As the shutdown of live music stretches into month number six since all concerts were cancelled back in March, venues are getting creative in how to stay afloat. Like musicians, some are offering live streams and sponsoring drive-in concerts, while others are banding together with groups like the National Independent Venues Association (NIVA) to secure funding from the government.
Then there are others, like underground concert venue The Caverns in Pelham, TN that are in the unique position of having a fallback plan due to a unique marketing position. Now the home of the PBS program Bluegrass Underground has pivoted to giving tours of its famous caves as a way of keeping the lights on.
Starting last month, The Caverns has begun offering daily cave tours and have opened a new cave to attendees for the first time. Known as “Big Room Cave” for it’s extraordinary length of over three football fields, this newly-unveiled area is one of the largest cave rooms in the United States.
“This opening marks the first show cave to open in Tennessee in over 50 years,” The Caverns owner Todd Mayo said. “We’re excited to provide the public with a new natural tour showcasing the wonder and awe that only a select few skilled cavers have ever seen before.”
As the line in the sand for the return of live concerts continues to push back, The Caverns actually expects to see more annual visitors now that the caves are open for tours. Currently, The Caverns host more than 50,000 people are year for concerts alone, but with daily tours running from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. those numbers should grow exponentially higher, according to a press release.
To book a cave tour at The Caverns, click here.