March 24, 2026 • 6 mins
Two former theatre "nerds" talk art, music, social media, tying it all together and the wild stories that make The Funeral Portrait such an incredible story!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Lee from the Funeral Portrait joins me as we were
just talking about all the local connections you have when
you were a kid growing up here and having relatives
from Bradenton, and it's like, man, so you like the connection.
How many were like when did you start coming down here?
Like when I was born?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
From the eighties on, well, late eighties, so very very
very late eighties. I barely barely. I don't talk about
my age, but eighty nine, so literally, I know, I know, so.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
I won't take it. I just graduated high school then.
But yeah, that's.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
So.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
I was well in.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I came down here all the time because my grandparents
are from here, right, and they're from Bradenton AKA before
that was called Fogertyville, and that was like a huge thing,
man like in that we would always come down here
and then of course along the way we'd stop at
Disney World always, so Mike, do all the touristy so listen,
I'm a Disney adult, so I'm all in.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
So that's all of us, man, because I never ra
is a kid ever mentioned I'd live move from Indiana,
live in Florida my whole life. Now I've lived here
more than I did there, So I love that now
the funeral portrait if you haven't got to see them,
and I don't know how you wouldn't because social.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Media is just a thing and you guys have taken
over everything.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
You embrace it all, and like for me, it always
feels like so much now it's theatrics and music.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Yes, and for those of us that did theater department,
it was just.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Trying to find our way and stuff like that, and
then you get to do it on such a grand
scale like this. I mean, dude, you really I could
tell how much fun you're having.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, that's it, right is If I'm not having fun,
I don't want to do it, right, it's even talking
to you.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Right. If I didn't enjoy doing this, I wouldn't be here.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
I build my life around having fun because I feel
like as long as I'm having fun, I will live
a great, happy life, you know. So being theatrical, I
grew up doing the whole theater thing, right. I went
to a special high school just for musical theater. It
was like a whole thing, right, And then I was like,
you know what, I'm tired of doing other people's plays
and their works and stuff like that I want to
(01:46):
do my own and so I started a rock band
and made it a theatrical rock band.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
So now with you, you know, how does this continue
to evolve? What drives the bus your creative process or
is it just kind of just lighting it flow? It's
a little bit of everything, right. I I'm all about
the building blocks, right, So I'd rather things take a
step and a step and a step, and I think
that helps the audience and our fans, you know, and
grow with us slowly and it builds and builds rather
(02:13):
than making these massive leaps, right.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
And I'm all about our story, right. We have this
story of stuff, case city and all these things. So
we're growing as we're going.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
And I'm gonna tell you, dude, that hook on that
song is the most infectious look of the last year.
I was in the shower this morning, come here, and
my wife's like, what are you singing? I'm like, oh sorry,
I'm like, I know, I do it out loud, but
it's just so in thank you, thank you, and then
you know everything else you've done Holy water again. You know,
you go through these songs and you really embrace it,
and the fans are pulling in on it, But you
were talking aj about your nails and the whole thing.
(02:44):
So what happened? How did this come to get you?
So I do we get my nails done right before tour?
Right right now they're a little dirty and gross because
we've been out for a month with three days Grace
and I prevail, So it's been kind of crazy. Uh,
But I love flashy things, right So you'll see on
age I have a jacket that has like rhyming zones
on it and stuff.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
You know, I wear like a little cowboy hat. There's
all these bits in our set, and it's all about
you know, I like, you know, I grew up a
theater kid. You know, I grew up you know, I
wear makeup on stage and all these things. But I
also grew up loving that side of rock music. You know,
the Mike chemical Roman's AFI, you know, the Manson stuff,
the zombie stuff like Rob Zombie like all of that
was what I grew up listening to, you know, And
(03:25):
that was all about the theatrics. It was all about
the makeup. It was all about what they wore on stage.
Show the show. It's all about the show man. And
you know we're talking to Lee from the Funeral Portrait
here and like for me. So for me, you know,
people always talked about when they started calling an Emo
when My Kim and everything was coming around. I'm going
we actually had email back in the eighties when Robert
Smith from the camera was to me, he was like
original Emo and you go even farther back than that.
(03:47):
But I mean, for you, like, if there was a
band that was kind of like the one like the
Catalyst that kind of puts you on this journey, who
do you think it would be?
