The Cedar Presents
THE NADAS with Emma Butterworth
Saturday, February 28, 2026 / Doors: 7:00 PM / Show: 8:00 PM
All Ages
Seated
$32 Advance, $37 Day of Show, $82.00 VIP
*For Cedar Presented shows, a $4 facility fee is included in the ticket price (Ticket fee info here).
This show has two ticket options: VIP and General Admission, which are priced differently.
VIP Meet and Greet includes: a ticket to the show, early entry (6:00pm), meet and greet, and a few acoustic songs.
This is a seated show with general admission, first-come-first-served seating. The Cedar is happy to reserve seats for patrons who require special seating accommodations. To request access accommodations, please go to our Access page.
For Cedar presented shows, online ticket sales typically end one hour before the door time, and then, based on availability, tickets will be available at the door. Tickets purchased at the door will include a $1 Eventbrite fee.
LISTEN
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Celebrated folk-Americana act The Nadas have amassed a loyal and dedicated following over the past three decades for their engaging live shows and distinctive 70s-meets-90s sound. Blending twangy, Stones-era “country honk” with raw, alt-rock energy and wistful, folk-leaning melodies, their music is as alive as it is authentic. The band brings an intimate duo set to The Cedar, highlighting their exceptional songwriting.
THE NADAS
Celebrated folk-Americana act The Nadas have amassed a loyal and dedicated following over the past three decades for their engaging live shows and distinctive 70s-meets-90s sound. Blending twangy, Stones-era “country honk” with raw, alt-rock energy and wistful, folk-leaning melodies, their music is as alive as it is authentic. Over 30 years of making music together, The Nadas have shared the stage with The Beach Boys, Bon Jovi, Big Head Todd and Barenaked Ladies, been inducted into the Iowa Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, sold over 300,000 albums (even in a time when you can’t buy a CD player), earned praise from a wide range of major publications (including Playboy), and written the theme song for their hometown—twice. They’ve also developed a laid-back, narrative approach to songwriting, drawing inspiration from acts like The Head and the Heart, Avett Brothers, Indigo Girls, and Tom Petty, to explore the everyday joys and heartaches that make up a life.
Old friends and music industry veterans Mike Butterworth and Jason Walsmith founded The Nadas in the early 90s, bonding over a shared mixtape while students at Iowa State University. Initially playing the folk circuit as an acoustic duo, they added drums and bass as the band moved toward a grittier alt-rock sound. By the mid-2000s, their songwriting began to embrace more radio-friendly, pop-leaning territory, laced with anthemic choruses, compelling guitar riffs, and a refreshing sense of humor. With the addition of bassist Brian Duffey, drummer Brandon Stone, and Perry Ross on keys, guitar, and percussion, the Nadas have grown into a lively and idiosyncratic band that emphasizes sound and mood over genre.
After dropping their latest, full-length album Come Along for the Ride, The Nadas continue to explore life’s twists and turns through their unique brand of compulsively listenable Americana. From the album’s driving, Jakob Dylanesque opening track “Other Side of the 45” (a song whose chorus evokes the kind of spontaneous singalongs that only happen on long, open-windowed road trips), to the simple fun of “Smashing the Squiers” (a punchline-turned-anthem about making the most of life as a minor league, working-class rock band), there’s an effortlessness to the songwriting that feels anything but stagnant. These are songs that serve as invitations, asking listeners to start over, push on toward the dream, hop in the car, join the parade, get back on the bandwagon, and move forward into the unknown. Each track expands organically, built around a relatable, narrative backbone and laced with lyrics that conjure nostalgia for the way things are now.
To learn more about THE NADAS:
Emma Butterworth
Emma Butterworth grew up in the lap of rock and roll. At home, three generations of Butterworth living rooms have overflowed with music—from singing, to strumming, to turntables spinning out albums from Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt, Fleetwood Mac, and John Denver. On the road, Butterworth has spent her twenty-one years dancing and singing along from the front row with her dad’s long-time, hard-touring band.
“Music has been a big part of my life forever, and professionally for the past year,” she says.
Her family roots provided Butterworth’s liftoff into a natural progression of folk sounds. Tucking away in her bedroom on a floor usually tatted with lyrics, she dove deep into the stylings of Brandi Carlisle, the Lumineers, Lord Huron, Gregory Alan Isakov, First Aid Kit, and Head and the Heart. While Dad knocked out road miles in bars and festivals around the country, Emma often in tow, the young singer-songwriter developed a powerful voice and a seeking spirit, making sense of a bittersweet world with a notebook and her songwriting.
“Being a musician is being a different kind of storyteller. I personally don’t like being the center of attention, but I’ve grown up with these stories and songs I want to share.”
Listeners will find those scraps of girlhood longing—plus the wry wisdom of a new generation—on Butterworth’s intricate debut album, “Wild Life,” co-produced and recorded by she and her father in a storeroom in the back of the family basement. Here, Butterworth weaves her own way, one breathy alto lyric at a time.
Her pared-back power vocals dominate Enough & Loved and Work in Progress (penned, incredibly, when she was in middle school). They’re stripped and simple, stitched into melancholy strings and lush piano chords. Dad’s influence and pop sensibilities surface in Take a Little Weight, about temporarily buckling under expectations, both spoken and unspoken.
The album vibrates with energy on the verge of, well, everything. It hits close to home whether it’s how you felt last year, or a lifetime ago.
In her own words:
Word after word
Verse after verse
When worse comes to worst
I’m a work in progress
To learn more about THE NADAS: