While Orange County has long been a center for surfing and skating, and produced a number of legendary punk bands, it’s been a while since any innovative music scene has come out of the often dull, conservative O.C. That’s all changed thanks to The Crosby, an ultra hip combination of restaurant, bar, and bookstore that’s also home to some of the most innovative DJ/electronic music blessing Southern California today. Underground stars Nosaj Thing, Glitch Mob, Daedalus, Flying Lotus, Shepard Fairey, Michna, J. Logic, Seven, Gaslamp Killer, Crazy Legs, Dam-Funk, Scotty Coats, Jamie Strong, Swass, Rhettmatic, Daddy Kev, Nobody, Eliot Lipp and Nalepa have all hit the decks at The Crosby. Even local residents tear the roof off the sucker: don’t miss the great Weird Beard and his peerless selection of post-punk dance classics.

It’s no surprise the grooves at The Crosby are so utterly state of the art: the owner is Phil Nisco, aka the world-renowned spinner Free The Robots. What’s makes The Crosby even cooler is that its design, décor and food are equally as innovative, adventurous and funky as the music program. For one, the sonic amplification at The Crosby comes from the numerous ghetto blasters that line the walls, all wired together for simultaneous

sound; while it looks trés cool, it sounds utterly boombastic. As well, the menu, courtesy chef Aron Habiger, is equal parts delicious and mind expanding. Habiger’s signature “fruit pizza” sounds, well, disgusting in theory; in practice, however, the combination of sautéed apples, pears, and plums on a perfectly crispy, thin crust slathered with a port wine

reduction sauce will inevitably cause you to order two or three more. All in all, The Crosby inspires a unique paraphrase of funkmaster George Clinton’s infamous credo: free the music, and the food will follow…