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When Ras’ On Main enters the musical fray, they do it in a special way. Just make the short trip to Hammond and check out the Gene Lafond duo on Saturday night

When Ras’ On Main in Hammond hosts a band they make it a big one. Not necessarily as far as the size of the group, but the long locally known star power that goes with the players. The gig that’s playing this Saturday night, May 18, is no exception, as it is led by the acoustic strains of Gene Lafond, who is the male half of a duo (along with Amy Grillo) that goes beyond basic strumming and gives some, yes, power to their picking to go along with their balladeering, which includes a lot of originals. There are also covers of those same light rock songs you’ve learned to love over the years, from songwriters such as Bob Dylan to the gritty sounds of old dirt country. You can take in the show in the spacious back room of the venue, designed in a way where everyone gets a good seat. And maybe get some food or drink specials beforehand.

— And speaking of hot tickets, there are the Hot Wheels races at Dick’s Bar and Grill on Sunday starting at 1 p.m. And again, like the above-mentioned shindig, there are plenty of food and drink specials, not to mention cash prizes, available. But be forewarned, the registration is limited to the first 40 entries. And you know what that perfect number of 40 symbolizes, don’t you? And the flyer notes that you may need to give your car a tune-up. With cars this small, that wouldn’t even be the price of your drink.

— Unlike champagne, not all drinks were meant to be bubbly. Take for instance, the Pura Still Blackberry spiked (not necessarily sparkling) water, which is billed as having “zero bubbles,” and also only one gram of sugar. Available now at Dick’s.

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