The Flakes - Back To School

I first saw Russell Quan & Tina Lucchesi at what i think was a Bobbyteens playing with the Donnas or maybe they were the Electrocutes show at the Hof Brau in Oakland back around 1994. I was deliberately unsophisticated at the time, my band emulating the youthful fucked up-ness of your typical Orange County hardcore band. I think we entered the show with corn-syrup in our mohawks or something equally clever. Besides the pre-Donnas, we were the youngest people in the place by probably ten years. I just assumed it was the usual perverted old Punks who showed up to Donnas shows. Anyhow, these two people struck something deep inside me, which initially reacted with confusion & then denial. A Korean Ramone & a chunky rock & roll broad who was WORKING it totally destroyed my limited view of the world. All of those older scene characters who were obviously bathed in a world of stylishness that was aeons beyond me intimidated the holy hell out of me. It was unfathomable. They was unfathomable. So, time passes & i've been around the block a few times & SUDDENLY, i start to GET IT. That was around ten years ago. Check out all this cool crap they do!
The Flakes
The Trashwomen
The Bobbyteens
Top Ten
Down at Lulu's
Dinky Bits & the Lil' Guys
The Mummies
The Phantom Surfers
Russell Quan's incredibly accurate "Rocker's Guide to the Vintage East Bay".