Family band eyes international fame after shows in China

Joei & The Fulcos, a local rock ‘n’ roll band, performed in the Zhangjiajie International Country Music Festival, a televised event, Sept. 10-17 in and around the city of Zhangjiajie, in the Hunan province.

Here in Las Vegas, they plan to perform at Meet The Fulcos at 3 p.m. Sunday at Grace in the Desert Episcopal Church, 2004 Spring Gate Lane.

The opportunity to perform in China came about when the Jackson Alliance Group was seeking an up-and-coming rock ‘n’ roll group, one that was representative of keeping alive Michael Jackson’s dream of youth in music. Drew Taylor, who works as a promoter in the music business, knew the founders of JAG and got the Fulcos — mom, dad and their four offspring, who promote themselves as "the Partridge Family but with attitude" — an audition. At first, only Joei, 14, the lead singer, was invited.

"They wanted her to sing to a karaoke machine," father Joey Fulco said. "I told them, ‘That’s not who she is.’ "

The organizers then said they wanted Joei and her brother Jesse, 12, to perform. After more discussion, a parent was added as a chaperone, which allowed them to perform as a trio.

From there, it was a mad dash to secure a passport and a visa. Mom Vanessa, who normally plays piano in the group, stayed home with the younger siblings.

The trip included four legs of air travel and a four-hour bus trip. They arrived at their final destination 40 hours after leaving Las Vegas.

"We just wanted to shower," said Joey Fulco. "But they said, ‘No, no, we need you to do a rehearsal.’ "

The "rehearsal" turned out to be a sound check, a miscommunication chalked up to the language barrier. After hearing them perform in person, the festival organizers decided to put them into the opening ceremony.

The festival in China saw as many as 36 other countries represented. The variety acts included dancers, opera singers and acting skits. The Fulcos were one of two bands in the international lineup that represented America.

The three Fulcos performed in various venues throughout Zhangjiajie, sometimes in open-air amphitheaters, other times in nightclub settings. Audiences were as big as 2,000, and the band played at as many as five venues a day.

After the first day, a TV camera crew started following them and their interpreter, giving the Fulcos even more exposure. It wasn’t just the media that followed them. After each performance, Jesse and Joei were bombarded by fans wanting autographs and pictures taken with them.

"They ended up having an entourage," said Taylor.

He said the exposure could lead to a 90-day tour being planned at various other cities throughout China.

The Fulcos played Sept. 25 at Las Vegas BikeFest at Hogs & Heifers Saloon, where they also made an impression.

"Joei, she opened her mouth and started to sing, and my jaw dropped," said Hogs & Heifers owner/operator Michelle Dell.

But the trip to China was fresh in their minds. The performance venues were first-rate, some outfitted with million-dollar audio equipment, but the residential areas around them were a stark contrast. It was a culture shock.

"People would be washing their clothes in the river," Joei said.

At each venue, Joei & The Fulcos played about five songs. Before flying there, Joei, who speaks French and some Spanish, had purposely learned a song in Chinese for the shows.

"I had to learn it phonetically," she said. "Chinese isn’t Latin-based."

The Fulcos, who write their own music, wrote a "We Are the World" kind of song just for the festival and invited the other bands on stage to perform it with them.

Before returning to America, the Fulcos were voted best act of the festival.

Tickets for Meet The Fulcos are $12 for adults and $8 for children and are available at the door or in advance by calling 255-0695. For more information, visit gatewayartsfoundation.org.

Contact Summerlin/Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.