The Funeral Portrait has seen explosive growth in public awareness in the past year— and rightfully so. With an infectious southern-rock-meets-emo signature sound, The Funeral Portrait has attracted a fanbase affectionately known as The Coffin Crew. The Coffin Crew has flocked to the band’s sound, but even more so to lyrics that center on mental health, religious trauma, sobriety, and the universality of grief.
I caught the band on tour with Catch Your Breath at The Gothic in Denver, Colorado. Watching them live, I was so struck by the fact that they are one of the only bands I feel comfortable saying carries the torch of My Chemical Romance while still being entirely their own entity. The bombast was palpable, the theatrics all stitching together a deeper communal experience.
As you’d expect from their name, death was in the room when we experienced The Funeral Portrait, but it was demystified as we explored it together, as charismatic frontman Lee Jennings conducted the room like a choir through their hit “Hearse For Two.”
The reality is that even though The Funeral Portrait was serving as direct support, they easily could have — I could even claim should have — been the headlining act. They have all the energy and verve of a band ready to take the lead in their genre. If you’ve seen them, you know: it’s impossible not to follow where they lead, to become part of their Coffin Crew for life.
Rock On Purpose 