Music Union : Live Your Music

Mariana Knabben, Journalist, Brazilian

I found out about them by accident one day when I went to the Santa Monica Public Library. There, I decided to take home their newsletter to check the activities; so I found one very interesting: a free concert with the folk duo Fur Dixon and Steve Werner. They are locals from Van Nuys. The concert happened on a cold, grey Saturday afternoon in the patio at the Library. Still working on their 2009 album, “Travelers”, the duo made quite an impact on the audience.

Mostly composed by notoriously older people, the crowd was made of friends, neighbors and a few good fans that followed them down the road. Besides myself, only one couple as young as I am was in the audience. Despite that, their music had something like a secret ingredient that kept me enjoying and appreciating the moment. Their interaction with the small audience doesn’t compare at all with the one from Caetano Veloso’s concert. It was the best part. They commented on the songs, made jokes about each other, and told stories about how some of the songs were born. In a scale from A+ to F-, definitely they would score A+!

Fur’s voice is unique with a tone that can be compared to of a dear friend. Her influences are June, Mother Maybelle Carter, Hazel Dickens and Johny Cash. On the other hand, Steve’s influences are Doc Watson, Norman Blake and Merle Travis. Also, he is more of a songwriter, writing from truck stops to the wide open road. That combination is what makes them very appealing to people from different generations.

I went with no expectations whatsoever, but had a nice surprise as I watched their concert. It was something that just took over me. Their songs made me feel lighter and in a better mood. I got into the groove of a good old American folk music. Yes, I surrendered myself to the genre. I’ve never thought that could be fun and amusing! Hopefully, I’ll catch them soon for another round of delightful music. Stay tuned!