For Jason Walsmith, his first trip to Beijing was a refreshing people-to-people moment celebrating the U.S. Independence Day with an Iowa State Fair vibe at the U.S. Embassy, where solo renditions of songs from the Iowa-based band the Nadas were in the air. 

“I felt really good with the climate and the positivity,” said Walsmith, who played the solo gig after an earlier plan to bring the whole band ran into financing issues. “I felt really good about being a musician. That’s one thing I can do that is cool and has nothing to do with the other stuff.” 

He referred to the trade war between his homeland, the United States, and China, where the U.S. Embassy drew 1,500 to its annual summertime festival for the Chinese on what amounts to a patch of U.S. soil in the heart of the Chinese capital. 

Walsmith had pitched the idea of a Nadas appearance, and the talk went on long enough that he doesn’t remember how the eventual invitation went down. He had to raise travel money for himself and his wife, Emma, who is co-founder and CEO of Tikly, the ticket distributor for events and concerts. As of press time, Walsmith hadn’t been paid for the appearance, either, though he recalls some talk of a stipend. 

Mainly, he just soaked in the moment, playing guitar and singing as guests arrived for an outing that featured Iowa fair-style food — popcorn, roasted pig, etc. — and red, white and blue everything. Other entertainment included a band featuring members of the U.S. armed forces. U.S. Ambassador Terry Branstad and his wife, Chris, were there. So were dignitaries from a number of countries and many Chinese business representatives.

“I was so fortunate to be there,” Walsmith said. “People who I assumed would just keep walking really did stop, even though many probably didn’t understand what I was singing” in English, not the local Mandarin. “I took CDs, and they were gone in 10 minutes.”

The Walsmiths traveled from June 28 through July 2. “We [the Nadas] had a gig in Iowa on July 4,” Walsmith noted. They did manage to see the Great Wall during their Thursday to Monday trip. 

It wasn’t the Nadas’ first international experience. They stage a cruise every year, and the 2019 version is making stops in Key West, Fla., and Havana, Cuba (https://bit.ly/2uOD64M). They have played in Mexico and in Calgary, Canada. 

Walsmith enjoyed his brief second trip to China (he had visited Shanghai before). He hopes to return to the embassy event, with the whole band. 

For now he leaves us with this overall impression of China: “It’s amazing.”