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In Tennessee, music is being made deep below Earth's surface

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In Tennessee, music is being made deep below Earth's surface
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In Tennessee, music is being made deep below Earth's surface

2018-03-26 16:48 Last Updated At:17:26

By the time Nashville songwriter Travis Meadows took the stage on a recent Sunday 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 outcroppings beneath an antique chandelier that once adorned a New York City theater. The enormous light is now bolted into the ceiling of the Volcano Room inside Tennessee's Cumberland Caverns.

In this Feb. 25, 2018 photo, singer-songwriter Chris Knight (center) and his band perform 333 feet below ground in Cumberland Caverns near McMinnville, Tenn. Tennessee will soon have not just one, but two caves vying for fans who want to see music performed in a subterranean environment. (AP Photo/Jeff Martin)

In this Feb. 25, 2018 photo, singer-songwriter Chris Knight (center) and his band perform 333 feet below ground in Cumberland Caverns near McMinnville, Tenn. Tennessee will soon have not just one, but two caves vying for fans who want to see music performed in a subterranean environment. (AP Photo/Jeff Martin)

"The patrons and performers are all sort of awed by this magical and majestic setting," said Todd Mayo, who had the idea of hosting 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 combine 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 Underground," 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 moving 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.

In this Feb. 25, 2018 photo, singer-songwriter Chris Knight, center, and his band perform 333 feet below ground in Cumberland Caverns near McMinnville, Tenn. Tennessee will soon have not just one, but two caves vying for fans who want to see music performed in a subterranean environment.(AP Photo/Jeff Martin)

In this Feb. 25, 2018 photo, singer-songwriter Chris Knight, center, and his band perform 333 feet below ground in Cumberland Caverns near McMinnville, Tenn. Tennessee will soon have not just one, but two caves vying for fans who want to see music performed in a subterranean environment.(AP Photo/Jeff Martin)

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 Volcano Room, spokeswoman Amanda Blank said. Atlanta 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," Blank said.

Mayo said the shows have drawn fans from around the world, from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands to Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.

"It's a destination now — people want to come do this," he said.

While producing the PBS shows in the Volcano Room, Mayo recalls meeting a woman from Dubai who had seen the show, and sold her car to buy plane tickets to fly to Tennessee to see a show.

The artists who have performed there say they didn't know exactly what to expect.

"It was kind of surreal, man, in its own kind of way," said Jimbo Hart, a bass guitarist who performed in the Volcano 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 University of North Alabama and found himself noticing the waterfalls, the stalactites and various formations of the cave.

Tim Nielsen, a bass player in the Georgia band Drivin' N Cryin', recalls their gear being loaded into the cave on small all-terrain vehicles. Fans are guided about 900 yards (820 meters) past underground pools and waterfalls to reach the Volcano Room for shows.

"We had no idea what we were getting into, but we were just like 'Ok, we're going to play in a cave way down under the Earth,'" Nielsen said. "It was a cool vibe, a cool experience."

In this Feb. 25, 2018 photo, music fans fill much of the expansive Volcano Room beneath an antique, 1,500-pound chandelier that once hung in the Loew's Metropolitan Theatre in New York City. in McMinnville, Tenn. More than 500 music fans had found their way 333 feet below the ground, some taller guests ducking their heads just a bit. (AP Photo/Jeff Martin)

In this Feb. 25, 2018 photo, music fans fill much of the expansive Volcano Room beneath an antique, 1,500-pound chandelier that once hung in the Loew's Metropolitan Theatre in New York City. in McMinnville, Tenn. More than 500 music fans had found their way 333 feet below the ground, some taller guests ducking their heads just a bit. (AP Photo/Jeff Martin)

Mayo said there are several reason he went cave-shopping, and ended up buying one historically known as "Big Mouth" for the new venue he's named "The Caverns." It's closer to Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee, and also allows easier access for fans 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 really respectful of this natural environment."

The Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell romantic comedy “Anyone But You” hitting Netflix and an album by Brazil superstar Anitta are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Everyone’s favorite dancing demon doll “M3GAN” comes back to Peacock, a beautiful woman battles hideous beasts in Sony's video game Stellar Blade, and a documentary detailing Bon Jovi's early days, rise to fame and breakups and breakdowns.

— The Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell romantic comedy “Anyone But You” is finally on Netflix starting Tuesday. The movie is about two young singles whose magical one-night stand ends in miscommunication and hurt feelings, and then find themselves both in a small family wedding party and staying in the same house. It’s loosely based on Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” Reviews were mixed and the box office started out tame, but it became a slow burn sleeper hit in theaters, earning more than $218 million worldwide. If you’ve been holding out to see what the fuss was about, now is your low stakes chance (it’s also not a bad plane option, which is where this film critic finally watched it). And afterwards, if you need a rom-com palate cleanser, “You’ve Got Mail” is also currently on Netflix.

— Another stealth box office hit, everyone’s favorite dancing demon doll “M3GAN” is coming back to Peacock starting Wednesday. Is it great cinema? Probably not, but everyone who watches it seems to have a fun time (in spite of themselves). Entertainment Weekly’s Leah Greenblatt wrote in her review that, “This is not the morose, carnage-soaked horror of dank basements and clammy night terrors; most of the movie happens in bright daylight, every maniacal head tilt, ungodly hip swivel, and murder-by-gardening-tool calibrated for screams that end not with a gasp but a giggle. M3GAN came to play, and possibly reboot her motherboard for a sequel. Are you not entertained?”

