The Joans :: punk rock meets Mommie Dearest
The Joans are a band that take the idea of music far beyond the lyrics, chords and rhythms of an enjoyable tune. Rather, this Chicago-based band has a mission, one carried out in full drag: To give Joan Crawford the punk rock spirit found deep inside her legacy as a Hollywood legend and gay diva supreme. Led by vocalist David Cerda, a.k.a. Davey Joans, the band is taking their underground following into the light with this week’s release of their debut album, We Are the Joans.
EDGE recently had a chance to talk with Davey, the Joan who started it all, on his adoration for Ms. Crawford and how it all came to be.
Loving Joan
EDGE: How are you doing? Tell me a bit about this journey of forming a Joan Crawford-in-drag tribute band.
David Cerda: We’re glad we’re finally able to release the CD! We don’t have a record label, so we’re basically doing it ourselves. We waited until we’d gathered all the money and aligned our schedules to make time to do this because we all work full-time and have other things going on in our lives, too. Luckily, we all wanted this to happen and hopefully it is going to be worthwhile.
The band formed in 2007, and it was an idea I had for a fundraiser for my theater company [Hell in a Handbag] because I love Joan Crawford. We tackled the role of Joan in a few stage productions, and I always wanted to try doing rock n’ roll music, though I was always afraid to. Honestly, the idea of incorporating the two seemed like a natural thing. It really inspired me to write the music, get on stage and do it. When I first told Taylor, our lead guitarist, about it, he was really into the idea as well and it was fairly easy to get people on board.
EDGE: Did everything think the idea was a "natural thing"? It’s a bit obscure!
DC: Everyone thought it was a fantastic idea! I don’t know if it’s my weird circle of friends, or what. People do think it’s unusual, but it just works. Joan is really a larger than life character. She was a trailblazer ahead of her time in terms of independent women, constantly reinventing herself with a long career in movies. Just when you thought she was washed up, she would return in a new genre, Just like a Madonna or Cher, she did what had to do to survive.
That serves up a lot of inspiration and the well doesn’t go dry for music ideas. Some of the songs are just about being tough and independent, in addition to the ones with specific references [like "Mad at the Dirt"]. A lot of people either loved [the idea] or weren’t sure, but when they saw it, they realized it works. It seems like a gimmick, but I think we have the music to back it up. There’s some substance to it. It’s something that you really have to commit to -- If you believe you’re Joan, then they will, too. We get inspiration from her life and spirit, her tough-as-nails persona. It’s all very punk rock.
