G Jones and Sammy Virji are just a few artists who have taken over The Caverns’ stage this summer; plenty more are on the horizon.
If there is one bucket-list venue that ought to be on every music enthusiast’s bucket list, it’s The Caverns. Nestled in the rural scenery of Pelham, Tenessee, the venue boasts a stunning natural cave, Big Mouth Cave, which was discovered by the venue owner in 2016. After hauling out thousands of pounds of rock and silt, geologists deemed the cave safe for concerts, and now-venue began hosting shows on its 850-patron dancefloor in 2018.
The Caverns would go on to build the larger amphitheater stage outside of the cave. The huge grassy new space yards from the cave led to throwing their first multi-stage events in 2022, like the inaugural editions of SVDDEN DEATH‘s Summoning of The Eclipse and their bluegrass festival Cave Fest.
Each time I’ve visited The Caverns, I‘ve fallen even more in love with the venue. Recent experiences at the unique venue included G Jones, who brought his Allegory of the Rave concept to the venue, and Sammy Virji, who delivered plenty of UKG heat along with him. Keep reading to hear about my recent experiences, and you’ll understand why this venue is a must-visit.
G Jones brought his one-of-a-kind curated event to The Caverns for a second year with a legendary two-night run.
Given that it’s not every tour they get to play in a literal cave, The Caverns is one of those venues where artists tend to go all-in. For an experimental artist with an aesthetic like G Jones, the cave is undoubtedly a perfect setting for a meticulously curated audiovisual experience.
I made it just in time for a deep set from Ternion Sound before G Jones and Eprom took the stage on the first night. Upon arrival, I was reminded of how kind and welcoming the staff was at The Caverns. Also, the insane temperature drop when you enter the cave always amazes me whenever I visit. It stays an estimated 69 degrees year-round, so there couldn’t be a more perfect environment for a small, dark dancefloor.
G Jones’ back-to-back with Eprom is a rare, coveted pairing fondly referred to by their fanbase as “Gprom.” The unstoppable duo lit up the cave for a 90-minute set with their signature visuals of trippy black and white and heavy, distorted bass sounds.
The following night, G Jones brought some other standout artists along for the ride, Anna Morgan and FLY b2b Saka, who impressed with killer opening sets. He then took the stage for a solo DJ set that left the crowd speechless.
Sammy Virji flipped the vibe switch just two weeks later, proving that there’s always something popping off at The Caverns for every kind of music fan.
From experimental bass music and jungle in all black and white to energetic UKG under a shining disco ball is truly my favorite kind of switch-up. After being reminded of The Caverns’ beauty at G Jones, I couldn’t wait to be back in the cave for my first time seeing Sammy Virji and could hardly contain my excitement.
We took our time to eat from the food trucks and take it all in during the light hours. With the food outside and the bathrooms and full bar inside the cave, the venue essentially has it all down. That is, aside from lacking seating. There is no seating even by the food trucks, and during both shows, I saw attendees sitting on dark, secluded corners of the rocky floor to catch a dance break. I also assume the steep hills to and from the cave would be a challenge for disabled attendees, especially with it being particularly slippery during Sammy Virji’s show.
Sammy Virji’s 90-minute set was everything I’d hoped, and easily in the top high-energy crowds I’ve witnessed. That said, I was reminded of how different all crowds are at The Caverns, and anywhere, really, when I observed a lot of immaturity that was not present a few weeks before during G Jones. However, The Caverns staff was great at handling the multiple situations I saw where someone overindulged or needed to be safely removed.
With shows like Mersiv’s two-day Stonehenge event and Eli Brown on the horizon, to name a few, there are so many more opportunities for both electronic music and beyond at The Caverns. Whether you like live bands, techno, UKG, or dubstep, there’s always something new popping up on their roster, so you have to add this one-of-a-kind show experience to your bucket list.
