A concert series taped more than 300 feet under ground near McMinnville has begun airing on PBS stations around the country. “Bluegrass Underground” is scheduled for New York City, Dallas and Seattle.
The notoriety comes from the venue – the Volcano Room of Cumberland Caverns. The producers pull from regional talent, even if that means veering from the show’s name.
“They said you’re going to play on Bluegrass Underground. We said, ‘we don’t do a lot of bluegrass.’”
That’s Nashville rocker Will Hoge. The first season does include appearances by traditional bluegrass acts like Ricky Skaggs and Cherryholmes. Genre crosser Justin Townes Earl also performs.
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“Bluegrass Underground” hasn’t gotten prime placement in many of the markets to pick it up. But producers point out that some of the biggest public TV stations in the country have jumped on board, including WGBH in Boston.
Nashville Public Television has scheduled the Bluegrass Underground series to begin October 9th.