The soundtrack that never stops hitting.
Tim Atlas writes the kind of songs that find you when you're not looking.
I found Tim Atlas by accident during my first year of college, but he’s joined my daily rotation ever since. His music lives in that perfect space between chill and deeply emotional, the kind of thing you throw on at 2 AM when everything is a little too loud. When I heard he was playing Schubas Tavern in Chicago—a venue small enough to make you feel like you're in on something special—getting tickets was no question.
Tim Atlas emerged from the Bay Area and became a Los Angeles resident after appearing on The Voice. He developed his audience through independent EP releases which combined lo-fi production with elements of neo-soul and bedroom pop. His EP Together Lonely in 2019 established him as a must-listen for those seeking personal and deeply touching music. Atlas has matured into a refined yet subtle figure in indie R&B since then while expanding his musical range on his latest album Enchanté.
The night kicked off with opener Josh Fudge, whom I had never heard of before. Honestly, he almost stole the show. Fudge brought a super wholesome energy, immediately getting the crowd to sing along even though most of us didn’t know the words. He was highly interactive, especially when he played his biggest streaming hit “FEEL LIKE” while everyone shouted along with him. Fudge played a few unreleased songs and kept shouting out his drummer, a longtime friend, which made the whole set feel more like we were watching a jam session instead of a performance. I have been listening to him nonstop since.
By the time Tim Atlas came out, the room had filled up without me even realizing it. Schubas is small enough that you can stand right against the stage and still not lose the intimacy of the crowd behind you. The stage setup was straightforward but thoughtful, with dim lighting and circular backdrops displaying different visuals for each song. During “Knockin’,” we were looking at a fishbowl-style loop of a person sprinting through the frame against a cityscape. As the chorus hit, the visuals switched from color to black and white, matching the energy spikes in the music without feeling cheesy or overdone. It was one of the coolest visual setups I have seen in a space that small.
The setlist covered everything you would hope for. Atlas played all the essentials like “Enchanté” and “Crime of Passion,” but also sprinkled in newer tracks that hit just as hard. He saved “Wallflower” and “Tangerine” for the encore, which was a great move to pull a few happy tears out of the crowd. Those songs hit even harder live, wrapped in that raw, breezy energy that Tim Atlas carries himself with.
Somewhere between the songs, Atlas mentioned that the last time he played at Schubas, barely anyone showed up. Seeing the room packed this time—buzzing with people in their early twenties to early thirties—felt like a full-circle moment, not just for him but for all of us who had been quietly playing his music in our headphones for years.
If Tim Atlas isn’t already in your regular listening rotation, consider this your sign to change that.
edited by Kristen Wallace.
photos by Annie Debreu.