{"id":5083,"date":"2023-06-15T13:49:41","date_gmt":"2023-06-15T20:49:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/?p=5083"},"modified":"2026-08-30T21:14:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T04:14:34","slug":"fans-of-jimmy-century","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/fans-of-jimmy-century\/","title":{"rendered":"Fans of Jimmy Century"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Chic<\/span><\/div>
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This article was printed in<\/em>
\nChic Compass Magazine - Issue 15<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

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\"Fans<\/span><\/div><\/div>

FANS OF JIMMY CENTURY band members Alicia Perrone and Victor James<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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FANS OF JIMMY CENTURY: MUSIC THAT DEFIES EARTHBOUND EXPECTATIONS<\/h1>\n

BY SAMUEL NOVAK<\/p>\n

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF FANS OF JIMMY CENTURY<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Imagine a phantasmagorical city populated by music artists of the past and present. Band members of Vegas-based FANS OF JIMMY CENTURY [\u201cFOJC\u201d] 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.<\/p>\n

Whether or not you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s unmistakably retro yet cutting-edge. In other words, utterly timeless.<\/p>\n

Outlandish as they are original, the former Californians are the epitome of \u201ccool,\u201d dripping with sex appeal and awash in garish color. It\u2019s a style that they live and breathe...because nothing can be ordinary in the FOJC realm...not even their name.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Fans<\/span><\/div><\/div>

CHIC COMPASS: Who is Jimmy Century, and how did this entity come to represent your band?<\/p>\n

Alicia: \u201cJimmy 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\u2019d refer to fans of the music as the \u201cDearly Beloved\u201d - a nod to Prince.\u201d<\/p>\n

Victor: \u201cWe\u2019ve always had male names for our bands, James Bond spy types. We were discovered by Ric Ocasek of \u201cThe Cars\u201d and signed to Elektra Records as a band called \u201cSimon Stinger.\u201d \u201cJimmy Century\u201d sounded more futuristic as we headed into the electronic\/dance genre. We were basically doing something like \u201cFrankie Goes to Hollywood\u201d ...that\u2019s where the \u201cFans of\u201d came from...like a cult. Alicia gave Jimmy a whole backstory.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia: \u201cThe JC in Jimmy Century wasn\u2019t by accident. It was a play on Jesus Christ, and we thought we had created this whole new provocative world of our own\u2026 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 \u201cFans of Jesus Christ\u201d or \u201cFriends of the Jewish Community.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHIC COMPASS: A live performance by FOJC is much more than just a concert. It\u2019s 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\u2019s a spiritual thing?<\/p>\n

Alicia: \u201cMore 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\u2019t want to be anywhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Victor: \u201cI 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\u2019s all we\u2019ve ever done as a couple. Most of our lives have been on the stage, so I think that created a lot of momentum.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia: \u201cSeems 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\u2019s created, the electricity flowing from one person to the next. Every person performs at our show\u2026. if we do OUR part right.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

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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\u2019s one in which you clearly thrive. What artists served as your muses?<\/p>\n

Victor: \u201cPrince, Duran Duran, KISS, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Power Station, and Michael Jackson. We\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia: \u201cPrince, 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\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019s also a Bat Cave of sorts, where alter-egos can come out to play. Prince had the legendary \u201cPaisley Park.\u201d Does your sanctuary have a name...and is it alive?<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Alicia: \u201cOh boy, that\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Victor: \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia: \u201cLacy\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s our business partner and has her own song - \u201cFeels Like Home\u201d by Sigala, Fuse ODG, and Sean Paul. We have tons of footage where we\u2019re just dancing around the living room singing that song to her.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Victor: \u201cWhen 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\u2019t see it, but she can hear it. Lacy\u2019s larger-than-life personality also led to her hosting the Nominees Dinner last year when the Grammys were in Vegas. She is an icon.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHIC COMPASS: On the surface, Fans of Jimmy Century may appear to be \u201cjust a band.\u201d Those who look deeper might suspect you to be time travelers or visitors from another dimension. Will we ever find out the truth?<\/p>\n

Alicia: \u201cRic 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Victor: \u201cNo. Haha. We must remain shrouded in mystery!\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia: \u201cCovered 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\u2019re from the same manic planet that we are. They have embraced the shape-shifting and have created alter egos of their own.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Above:<\/span><\/div><\/div>

