BY JUD COST

One of the best things about the recent collapse of the record industry is the virtual disappearance of large advances provided by clueless major labels who expected instant returns for their capital investment, then jettisoned recent signings like slaves dumped mid-ocean when the numbers weren't so rosy. Who needs that! If you want to play music for the people nowadays, you have to find new places to do it.

In the last three weeks, the two most enjoyable Bay Area shows (of a short list that also included performances by Bruce Springsteen and Dan Hicks) have taken place at a tiny Oakland art gallery and a modest-sized San Francisco book shop. It's the way they occasionally did it back in S.F.'s golden psychedelic era, with historic gallery and clothing-store shows by the Mystery Trend, the Charlatans and the Great Society.

With their stripped-down sound and willing eye-contact, Mecca Normal-an intrepid indie-rock duo now marking its 25th anniversary (and Smith's 50th birthday) by playing 25 shows in 25 days-is built to thrive in places like the back room of Modern Times Books, tucked away in the shopworn heart of S.F.'s Mission district. It's about as far away as you can get from the corporate realm of Borders or Barnes & Noble, and Mecca Normal, often credited as an influence on the Riot Grrrl movement of the early '90s, looks right at home.

As guitarist David Lester starts to play at a volume that wouldn't extinguish a birthday candle, Jean Smith begins singing in the next room, then strolls through the dozen or so fans in folding chairs in an almost too intimate serenade for some. The walls have been decorated with Lester's eye-catching graphic artwork celebrating various cultural heroes including Paul Robeson and John Coltrane, as well as a collection of Smith's dead-accurate self-portraits, an ongoing series she began as a young girl.

Smith and Lester are also in town as part of their How Art and Music Can Change the World program. "We not only want to play for you but to find out if you think music and art really can change the world," says Smith, between songs. "Don't worry, we'll get it out of you," she adds, as a few patrons shift uncomfortably in their chairs. The pair peppers their lively set with humorous anecdotes that include the tale of Smith's recent excursion into the risky world of online dating. She actually met up with one of her computer contacts, she reveals. Fortunately, she returned from the experience with nothing more painful than juicy lyrics for a new song. "Attraction Is Ephemeral" from the band's 2006 album, The Observer (Kill Rock Stars), tells of the awkward encounter: "I lie there under him, 230 pounds/He says, 'Am I crushing you?' 'Sort of,' I say."

Mecca Normal in full flight is an exhilarating experience with Lester's extraordinary fretboard work the perfect complement to Smith's poetic vision. Her naked songs-like the best work of Patti Smith-can make you uncommonly happy, yet somewhat uncomfortable, both at the same time. How that happens is a secret known only to the Smith girls, and their lips are sealed.

[Photo Credit: J. Free]