The Funeral Portrait: Paid VIPs, Tour Economics & Active Rock

"We do not look like the bands that we sound like, and we don't sound like the bands that we look like, which is what I'm kinda going for."   Lee Jennings of The Funeral Portrait boards the tour bus to talk active rock, the rising cost of touring, and the operational reality of paid VIPs.   Recorded live from their tour bus outside Allstate Arena, Lee Jennings of The Funeral Portrait joins Lizzie right before opening for I Prevail and Three Days Grace. Lee breaks down the band's aesthetic and sonic shift from 2010s scene core toward active rock, a move that recently culminated in a No. 1 Billboard Mainstream Rock hit for the band.  He details the importance of bringing theatricality back to heavy music with their "Devotion Ceremonies," drawing direct inspiration from early-2000s acts like My Chemical Romance and his love for Hawthorne Heights' Skeletons album.  The interview also tackles the harsh modern realities of being in a touring band. Lee provides a candid look at why the Warped Tour era of free meet-and-greets is over, explaining how paid VIP packages have become an operational necessity for bands facing skyrocketing merch cuts and travel costs.  Back in the studio, Brian and Lizzie debate the cultural weight of "divorced dad rock" in relation to Three Days Grace, and recap the talking points for their upcoming panel exploring emo and comic book history at C2E2.      "I think so much of it is our worlds are now meshing. Getting to form our own way has been really cool because I love being theatrical. I grew up being a theater kid, so of course it's gonna shine no matter what." "We grew up going to Warped Tour and standing in line and meeting our favorite bands for free. There was never a paid wall... Now I'm charging for VIP, and it's hard because paid VIP pays for us to actually be on tour because it is so much more expensive to be on tour now than it ever has been." "Those are the bands I grew up listening to... I loved lore-driven bands, and I think that's something that I really wanted to focus on. I want my own version of that."   JOIN THE CLUB! Youtube: https://emosocial.club/youtube Instagram: https://emosocial.club/instagram TikTok: https://emosocial.club/tiktok Twitch: https://emosocialclub.tv Discord: https://emosocial.club/discord Facebook: https://emosocial.club/facebook Twitter: https://emosocial.club/twitter Support the Show:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts/SpotifyShare this episode with a friend who needs to hear itSupport us and watch exclusive episodes: https://emosocialclub.tvIt was never just a phase. We connect the Myspace era to today's waves. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.