Alicia Perrone and Victor James at Grant Philipo\u2019s Las Vegas Showgirl Museum<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

CHIC COMPASS: Speaking of alter egos...David Bowie introduced \u201cZiggy Stardust,\u201d George Clinton gave birth to \u201cDr. Funkenstein,\u201d and Prince had a soul filled with identities like \u201cGemini,\u201d \u201cAlexander Nevermind,\u201d and the gender-fluid \u201cCamille.\u201d Who lives inside your secret closets?<\/p>\n

Alicia: \u201cSuch a great question...it\u2019s almost like you\u2019re in our heads. We\u2019ve got a full house over here, more like a halfway house. This whole alter ego thing started when we wrote the song \u201cBest of My Generation.\u201d It didn\u2019t sound like us, so we created characters to deliver the song in a video.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe released \u201cWake Me Up Before You Go-Go vs. Love TKO,\u201d which was Teddy Pendergrass meets Wham! At the video release party, we created an entire fictional \u201cBoogie Nights\u201d porn star family called \u201cThe Dirklers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cClit and Toris, Your Favorite Elites\u201d have taken over our blue screen production studio for their upcoming \u201cThe E-Late Show.\u201d It will debut soon on Sunday nights at 9 pm PST. It\u2019ll be a \u201cJohnny Carson meets Dame Edna\u201d style featuring Vegas personalities getting berated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Victor: \u201cWe have a bunch of other characters that we don\u2019t 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 \u201cClit and Toris\u201d about 15 years ago, but we never knew what they looked like until we put on those Andy Warhol wigs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia: \u201cMy voice acting career has had a lot to do with the different voices I use in songs. Our production show \u201cFatale Originale,\u201d coming to the Strip soon, will bring all those characters out of the closet and onstage for a curious cheese fondue souffl\u00e9.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Victor<\/span><\/div><\/div>

Victor James and Alicia Perrone as Clit and Toris<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

CHIC COMPASS: It\u2019s been a decade since FOJC first performed together. In the past few years, you\u2019ve had a surge in popularity, largely thanks to the inclusion of \u201cVa Va Voom to the Moon\u201d in the Netflix series \u201cEmily in Paris.\u201d How do uniquely fringe artists deal with mainstream recognition?<\/p>\n

Alicia: \u201cWe swallow it whole, with open arms. I love mainstream support, and we\u2019ve had a lot of it from the very beginning. But I don\u2019t want to have to do anything \u201cmainstream\u201d to get it. We\u2019ve tended to experiment more with genre, comedy, alter egos, to instinctively do things that take us down a long and winding road of eccentricities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Victor: \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia: \u201cI think because we\u2019ve taken the road less traveled, we\u2019ve 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\u2019ve come along for the ride.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Victor<\/span><\/div><\/div>

Victor: \u201cWe\u2019ve had two hundred fifty-plus syncs, including one of the biggest...getting \u201cHot Sahara\u201d in \u201cThe L Word,\u201d which started it all. But yeah, we were definitely very different than what mainstream was typically. When AWAL\/Sony heard \u201cWake Me Up Before You Go-Go vs. Love TKO\u201d in 2018, that unique mash-up got us signed with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLately, we have been more experimental, taking more risks and chances outside commercial pop realms. Currently, we\u2019re pursuing global, international radio for the first time. \u201cWax Ecstatic\u201d from our \u201cModern Inferno\u201d 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia: \u201cOur version of \u201cThe Grinch\u201d saw some virality on TikTok this past December. We just started to write a holiday album. Not just Christmas songs, but Halloween, Valentine\u2019s, etc., because we thought that would be a fresh avenue not usually taken by a band like us. Okay, now I\u2019m just fishtailing and have lost the point of the question.\u201d<\/p>\n

For information on upcoming performances, new releases, and video content, visit FANS OF IIMMY CENTURY online: fansofjimmycentury.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Victor<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Imagine a phantasmagorical city populated by music artists of the past and present. Band members of Vegas-based FANS OF JIMMY CENTURY [\u201cFOJC\u201d] 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5092,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4520,3973],"tags":[3986,3009,3206,3530],"class_list":["post-5083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","category-issue-15","tag-fans-of-jimmy-century","tag-music","tag-musician","tag-samuel-novak"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5083"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5083\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5095,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5083\/revisions\/5095"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}