Teen Band, Nick And The Groove, Becomes Overnight Viral Sensation With Cover Of ‘Barracuda’
Nick and the Groove is a new band that has come out of The School of Rock – Clear Lake, and taken the internet by storm. The band formed only three months ago, and with only two gigs under their belt, they already have labels knocking at the door and the internet passing around their catalog of videos as if they were candy at Halloween.
The most popular of their covers so far is the Heart classic, “Barracuda,” according to KLUV. Most estimates have their video catalog already topping 10 million total views across platforms, but it’s tough to keep up with the numbers exploding over the past three days in particular.
Nick and the Groove features Nicholas Connors on lead vocals, 18-year-old Erich Niekam on guitar, 18-year-old Caeden Breneman on drums, 16-year-old Raine McClaine on keys and vocals, and 15-year-old Emily Klang on bass guitars and vocals. Their Facebook page, which only popped up at the end of June, is approaching 50,000 likes, and already has over 51,000 followers. It’s no doubt this massive social media exposure has helped land the band some work, with their next show scheduled for August 31 at Capone’s Oven and Bar in Houston, Texas.
While “Barracuda” is the song that has snagged so much attention, these young men and ladies have serious chops taking on a laundry list of classics from multiple genres and eras and absolutely slaying them. Nick brings it on Led Zepplin’s “Immigrant Song,” making everyone believe he has the hammer of the gods, and then jumps right into doing a spot on version of “Rehab” by Amy Winehouse. The band also covers Dolly Parton, Tina Turner, Prince, and of course and obligatory cover of “Don’t Stop Believin” by Journey.
Nick and the groove from Cear Lake High https://t.co/3Z3Vi1Qhjx
— vick (@texasdoll62) August 30, 2018
While Nicholas Connors has an amazing voice, there isn’t a weak link in the band as is often the case with groups that get together with members in their teens. Everyone backing him is tight. They stick to the original versions of the songs they play extremely closely, but there are still some moments where you can pick up a little raw individuality shining through.
Reviews for the band and comments left on their videos have been overwhelmingly positive and encouraging. Even Reddit loves these youngsters, placing them on the front page with an outpouring of social media love, and it takes some serious chops to win that crowd over. They even attracted seasoned musicians who came in and gave positive feedback about stage presence and things of that nature. The band hasn’t talked about any long term plans, but with the buzz around them right now, it seems like if they want to make some, they have the opportunity.
