A new band made up of local college students is bringing full-band live music back to college house parties in Eau Claire.
The six-member group, Clearwater, debuted Sept. 12 on a makeshift stage built from pallets, drawing about 50 students. Since then the cover band has played three more gigs at college houses around town, with crowds growing and clips spreading on social media.
Singer Milana Shira, a marketing student at UW-Eau Claire, and guitarist Nathan Williams, who studies marketing and music, formed the band by reaching out to friends and musicians they had played with before. Drummer Henry Troller studies networking at Chippewa Valley Technical College and has been playing since he was three.
The band plays covers ranging from indie and pop to rock, building each setlist from members' favorites and audience tastes. Songs mentioned in coverage include Amy Winehouse's "Valerie" and The Killers' "Mr. Brightside."
Members say other students and bars elsewhere in Wisconsin have already asked the band to play, and Clearwater reports close to 2,000 Instagram followers and 53,000 views on a recent TikTok video.
