It felt nice to ease back into the music scene after being out of the game for over six years. You hear a lot of things about going out these days, but once you’re actually out there—in an actual crowd of people who share your love of live music—you realize it was all worth it. Some of the last lingering fears of going out are still clinging to our collective psyche, but now, in late 2025, with the shadow of the plague firmly in our rearview mirror, things are finally starting to feel normal again.
Standing in line at the famous Crocodile Café in downtown Seattle, it suddenly felt like being back home. We’re all learning how to go to a show like normal people again. It’s Monday night, and the show is sold out. The place was packed and electric.
The night started off with British veterans Delta Sleep. They’ve been described as “math rock,” but struck me as more of a unique blend of post-rock and progressive. There were points in the set when their more jazzy excursions reminded me a bit of the ’90s progressive band Tiles. Delta Sleep’s heavy sludge-jazz set the stage perfectly for the double headliner that was to come.
I personally hadn’t heard Hail the Sun before, but the explosiveness with which they attacked the stage sent the already primed crowd into an absolute frenzy. Vocalist Donavan Melero’s energy lit up both the stage and the crowd. His vocal acrobatics seemed almost effortless as he oscillated between beautiful harmonies and frenzied shrieks. Donavan may look like a young Steve Perry in his prime, but he growls, snarls, and screams with the best of them. He also proved to be a talented drummer when he took over the kit for two songs later in the set. I’m definitely going to be checking out more from this band. People have compared them to Circa Survive, but I don’t see it. What I was hearing was a bit of Coheed and Cambria on bath salts (and yes, that’s a compliment). Hail the Sun’s new album Cut.Turn.Fade.Back drops October 24th.
But the night belonged to the kings. This was my third time seeing Between the Buried and Me, and they absolutely never disappoint. While they play their set with a watchmaker’s precision, they always bring a raw earnestness that keeps the performance from becoming a mere recital of the studio versions. They don’t repeat the material—they elevate it.
Surprisingly, this was BTBAM’s first tour in quite some time where they didn’t play a full album in its entirety (whether new or celebrating an older release). It’s even more curious considering the strength of their new album, The Blue Nowhere. I get the desire to not become predictable by doing the “whole album” thing every tour, but the new record is so fantastic that it felt like an odd choice to switch it up now.
Four songs from The Blue Nowhere made it into the set, and they showcase more melody than has ever been associated with BTBAM—without losing the chaotic fingerprint they’ve always been known for. Lead singer Tommy Giles Rogers seemed just as electrified by the crowd as they were by him. Guitarist Paul Waggoner, bassist Dan Briggs, and drummer Blake Richardson were joined by newcomer Tristan Auman, who has some pretty big shoes to fill after the departure of longtime guitarist Dustie Waring. But Tristan proved he was more than up to the challenge—attacking every note of the older material and matching Waggoner’s fills note for note, without ever sounding like a formula player. The kid brought it.
All three bands brought their A-game on this tour, and I highly recommend checking them out if they hit a venue near you. There was never any downtime, and the night seemed to fly by. The crowd left completely satisfied. It feels damn good to have real live music back and thriving again.
The band is on tour you can catch them at any of these shows:
October 27 Chicago, IL The Vic Theatre
October 28 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
October 29 Nashville, TN Brooklyn Bowl
October 30 Charlotte, NC The Fillmore
Order the album here: https://btbam.lnk.to/TheBlueNowhere-AlbumID
Track listing:
1. Things We Tell Ourselves In The Dark
2. God Terror
3. Absent Thereafter
4. Pause
5. Door #3
6. Mirador Uncoil
7. Psychomanteum
8. Slow Paranoia
9. The Blue Nowhere
10. Beautifully Human
Between the Buried and Me
Tommy Rogers (vocals/keys)
Paul Waggoner (guitars)
Dan Briggs (bass/keys)
Blake Richardson (drums)
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME ONLINE:
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