Guv’s Place in Houlton for much of this fall has expanded its availability of weekend bands, and this Friday and Saturday will be no different, with Off the Record taking the stage on the east end of the building on the evening of Nov. 7 and a recurring act around the area, Trandy Blue, on the following night.
Seeing Off the Record is a good value for music lovers, Guv himself points out, as they are about the most costly his establishment will bring in. They come well recommended by other musicians in the area, who say they play very well to the crowd and cater their extensive set list to the people in the audience on a given night. The talent level here is also off the charts, they say, and the guitarist in particular seems to get better with each performance. That’s saying something, since the band has been in existence for about six years.
Trandy Blue is led by a young woman who plays both as a solo act, with pop songs that are single-singer friendly while strumming on guitar, and with a full band. She is becoming more and more of a staple in clubs around the area.
The popular and somewhat quirky acoustic duo, Saving Starz, broke up a few months ago over difficulties with keeping up schedules, and singer Anthony has taken on another guitarist and kept his end of the band going. Think of it as Saving Starz II. (No word yet on if they’ll keep up some of their regular former performance nights, such as Wednesdays at Dick’s Bar and Grill). Meanwhile, the former guitarist, Geno, who had grown weary of the rigors of playing fulltime, now has an 8-to-5 day job, although as a long-term plan he is looking to re-establish his first love and put together a Christian rock outfit.