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Start off your weekend with bean bags!

— The people at Guv’s Place in Houlton say that interest in their bean bag toss tournaments, fast becoming a fall fixture, has been consistently strong for the last couple of years. The last one that was held drew 26 entries and filled their entire parking lot for an afternoon, and they hope to replicate that on Saturday, Sept. 7, when they will hold their latest such tournament. Sign-up is at noon and the games begin at 12:30. The entry fee is $25 and their are two divisions, with a guaranteed $300 to the winner of the upper bracket and at least $150 to the victor in the lower bracket. And even better news is that the payoff could be higher, depending on the number of entries. There is a whopping 150 percent payback, which is more than usually seen around the area for such events. Players must be 21 or older, or with a parent, to enter.

— Again at Guv’s, and also frequently playing a number of other local venues, was Saving Starz last Friday, and they used the opportunity to show off their newly tweaked sound. Despite the acoustic emphasis used by the duo, their tunes had a new, more electric feel and twinge, with a vibe that was stronger on the strings. I asked Geno, their guitar player, if this was something new, and he replied, “you noticed?” It was indeed intentional, and Geno described at length how this was done with a special pedal and other technology. The groove was very apparent on the first song I heard them play that evening, Wonderwall by Oasis. Lead singer Anthony’s percussion on the congas was used in a way where it didn’t even kick in until halfway through the song.

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