MOG

Looking back I can't believe I've been a part of MOG for almost a year and I've Never Ever written about my guiltiest pleasure...The Nadas.

Hailing from Des Moines, Iowa the Nadas are a band that have been together for almost 15 years. The lineup has slightly changed over those years but it's two key members both songwriters who share vocal and guitar duties, Jason Walsmith and Mike Butterworth have always been there. Mike a little more Rock 'n Roll and Jason adding an alt-country tinge.

I suppose I may not have mentioned them because as I've stated they are my guilty pleasure. By simply listening to them, it may not make sense other than the fact that they are very accessible almost the point of being your cliche Folk-Rock band. But through their years they've been consistently known as a "college rock" band, playing in smaller music venues across the country and their popularity almost solely due to word of mouth. Many of their fans being frat boys and sorority girls, the kind of people most hipsters steer clear of.

I'm writing about them today because last night I saw them put on another fantastic show down at the FineLine here in town supporting their brand new album "Ghosts Inside These Halls", their 6th studio album. The band has a great stage presence, full of energy and most importantly actually enjoying what they do. They're the kind of guys who you to sit down and have a beer with, very down to earth and it comes through in their music. I've actually been lucky enough to interview them, sit in on in-studio record, and hang out with them on occasion, so I can attest that their down to earth-ness is genuine and not just an act. I've seen them so many times live I've lost count and never seen a bad show. Most importantly each of their shows remind me a little piece of Iowa regardless of where it is. It seems as though in every city that they play any person who resided in Iowa during their college years in that area come out of the woodwork and make up the majority of the crowd. It doesn't matter whether the show be here in nearby Minneapolis or all the way down in Phoenix.