Eleven years of playing music have not slowed The Nadas down at all, and they proved it again Saturday night.

The Ames natives returned to People’s Bar and Grill, 2428 Lincoln Way, to play a show for a crowd filled with first-time listeners and longtime fans.

“Some of our friends are here tonight,” said guitarist/vocalist Jason Walsmith

“There are people here that we went to school with 10 years ago.”

Guitarist/vocalist Mike Butterworth worked at People’s when the band was first starting out.

He said he’s glad to be back in Ames.

“This is my home,” Butterworth said. “We consider this our home bar.”

Cedar Rapids-based Towncrier opened the show, full of energy, to a very enthusiastic crowd.

Vocalist/guitarist Jerry Lorenson talked to the crowd between songs, even asking if it wanted to hear “a rocking song or an awesome, different, other song.”

Towncrier was joined on stage at the end of its set by Butterworth to sing its final song, which elicited some loud cheers from the audience.

Although the crowd enjoyed Towncrier, it was obvious it had come to see The Nadas.

The Nadas, who opened with their hit song “Beautiful Girl,” played with the same energy that has brought fans back to see them time and time again, and the crowd responded by dancing and swarming in front of the stage.

They played songs from their previous albums, but also played some new material,

There was also a jam session that at one point was only bass guitar and drums.

They were also joined on stage throughout the show by:

* Lorenson bearing shots of alcohol,

* a fan singing various rap covers and

* a pool cue that was requested by Butterworth.

Butterworth told the crowd the band would play until the bar closed if it wanted them to, which was greeted by shouts of approval.

“Usually we play for 75 minutes, but lately we’ve been playing two-and-a-half hour rock sagas,” Butterworth said.

Walsmith said The Nadas, who recently released a live DVD that was shot at People’s, will be heading to Texas in about a week to start recording a new album.

Bassist Jon Locker said the new album will be taking a step away from the band’s earlier, folkish sound.

The new album will have more of a rock feel than its predecessors, he said.

“Our last album, ‘Transceiver,’ was kind of a transition album,” Locker said. “The new album is going to be more like our live sound.”

Butterworth said the new album, which will be released on the Nadas’ own Authentic Records label, will be different on a production level because the band will be trying to gain exposure on a larger scale.

He said the band will be making more of an effort to reach national media than it has in the past.

“We’re going to release it smarter than the other records,” Butterworth said.

Drummer Justin Klein said he doesn’t care if the band ever breaks into the mainstream, but he hopes its albums will have staying power.

“I’d like to make a record that, 10 years from now, people still listen to,” Klein said.

Along with working on their own music, The Nadas have also been busy promoting Towncrier, whose debut album “Without a Trace” was produced by Butterworth and released on Authentic Records.

Towncrier bassist Matt Hinz said having The Nadas as a guide has helped his band quite a bit because of the musical experience they have.

“It’s nice to have someone to help us who has done it before, because they know what works and what doesn’t,” he said.