The Hatters at the Bowery Ballroom

Adam "Tree Adams" Hirsh and Adam Evans

While attending university in 1988 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Adam “Tree Adams” Hirsh (vocals, guitar), Adam Evans (guitar), Billy Jay Stein (keyboards), Jon Kaplan (bass), Tom Kaelin (drums) and Bill Rives (drums) formed a jam band called the Mad Hatters. The band, later renamed the Hatters, grew a following in New York's jam band scene, recorded three albums, and then toured the country as part of the jam band circuit. The band split in 1996.

Thanks to fan encouragement on social media, the Hatters reunited tonight at the Bowery Ballroom to perform live for the first time in 18 years. After the band's demise, all six members remained in the music industry, so the chops remained sharp. Onstage, the Hatters blended energetic funk, bluesy Southern rock and extended Allman Brothers Band–like guitar and keyboard jamming like it was, well, 1996. Hirsh sang well, mostly on the bluesy side, but with a joking smile on "Potato Head Boyfriend." The band maintained a balance of sweet melodies and thick but gentle grooves, one element never getting in the way of the other as they shared the forefront. Interestingly, as the spotlight flowed from guitar solo to keyboard work, a good part of the audience shifted eye focus and kept the hips dancing to the feel-good music. At the end of the two-hour set, the band members soaked in the applause and thanked the fans, but never hinted as to whether or not the Hatters would ever play again.