Bad Reputation, Good Documentary

The Joan Jett documentary tells the story of her struggle to live outside established roles.

First, she was told girls don't play rock music. Then they called her a one-hit-wonder.

She proved them wrong.

You can hear Joan Jett's story from the people who lived it in the documentary, "Bad Reputation," showing Wednesday September 26th at the Garfield Theatre downtown for one night only.

Here's a small taste of what you'll experience:

At the age of 14, in the early 70s, she bought a guitar, but her teachers only wanted her to learn folk songs. “Girls don’t play rock n roll,” they said.

When her family moved to Los Angeles, she connected with the music scene and put together her first band, the Runaways, in 1975, the all-female band put out four albums, but never really made it in the states. The band’s manager wanted them to be a sort of male fantasy, not the rebels they wanted to be. Either way, back then, an all-girl band was a bit of a novelty to some and a travesty to others.

When the Runaways broke up in 1979, Jett formed her band, the Blackhearts, and found success with the single "I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll." It topped the charts for 7 weeks in 1982. For some, Jett’s success was still considered a novelty, but she continued to put out hit records, including 1988’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” which peaked at number 8 in the US.

Bad Reputation features interviews with Jett’s friends and bandmates and those she’s influenced. Including Billie Joe Armstrong, Debbie Harry, Miley Cyrus, Iggy Pop and Pete Townsend. The documentary focuses on her time with the Runaways and the Blackhearts.

What: Bad Reputation Documentary When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26 Where: Garfield Theatre, 719 Race Street, Cincinnati.

Tickets: http://www.cincyworldcinema.org/JoanJett09262018.php