1 of Bad Bad Hats’ performances has been reviewed on Tourch.
What They’re Saying About Bad Bad Hats…
“They carried themselves in a way that impressed me, as they were more seasoned than I thought they’d be.”
“…they very casually had a fan come up and play ‘Super Bloomer’ with them.”
“…the drummer really pumps confidence into them. Pumps confidence into their sound.”
From the submission: Show Thoughts: Bad Bad Hats at Union Stage in Washington, D.C. on February 3rd, 2026 With Smut
I saw Bad Bad Hats at Union Stage in Washington, D.C. last Tuesday, and it was a really good show. They were really strong in their performance, solid, confident, and quality overall. It depends on what you’re looking for, because they’re not some awe-inspiring musical performance (but they absolutely have instrumental talent), they’re not very loud, they’re not gonna pump energy into you in most of their songs, and they’re not gonna leave you saying, “Man, they were hard to look away from…” but they’re really pleasant, easy on the eyes (and ears), and their songs speak for themselves. There were few songs that I did not enjoy from start to finish, few that made me feel like I was just waiting for the end, and to me, that’s a sign of really strong songwriting and quality sound.
Fan Context
Believe it or not the first song I ever heard by Bad Bad Hats was “Super America,” years ago, in a Starbucks. God, I don’t know why I remember where I was when I heard my first Bad Bad Hats song. I hope the band for some reason reads this and gets a kick out of that. Anyways, I really liked the song and saved it, but didn’t listen to them more after that. Years later, a friend sent me “Midway,” which of course I loved, and then this year, the same friend sent me “Nothing Gets Me High,” which I really liked also. Outside of those three songs though, I knew very little of the band. Three songs. That’s it. I will say, for some reason though, that I did feel like I knew the band better going into the show. Maybe that’s because I just felt like their sound feels so consistent, and perhaps I felt that I knew what to expect without knowing many of their songs? They just seemed like a band that’s easy to know. Maybe it’s because I had listened to Nothing Gets Me High so much this year that I felt like they were in my regular rotation, but really I was just listening to one song and the band itself was not in my rotation. So, I had an interesting relationship with the band going into the show, but the most accurate way to say it is that I knew very little of Bad Bad Hats before seeing them live.
The Show
BBH came on at 9:00 after the opener, Smut, came off at 8:38 (more on them later). A short 20-minute wait between sets, which you can sign me up for, especially on a week night. I love a reasonable wait time, as does everyone. And it seems like 20 minutes is the fastest you’re gonna get at any given show, so that’s pretty damn good. Also, I saw the band members of BBH come out to set up on stage. They were getting all their instruments out there, hooking up wires, testing sound, etc. I thought it was funny that the band was up there doing this and seemingly no one noticed. You know, usually when a band first reveals itself at a show, it’s met with much cheer and applause. When they come out on stage to set up before they play, you’re thought is more so “Is that the band? I think that’s the band.” Maybe people did notice it was them, but just didn’t feel the need to cheer, or maybe I missed some applause. But it’s a telling thing to notice about a band, because I would think that it means they can’t afford a stage hand or a tech. Or maybe it means they just prefer doing it themselves. I’m not sure, but in my experience, the only other time I’ve seen this happen is with Real Estate, and they even made a mention of not being able to afford a tech during their show, so that’s what I’m basing this thought on.
Anyways, they opened with “My Heart Your Heart,” and it was fine. I remember feeling like this show might not be that great during this song, which of course was wrong, I think I just had a little worry because I immediately was reminded of how little I knew of the band and thought that maybe I wouldn’t like what I hadn’t heard yet. But that was an overreaction. It just didn’t grab me much, and, important to note, the lead singer’s vocals were a little light in this song. Especially in the beginning of it, I’m almost certain they turned her up toward the end of the song. But I did write that it was a “catchy tune”, and listening back, it is. I remember latching onto the way the lead singer, Kerry Alexander, played guitar in the song, quickly dragging her fingers up and down the few same frets during the chorus for that riff that really pulls the sound.
They played “Let me In” next, and I thought it was a fun one. I enjoyed it, and felt more confidence out of Kerry in it. Not that she lacked confidence in the first song, but I think this song just allowed for it to show more and there was no vocal sound issue. I also noted that they have some good chemistry with backing vocals from the lead guitarist and bassist. Very light, but they added a nice tone to Kerry’s voice.
“Nothing Gets me High” was next, which was great to hear live. I will say, it was softer live. Lighter. The guitar is sharper and more jagged in the studio version. It was a more mellow version of the song in my opinion. I still liked it, but I think it would be cool if they tried making it a little more harsh.
Kerry addressed the crowd after this, saying “It us! Bad Bad Hats.” And she mentioned that they were from Minneapolis, which made me realize that they aren’t from Australia. Yes, for some reason, I thought they were from Australia. I could have sworn I read somewhere that they were Australian, but I must have gotten them mixed up with another band, and then I just stuck with it without checking because sometimes I choose to be a fool, I guess. Also, Kerry’s voice does sound like she could be Australian in a lot of songs, in my defense. Anyways, it was a funny realization because I had said in a group chat of friends the night before that BBH were an “Australian band,” with great confidence when inviting them to come to the show with me, and one of the friends in the chat was there and we both laughed at my misunderstanding for a moment.
