Quadrophenia One Year Anniversary with Charles' Mansion, Dva Damas and Brother Cecil at the Crosby, Santa Ana

The Hype: Quadrophenia has been rocking all things funk, punk, blues, garage and psych–with bands and DJs–every last Tuesday of the month at the Crosby in Santa Ana for the past year. Last night it was time to celebrate the anniversary. Orange County acts Charles' Mansion, Dva Damas and Brother Cecil provided the soundtrack for the drunken revelry.  

The Show: Who the hell do Charles' Mansion think they are? Genius band name aside, these guys stormed and stomped their way around the Crosby stage with the swagger and craze of Iggy Pop and earnest post-punk melodies reminiscent of Richard Hell and the Voidoids. These guys shouted, hollered and and yelped yet you could still find yourself dancing.  Charles' Mansion swayed their way through songs like “I Don't Work For Free” while a video of girls in bikini's boxed each other, making it just slightly difficult to choose where to focus your attention.

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Opening for Charles' Mansion were newcomers Dva Damas. To really get this band, imagine the Addams Family living in a haunted beach house as opposed to their haunted house. Picture a sassier Wednesday Addams fronting a goth surf band: You want to shake and boogie, yet you're spooked that something sinister is around the corner–almost like a real life version of the movie Psycho Beach Party. Dva Damas had without question the largest and most receptive crowd of the night. Being a relatively new band in Orange County, they held their own with entrancing melodies and confidence that makes you know this isn't just another act aping the Cramps. 

The real standout of the show, though, was first opening act, zany roots blues revivalist Brother Cecil (the alter-ego DJ Oldboy). Joined by a drummer, he brought down the house in his full zombie makeup, looking like a creature from a George Romero flick while playing slide guitar like a Delta bluesmen. Haunting and hypnotizing blues riffs and a quivering voice that would make Jack White shit his pants, Brother Cecil reminded everyone why the blues are just so absolutely badass. 

The Crowd: What do you expect? It's The Crosby. The place was filled with Orange County's hippest, best dressed crowd of 20somethings trying terribly hard to look like they don't give a fuck. A lot of skinny jeans, cardigans, tattoos, jean jackets and purposely unkempt hair. Oh, and two awesome Japanese dudes dancing their asses off while the rest of the crowd did their best to keep still.

Overheard: “I can't pay attention to this band, I think I saw that girl's tit.”

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