Cafe Berlin, the restaurant-by-day, concert-venue-by-night, welcomed Bad Bad Hats on Friday, Sept. 14.
Before Bad Bad Hats took the stage, a local Columbian band called The Adaptation started the show. Singer Kyren Penrose walked on with just his guitar, beginning with a somber piece and joined on stage by the other band members as the song intensity amplified. Their style consisted of a variation of rock sounds, blending grunge and folk into many of their songs. I was reminded of the experimental rock band The Flaming Lips as they played and wouldn’t be surprised if some of their inspiration comes from them or similar 90s bands.
I was sitting down for The Adaptation’s set but found myself directly in front of the stage for the next band, Cumulus, standing close enough to make eye contact with the band members. Unlike The Adaptation, Cumulus is the main opening act for Bad Bad Hats’ tour and is led by singer Alex Niedzialkowski. Niedzialkowski urged the audience to get closer to the stage, dance if they want to, and even sing the chorus to her songs. Before they played their song “Retreat,” Niedzialkowski gave an encouraging speech about the track’s consent meaning and how you shouldn’t be afraid to talk about what you want and don’t want.
Bad Bad Hats broke into song almost immediately after setting up, opening with “Makes Me Nervous,” the first song on their new sophomore album “Lightning Round.” I was pleasantly surprised to find that while their recorded songs gave me a more pop than rock vibe, their live performance lived up to their indie rock title. The voice of the front woman and lyricist, Kerry Alexander, sounded as upbeat and sincere as it does on the albums, but the band’s enthusiasm and tenacious instrumentals during the show increased their rock-esque attributes.
Alexander’s effortlessly cool attitude was apparent from the second she stepped out on stage in her Hawaiian button-up, but what I didn’t expect, and I’m sure others didn’t as well, was how funny she would be. Filled with corny jokes and stories about a cell phone-inspired song, her drugless life and a strenuous hike up a mountain with a friend who thought she left her phone on it, Alexander kept the audience attentive and laughing the entire time.
Arguably her best line in any of her joke-filled speeches was, “When we’re not here we Mizzou,” which earned a lot of laughs and an amused chuckle from myself.
For their song “Shame,” all of the band members put on sunglasses, embracing their rock-star personas for a bit. Full of guitar riffs and silly dance moves, Bad Bad Hats seemed to have the most fun playing this song. This is one of my favorite songs by them, so I shared the same potent energy, singing along to the repetitive, love-driven lyrics.
The group also played a fair mix of their slower intimate songs like “1-800,” “Things We Never Say” and “Absolute Worst,” but that never stopped anyone from singing or swaying along to the soft melodies.
After the band announced they were playing their last song, they ended up actually playing two more, ending with one of their more popular songs, “Super America,” from their EP “It Hurts.” Alexander gave one last speech before the song, explaining how it relates to the gas station SuperAmerica. Looking deeper into some of the lyrics, though, you’ll find that it’s also about a complicated relationship, filled with the possibility of unrequited love, a common theme throughout their albums and EP.
I find that I’m the most content when I’m at a concert, grooving along with my friends or the rest of the audience. With Bad Bad Hats, their obvious joy flowed throughout Cafe Berlin, creating a sense of positive energy that only concerts can generate. Even Cumulus at one point came out and started happily dancing along to their songs, prompting the surrounding people to join her. Many people left the concert with a newfound admiration for Bad Bad Hats, some even buying their merch on the way out.
_Edited by Siena DeBolt | sdebolt@themaneater.com_