Speaker 3 (03:54):
So it's weird.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
I go back and forth between like Evanessence and my Kim,
So like I think evan Essence because I was listening
to rock radio in Atlanta when I was kind of young,
because my mom was like really into rock, Like she
loved like Blondie and the Ramones and you know all
that kind of stuff. Right, yeah, that was like really
what she likes. So we would listen to this station
called nine and nine next. Ye. Yes, that was the legend,
(04:18):
right and I miss it so much. You know, it
was such a great station and for me, they would
play all that stuff, but they would also play like Evanescence,
and they were like I feel like they were the
first to start playing those bands. I remember hearing Afi
Silver and Cold on there and I was like, what
is this, you know, And then they played Evanescence at
the same time and then my chim and I'm like,
(04:38):
this is crazy, you know. And I felt it, especially
Evanessence Amy Lee's voice being so theatrical, but also being
in a rock band.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
I was like, oh my god, I can do that too.
So that was the first step.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
And that's the thing because you have the harmonies, but
you have the hardcore, you have everything mixed.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
In it, which is because it's like a roller coaster.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Man. It's up, it's down, it's in your face, and
it's just so cool. I mean, that's what I love
about it because it is everybody can get into it.
That's the one thing I love about what we do.
It's from grandkids to grandparents. Man, and you're gonna see
that today and you see it now.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Yes, And that's a big thing for us too, is
I want I love being that band because I would
only want to say I want I want to be
that band, but we are that band now that like
the grandparents are listening to it and they're coming to
the show. They're their kids, right, So that's the parents
are listening to it, and then they're their kids are
coming and they all like the funeral portrait. They're all
wearing the shirts, they're all with the green hair. They
(05:29):
bleach their or you know, they die, they are green
or for the show, or do their nails green or whatever.
And that's that's such a big part of like what
we are is we're creating a family experience and it's
you know, and do I still cuss and say stuff, yes,
but the kids are having a great time and the
parents have a great time.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
So it's still want to listening to We welcome everyone here.
Everybody knows me. Yes, yeah, I love it.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Leave from the funeral portrait. And that's you know because
back in the eighties when we were all doing the
same thing. Man, we were painting nails, coloring our hair.
We're just experimenting. Yeah, that was it, like try to
find out who we were exactly and and ways to
express that. And it just continues with every single decade.
And I freaking love it, man.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
It's all and that's what it is, right, and that's
that's what we are doing.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
We are welcoming everyone, right, that's why we have a
We have a song with five Finger Death Punch right
Holy Water. We also have a song with censral chartists
of Visteine Kills. We have Bert McCracken from the US, Like,
we have every spectrum of people in rock music that
you can think of. And that was on purpose because
that's what I like and I listened to. But that's
also what our fans and our fandom, the Coffin Crew,
(06:30):
that's what they're calling that.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
They love too, you know, and that's so important to us.
I love it.
Lee from the Funeral Portrait joins me as we were
just talking about all the local connections you have when
you were a kid growing up here and having relatives
from Bradenton, and it's like, man, so you like the connection.
How many were like when did you start coming down here?
Like when I was born?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
From the eighties on, well, late eighties, so very very
very late eighties. I barely barely. I don't talk about
my age, but eighty nine, so literally, I know, I know, so.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
I won't take it. I just graduated high school then.
But yeah, that's.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
So.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
I was well in.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I came down here all the time because my grandparents
are from here, right, and they're from Bradenton AKA before
that was called Fogertyville, and that was like a huge thing,
man like in that we would always come down here
and then of course along the way we'd stop at
Disney World always, so Mike, do all the touristy so listen,
I'm a Disney adult, so I'm all in.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
So that's all of us, man, because I never ra
is a kid ever mentioned I'd live move from Indiana,
live in Florida my whole life. Now I've lived here
more than I did there, So I love that now
the funeral portrait if you haven't got to see them,
and I don't know how you wouldn't because social.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Media is just a thing and you guys have taken
over everything.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
You embrace it all, and like for me, it always
feels like so much now it's theatrics and music.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Yes, and for those of us that did theater department,
it was just.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Trying to find our way and stuff like that, and
then you get to do it on such a grand
scale like this. I mean, dude, you really I could
tell how much fun you're having.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, that's it, right is If I'm not having fun,
I don't want to do it, right, it's even talking
to you.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Right. If I didn't enjoy doing this, I wouldn't be here.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
I build my life around having fun because I feel
like as long as I'm having fun, I will live
a great, happy life, you know. So being theatrical, I
grew up doing the whole theater thing, right. I went
to a special high school just for musical theater. It
was like a whole thing, right, And then I was like,
you know what, I'm tired of doing other people's plays
and their works and stuff like that I want to
(01:46):
do my own and so I started a rock band
and made it a theatrical rock band.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
So now with you, you know, how does this continue
to evolve? What drives the bus your creative process or
is it just kind of just lighting it flow? It's
a little bit of everything, right. I I'm all about
the building blocks, right, So I'd rather things take a
step and a step and a step, and I think
that helps the audience and our fans, you know, and
grow with us slowly and it builds and builds rather
(02:13):
than making these massive leaps, right.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
And I'm all about our story, right. We have this
story of stuff, case city and all these things. So
we're growing as we're going.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
And I'm gonna tell you, dude, that hook on that
song is the most infectious look of the last year.
