MAN it feels good to be back in concert season! And… Phew. Where to even start on this show…I guess I’ll start with saying that out of over 250 artists (mostly rock or metal) that I’ve seen live over 25 years, Memphis May Fire now ranks amongst my top 10. When you consider that they’ve toured for 18 years, and produced 8 albums and *still* show up polished, dialed in, with a crushing set list, their performance was just downright impressive. They’ve got it down to a science. If you get the chance to see them and you’re on the fence, don’t hesitate.
Live Review
The Venue: The Crocodile, a small boutique venue in downtown Seattle, was completely packed wall to wall for the sold out show, and you could feel the excitement. It was an early evening show, and in my opinion, it was pretty enjoyable not having to wait for headliners starting at 10 or 11pm, and get out of a venue after midnight. Maybe it’s just the “elder-millennial” in me, but to head out around 9:30 or 10pm made for a more enjoyable experience for me personally.
Elijah came out swinging and set the tone right away. Heavy, impactful, and overall a solid choice for the tour as the band setting the stage for the night. Wind Walkers followed and absolutely crushed it as well. Their set had so much emotion behind it, and it was really cool finding out their lead singer (along with Matty Mullins) is where I’m from in Spokane, WA. I’d followed some songs from these guys for at least the last year, and found out that they had a few more songs I could sing along with, unknowingly. In a circumstance that’s pretty unique to this show, Trevor Borg had his wife and young daughter at the show, the first of his that his daughter had seen in person. A special moment to be sure. Its pretty wild to see a maybe 4 or 5 year old singing metalcore lyrics. Color me impressed!
Caskets kept the momentum rolling. Big vocals, heavy riffs, and you could tell the crowd was locked in. It was clear that the venue had been having a bit of technical issues with in-ear monitors, and Matt Flood struggled a bit as a result. But, that said, it was still a good set, and every band brought something different, building up until Memphis May Fire hit the stage.
Memphis May Fire was truly next level. You can tell these guys have been at it for 18 years. They are tight, polished, but still engaged with crowds enough to feel real. They pulled from across their eight albums and hit every note with insane energy. Between the hometown ties, the setlist, the crowd energy, and how on fire the band was, it was one of those shows you walk out of feeling absolutely alive. If you get a chance to catch the Shapeshifter Tour, do it. Seriously. It is one of those nights you will still be thinking about weeks later. They hit every marker, performing their songs arguably even better than their albums, and all the while personally engaged but didn’t feel it necessary to constantly shout instructions at the audience, as I’ve found some bands annoyingly do. #Nailedit.
You can find the “Shapeshifter” album by Memphis May Fire on Spotify here:
The Shapeshifter Tour concludes October 25th, 2025, so make your reservations for dates in the U.S., Mexico or Australia before they inevitably sell out, or end up in the resale market! Thats it from me, until next time… Peace!
Memphis May Fire Photo Gallery
