Fur Dixon & Steve Werner at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, 12-29-19 Concert Review

Fur Dixon and Steve Werner

Seven years had passed since the last time Fur Dixon and Steve Werner put on a concert. So it was a delightful surprise to hear they were going to perform together again. Though I had seen each of them perform solo since then, there was a special magic when they shared a stage, and I was eager to experience that magic again. The show was held at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon in Tarzana, and was a benefit for Punks For Pussies, an organization that rescues cats and finds homes for them. The concert was titled “Punks For Pussies II,” as this was the organization’s second benefit concert. And though Fur and Steve’s music is pretty far from punk, for the past few years, Fur Dixon has returned to her punk days with a new band, and she (without Steve) performed at the first of the Punks For Pussies benefit concerts.

The show was scheduled to start at 2 p.m., but at that time the musicians hadn’t yet arrived, and folks were still in the process of decorating the stage with bright tinsel and posters for the event, giving me time to have a few pints ($6.50 each, not bad) and to get familiar with the venue. The place had a somewhat cozy, relaxed atmosphere and a friendly bartender who joked with the regulars. A little after 2 p.m., a woman arrived carrying cats in small cages. The regulars joked about adopting cats, but listening to them, you just knew that after a few more drinks they were going to go soft and end up taking home two or three of those furry little characters, waking up the next day with a headache and an amount of responsibility. Meanwhile, the decorations continued to go up, decorations that now included headshots of individual cats (presumably their resumes were printed on the back), cats with names like Roky, Rosie and Count Salem, mostly known for appearing in low-budget horror and skin flicks. And speaking of punk, one of the cats was named Pete Shelley. Well, I was right, it wasn’t long before one of the regulars had a kitten in his arms, and that kitten worked its magic on the guy. Success! And the show hadn’t even started yet.

The cover was a suggested donation of fifteen dollars, but the woman at the door said people could give more if they were so inclined. At 2:45 p.m., opener Joe Wood began his soundcheck, and ten minutes later started his set. He was joined by Jimmy Zollo on guitar. Known for his work in T.S.O.L. and The Lonely Ones, Joe Wood had also performed at the first Punks For Pussies concert, and was clearly the right man for the gig. “I have way too many cats,” he said before playing his first song. He indicated that he’d have a thousand of them if he had a bigger house. He delivered a good set of bluesy rock tunes, playing for approximately thirty minutes.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Fur Dixon & Steve Werner were getting ready to play. There was a little trouble getting the guitars to come through the speakers, and the decision was made to use a microphone for Fur’s guitar. “That means I’m going to have to stand very still,” she said. “You can’t do that, as I recall,” Steve joked. It was interesting to see them perform at a bar again, something they had basically stopped doing for a while before calling it quits as a duo. Among their best shows back in the day were those held in their back yard in Van Nuys. Plenty of good people, great music and positive vibes. We are in desperate need of that kind of thing, and I expected some of that would happen at the Maui Sugar Mill Saloon. That is what I was there for. I was not there to adopt a cat, no matter how many drinks I had. At 3:45 p.m., Fur and Steve kicked off their first set with “Journey To Another Side.” Perhaps the sound wasn’t perfect, but the ol’ magic was certainly there. What a joy it was to hear these guys again. So much of their music is about traveling, the open road and freedom, which is part of the appeal, particularly as it sounds genuine coming from them. They followed “Journey To Another Side” with “Brother Tumbleweed,” with Steve singing “A ribbon of road is all anybody needs.” I always liked the guitar work on this song. Toward the end, he sings, “I hope we’ll meet again somewhere down the line,” and at this show added, “And we did.” And though there aren’t plans for any further shows, it wouldn’t surprise me if these two are playing together again at some point down the road. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. After “Brother Tumbleweed,” Fur Dixon said, “Steve Werner, everybody!” She then joked, “He came crawling back,” which got a big laugh from the audience. Steve added, “Well, you got to crawl before you can crawl even slower.”

