LIVE REVIEW: BLEACHERS @ COCA-COLA ROXY, ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 5, 2026

It had been over five years since Bleachers last played in Atlanta, so the anticipation inside of the Coca-Cola Roxy for their Bleachers Forever Tour was palpable. What followed was a high-energy night filled with dancing, saxophone solos, and a crowd eager to scream every lyric.

The evening kicked off with This is Lorelei, the solo project from Water From Your Eyes’ Nate Amos. Amos’s indie-pop singer-songwriter sound served as a perfect primer for some of the more emotional tracks yet to be played off of Bleacher’s newest album, everyone for ten minutes. Moving effortlessly between laid-back tracks and bigger, driving builds, his set had the early arriving audience grooving.

When it was time for Bleachers, heavy fog filled the stage as Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” echoed across the room, getting the entire audience to sing enthusiastically along. The band members stepped into view, taking their places across the multi-tiered stage before launching into “sideways.” Frontman Jack Antonoff sang the opening lines shrouded mysteriously at the very top platform. On a particularly dramatic hit in the song, the stage lights flashed bright to give the crowd their first clear look at the band, met by a massive cheer. Antonoff descended to stage level for “the van,” and the room went wild for “Modern Girl,” with fans bouncing in unison, pointing to the sky, and shouting along to every line.

Part of the joy of watching Bleachers live is witnessing their sheer versatility as musicians, with band members seamlessly swapping instruments mid-set, as they shifted from guitars one moment to saxophones the next. Antonoff is a master of crowd command, orchestrating claps and waving throughout the night. During “Jesus is Dead,” he instructed the entire floor to crouch low before launching into a collective jump on the beat drop. The track wrapped with an interpolation of “The Star-Spangled Banner” as a massive, Bleachers logo backdrop dropped behind the stage on the final sting. Every song brought something new and distinct. “Wild Heart” featured Antonoff playing the keys, while “Everybody Lost Somebody” had a dedicated shoutout to anyone holding onto grief. “Goodmorning” slowed things down, built around quiet piano lines before building to dramatic saxophone accents near the end with the crowd singing “woah” along with the track.

The crowd took the lead on the intro to “dirty wedding dress,” singing the opening lines before the full band came in and got hands swaying across the room. The group’s stage presence shone especially bright on “we should talk,” where Antonoff and company moved side-to-side in a tight, synchronized step, a delightfully charming and simple bit of choreography. Leaning into the band’s proud New Jersey roots, Antonoff paused to poll the room: “Who here is from Georgia?,” followed by “Who’s not?” After observing an even split across the audience, he declared, “This song is about New Jersey,” launching into “Chinatown” as the stage was bathed in moody red light.

The set’s momentum continued as Antonoff introduced “Don’t Go Dark” as a song to get the people moving, and the crowd obliged the second the first note hit. The song ended with a dueling saxophone battle between the band’s two players. Next up, “you and forever” began on a slower note, building steadily toward a soaring, full-band crescendo that highlighted just how tight this group is live.

Antonoff then took a moment to acknowledge that the band’s last Georgia appearance was at a festival five years ago, having just arrived from another festival date in Texas. While festivals are fun, he explained, they make you crave a room filled with your own community: the people who truly know and love the music. He was thus very excited to be playing this show. He then reflected on how the single that originally launched the band was built like a Trojan Horse. It was a vulnerable, emotional song wrapped in huge production. For this moment, he stripped it back completely. After playfully hushing the crowd, Antonoff delivered an intimate, acoustic rendition of “I Wanna Get Better,” with just his voice and guitar.

For the rest of the show, it was straight bangers. Antonoff introduced “Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call” as the opposite of what he had just played, making sure to also clarify that it isn’t actually a Christmas song. The floor got moving even more during “How Dare You Want More” as fans chanted the titular line back to the band. Antonoff then instructed the band to hit the signature “Bleachers sound,” a sustained B-flat note. He explained that way back when he heard the note somewhere else, he looked up what it was, put his hand on another note, and knew he had something special. That held note turned into “Rollercoaster,” where Antonoff urged fans to get on each other’s shoulders. The band matched the wild energy, climbing on top of pianos. Antonoff even feigned passing out from exhaustion, dragged around by a crew member, until he snapped back to life for the explosive final chorus.

Antonoff climbed atop his own piano for “Tiny Moves,” asking for hands in the air as mirror balls bathed the room in reflected light. The crowd participation kept rolling as he split the room in two, prompting one side to sing the low harmonies and the other to sing the high notes for “Don’t Take The Money.” The group then burst into the full-band, album version of “I Wanna Get Better,” delighting long-time fans who wanted to hear the anthem in its full glory. They closed the night on a high with “Stop Making This Hurt,” evolving the ending into an extended jam session before the band members filed off stage one by one, clapping in rhythm until the last note faded. For Atlanta fans who had been waiting five long years, it was a perfect blend of new material and classic songs, executed by one of the sharpest live bands in modern rock.

Bleachers Photo Gallery

This Is Lorelei Photo Gallery

Setlist

• sideways
• the van
• Modern Girl
• Jesus Is Dead
• Wild Heart
• Everybody Lost Somebody
• Goodmorning
• dirty wedding dress
• we should talk
• Chinatown
• Don’t Go Dark
• you and forever
• I Wanna Get Better (Acoustic)
• Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call
• How Dare You Want More
• Rollercoaster
• Tiny Moves
• Don’t Take the Money
• I Wanna Get Better
• Stop Making This Hurt

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Live photography by Anna Daugherty for No Flash Needed. © 2026 No Flash Needed. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without written permission.