the east outskirts of town changes in late-September to a one-night-a-week schedule at the historic Ryman Auditorium downtown for the remainder of the year.
Grand Ole Opry House, 2804 Opryland Drive, Nashville, Tenn. 615-871-6779, 800-733-6779; Ryman Auditorium, 116 5th Ave. N., Nashville, Tenn. www.opry.com
Bristol’s Musical Big Bang
Ninety years ago this summer, landmark recording sessions took place in Bristol, Tenn./Va., the city divided down the middle into a two-state domain. The 1927 Bristol Sessions were some of the earliest country music recordings, a fact which led to the city’s official designation by the U.S. Congress as the “Birthplace of Country Music.” The Birthplace of Country Music Museum opened in 2014 in downtown Bristol to celebrate its musical heritage and it is a delight.
416 State St., Suite A, Bristol, Tenn. 520 Birthplace of Country Music Way, Bristol, Va. 423-573-1927, www.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org, @BCMM
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