LISTENING IN. This October, one East Hill home in Eau Claire will be host to a collection of house shows. On Oct. 23, Simon Cropp and Ross Thorn will pass through town, followed by Pieta Brown and Liz Draper on Oct. 28. These living room listening sessions, as seen above, have become a means for neighbors to connect with one another and become fans of new music genres.

“Eau Claire needs spaces like these,” Volume One shared back in 2014, on the value of the ebbing and flowing house show scene in the Chippewa Valley.

Over a decade later — with the continuous cycle of new audiences and musicians — the “out-of-season Christmas lights” still adorn the stages of area basements, living rooms, and third spaces where listeners have the chance to witness new sounds in safe, all-ages environments.

This October, one East Hill home in Eau Claire will be host to not one, but two near-consecutive house shows. On Thursday, Oct. 23, Simon Cropp and Ross Thorn will pass through town presented by local  Farewell Transmission Radio, followed by Pieta Brown and Liz Draper on Oct. 28.

“The music has taken me to other continents by now — and yes some really big venues and gatherings,” Brown said, when asked what drew her to participate in a house show during her ongoing Upper Midwest tour. “But something different can happen in the small spaces. The music itself has more room somehow.”

Listeners can look forward to contemporary Americana “hymns,” from both Simon and Thorn, or experimental folk tunes from Brown and Draper — or both if you are ready to dive all in.

something different can happen in the small spaces. The music itself has more room somehow.

pieta brown

singer, songwriter on the value of house shows

These won't be local Luong Huynh's first house shows; he has previously hosted intimate performances in this very home.

“We're hosting mostly listening-style shows and so, folks are there to enjoy each other's company — but also very much there to listen to the music.”

This time around, Huynh's intentions remain the same: Offer a platform for neighbors and friends to experience new creatives and artists they otherwise would not have the chance to. Plus, the chance to give back to one another through community-driven potlucks.

“I get to meet neighbors that are from my specific neighborhood or (the) community at large that I didn't know — even though they only live five houses down from me, or just a couple of blocks (away),” Huynh said. “For us it very much is a community building exercise.”

Pieta Brown and Liz Draper, pictured above, will perform side-by-side on Oct. 28 in Eau Claire. (Image via Eventbrite)

As they move through their very first house show tour, Brown has intentionally thought on which songs might resonate best in more intimate settings.

“I think with the intimate shows there really is a chance for a kind of collective musical experience — songs for me are like the ultimate currency,” she added.

It’s in these personal spaces, Pieta reaches for moments in a song that envelops the listener and offers a sense of healing, shelter — and most importantly — enjoyment.

Perhaps she is not alone in this sentiment, as we each continue to find genuine connections in a region where the arts continue to be celebrated, in spaces of all shapes and sizes.

Visit the respective webpages for two of Eau Claire’s upcoming house shows — Simon Cropp and Ross Thorn ($10-20) on Oct. 23 or Pieta Brown and Liz Draper ($35) on Oct. 28 — to learn more about each artist and event details.