MEMPHIS MAY FIRE : SHAPESHIFTER TOUR with IF NOT FOR ME, NEVERTEL AND RAIN CITY DRIVE AT THE PORTAL at AREA 15

Jo Anna Jackson Words and Photos
2 days ago
3 min read

Updated: 3 hours ago

Memphis May Fire brought the second leg of their Shapeshifter Tour to Las Vegas, for a metal night at the Portal at Area 15. It was a mind blowing night of sound and lights and a crowd that was insane, as the band gave 200% and blew the roof off. MMF brought a support lineup of Rain City Drive, Nevertel and If Not For Me, mixing metalcore and melody for a night to remember.

The show started with Pennsylvania boys If Not For Me, who bounded onto the stage and brought the energy level up as soon as they hit the deck, leading with "Demons" as the fans sang along. The four-piece metalcore band is Patrick Glover (vocals), Hayden Calhoun (guitar), Zac Allen (bass), and Cody Frain (drums), and bring a passionate mix of melody and power to the songs and stage.

Their latest album, Everything You Wanted, is out now on Thriller Records, a powerhouse of emotion and energy that really shows their progression and merits a listen if you haven't as yet. More on the band HERE.

Nevertel brought a bit of rap to their mix, with vocalist Jeremy Michael and guitarist and rapper Raul Lopez trading off vox and swinging fists while guitarist Alex Davis and drummer Kevin Marks hold down the back. High energy and pulsing lyrics got the mosh pit moving, and Nevertel kept the pace fire with a short but punching set with cuts mostly from their new album Start Again, out on Epitaph Records this year.

With their mix of hip hop and rap, and their melodic sing along choruses, the band gave a fun set and the fans got a taste of the new songs live and sang along to every one. With two albums, two EPs, and a slew of singles under their belt, Nevertel is on fire. Check out more from the band HERE.

Rain City Drive took the stage next, pumping up the crowd with "Over Me" from their most recent album Things Are Different Now (Also Thriller Records). Vocalist Matt McAndrew (The Voice Runner-Up) gives a heavy emo pop edge to the melodic post hardcore outfit (formerly Slaves), but bandmates Colin Vieira (bass), Weston Richmond (lead guitar), Felipe Sanchez (guitar) and drummer Jeeves Avalo keep the power on 10.

The songs connect emotionally with the fans, and the Portal was a mass of hundreds singing together to "Wish You The Best" and heart wrenching new single "Ride or Die".

More on Rain City Drive HERE.

Memphis May Fire took the night to another level, amidst smoke and strobes and lights flashing everywhere blasting into their set with "Paralyzed" and it was just FIRE. The Portal exploded with fans screaming, pits opening up and bodies flowing over the crowd. "Shapeshifter" was even more out of control, the crowd was wild and the Portal was just wide open with adrenaline.

Vocalist Matty Mullins cooled things down for a second with "Infection", the crowd singing so loud it was just a blend into the lights and sound, then the breakdown had them just taking a pounding. OG Kellen McGregor ripped through the breaks, as Jake Garland and Cory Elders laid down a cement foundation that you could feel in your lungs. Pure chaos in the room and the fans loved every minute.

The lengthy 17 song set was almost entirely wrapped up in their new 2025 album and tour namesake Shapeshifter, and more from prior Remade in Misery, with a few older cuts in the middle. Their eighth studio album Shapeshifter (Rise Records), was produced by Kellen McGregor, and songs are collaboration between McGregor, Matty Mullins, and Wage War's Cody Quistad. Shapeshifter shows a continuance of the octanecore MMF is known for, and showed with new single "The Other Side", and keeps a melodic nod as with "Chaotic", that made for a anthemic finish to the Vegas set as the crowd screamed along.

This leg of the Shapeshifter Tour wraps up on December 16 in the US, but the band has dates scheduled in Europe spring 2026, and already adding a few summer festival dates. More on the band, merch, dates, and music HERE.