Local San Francisco Indie-rockers Play for a Cause: Adobe Books Fundraiser at Popular “Public Works”
Shauna C. Keddy
Posted On March 22, 2013
March 21– Public Works SF (The Mission neighborhood’s beloved venue for music, nightlife and art exhibits) hosted an event to help save another Mission favorite: Adobe Books. Acts included The Dodos, the Tambo-Rays, Adam Stephens of Two Gallants, and Van Pierzalowski from Waters (formerly of Port O’Brien). Those who paid the 25$ to attend the event will be glad to know their money did make a difference. The bookstore/ venue raised enough money to reopen their business. They are still holding an auction for the next 24 hours, selling art on eBay.
Monday night’s performance was my first time at Public Works and I was impressed. The crowd was eager and friendly, the bar was well stocked and the DJ for the night, Andy Cabic of Vetiver, was a hit among the crowd and performers alike. Although the Dodo’s are fairly well known, the other acts seemed to draw mainly old-time fans and locals. I personally first heard of Pierzalowski when his first band Port O’Brien opened for Bright Eyes back in 2007 at the Great American Music Hall. Two Gallants are of course huge (their sold out show at the Fillmore last month was amazing), but less music fans know of Stephens as a solo act.
Pierzalowski discussed moving up to the Bay to attend UC Berkeley, from his small town near San Luis Obispo, and how shows at Adobe Books first gave him a sense of community in the big city of San Francisco, and inspired him to write his own music. Stephens also praised Adobe Books, and as always was incredibly humble and soft-spoken, yet warm. While many must have missed his partner in crime Tyson Vogel, drummer for Two Gallants, I enjoyed seeing Stephens perform from his solo album as well as a few blues covers. Additionally, Pierzalowski ended his set (as I hoped he would) with the Port O’Brien hit “I Woke Up Today”.
I look forward to Adobe Books events like the one their impending threat of closure brought together, but in the beloved book store/venue itself!
