Bloom Coffee Co. Atlanta, Georgia

20/08/25. Tom Hollister

There’s a particular kind of satisfaction that only comes from nursing a coffee the morning after a show that nearly didn’t happen. I'm sitting in little café just off Peachtree Street, the kind with uneven floorboards and indie playlists that feel a bit too curated. My Americano’s cooling next to me, and outside, Atlanta is finally drying off.

Yesterday, we rolled into the city under a sky doing its best heavy metal impression - all thunder and drama, like the heavens had decided to put on a light show before our own. Fighting through the storm, we pulled up late to Center Stage. Soaked and squinting through fogged-up windows, we unloaded our gear through a propped-open fire door to a rush of activity attempting to make up for lost time. If there’s anything more rock 'n’ roll than carrying amps through a Georgia monsoon, I haven’t found it. And yet, what a night.

The room was alive. You always wonder how people will respond, especially when nature itself seems to be saying, ‘Maybe just stay home tonight?’, but…  Atlanta showed up!

There was something in the crowd, maybe that Southern grit, or just a gratefulness to be out of the rain, but the charge in the air definitely helped turn the gig into something electric. I could feel it from the first note. You sing into a room like that and it just gives back. People weren’t just listening passively, they were part of the show. But it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Georgia has music in its bones. You can feel it. Historically, this place has been a crossroads for genres; from blues and gospel, to hip hop and rock. And not in a museum-piece kind of way like other US cities, here it’s still evolving. Still restless. Ray Charles was born here. James Brown recorded here. Dungeon Family carved out entire musical landscapes from basements in the ‘90s under these skies.

I don’t know if it’s the caffeine talking or the leftover adrenaline from last night, but I’m feeling wildly grateful this morning. Touring can be a grind; airports, soundchecks, no sleep. But then you get nights like Center Stage, cities like Atlanta, and it all makes sense again.

I’m not religious, but last night felt spiritual, and in the words of the woman in the front row, ‘Jesus, take the wheel!’. Atlanta. Don’t change. (Except maybe your weather. That was a bit much.)

Where - Bloom Coffee Co. Peachtree Rd, Atlanta.

Coffee - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Vibe - ⭐️⭐️⭐️