Bad Bad Hats Live on Valentines Day
Bad Bad Hats have been on tour in ode to ten years of Psychic Reader - their second studio album released in 2015. The tour started January 22nd in Milwaukee WI and hit First Avenue in Minneapolis for a hometown Valentines Day show on February 14th. The perfect celebration of Minnesota’s first false spring weather.
Kicking off the night was Chicago indie-rock band Smut. Smut definitely set the vibes with a mellow rock set, cool lighting, and even cooler stage presence. Their band is truly one of those bands that just looks effortless cool on stage and they were so much fun to watch. Their set was moody and dreamy and the perfect mix of indie and mellow rock sounds. As someone who will also come early to watch the openers - they did not disappoint.
The room had filled out noticeably as people showed up to celebrate ten years of the beloved Psychic Reader album. I remember seeing Bad Bad Hats for the first time in a small theater in St. Cloud, Minnesota in 2017 - just two years after the release of Psychic Reader. Spirits were high as the weather outside let us forget what seasonal depression felt like and acknowledgment that the set ahead was deemed to be a good one. As the band appeared on stage - the crowd erupted in the perfect “welcome home” cheer as Kerry Alexander shared a little about their experience on tour so far and the reactions from other cities when they stated they were from Minneapolis. With the recent events happening in our city within the last month, the sense of love and community in the room was unmatched and noticebly felt by the band as they stated their love for the city and the people in it. I’m constantly enamoured and so proud to be from a city where the music scene continues to show up and support the community.
With a set showcasing Psychic Reader front to back, they kicked off with “My Heart Your Heart”, “Nothing Gets me High”, and “Super America” - features from their 2013 EP It Hurts, their 2018 album Lighting Round, and their 2024 self titled album Bad Bad Hats. Finally kicking off Psychic Reader with “Midway” and “Shame”. I love having Bad Bad Hats as a staple local MN band because they’re consistent yet always exciting to see. With colorful lighting and a set that made me feel 17 again - I can’t imagine a better way to spend Valentines Day in Minneapolis and celebrate such a staple album.