Anyways, she also mentioned that they were thinking of their “immigrant friends” in Minneapolis, of course referring to the ICE situation there. And then she talked about how this was their 10-year anniversary tour of “Psychic Reader” and joked, “…which is crazy, cause we’re only 17.” Then she explained that they were going to play the whole album, which my friend and I were wondering about before the show. I’ve been to a couple shows now that are “album anniversaries,” and it always seems that bands elect to play a handful of other songs first, then get into the full album run. Kerry talked about this, saying something like, “When you have a full album to play, it’s hard to know where to start. Do you start in the middle? In the end? Somewhere between… the end and the start?” Of course, she was playing into the lyrics of Midway, which the crowd got a rouse out of, and they then broke into that very song. Take a bow for that intro, haha.
Midway, in comparison to Nothing Gets Me High, was played to a T. It sounded almost exactly the same as the studio version. Really well done.
Kerry put sunglasses on before the start of the next song, then they bursted into “Shame,” which brought a much harder sound, led by a bangy guitar riff that got the crowd going a little bit. Fun song! The “I don’t want to be afraid of you” lead into the chorus with a low, danger-evoking bass sound really stood out, showed a bit more of their rock side, which was great. They all flexed at the end, which was funny. And then Kerry took her sunglasses off and joked, “Hey guys, it’s me.” Also, listening back, does this song sound a little bit like the Silversun Pickups? Anybody? Anybody?
After Shame, Kerry said something like, “That’s one-fifth of the album… one out of five – women in STEM,” which was a funny joke. She was like this all night, cracking jokes. She had a really loose attitude, and not in an annoyingly over the top sarcastic way either, she was just dry in her humor but in a way that wasn’t’ contempt of the audience, it seemed that she was just being funny to be funny. That’s how I received it atleast, if you were or have seen BBH before, let me know what you think of Kerry’s humor. I don’t think it feels like a schtick, I think it just feels like her riffing. I assume she’s like this at most shows of theirs.
Anyways, Kerry then mentioned that there’s a lot of pressure on track one and two, and that a friend of the band actually thinks track three of Psychic Reader is the best on the album. And she said something like “This one goes out to all the Josephs,” and they played the song, “Joseph.”
And it was really good. I agreed that it might be the best song on the album. I remember thinking it was the best/my favorite of the set so far. It went over very well.
“Psychic Reader” was next, and I thought it was very catchy in the “I was in the room” lyric, with a nice build into the chorus. I noted here that that is clearly one of their strengths: structuring a chorus so that it catches the listener’s ear really easily. They make really strong, simple melodies and build a song up really well.
“Fight Song” was next. There was a great guitar solo in it, the lead guitarist was great throughout the set, very smooth and pure. Not too flashy, but very sharp. He clearly has a quiet style about him in his presence and playing, but plays a lick beautifully. The vocals from the guitarist and bassist in the “fight, fight” part were a bit louder live than the studio version after listening to it. I enjoyed that, and it was cool to hear some intertwinning vocals singing different lyrics, you don’t always get that. It’s cool to see and hear live.
Kerry went on perhaps her longest monologue of the night next, leading into “Things we Never Say.” She talked about how this song was written when she studied abroad in Paris, and made some funny quips about the setting in which she wrote the song on the way to saying, “I brought my guitar, kazoo, and a dream [to Paris].” I loved that. And the song, goodness. It was lovely. Really really sweet live. Her voice really shined here, as it was just her singing and playing electric guitar (which I thought sounded better than the acoustic guitar in the studio version), and the lyrics to that song, hearing it for the first time, are special. Really great songwriting.
I didn’t make any notes on “Cruella,” but I remember enjoying it and listening back, I like the song. I just didn’t have much to say about it at the time.
They transitioned quickly into “Say Nothing,” without pausing their playing if I remember correctly. This song had a good rhythm to catch on to, a bumpy riff and bass line, a faster song for sure.
Kerry went on another funny monologue before “All Nighter,” saying that the song was about sleeping with your phone under your pillow in case the love of your life texts you and decides that you are also the love of their life, which is oh so relatable for many people. It’s funny, I thought, “Now I just sleep with my phone because I’m addicted to it.” Lord help me stay away from my screen before going to sleep.
All Nighter was great, really catchy again and easy to listen to.
Kerry introduced the band after this, and when introducing herself, she made her funniest joke of the night (in my opinion), saying “And I’m Kerry! Spelled with a K like Kerrygold, for all you butter heads out there.” It was such a stupid joke, but it made me laugh out loud and I laughed about it again while walking in the parking garage. What can I say, it stuck with me.
