FANS OF JIMMY CENTURY band members Alicia Perrone and Victor James

FANS OF JIMMY CENTURY: MUSIC THAT DEFIES EARTHBOUND EXPECTATIONS

BY SAMUEL NOVAK

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF FANS OF JIMMY CENTURY

Imagine a phantasmagorical city populated by music artists of the past and present. Band members of Vegas-based FANS OF JIMMY CENTURY [“FOJC”] would most likely have neighbors along the lines of the B-52s and David Bowie. Their domicile might resemble something constructed by Edward Scissorhands…with interior designs by Joey Heatherton.

Whether or not you’re familiar with FANS OF JIMMY CENTURY, it should be clear from the above description that the psychedelic musical group cannot easily be categorized. Lead singer Alicia Perrone and bassist Victor James have formed their own special universe, and everyone is invited to join in on the fun.

Perrone and James possess the ability to incorporate wildly varied genres into a wholly unique soundscape. Elements of rock, funk, disco, punk, pop, soul, and even rap are sprinkled with a hint of Prince protege Sheila E., delivering an aural confection that’s unmistakably retro yet cutting-edge. In other words, utterly timeless.

Outlandish as they are original, the former Californians are the epitome of “cool,” dripping with sex appeal and awash in garish color. It’s a style that they live and breathe…because nothing can be ordinary in the FOJC realm…not even their name.

CHIC COMPASS: Who is Jimmy Century, and how did this entity come to represent your band?

Alicia: “Jimmy Century is a ruthless, ridiculous cult leader, and we are his devotees. Our San Francisco Bay area was addicted to the Jim Jones/Jonestown massacre story. Even though it happened in 1978, it seemed like our circle was still discussing it well into the 90s. When FOJC was formed as a duo in 2008, we started telling everyone that we were a cult, a church, and we’d refer to fans of the music as the “Dearly Beloved” – a nod to Prince.”

Victor: “We’ve always had male names for our bands, James Bond spy types. We were discovered by Ric Ocasek of “The Cars” and signed to Elektra Records as a band called “Simon Stinger.” “Jimmy Century” sounded more futuristic as we headed into the electronic/dance genre. We were basically doing something like “Frankie Goes to Hollywood” …that’s where the “Fans of” came from…like a cult. Alicia gave Jimmy a whole backstory.”

Alicia: “The JC in Jimmy Century wasn’t by accident. It was a play on Jesus Christ, and we thought we had created this whole new provocative world of our own… next-level acid trip (laughter). Our email address at the time was fansofjc@aol.com. We started hearing from people thinking our name stood for “Fans of Jesus Christ” or “Friends of the Jewish Community.”

CHIC COMPASS: A live performance by FOJC is much more than just a concert. It’s a surreal experience beyond sound and movement, creating an infectious energy that takes the audience on a heady trip. But what is the source of that power? Does it come from the cosmos? Perhaps it’s a spiritual thing?

Alicia: “More like infected energy. For me, the power that drives the show is always dictated at the beginning. Drawing the audience closer and making everyone laugh from the start is what empowers me. My soul food is the need to break the ice so the music has no barrier. We can convince everyone at that moment that they wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Victor: “I think it comes from having so much experience growing up on the stage. I started touring when I was fourteen, so it feels very natural. That’s all we’ve ever done as a couple. Most of our lives have been on the stage, so I think that created a lot of momentum.”

Alicia: “Seems like the most basic things are what elevates it to a spiritual performance, the point when no one in that room is self-conscious, everyone is no holds barred. The cosmic part is the scene that’s created, the electricity flowing from one person to the next. Every person performs at our show…. if we do OUR part right.”

CHIC COMPASS: Before the MTV era, music was rarely a visual medium aside from live performances. It took pioneers like Duran Duran, Culture Club, and Peter Gabriel to meld sight and sound into a new art form. It’s one in which you clearly thrive. What artists served as your muses?

Victor: “Prince, Duran Duran, KISS, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Power Station, and Michael Jackson. We’ve played with show people focused on production and creating a real connection with audiences. From No Doubt, Lady Gaga, and Berlin to rock bands like Green Day, Smash Mouth, Goo Goo Dolls, and Suicidal Tendencies. Being on stage with performers from that era gave us a lot of confidence.”

Alicia: “Prince, Oingo Boingo, Bowie, Lyle Lovett, Divinyls, Deee-Lite, The Gap Band. Larger-than-life characters, distinct voices, and colorful personalities appealed to me the most. I think the attitude we’ve always had throughout the years is particularly relevant now with social media and everyone putting themselves out there. Also trying to bring our music videos to life on stage.”

CHIC COMPASS: Along with being a living space, your home is a monument to musical icons, a video and music studio, a performance venue, and a party hotspot. It’s also a Bat Cave of sorts, where alter-egos can come out to play. Prince had the legendary “Paisley Park.” Does your sanctuary have a name…and is it alive?

Alicia: “Oh boy, that’s a loaded question! Holy Moly, yes. Her name is Lacy Lane, and though there are other houses on Lacy Lane, SHE is the one and only Lacy Lane! We had thought about having a portrait of her in the entrance, but I think the face would have to have that incredible noir shadow lighting because no physical features would do her any justice.”

