There’s something surreal about seeing a band like The Plot in You that you’ve followed and known for over a decade sell out a venue like Buffalo Riverworks. I can remember standing in basement or DIY venues like Dubland Underground or Broadway Joe’s, camera in hand, taking photos of the guys as they played to rooms of maybe 100 people. Back then, their music was raw and angry, almost a type of catharsis for anyone navigating the chaos of coming into your own identity and figuring out how to be a young adult in such tumultuous times as the 2010s. Fast-forward to this sold-out show, and it’s clear that time really does change everything, sometimes for the better.
From the opening notes of their set, Buffalo Riverworks were alive with energy. The crowd was yelling and screaming lyrics back at the band, sounds echoing off the high ceilings and steel beams. It was almost akin to a communal, massive release of emotion—something that reminded you exactly why live music matters.
The band’s set list also captured and displayed their maturity as a band. Previously, in their formative years, they leaned heavily into aggression and edginess, but now, with their newer tracks, they hit just as hard with vulnerability and depth but in a wholly different way. It’s music that doesn’t just make you feel; it forces you to sit with those feelings, however uncomfortable or exhilarating they may be.
This wasn’t just a sold-out concert and an accomplishment for the band in that aspect, it was also a testament to their growth as a band because as the band has grown, so have their fans. So many of the people attending were the teens who were originally yelling lyrics in those basement and DIY venues. Now they are adults yelling these lyrics, but it’s lyrics about heartbreak, healing, and everything in between.
By the time the final chorus of “Feel Nothing” rang out through Riverworks, one thing was very clear. For both myself, as a photographer and a fan, and the fans packed into the venue, The Plot in You are a band that so many of us didn’t merely listen to; we grew together. Time changes everything, but nights like this are instrumental in reminding you of things like this, the importance of live music, and how much nights like this can live on in your memories for ages.
The Plot In You
Wind Walkers
