The spirit of Joan Crawford is so overwhelmingly powerful that it takes the bodies of one man and one woman to contain it. The Joans want to make others aware of the groundbreaking over-the-top persona that was and is Joan Crawford by embodying her unique spirit through a musical recipe of one part new wave pop, a dash of garage rock, a generous helping of camp, and a pinch of theatrics topped off by original songs. Served hot, it pleases any crowd hungry for something out of the ordinary. The band’s influences include Blondie, The B-52s, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Joan Jett.

Formed in April 2007, The Joans is the brainchild of David Cerda, Chicago playwright and Artistic Director of Hell in a Handbag Productions. “The idea came to me a couple of years ago, but I’ve always been too busy to execute the idea,” said Cerda. In the words of Joan Crawford, “You don’t find the time, you make the time.” So, The Joans became a reality in April 2007, as part of the entertainment for a Hell-in-a-Handbag benefit.

Chicago has given The Joans an enthusiastic welcome. The Joans press ranges from The Chicago Tribune to the cover of Nightspots magazine (twice). The Joans have appeared at The Flesh Hungry Dog Show at Jackhammer (resulting in their largest audiences ever), The Spot, Ronny’s, The Note, CAKE Chicago at the Red Line Tap, and The Empty Bottle. The Joans were thrilled to play the main stage recently at the Milwaukee Pridefest in June 2008, and now they are thrilled to have been invited to play the legendary Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco for its 25th anniversary!