This past Saturday, I checked out "Far Far Near" at the Adobe Books Backroom Gallery. It was my kind of event. Art in the back, music in the middle, and great people hanging out between packed bookshelves.

Local musicians Danny Paul Grody, fieldguide, and Upside Drown performed great sets while we listened, browsed books, and enjoyed the artwork of Billy Joe Miller, Lauren Douglas, and Christopher West in Adobe's Backroom gallery.

If you're not familiar with Adobe Books, check out our backstory "Non-Fiction Characters." It's one of the oldest bookstores in the Mission and has been a gathering place for artists and readers for more than 20 years. The store hosts scores of free art and music events, and the owner, Andrew, is a real gem. He says it's been a struggle to keep the store afloat in the Amazon age, so make sure you head over to support Adobe ASAP to help keep a great local institution alive. 

In one of their very first public appearances, fieldguide started off the night with two acoustic guitars, skinny ties, and a Casio perched on two milk crates. Their music was enchanting stuff. That's awesome local visual artist Sean McFarland on the left.

In between sets, some people browsed (dark) local history.

Whoa, Danny Paul Grody was great. He played a bunch of wordless jams, looping rich, plaintive sounds emanating from his electric guitar. His set cast an aura of calm over the bookstore, which makes sense, considering Danny Paul Grody's musings in our Meditations on San Francisco story.

We were all feeling pretty good. Delightful show, good people, and the Niners had won just hours before! Comeback time...

I loved these light-filled pieces made by Billy Joe Miller. They're like little oval portholes into the watery sublime. Billy, who came in from Albuquerque for the show, designed the covers of both of Danny Paul Grody's solo albums.

Some more great approaches to light, this time from Lauren Douglas. All the work in the show, curated by James Sterling Pitt, referenced memory, nostalgia, and distance. 

A little more Niners love. 

The final set from Upside Drown was a great rockin' pick-us-up as we re-entered the vast Mission Saturday night.

Well, not before we stopped to browse a few great titles from the best sleuths in history. The night was all about nostalgia, after all.

"Far Far Near" will be on display in the Adobe Books Backroom Gallery until February 12. Go check it out.