đź“Ť3Ten, February 28, 2026
Written by Krysta Ayers
Bad Bad Hats have a song from 2015 called “Midway” that was an instant replay for me with its shimmery, playful beat and yearning lyrics sung by Kerry Alexander: “But god I could have kissed you / Midway between the end and the start / I cried like a baby and I tore you apart.” Before listening to more or digging into the band deeper, that song is the sole reason I knew I had to see the Minnesota-based trio live.
The band is celebrating and touring their first project, Psychic Reader, released in 2015. Aside from this milestone tour, the 10-year anniversary has also produced a version of the album (Psychic Readings) that features various indie bands and artists covering each song with their own flair (Hippo Campus gives an enigmatic, early aughts go at “Midway” for the opener).
On Saturday, the trio brought back that catalog of songs to rehash them with new perspective at 3Ten, one of my favorite indoor venues in downtown Austin.
The stage setup was void of background screens and unpredictable light shows—in front of black curtains, Kerry Alexander stood with Chris Hoge on guitar, Nate LeBrun on drums, and Colby Hansen on bass. Alexander bantered with the crowd, mentioning things like when she wrote “Things We Never Say,” she was studying abroad in Paris (it’s a rule that when you do a study abroad, you have to mention it), eating sandwiches, and thinking of love songs.
“Joseph,” “Spin,” and “Psychic Reader” were also played, Alexander’s saccharine vocals, now 10 years older and wiser, complementing each track with renewed appreciation and foresight. She recalls a quieter, more introspective (music- and personality-wise) Amelia Meath, of Sylvan Esso. Having started the band with Chris Hoge in college, the duo, along with their touring band, are living up to a potential many must have witnessed at college shows and early, skeptical venues.
Tight with their instruments and basking in a self-assuredness that lacks any ego, the band is one to see. They bring a straight-forward, love-of-the-craft, good-ear talent to the stage that is reminiscent of early-aughts bands that used to get airtime on teen dramas from the CW (looking at you, the Walkman and Rachel Yamagata).
In so many words, they might not have been the lively, upbeat pop star dominating TikTok, but they were (and are) undoubtedly the talented band you hope to run into on a Saturday night for future bragging rights amongst your friend group.