Christmas is coming early for The Nadas. On Friday, the band holds its annual Nada Silent Night holiday concert.
Before that, the Nadas will write and record the final song for its year-long "Almanac" project, where one song is written and recorded each month for a 12-song album. Due to deadlines for getting the album ready for a March release, The Nadas need to have the song finished before Friday night's show. When asked if the band might continue this experiment into 2010, co-vocalist/guitarist Jason Walsmith didn't hesitate to answer:
"Hell no, I can't wait to do a regular album again."
The 'Almanac' process
When working on past albums, the band worked on 10 or more songs at a time. So if they hit an obstacle with one song, they could just set it aside while focusing on another. With "Almanac," it was one song at a time. So if there was a problem, or if band members butted heads on the song, they had to play through the issue and resolve the problem.
But the process also had some positive effects. Co-vocalist/guitarist Mike Butterworth said recording "Almanac" has increased his appreciation of the music.
"Generally, when you're recording everything at once, it's so intense that I'll listen to the album once and don't listen again for a couple years," Butterworth said. "I listened to all the songs the other day and was surprised how much I still liked them."
The final song will be released to subscribers on Dec. 31 ($20 gets you access to the Almanac blog at thenadas.com with MP3s and a physical copy of the CD when it comes out). Starting Jan. 1, the album will stream for free on The Nadas site until its release.
Silent Night
Knowing that "Almanac" would be tying up the band's time, The Nadas decided to scale back this year's Nada Silent Night. There is only one opening act (Mr. Baber's Neighbors), with an after-party at the Vaudeville Mews with Bonne Finken. The evening is a benefit for Toys for Tots, and fans are encouraged to bring a gift to donate.
The concert's theme is "Home for the Holidays," and the band will perform a mix of holiday classics, Nadas songs and the group's original Christmas song, "Here Comes Christmas."
The Nadas stream many of the band's shows free online. This year, Nada Silent Night will be streamed for the first time, fitting the "Home For Christmas" theme, so fans outside Iowa can see the show. The group has built up a community of fans who have moved around the country who gather to watch and live chat about shows.
Local fans can watch online too, but Walsmith would rather they see the show live.
"We don't want to discourage people in town from bringing a toy down to help some kids," Walsmith said.