Before “Mulholland Highway,” Fur talked a bit about the origin of the song. This song is gorgeous, and it never fails to move me. They delivered a sweet and comforting rendition, a highlight of the first set. Steve then told the crowd, “Well, you knew it had to be time to yodel eventually, and it’s going to be that time now.” And they began “Homesick For The Highway Blues,” another favorite. And yes, this song featured some yodeling, their voices blending beautifully. And yes, the audience joined in, having fun with it. Afterward, Fur asked Steve about the tornado that went through Ventura Harbor recently. “I slept right through it,” Steve said. He was asleep on his boat in that harbor. They followed “Homesick For The Highway Blues” with “Where Are We Going?” It had a bit of an awkward start, but came together wonderfully. No question, but that everything I always loved about these guys was still present. Afterward Fur commented, “I think I played it in the wrong key.” “I think you played it in the right key,” Steve said. They then played another of those great songs of the road, “Ghost Of A Traveling Man,” and followed that with a fun cover of “Orange Blossom Special.” Steve then turned to Fur and asked her, “So, what have you been up to?” Fur talked about touring with a rock band in Europe last year and recording her album, and about fostering kittens. She pointed to one of the posters on the stage behind her and said, “That’s my kitten, Ruby, and let me tell ya, she’s a pistol.” Steve then asked the audience to give John a round of applause for putting this show on. “He did the impossible. He got me and her back together.” They then wrapped up the first set with a sweet rendition of “Every Day A Different Journey,” which – yes – is another of my favorites. Look, these guys are just unable to write a bad song. The first set ended at 4:25 p.m.

After a ten-minute set break, Steve returned to the stage to perform a few songs solo, starting with the absolutely excellent “Nothing To Hold Me Here,” which has an exciting vibe. “Remember me or don’t/I bet that you won’t/Nothing to hold me here.” He followed that with “Helms Alee,” a beautiful and moving song about sailing, then offered a cover of The Muffs’ “Something Inside,” which was a surprise. “I never met her, but that woman meant a lot to me,” he said about Kim Shattuck. He did a really good job with the song, giving us a passionate performance. Fur Dixon then came to the stage to do a couple of solo numbers, first a beautiful rendition of “When Will My Wandering End?” She then played “Daydream Walking,” a song from her recent release, Return 2 Sender. This was my first time hearing the song, and it really hit me. There is something gorgeous and haunting about this one, with a tremendous vocal performance by Fur. “I step out into the dawn/Troubles are long gone/I’ve got my daydream walking with me.”

Steve then returned to the stage, and the two played the rest of the set together, beginning with “Ventura County Line,” which had a cheerful and bright feel, with a sweet blending of their voices. “I never know how to end this song,” Fur joked moments before the end. They followed that with the beautiful “When My Face Is Covered Over.” This song was so moving that I was fighting back tears before long. It was certainly another highlight of the show. “Say my name and I’ll be by your side/Sing my songs and I will hear you.” Then Fur led them in another gorgeous song, “My Blue Yodel.” Yes, everything was working so well, their voices sounding wonderful together. That was followed by “Reputation Of A Rambler,” which was just as fun as I’d remembered it being. They then wrapped up the show with fan favorite “Backroads And Blue Skies,” a song they’d often choose to close their concerts, one that brings people together and has an optimistic outlook, something we all could use a little more of these days. The audience sang along. There was no encore, and the show ended at 5:22 p.m.

Set List

Set I

1. Journey To Another Side
2. Brother Tumbleweed
3. Mulholland Highway
4. Homesick For The Highway Blues
5. Where Are We Going?
6. Ghost Of A Traveling Man
7. Orange Blossom Special
8. Every Day A Different Journey

 Set II

1. Nothing To Hold Me Here
2. Helms Alee
3. Something Inside
4. When Will My Wandering End?
5. Daydream Walking
6. Ventura County Line
7. When My Face Is Covered Over
8. My Blue Yodel
9. Reputation Of A Rambler
10. Backroads And Blue Skies

Here are a few photos from the show:

Joe Wood

"Mulholland Highway"

"Mulholland Highway"

"Homesick For The Highway Blues"

"Where Are We Going?"

"Orange Blossom Special"

"Something Inside"

"Something Inside"

"When Will My Wandering End?"

"Ventura County Line"

"Ventura County Line"

Maui Sugar Mill Saloon is located at 18389 Ventura Blvd. in Tarzana, California.