On a recent episode of Spike TV’s Bar Rescue, the star, Jon Taffer, belittled the Valley, insisting the local venues could not compete for customers with the vaunted Sunset Strip over the hill in West Hollywood. He opined that any band worth its salt would flee the Valley at the earliest opportunity, taking its fans with them to greener pastures. Well, Jon, welcome to the Maui Sugar Mill Saloon.
Located in Tarzana, the Maui Sugar Mill Saloon has been a neighborhood institution since 1976. Originally a local watering hole, over the years an oldies/karaoke place, a piano bar, then sliding into decline some years back (its old moniker, “the wrinkle room”, is classic). It has roared back under new ownership as THE live music venue that every band clamors to play. Bands who do not normally venture off Mr. Taffer’s beloved Sunset Strip love the Sugar Mill's intimacy, acoustics, old school feel, and raucus crowds. Some of the performances have reached cult status: Joe Bonamassa, fresh off a 10-night run with Eric Clapton at London’s Royal Albert Hall tearing up a set on a recent Monday night; The Blasters, the seminal ‘80s rockabilly giants fresh off a European tour, playing to a packed house; Dave Grohl making a surprise appearance with his buddies The Birds Of Satan; the Saturday night 3- and 4-band lineups normally found at the venerable Viper Room and House of Blues. The music underground buzzes and hums. And the Sugar Mill never charges a cover (take THAT Sunset Strip!). Don’t be fooled by the exterior of the Sugar Mill. While it might look like a tired strip mall dive bar from the outside (and the new owners actually play that up some), it is anything but. The inside is all wood paneling and low lighting. The space is peppered with the oddball, incongruous items here and there. A Nine Inch Nails poster illuminated by a classic brass reading lamp? The star of the interior is a vintage copper bar that is the envy of hipster tavern designers everywhere. That bar top, peppered with dings, dents, and creases, speaks with the stories of 35 years of customers. Your glass may rest on it at an awkward angle occasionally, but you won’t mind. The bottom line is the Sugar Mill is a BAR, plain and simple. They don’t serve food. They serve drinks. And beer. They don’t have 100 beers on tap, but they have the ones you need after a long day’s work or on a late night out. They DO have the largest selection of bourbons, ryes and assorted whiskeys we’ve ever seen. Perhaps the most refreshing thing about the Sugar Mill is it isn’t trying to BE anything. It’s not a “sports bar”, or a “gastropub”, or a “nightclub”. Sure, they have the de rigor flat screens if you want to watch football (you might just as likely see an old horror movie being shown on AMC). And yes, they have a good selection of your favorite beers (mostly bottled). And they run very good drink specials, both advertised and not. But it’s not about a theme here; it’s about a place. And this place is “chill”.. or “cool”.. or “hip”.. or “fat”. Whatever your venacular, the Sugar Mill is a must-stop on your Valley bar crawl. But back to the music. From the famous “special guests” that show up regularly at the Monday blues jam and Wednesday’s California Country Night, to the eccentric vibe of Tuesday’s Soapbox Sessions Open Mic, to the array of top notch talent playing every weekend, the MUSIC drives the Maui Sugar Mill Saloon. Whether it’s rock, alternative, blues, country or some hyphenated variation, the music brings this little “dive bar” alive. So we suggest that Mr. Taffer visit the Maui Sugar Mill Saloon. Far from needing a “bar rescue”, he may find a new appreciation for the Valley music scene, with its engine tucked back in the corner of a shopping plaza in Tarzana .
