Partying Off The Grid: Inside John Summit's Sold-Out "Cave Rave" at The Caverns

The house music maverick delivered at the subterranean venue, where he swallowed us into the depths of a psychedelic abyss.

Author:
Mikala Lugen
Publish date:
Apr 26, 2023

York Angelo Pimiento

The house music maverick delivered at the subterranean venue, where he swallowed us into the depths of a psychedelic abyss.

When John Summit announced the first-ever camping event from his Off The Grid label would go down in a nowheresville cave in Tennessee, nothing could have made more sense.

A little over a year since announcing the launch of Off The Grid, Summit has made sure the label's outstanding music is actually "on the grid." Today, it's omnipresent in the electronic music hive mind.

And after his showcase this past weekend at The Caverns, it's never been more clear that nothing is off-limits for the unpredictable house music superstar.

John Summit performing at The Caverns.
York Angelo Pimiento

Although it seemed there was little promotion leading up to the event since its February reveal, Summit clearly put a lot of thought into it considering the occasion marked the beloved subterranean venue's first foray into house music.

With supporting DJ sets from Subrinse, Ardalan, Mikey Lion and Matt Sassari throughout the weekend, each night glistened with rumbling deep house and techno fervor. Even the venue's staff seemed to have a pep in their step, warmly welcoming ravers in their sparkly attire.

Security in particular—who were dressed in cowboy getups looking ready for some "Country Riddim"—were curious about techno and house culture. While the venue has hosted a variety of artists across the musical spectrum since it opened its doors in 2018, it would be dubstep superstar SVDDEN DEATH that headlined the venue's first-ever electronic event in 2020. Since then, only a handful of producers have graced the underground stage, none of which would compare to John Summit's two-day showcase of house and techno.

Summit became the venue's ringmaster for the weekend, DJing in a 400-million-year-old limestone sediment cave with no cell service. He masterfully threw down tracks rooted in virtually every electronic sub-genre in the book, making this event stand out from its counterparts.

Maybe it was because the show was completely sold out and exclusive to only a lucky 1,200 fans, who brought out the best in Summit. But maybe it was also its many shell-shocking moments, which illuminated why exactly he's one of this generation's most beloved artists.

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When Summit opened his set on the first night with his emotive anthem "Where You Are," attendees realized what was about to go down in the eerie Caverns. For the two days of dancing underground that followed, he made sure each and every person in that hidden cave got lost and taken "off the grid" of time.

Summit soundtracked the weekend with his feverish house tracks and feel-good floor-fillers, but also let loose and pumped out unfamiliar sounds to keep ravers on their toes. The cave atmosphere transported us to a twilight zone of sorts as he summoned the sounds of chirping bats with the otherworldly synths of "La Danza." Eventually the angelic vocals of Ellie Goulding resonated through the fissure during a deep, trancey remix of "Miracle."

Just when we thought we'd caught up with Summit, he faked out everyone's anticipation for his fan-favorite remix of Kx5's "Escape" and instead threw down menacing dubstep. The unexpected moment was accentuated by a relentless barrage of gritty bass before he effortlessly transitioned back to his signature style of techno and house.

In the moments when fans tried to cram in close to the stage, it was actually the back of the venue that offered the best views. The ceiling of the cave swallowed us into the depths of a psychedelic abyss.

Summit put the cherry on top of the whole weekend when he segued back into "Where You Are," the same song he chose to kick it off with. That turned the scene into a fever dream.

Moments like this were microcosms of Summit and Off The Grid's commitment to making the event stand the test of time and offer fans a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Check out a gallery of the show, courtesy of photographer York Angelo Pimiento, below.