The Funeral Portrait delivers big energy to small stage at Webster Underground
The Funeral Portrait’s last-minute headlining show in Connecticut resembled something more like an album release party than a typical tour stop. Announced just five weeks out and wedged between major dates supporting Ice Nine Kills in New Jersey and Texas, the band took over The Webster Underground, a tight 300-cap room.
Fans had a rare chance to see the chart-topping act up close and become initiated into the Coffin Crew. TFP’s recent single “Suffocate City” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, and the band has carried that momentum into 2025 with a high-profile collaboration on “Holy Water,” several major festival slots, and an incredibly demanding tour schedule. Just this week, frontman Lee Jennings posted to his Instagram story that the band is on track for 290 days on the road this year.
The setup was tight, with five members sharing a small stage, but that closeness added to the energy. It wasn’t about production value. It was about presence. The night had the feel of something thrown together for the fans, by a band that just wanted to play.
What made the night even more meaningful was what else was happening nearby. Coheed and Cambria and Mastodon were playing a massive show in Bridgeport. This wasn’t a “nothing else going on” kind of night. People chose to be here. That decision said a lot.
This almost impromptu show echoed the recent moves of bands like All-American Rejects, who have been trading big stages for stripped-down shows that cut through the noise. Fans and artists alike seem ready for something more grounded, less filtered, more direct.
Despite the room's size, the band delivered with the energy and intensity of a full-scale festival set, complete with high kicks, coordinated chaos, and their now-infamous moment simply known as “The Kiss.” The tight stage setup only amplified the experience, as the band leaned into the closeness, laughing off stunts that probably came a little too close for comfort in such confined quarters.
Jennings held court between most songs, either introducing the next track with context or offering a heartfelt thank-you to the crowd. Toward the end of the set, he admitted they hadn’t known how many tickets had actually sold and came in half-expecting to play to a room of ten people. That honesty landed. The show didn’t just serve the fans, it seemed to recharge the band itself. It felt like a reset, a reminder of why any of this matters in the first place.
By the end of the night, The Funeral Portrait didn’t just give fans a night to remember. They reminded everyone why small rooms still matter. When bands make the choice to scale things down, it’s not just about aesthetics or nostalgia. It’s about intention, about meeting people where they are and making every square foot of that stage count.
THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | SPOTIFY
SET LIST
Chernobyl
You're So Ugly When You Cry
Paper Mache Man
Blood Mother
Voodoo Doll
Doom & Gloom
Generation Psycho
Flowers in the Attic
Hearse for Two
Stay Weird
Dark Thoughts
Holy Water
Suffocate City
