This past weekend was the season two taping for the Bluegrass Underground PBS series.   To get an idea of what all it takes to produce this series 333 below ground in the Volcano Room of Cumberland Caverns watch this video by Craig Havighurst.   This was shot during one of the days of the first season filming.   This year it was bigger and better, more lights, more crew, more cameras, a production trailer, a green room, I could keep going… wow!! Three days of incredible talent.  Twelve bands, four a day, the first night time performances.   Two big headliners:  The Civil Wars and Vince Gill.   Lots of people.  Lots of walking from here to there to shoot.    Can’t wait to see what happens for the next season.  Thank you Todd Mayo for giving me the opportunity to photograph these historic music moments!

I am going to present my first favorites from the weekend.

Friday night was The David Mayfield Parade, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, The Del McCoury Band and The Civil Wars.

The David Mayfield Parade

David Mayfield

"Get Down on Your Knees", my favorite Del McCoury performance of the night!

Del McCoury

Waiting for Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver

Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver emerging from the cavern behind the stage.

Doyle Lawson

The Civil Wars during "Barton Hollow".

Joy from the Civil Wars.

John Paul from the Civil Wars

Saturday we listened to Sarah Jarosz, Jim Lauderdale, The Time Jumpers and Vince Gill.

Sarah Jarosz and band on stage.

Jim Lauderdale before his set

Jim Lauderdale

stage secrets

Birds eye view of The Time Jumpers on stage in the Volcano Room

Velvety vocals

Vince Gill with the Time Jumpers

Vince Gill with his band.

Sunday’s line up was The Vespers, The Black Lillies, Scott Miller and the Commonwealth and Jerry Douglas.

The Vespers during sound check.

Phoebe and Callie of The Vespers

The Vespers Band

Trisha from The Black Lillies

Cruz from The Black Lillies

The Black Lillies

Scott Miller

Scott Miller playing harmonica and guitar.

Scott Miller and The Commonwealth

Jerry Douglas

Jerry Douglas and band with PBS camera boom

Check out all these musicians and support their music!

The David Mayfield Parade

Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver

The Del McCoury Band

The Civil Wars

Sarah Jarosz

Jim Lauderdale

The Time Jumpers

Vince Gill

The Vespers

The Black Lillies

Scott Miller and the Commonwealth

Jerry Douglas

This past week I had so much fun at a house party put on by Music City Roots featuring Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen.   Not only did Frank give us some great music he also made us dinner, ginger chicken with rice and this yummy relish… it was truly delish!  Turns out Frank is an excellent cook.  Check out the Live Stream video from the party and you can see Frank shop at Whole Foods and then prepare the meal… he shows off his chopping skills!!   Fast forward to about the 23 minute mark.

The band performed in the man cave, complete with stage, at the hosts house.  I love their sound and am now a huge fan!!  Check out a little bit of them live from the party here!

Somethings cookin' on the stove!! The house smelled yummy!

Sweet chili sauce and relish of local tomatoes, some cucumbers, green onions, peppers...

Ingredients for the ginger chicken. All the food was from Whole Foods.

The cook!

MCR's sponsor provided Moonshine for cocktails.

Waiting for dinner.

The stage waiting for the band.

Frank serving up the food!!

The band.

Cumberland Caverns was on fire this past Saturday!  First there was the film crew shooting footage for the opening of the Bluegrass Underground shows which will air on PBS in the fall.  The cave was all lit up for action!!  Travis Stinson and the band, Flea Market Hustlers got the music started.   NewFound Road put on an electrifying performance that I think made the power go out in the cave.  It was dark.  I had just walked out of the bathroom and BAM, the lights went out!  It is scary but kind of nice to just been there without sight relying on sound and touch.  Within a few minutes the folks at Cumberland Caverns had candles lit and the stage began to smell like an altar.  The bluegrass altar!   The band kept on going… never stopped and in the middle of   ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ the power was returned..  There is something special about being in a blackout in a cave.    And then…. Michael Cleveland came out with his band the Flamethrowers, I mean Flamekeeper.  These guys are an incredible group of musicians.  Throwing flames of sound and energy to the crowd.  They were mesmerizing, making this alternative music loving girl a fan of old time true country music!   I had to leave before they were done playing their set.  I heard they stopped at about 4:45!!  Gotta love people who are passionate about their god given talents!   It was back out from the cool comfort of the 56 degree cave to the record breaking heat wave that has hit the south.  It is only June and yet feels like August.  Wonder if there is a way to live in the part of the cave where you can feel the warm air hit the cool air just before your glasses and camera lens fogs up.  It feels pretty good there!

Queen Anne's Lace blankets the sides of the roads on the way to Cumberland Caverns!

Flea Market Hustlers, John Furbush

Flea Market Hustlers, Jake Winebrenner

Travis Stinson and the Flea Market Hustlers on the Bluegrass Underground stage

Newfound Road, Josh Miller and Joe Booher

NewFound Road

NewFound Road, Tim Shelton

NewFound Road

NewFound Road, Josh Miller, Jamey Booher, Tim Shelton, Joe Booher

NewFound Road

The cave temp!

David Harvey's Mandolin, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper

David Peterson and his guitar, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper

Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper

Kent Blanton, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper

Michael Cleveland

David Peterson, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper

Michael Cleveland

Charlie Cushman, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper

David Harvey, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper

Charlie Cushman

Check out the upcoming shows for Bluegrass Underground right here!

I am also working on updating, rearranging the galleries on my website in the next few weeks to include favorites from Bluegrass Underground.

