Midnight Coffee Roasting Announces “Midnight Music Fund” in Hopes of Helping Support Small Local Bands

Picture taken by Hannah Truby @ht_labs on Instagram

Local Coffee Shop and music venue, Midnight Coffee Roasting, announces their Midnight Music Fund in hopes of supporting and funding small bands in their new music endeavors. 

Graeson Leach and his father, Craig Leach, are the owners of the local business and it was Graeson that ultimately saw the potential to turn their cozy coffee shop into a late night music venue for local bands. Located on South Virginia St, the venue caters to everyone’s interests and passions. You can grab a coffee from them as early as 7:00 a.m. or a beer and a charcuterie board as late as 12:00 a.m. with the sounds of local music.

The story of Midnight Coffee Roasting began in 2017, when Graeson started roasting coffee in his garage in Santa Cruz, California. With a used one-kilogram roaster, he experimented with different blends and roasting styles, aiming to create a coffee experience that embraced diverse tastes. "I felt like a lot of coffee at the time was really pushing one direction, with challenging flavors rather than familiar ones," he reflects, noting that he wanted to offer something that catered to a variety of preferences rather than imposing a single style.

Midnight Coffee Roasting was founded with the goal of offering more approachable coffee options. In an industry where light blends dominate, Graeson saw an opportunity to cater to those who prefer more developed coffees, creating a menu with a full spectrum of choices from light to dark. "A lot of companies want to push specific flavor profiles, but I think it’s time to offer flavors across the board!" Graeson explains, emphasizing that it’s not difficult to provide a variety of blends in a market saturated with bright, sour coffees.

His experience stemmed from his employment at a larger coffee company in Santa Cruz that specializes in darker roasts as well as his trial and error experiments in his garage. After Graeson finished school, his dad wanted to move back to his hometown Reno, Nevada. Initially they had a roastery in Mound House as well as a current corner in Siegel Suites El Cortez.

Pictured above is Graeson Leach at the grand opening of Midnight Coffee Roasting. Picture taken by Hannah Truby @ht_labs on Instagram

Now, six months into the opening of their newest location and music venue, Graeson feels their commitment to offering approachable, enjoyable coffees has become a key part of their overall service. The welcoming atmosphere at Midnight Coffee Roasting extends to everyone, offering a cozy and fun space for people to gather. "Being able to treat everyone equally and have them walk away excited about their coffee is super fun for me," Graeson adds, highlighting the inclusive and positive environment they’ve worked hard to create.

They currently supply their coffee to various businesses in Santa Cruz as well as local establishments in Reno, like Crafted Pallete, Stella Coffee, and 4th St Coffee Bar, with the long-term goal of expanding their model to others who want to embrace their approach to coffee and community.

However, Graeson acknowledges that the coffee industry isn’t one that promises big profits. "It’s not an industry you get into to make a bunch of money, you know?" he says with a smile. "Almost every job in coffee is low margin, high labor, and high rent. You do it because you have something to say through the coffee." Despite the challenges, it’s the passion behind the craft that keeps him invested.

For Graeson, combining his love of coffee with music has been one of the most rewarding aspects of his career. While he first became immersed in the music scene in Santa Cruz, it wasn’t until he moved to Reno that he connected with the local music community, particularly with the Rock 'n' Roll band Pussy Velour. After attending a few shows, Graeson struck up a friendship with the band’s lead vocalist, Wolfgang Hendrix. Their friendship led to conversations about hosting performances at Midnight Coffee Roasting, and from those talks, the idea of a music venue was born.

Pictured above is Wolfgang Hendrix, Pussy Velour's lead vocalist at Midnight Coffee's grand opening. Picture taken by Hannah Truby @ht_labs on Instagram

“Being able to see a similar type of community, but in a different medium—this time through music instead of coffee—it’s so sick, you know?” Graeson says, expressing his excitement about transforming Midnight Coffee Roasting into a venue that supports local bands and hosts all-ages events. The space provides a platform for emerging bands like Negative Association to play their first show, while also welcoming more established groups like Worm Shot to connect with local fans. Graeson takes pride in fostering an inclusive environment that doesn’t discriminate against any genre or band, whether they’re new or seasoned.

After witnessing the financial struggles faced by new bands, Graeson was inspired to create a band fund. He realized that if Midnight Coffee finds it challenging to afford branded merchandise, it must be even more difficult for local bands to cover the costs of merch, touring, recording, and more. The band fund, he hopes, will give small bands the opportunity to expand their reach and thrive.

“Seeing my friends in FKA Fingers starting out with just stickers and all that… I would absolutely love for them to be able to do merch, and maybe even a West Coast tour. That’s how you grow small bands, you know?” Graeson recognized the abundance of local talent but also saw the lack of infrastructure for raising money to support band expenses, which sparked his desire to make a difference through the band fund.

The Midnight Music Fund is officially open for applications! Any passionate musicians currently in a band can apply by filling out the Google Docs form linked in the Instagram bio of Midnight Coffee Roasting. Funds will be raised through various creative means, including sales from a special coffee blend, proceeds from specific shows throughout the year, donations, and merchandise such as stickers designed by local artists and character keychains from the artists performing at the upcoming Birthday Bash show on October 25th.

Pictured above is Jacob Darby performing at Midnight Coffee Roasting. Pictures by Zaria Guignard @zariabehindthelens on Instagram

If you'd like to contribute to the fund, you can contact Midnight Coffee Roasting via Instagram. The fund is geared toward helping newer and younger bands with essential expenses like recording their first albums, producing merch, going on West Coast tours, and acquiring gear. Applications will be evaluated on a needs basis, with priority given to younger bands who could benefit the most from financial support.

In addition to financial backing, Midnight Coffee Roasting is assembling a rotating panel of experienced local musicians who will offer advice, mixing, and support to emerging talent. As part of the October 25th Birthday Bash, local audio engineer Jack Barrington will be live recording the show, which will later be mixed, mastered, and distributed on Spotify and Apple Music. CDs will also be produced, with all sales going directly to the Midnight Music Fund, further supporting the growth of small bands in the community.

This fund marks an exciting step toward empowering new bands, fostering creativity, and strengthening the local music scene, all while creating a space where coffee, music, and community come together.