The Nadas to return for an intimate and storied performance at the M-Shop

The Nadas were originally formed in Ames and were the house band of People’s bar for a summer. They were named “the best college band you’ve never heard of” by Playboy in 2001. An acoustic band, they were viewed as Indie in the 90s because of the popularity of grunge. They have also played South by Southwest every year since 2006 and opened for Bon Jovi at Wells Fargo Arena.

Trevor Babcock
February 5, 2020

The Nadas are coming back to where it all began.

One of Iowa’s most iconic bands, The Nadas, are stripping down to their founding duo for an intimate Friday evening performance at the M-Shop. The performance will be seated to provide a “storytelling and listening room experience,” as stated on The Nadas’ Facebook page.

In 1993, Mike Butterworth and Jason Walsmith formed The Nadas in Ames. Through playing local music venues, coffee shops and house parties in Ames, The Nadas eventually worked their way into becoming a staple of Iowa music, selling more than 200,000 albums and making their way into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. The Nadas have played alongside famous musical acts such as The Beach Boys, Bon Jovi, America, The Guess Who, REO Speedwagon, Simon Estes and Huey Lewis.

Butterworth and Walsmith are both singers and guitarists for The Nadas, respectively, and will make up the duo performing their return set at the M-Shop.

The Nadas’ website bio reads, “Yes, they have been around long enough that if they were a car, you would keep them covered in your garage except for sunny weekend cruising.”

They tout their style as a mix of folk, rock, alternative and indie, offering a catchy and crowd-pleasing experience.

The Nadas are well-known for their work ethic and relentless touring schedule. The band logged 275 live shows in the year 1999 and continued to play over 200 shows a year into the mid-2000s. The band shows no signs of breaking up, continuing to play over 50 to 60 live shows a year. The Nadas’ inductee page on the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website reads, “Through their numerous years of touring, they have been through nine vans, 5 RVs and one bus that once belonged to the artist Meatloaf.”

The Nadas started their own record label, Authentic Records: the label responsible for selling 200,000 copies of their albums.

Throughout their career, The Nadas have released 11 studio albums, with their most recent album “One Louder” being released at the beginning of 2018.

Opening for The Nadas is singer/guitarist Butterworth’s own daughter, Emma Butterworth.

This Friday’s show starts at 8 p.m. and doors open at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15 for ISU students or $20 to the public and can be purchased at the M-Shop box office or online via midwestix.com.