Starting from humble beginnings, the five-piece band The Nadas set out to create a college band and were even awarded the title “The best college band you’ve never heard of” by Playboy Magazine in 2001.

Since 2001, they have moved past the college band title, and Jason Walsmith, lead vocals and guitar, said they have made the “long, slow and steady gradual transition” to a full-time band.

“We’re definitely settled in now and are a career band,” said Mike Buttersworth, who does vocals and guitar. “This is who we are and will be for all of eternity.”

The Nadas are scheduled to return to Ames in the Maintenance Shop at 8 p.m. Thursday.

After playing around the Des Moines area for more than 15 years The Nadas said they are able to draw in a wide variety of crowds to all of their shows.

“We have a lot of different markets,” Walsmith said. “It sort of depends on the town, sometimes people are really into the live music scene, other times they’re not.”

Another way The Nadas have been able to continually draw in new crowds is through their different style of creating albums. The band recently released it’s seventh LP, “Almanac.”

“We recorded and released a song every month in the year of 2009 and the album is what was compiled at the end of the year,” Walsmith said.

The concept of the album also ended up changing the sound of the album.

“It was a different recording experience for us and the album is a little different as well just from that experience,” Buttersworth said.

Thursday’s M-Shop performance may be one of the last with The Nadas’ symbol the “Templeton Rye” tour bus.

After the band wrote a song that mentions the locally-made whiskey, Templeton decided to sponsor The Nadas. But the now the band has decided to change the logo on the bus to support World Bicycle Relief.

“This organization sends bikes to third-world countries so that people like doctors, teachers and students can have transportation to school and work, which is much quicker,” Walsmith said. “A walk would usually take about four hours, with these bikes it can take only one, so that the doctor can get more work done and see that many more patients a day.”

The Nadas

Where: Maintenance Shop, Memorial Union

When: 8 p.m. Thursday.

Doors open at 7:30 p.m.

Cost: $10 for students