This past Saturday, The Vespers, came to the neighborhood to play a house party.  Maybe I should call it a pool/driveway/beautiful view of the lake party!! It was so much fun and if you have not heard The Vespers you must check them out…. two sisters with voices so beautiful, and two brothers: when they all get together amazing, mesmerizing music is created!!  Thank you Callie, Phoebe, Taylor and Bruno for playing an amazing set of music under challenging circumstances and to Music City Roots who put the show all together.  Fantastic music, beautiful views, yummy food and fabulous friends made this one unforgettable experience!  Glad the MCR people made it safe to New York for the Americana Honors and Awards Nominee Announcement Party, thank you for all your hard work.

The Vespers on the banks of Old Hickory Lake

The Vespers on the banks of Old Hickory Lake

The Vespers on the banks of Old Hickory Lake

Waiting for the show to start!

Encore!

Check out The Vespers website for tour dates and info.  Be sure to also look at the cute flower hair pieces that Phoebe makes and sells!

And The Vespers have a new video, ‘Will You Love Me” which is really pretty!

And for more images of Old Hickory Lake and water and nature go to Mary Claire Crow dot Com !

This past edition of Bluegrass Underground brought some time to shoot interiors of Cumberland Caverns!   What a majestic and quiet place!

This is the view from the parking lot at Cumberland Caverns.

The Music!

Greensky Bluegrass

Mike Devol of Greensky Bluegrass

Greensky Bluegrass taking the stage!

Backstage view

Hillbilly Goddess, Alicia Nugent and her band!

Mandolin!

Alicia Nugent

Check out Greensky Bluegrass , Alicia Nugent, Cumbeland Caverns and me !

Another great show down in the cave at Cumberland Caverns!!  Frank Fairfield and the Emmitt-Nershi Band!

Frank Fairfield, one man, three vintage instruments, sitting in a chair, tapping his feet.

Drew Emmitt's mandolin and Bill Nershi's guitar.

Mary Claire Crow

Yesterday, Tuesday April 5th was the first in a series of lunch time musical performances from Music City Roots at the Whole Foods in Green Hills.  What a great way to spend one’s lunch on a Tuesday!  Listening to fabulous music at the grocery store!!  Yesterday at the cafe at Whole Foods was groovin’ to the sounds of the soulful Blue Mother Tupelo.

Micol and Ricky, Blue Mother Tupelo

Micol plays a mean tambourine

Ricky Davis

Blue Mother Tupelo

Music City Roots

Mary Claire Crow

Each time that I leave the Cumberland Caverns after a Bluegrass Underground show I think to myself that was the best show ever!   It is always good.  It is a great place to soak in some wonderful energy!

The cave was full!!  Beyond full really and why not?  Ralph Stanley and his Clinch Mountain Boys were in the house, cave.   Travis Stinson warmed up the crowd with 1925 along side.  Dana Romanello and 1925 rocked it out or should I say, bluegrassed it out?

Travis Stinson warming up the crowd for Dana Romanello and Ralph Stanley

Dana Romanello

Ralph Stanley

A Clinch Mountain Boy

There were two things I observed from watching Ralph. Number one: he loves that banjo!

Number two: the BIGGEST smile I saw on his face as he introduced his wife!

A still from his hair raising, "O Death".

After the show, he signed autographs, posed with fans for photos.... the line was very long.

The Isaacs: wow!  This non religious woman was truly inspired and moved by the music and passion this beautiful family has for God.   Their voices are those of angles.   The sound that carried through the cave was enough to give one chills and to cause others to raise their hands to heaven.   It was a true day of passion and spiritual awakening.  If you have never heard of The Isaacs you should.

The back of Ben Isaacs bass.

Lily Isaacs singing with her two daughters, Becky Isaacs Bowman and Sonya Isaacs Yeary.

The Isaacs singing "The Three Bells".

Sonya holds her banjo mandolin.

John Bowman feeling the spirit.

Becky Isaacs Bowman tuning her guitar with her mom. Lily in the background.

Sonya Isaacs blowing us all away with her powerful and passionate voice.

Becky, Sonya and Ben Isaacs harmonizing.

Stay up to date with the latest news from Bluegrass Underground.

Check out more of Mary’s beautiful nature photos and prints by visiting her website.

Last Saturday the cave was a rockin’!  The perfect music for February’s installment of Bluegrass Underground at Cumberland Caverns.  Music full of passion, excitement and energy.  You need to listen to Valerie White.  She is a little piece of dynamite.  Her voice is strong and full of spark.  Along with her band Liberty Pike you have a band that is full of excitement.

Valerie along with Becky Buller on fiddle and guitar made me want to be a bluegrass star.  To say they are cool is such an understatement.  Their energy is never ending and once the show is over you are left wanting MORE!   The men of this group provided the calming yang to the ladies ying.  Dave Tousley on bass was as cool as they come and Shane Blackwell must be a guitar legend.  Check out more of Valerie and Liberty Pike.  You will not be disappointed.

Now on to some of my favorite images from their set.  They were so much fun to photograph!

Valerie Smith playing her mandolin at February's Bluegrass Underground

Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike jammin' at Bluegrass Underground

Soulful sounds from Valerie Smith as she sings her rendition of "I'm Not Lisa" at Bluegrass Underground.

Valerie and Becky of Liberty Pike whistling at the end of "Walk Like an Egyptian". This was the second time this song was preformed bluegrass style in Cumberland Caverns at Bluegrass Underground.

Becky Buller of Liberty Pike on guitar.

The bass being played by Liberty Pike's, David Tousley.

The fiddle played by Becky Buller.

Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike at Bluegrass Underground.

To see more images and concert information from Bluegrass Underground check them out on Facebook.  Also be sure to check out Mary Claire Crow’s beautiful images of nature.