Memphis May Fire bring a night of metalcore to Michigan

There was a reason I love watching metalcore shows; you can feel the energy of each song when you listen it, radiating off each musician onstage as they slam on their instruments. All four bands during the Shapeshifter Tour brought this energy to Grand Rapids, Michigan… and it turned out to be one of the most energetic shows I have seen!

Solo artist Elijah was the first to hit the stage.

I kept imagining someone who made more pop music, but to my shock, a buff man came out onstage, screaming right into the mic. Both guitarists made use of the stage, constantly spinning. One of them, when not spinning, would instead shuffle across the floor with his feet like a little dance. Both looked perfectly at home on that stage. Elijah was only the first up for the night, but already had the crowd surfing. Who could blame them, though? Breakdown after breakdown, I couldn’t help but yell each time. The last song “Underrated” was easily the most aggressive of the set.

Wind Walkers was next onstage. Both Tim Comeau on guitar and Craig Martin on bass did not disappoint with the energy. I loved watching Craig’s facial expressions when he would growl into the mic just as much as I loved when Trevor Borg sang. I could feel the emotion in his voice and I wasn’t sure if I should cry or lie down and sink into the floor — or both. I loved the aggressive Dayseeker vibes in their music. During their new song “The End Aesthetic”, I figured it was going to be more of a depressing-meets-poppy vibe, but I was taken aback by its breakdown.

All I could think of was how these guys are so creative!

The third band onstage was Caskets, hailing from Leeds, England. These guys, even though they are from overseas, are well-known. The crowd went crazy for them. All four of these guys were nonstop during the entire set. These guys are equal parts passionate and goofball, joking around onstage and sweetly giving shoutouts to the security and crew working in the back.

Last, but not least, was Memphis May Fire. This tour promotes their new Shapeshifter album, with its cover appearing on the screen behind the stage. The band started off immediately with their new songs “Shapeshifter”, “Paralyzed”, and “Overdose”. In the middle of the set, singer Matty Mullins revealed that the show originally was to be in a much smaller room. Too many tickets were sold, which meant that the show got to be held in the main room at The Intersection. Hearing “The Sinner”, I was reminded of how Matty Mullins made music to glorify the Lord and realized there is a reason that the show ‘leveled up’ to the main stage. Memphis May Fire ended the set with “Chaotic” and walked off the stage… only to show back up for an encore. The night officially ended after “Hell is Empty” and “Blood and Water” were performed.

If I could relive that night, I would.

I stood there watching all four bands, practically inhaling the adrenaline and emotion from them, remembering why I loved going to concerts. I couldn’t help but be grateful I was there to witness it all. If you can, go to a show on the Shapeshifter Tour. These bands will make sure you fall in love with concerts if you aren’t already!

Photography by Kayla N. Rising

Share this article

or