They closed the album with its last song, “Spin,” and it was excellent. I wrote, “song of the album” at the time. Whether I still think that, I don’t know, because I’ve gone back and listened and like a lot of the album, BUT, live and in the moment, first time listening to the album through, that song took the cake. I remember think how strong of an album Psychic Reader was at this time, and subsequently how strong of a performance BBH put on. Not a bad song on the album, and hardly a song I didn’t enjoy throughout the performance, most notably.
They were a four piece band by the way: Guitar (lead vocals), lead guitar (backing vocals), bass (backing vocals), and drums.
Kerry joked about how Psychic Reader happens to be a pretty short album, and so they were gonna play a couple more songs. Leading into the next song, she mentioned that she likes when songs reference each other, “point to each other,” as she put it. Which I love to! I always find it really interesting and special when a song references lyrics from another song, especially when it’s a band or artist referencing one of their own songs. But it’s also cool when one band references a song from another band. She said that “Take me Home Tonight” (by Eddie Money) is a good example, when the lead singer says “be my little baby” at the end. I honestly don’t understand that reference, I don’t know that one. If you get it, please fill me in! But for me, a good example is in “Trouble” by Cage the Elephant, one of the lyrics is “You know the wicked get no rest…” making a reference to one of their biggest hits, “Ain’t no Rest for the Wicked.”
Kerry jokingly said just before they started playing it that they thought of calling this song “Iris 2.” It must be a new song, because I can’t find it on Spotify. Setlistfm tells me it’s called “Your Iris.” If the Iris reference is pointing to the Goo Goo Dolls song (which I thought it was), I didn’t get it. I was listening to the lyrics for anything similar, and didn’t catch anything. Who knows! If you have an idea of it or know the lyrics, let me know. I remember being pleased by it, it had this nostalgic, new wave-type riff (or at least that’s my impression of new wave, tell me if I’m off there).
“Girl” was next. There was a cool guitar riff in it and I liked the tone of the guitar. Good song.
Kerry gave Smut a shoutout before the next song. Then they played “Walkman,” and before it, Kerry said, “I like to think of this as our country song.” I remember not totally getting that thought, but maybe I’ll take her word for it. I’ll have to listen to it again.
They brought the energy up pretty big with “It Hurts,” next. Kerry and the lead guitarist played kazoos at the end of it. It was a funny moment when the guitarist handed Kerry a kazoo. I got a kick out of it. I think the last time I saw a kazoo at a live show was Lime Cordiale. Anyways, fun, cheery song, good one to end on.
But, of course it wasn’t the end! Kerry had said it was their last song, but after it ended they did not look like they were going anywhere and she said something like, “Alright, I discussed it with the band, we’ll play another,” which was funny. This is actually a moment I love to note about for bands: encores, and whether or not they go off stage and come back. And in this case, BBH were just the second band I’ve ever seen not go off stage and come back out. They just basically said, “Okay no seriously, this is our actual last one.” The only other band I’ve seen not exit the stage and come back out for their encore was Queens of the Stone Age. I really think it’s a good move to just say, “Hey this is our last song and we’re not kidding.” Because I also like to note if a band says something like, “We’ve got ____ more for ya,” then after that amount, they exit the stage, but of course the lights stay off and no one leaves because everyone knows this is just a formality and they’re going to come back out shortly. But when they say that they have “____ more” left, there’s a small part of your mind that believes them and thinks, “Okay this is it,” and then after it you’re a little surprised they didn’t play one of their top songs (that they’re likely going to encore with). At least for me, I sometimes think that. When Queens of the Stone Age stayed on stage, Josh Homme said something like, “Do you mind if we play a couple of extra songs? We’re not gonna do the whole ‘walk off stage and come back’ thing. We need to stop with these bullshit encores, and just play a couple more songs.” That’s not verbatim, and he said it in a light, humorous tone, and I loved it. Anyways, I think it’s nice to just stay on stage and play a few more, but I also respect that the band may want a quick break or something. Let me know if you have an opinion on this.
BBH played “Detroit Basketball” next, and before it, Kerry said, “If something rhymed with Timberwolves, this might be a different song,” which made me laugh as soon as I heard “Pistons” in the lyrics.
They ended at 10:15.
Bad Bad Hats were a really good show. They are a rock solid band with an established, confident sound, and their performance is quite fun and easy to enjoy. I think Kerry is a great front woman with a lovely voice, and the band plays well together, in a way that’s hard to deny that they are a quality performance. I think this is a great tour to catch them on because of the promise of playing all of Psychic Reader too, as it seems to be their best, most popular album, and many of the songs off of it are probably what they’re best at performing. I think that can make for a relaxed band that’s having fun, and that’s pleasing to see. So go check ‘em out! My ticket was only $30. It’s well worth it.
If you were at this show or have seen Bad Bad Hats on this tour or anywhere else, please share your perspective in the comments. Tell me I’m dead wrong, tell me I’m right. Tell me I’m slightly off. Tell me something about Bad Bad Hats (or Smut) and I’ll be happy.