BUTTE — The World Museum of Mining is inviting local musicians to perform underground in Butte's Orphan Girl Mine as part of a new concert series running all summer long.
The series features nine events taking place 100 feet below the Earth's surface in front of a limited audience.
Museum volunteer Dan Rapkoch said the underground setting offers something audiences won't find anywhere else in the country.
WATCH: Live music. 100 feet underground. Only in Butte. ⛏️ Would you go?
"This is pretty unique to anywhere you're going to find anywhere in the country, as well as, it offers the most amazing acoustics that are available."
The concert series also connects to mining history. Michael Kopf, who trains guides for the museum and works on underground maintenance at the Orphan Girl, said miners have a long tradition of singing on the job.
"Oh yeah! You know, when you go back to the dawn of time, you look at people singing, working in the fields here, there, whatever....."
Kopf said miners sang songs inspired by sea shanties to help coordinate their work — including knowing when to move their thumbs while swinging tools.
"One of 'em is like 'Diggie, Dig Dig' ..... So those... when the miners are swinging that jack towards our tool steel..they knew when to move their thumb. Yeah, obviously the system worked because there's not a lot of thumbless miners in Butte."
The series kicks off with a performance from MTN's John Emeigh and his family band.
"I have a little band called 'Me&Thee,' and it involves my wife Heather Lingle and our father-in-law Big Papa."
Me & Thee plays music with a Celtic folk vibe. Emeigh said the performance is about more than just playing music.
"Well, you know, that's kinda what it is! I feel like it's an honor, like I'm doing this not just to enjoy playing music, but I feel like in a strange way I'm honoring the people that were here."
Emeigh drew a comparison between Butte's underground mine and one of rock and roll's most famous venues.
"Liverpool had the Beatles and the Cavern Club, and here in Butte, we've got an actual cavern. We got a real cavern, an underground mine!"
Tickets cost $50 per person. More information on performances is available on MTN's website.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