I was in the shower this morning, come here, and
my wife's like, what are you singing? I'm like, oh sorry,
I'm like, I know, I do it out loud, but
it's just so in thank you, thank you, and then
you know everything else you've done Holy water again. You know,
you go through these songs and you really embrace it,
and the fans are pulling in on it, But you
were talking aj about your nails and the whole thing.
(02:44):
So what happened? How did this come to get you?
So I do we get my nails done right before tour?
Right right now they're a little dirty and gross because
we've been out for a month with three days Grace
and I prevail, So it's been kind of crazy. Uh,
But I love flashy things, right So you'll see on
age I have a jacket that has like rhyming zones
on it and stuff.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
You know, I wear like a little cowboy hat. There's
all these bits in our set, and it's all about
you know, I like, you know, I grew up a
theater kid. You know, I grew up you know, I
wear makeup on stage and all these things. But I
also grew up loving that side of rock music. You know,
the Mike chemical Roman's AFI, you know, the Manson stuff,
the zombie stuff like Rob Zombie like all of that
was what I grew up listening to, you know, And
(03:25):
that was all about the theatrics. It was all about
the makeup. It was all about what they wore on stage.
Show the show. It's all about the show man. And
you know we're talking to Lee from the Funeral Portrait
here and like for me. So for me, you know,
people always talked about when they started calling an Emo
when My Kim and everything was coming around. I'm going
we actually had email back in the eighties when Robert
Smith from the camera was to me, he was like
original Emo and you go even farther back than that.
(03:47):
But I mean, for you, like, if there was a
band that was kind of like the one like the
Catalyst that kind of puts you on this journey, who
do you think it would be?
Speaker 3 (03:54):
So it's weird.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
I go back and forth between like Evanessence and my Kim,
So like I think evan Essence because I was listening
to rock radio in Atlanta when I was kind of young,
because my mom was like really into rock, Like she
loved like Blondie and the Ramones and you know all
that kind of stuff. Right, yeah, that was like really
what she likes. So we would listen to this station
called nine and nine next. Ye. Yes, that was the legend,
(04:18):
right and I miss it so much. You know, it
was such a great station and for me, they would
play all that stuff, but they would also play like Evanescence,
and they were like I feel like they were the
first to start playing those bands. I remember hearing Afi
Silver and Cold on there and I was like, what
is this, you know, And then they played Evanescence at
the same time and then my chim and I'm like,
(04:38):
this is crazy, you know. And I felt it, especially
Evanessence Amy Lee's voice being so theatrical, but also being
in a rock band.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
I was like, oh my god, I can do that too.
So that was the first step.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
And that's the thing because you have the harmonies, but
you have the hardcore, you have everything mixed.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
In it, which is because it's like a roller coaster.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Man. It's up, it's down, it's in your face, and
it's just so cool. I mean, that's what I love
about it because it is everybody can get into it.
That's the one thing I love about what we do.
It's from grandkids to grandparents. Man, and you're gonna see
that today and you see it now.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Yes, And that's a big thing for us too, is
I want I love being that band because I would
only want to say I want I want to be
that band, but we are that band now that like
the grandparents are listening to it and they're coming to
the show. They're their kids, right, So that's the parents
are listening to it, and then they're their kids are
coming and they all like the funeral portrait. They're all
wearing the shirts, they're all with the green hair. They
(05:29):
bleach their or you know, they die, they are green
or for the show, or do their nails green or whatever.
And that's that's such a big part of like what
we are is we're creating a family experience and it's
you know, and do I still cuss and say stuff, yes,
but the kids are having a great time and the
parents have a great time.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
So it's still want to listening to We welcome everyone here.
Everybody knows me. Yes, yeah, I love it.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Leave from the funeral portrait. And that's you know because
back in the eighties when we were all doing the
same thing. Man, we were painting nails, coloring our hair.
We're just experimenting. Yeah, that was it, like try to
find out who we were exactly and and ways to
express that. And it just continues with every single decade.
And I freaking love it, man.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
It's all and that's what it is, right, and that's
that's what we are doing.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
We are welcoming everyone, right, that's why we have a
We have a song with five Finger Death Punch right
Holy Water. We also have a song with censral chartists
of Visteine Kills. We have Bert McCracken from the US, Like,
we have every spectrum of people in rock music that
you can think of. And that was on purpose because
that's what I like and I listened to. But that's
also what our fans and our fandom, the Coffin Crew,
(06:30):
that's what they're calling that.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
They love too, you know, and that's so important to us.
I love it.
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