Victor: “The house is very much alive. A case in point, a lady came to do a walk-through to rent it for an event. She had a snooty attitude, so Lacy pushed her off the step. We have it on security camera.”

Alicia: “Lacy’s a celebrity amongst the Peerspace crowd. She pays her own mortgage by hosting events and receptions. She will also be the site of our 70s Love Boat-themed wedding ceremony slash music video this year on 11/11.”

“She’s our business partner and has her own song – “Feels Like Home” by Sigala, Fuse ODG, and Sean Paul. We have tons of footage where we’re just dancing around the living room singing that song to her.”

Victor: “When I was a kid, my aunt encouraged us to play with our imaginary friends. I never lost that ability. I see ghosts in here all the time, having a party, dressed in 70s clothing. Alicia can’t see it, but she can hear it. Lacy’s larger-than-life personality also led to her hosting the Nominees Dinner last year when the Grammys were in Vegas. She is an icon.”

CHIC COMPASS: On the surface, Fans of Jimmy Century may appear to be “just a band.” Those who look deeper might suspect you to be time travelers or visitors from another dimension. Will we ever find out the truth?

Alicia: “Ric Ocasek used to call us aliens. He said we had a 7th, 8th, and 9th alien sense that would take us to the outer limits to meet our own kind and take over the world.”

Victor: “No. Haha. We must remain shrouded in mystery!”

Alicia: “Covered in bees! Lucky for us, we found fellow time travelers, our dynamite rock star drummer, Chicago-born Mike Long, and his foxy wife Ivy, one of our reps… a real mover and shaker! I think they’re from the same manic planet that we are. They have embraced the shape-shifting and have created alter egos of their own.”

CHIC COMPASS: Speaking of alter egos…David Bowie introduced “Ziggy Stardust,” George Clinton gave birth to “Dr. Funkenstein,” and Prince had a soul filled with identities like “Gemini,” “Alexander Nevermind,” and the gender-fluid “Camille.” Who lives inside your secret closets?

Alicia: “Such a great question…it’s almost like you’re in our heads. We’ve got a full house over here, more like a halfway house. This whole alter ego thing started when we wrote the song “Best of My Generation.” It didn’t sound like us, so we created characters to deliver the song in a video.”

“We released “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go vs. Love TKO,” which was Teddy Pendergrass meets Wham! At the video release party, we created an entire fictional “Boogie Nights” porn star family called “The Dirklers.”

“Clit and Toris, Your Favorite Elites” have taken over our blue screen production studio for their upcoming “The E-Late Show.” It will debut soon on Sunday nights at 9 pm PST. It’ll be a “Johnny Carson meets Dame Edna” style featuring Vegas personalities getting berated.”

Victor: “We have a bunch of other characters that we don’t divulge. It would be really embarrassing if those were ever leaked. With every song we write, new characters pop out. We started using the names “Clit and Toris” about 15 years ago, but we never knew what they looked like until we put on those Andy Warhol wigs.”

Alicia: “My voice acting career has had a lot to do with the different voices I use in songs. Our production show “Fatale Originale,” coming to the Strip soon, will bring all those characters out of the closet and onstage for a curious cheese fondue soufflé.”

CHIC COMPASS: It’s been a decade since FOJC first performed together. In the past few years, you’ve had a surge in popularity, largely thanks to the inclusion of “Va Va Voom to the Moon” in the Netflix series “Emily in Paris.” How do uniquely fringe artists deal with mainstream recognition?

Alicia: “We swallow it whole, with open arms. I love mainstream support, and we’ve had a lot of it from the very beginning. But I don’t want to have to do anything “mainstream” to get it. We’ve tended to experiment more with genre, comedy, alter egos, to instinctively do things that take us down a long and winding road of eccentricities.”

Victor: “We were Grammy-balloted right out of the gate in our first year. The official DJs on the committee told us to hurry up and become Grammy voting members so we could accept what they were nominating us for.”

Alicia: “I think because we’ve taken the road less traveled, we’ve popped up more and more in mainstream spaces. Unconventional outlets that have embraced us as a wild child have also become more and more mainstream in recent years, and we’ve come along for the ride.”

Victor: “We’ve had two hundred fifty-plus syncs, including one of the biggest…getting “Hot Sahara” in “The L Word,” which started it all. But yeah, we were definitely very different than what mainstream was typically. When AWAL/Sony heard “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go vs. Love TKO” in 2018, that unique mash-up got us signed with them.”

“Lately, we have been more experimental, taking more risks and chances outside commercial pop realms. Currently, we’re pursuing global, international radio for the first time. “Wax Ecstatic” from our “Modern Inferno” album is charting internationally and just rose to #13 on the DRT Global Rock Charts. And our unusual antics on live streams recently got us a deal with Fame Talent Agency.”

Alicia: “Our version of “The Grinch” saw some virality on TikTok this past December. We just started to write a holiday album. Not just Christmas songs, but Halloween, Valentine’s, etc., because we thought that would be a fresh avenue not usually taken by a band like us. Okay, now I’m just fishtailing and have lost the point of the question.”

For information on upcoming performances, new releases, and video content, visit FANS OF IIMMY CENTURY online: fansofjimmycentury.com