— Finally, if you’ve exhausted all your “Tortured Poets” analysis, you can pivot to watching a Joe Alwyn movie instead. He stars in Claire Denis’ 2022 romantic thriller “Stars at Noon,” which comes to Hulu on Sunday, April 28. Based on the 1986 Denis Johnson novel, Margaret Qualley plans an American journalist in Nicaragua during COVID-19 who starts an affair with a mysterious British guy, played by Alwyn.

— AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr

— Shot through the heart, and they’re to blame: Forty years after a bunch of kids from New Jersey got together and formed a great American rock band, a documentary detailing their early days, rise to fame, and best of all — breakups and breakdowns — has arrived. The only Bon Jovi documentary series to feature all members past and present, “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story” premieres on Hulu Friday, April 26 in the U.S., Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in all other territories. Binge all four-parts one after the other or dole them out slowly. However you do it, expect to have “Livin’ On A Prayer” stuck in your head for the next week.

— Anitta, arguably Brazil’s most recognizable global pop singer since Astrud Gilberto sang “The Girl From Ipanema” nearly 60 years ago, is preparing to release a new album Friday, April 26. It’s titled “Funk Generation,” her first since the 2022’s “Versions of Me,” and its viral hits “Envolver” and “Girl From Rio” (with its interpolation of the Gilberto classic) made her an international star. She’s long aimed to bring Brazilian sounds to the worldwide music market, and focusing on Brazilian funk is an extension of that desire. “’Funk Generation’ is an album where I celebrate my roots. It’s where I express the power of Rio’s funk in every track its unique, danceable, and sensual beats,” she said in a statement. “It’s a rhythm born in the favelas, where I grew up, and it exudes resistance and art in every community.”

— It is time to give Midwest MCs their flowers: Fresh off a tour opening for Migos rapper Offset, Detroit’s Skilla Baby is preparing to drop a new project on Friday, April 26, “The Coldest.” If his trap earworm “Bae,” with its celebratory, ladies-first lyrics (“Bae, you know you’re fine, don’t you?” in the chorus) and the community-focused “Plate” are a taste of what’s to come, the release is going to be delicious.

— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

— “The Big Door Prize,” a sweet, silly dramedy about the residents of a small town turned upside down by the arrival of a machine that reveals a person’s true calling, returns for a second season on Apple TV+. Starring Chris O’Dowd as a local high school teacher, “The Big Door Prize” is based on a book by M.O. Walsh and was one of The Associated Press’ TV shows worth watching in 2023. Season two of “The Big Door Prize” debuts Wednesday. Season one is also still available on the streamer.

— Two teen ghost detectives who appear in DC comic books star in their own series called “Dead Boy Detectives.” The story follows Edwin and Charles, two long-dead teens who spend their afterlife still on Earth and investigating paranormal cases. They’re assisted by a living teen named Crystal Palace who is a clairvoyant. “Dead Boy Detectives” also features Lukas Gage in an over-the-top, comedic role of the Cat King. “The Summer I Turned Pretty” actor David Iacono plays a demon. The ghostly investigations begin Thursday on Netflix.

— Idris Elba and Adam Pally reprise their “Sonic the Hedgehog” characters for the new animated series “Knuckles” on Paramount+. Elba plays Knuckles, an Echidna with super strength, who is adjusting after moving to Earth at the end of “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.” Pally is Wade Whipple, a not-so-bright deputy sheriff. “Knuckles” is part of Paramount’s efforts to expand the popular “Sonic” brand. Ben Schwartz and Tika Sumpter also reprise roles from the films. All six-episodes of “Knuckles” stream Friday, April 26.

— Alicia Rancilio

— Sony’s Stellar Blade takes place on an Earth that’s been mostly abandoned after an invasion by hordes of mysterious monsters called the Naytiba. Enter Eve, a sword- and gun-wielding warrior who has returned to her home planet to help out the few people left, including a scavenger named Adam. The Biblical references pile up — for example, the last city standing is Xion — but the real influence is the popular hack-and-slash epic Bayonetta. If you’ve been craving another flamboyant adventure with a beautiful woman battling hideous beasts, Korean studio Shift Up hopes it’s got you covered. Start swinging Friday, April 26, on PlayStation 5.

— Electronic Arts’ Tales of Kenzera: Zau is less campy and more down to earth. Its protagonist, Zau, aims to become a healer and, maybe, bring his father back from the Land of the Dead. The aspiring shaman has some nifty parkour skills as well as sun and moon masks, which allow him to, respectively, launch spears and manipulate time as he fights evil spirits. Tales of Kenzera is the debut title from Surgent Studios, which was founded by voice actor Abubakar Salim, and he says it was inspired by Bantu folklore as well as his own experience with grief. The journey begins Tuesday on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.

— Lou Kesten

Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/entertainment.

This combination of images shows album cover art for "Funk Generation" by Anitta, and promotional art for the Hulu series "Thank You, Goodnight" (Republic Records/Hulu via AP)

This combination of images shows album cover art for "Funk Generation" by Anitta, and promotional art for the Hulu series "Thank You, Goodnight" (Republic Records/Hulu via AP)

This combination of images shows promotional art for the Paramount+ series "Knuckles," the Apple TV+ series "The Big Door Prize," and the Netflix series "Dead Boy Detectives. (Paramount+/Apple TV+/Netflix via AP)

This combination of images shows promotional art for the Paramount+ series "Knuckles," the Apple TV+ series "The Big Door Prize," and the Netflix series "Dead Boy Detectives. (Paramount+/Apple TV+/Netflix via AP)

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