Concert: Between The Buried And Me – The Blue Nowhere Tour
Venue: The Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Sept 29th, 2025
Photos: Larry Marano Photography
Between the Buried and Me returned to Ft. Lauderdale on September 29th, closing out a night that also featured an energetic set from Hail The Sun and an opening performance by Delta Sleep. The tight space of the Culture Room made for an especially intimate affair, with fans packed in close as the band—Tommy Rogers (vocals, keyboards), Paul Waggoner (guitar), Dan Briggs (bass, keyboards), Blake Richardson (drums), and touring guitarist Tristan Auman (from Sometime in February) —delivered a career-spanning set.
BTBAM balanced older favorites with four selections from their recent album The Blue Nowhere, including “Things We Tell Ourselves in the Dark,” “God Terror,” and “Absent Thereafter,” which stood out as a highlight with Rogers’ commanding vocal performance and the band’s dynamic interplay. Waggoner’s precision guitar work, Briggs’ intricate basslines, and Richardson’s relentless drumming underscored the new material’s intensity, while Auman brought fresh energy to the band’s trademark guitar harmonies.
The setlist notably skipped over Alaska and Coma Ecliptic, not surprising given the band had just finished celebrating the anniversaries of both albums on their previous tour—but the focus on The Blue Nowhere made clear this was a new chapter for the group. Still, recent songs from Colors II – “Stare Into The Abyss” and “Prehistory” and older tracks like “Specular Reflection” and “Extemophile Elite” from The Parallax albums, more than made up for it.
For the encore, the title track of The Blue Nowhere showcased a different side of the band before they closed the night with the fan-favorite “Informal Gluttony” from Colors, sending the packed Culture Room crowd home satisfied after an evening of progressive metal at its most powerful and personal.
The show also underscored just how seamlessly BTBAM have evolved over the years while staying true to their progressive spirit. The newer songs blended naturally alongside classics, creating a setlist that felt both forward-looking and celebratory of their past. Rogers moved effortlessly between soaring vocals and atmospheric keyboard passages, while Waggoner and Auman traded riffs and harmonized solos that kept the audience locked in. Briggs added depth with his signature bass tone and keyboard flourishes, and Richardson drove the performance with his intricate yet punishing drumming. It was the kind of night that reminded fans why BTBAM continue to be one of the most innovative and consistently thrilling bands in the progressive metal scene.
