| THE
FORM OF A QUESTION |
| And then there were two: Trivia nights
in Eugene are breeding like bunnies! OK, maybe not quite that quickly.
But you can now test your wits twice a week. Both nights —
Friday at Eugene City Brewery and Tuesday at Max's — have
their charms, but they've got distinct personalities and crowds.
We went, we answered, we didn't exactly conquer — but we did
make a handy little chart for your edification! — Molly
Templeton |
|
|
MR. BILL'S
TRIVIA
at Eugene City Brewery
8 pm Fridays, 844 Olive St. (345-4155)
www.mrbillstrivia.com
Minors welcome until 10 pm |
TUESDAY
TRIVIA NIGHT
at New Max's Tavern
8 pm Tuesdays, 550 E. 13th Avenue
(349-8986)
21 and over |
| YOUR
HOST |
Genial, low-key, tuxedo-clad Mr. Bill,
trivia master since 1984. |
Mr. E. Geek, decked out in a white
lab coat and taped glasses, trivia master since 2006. |
| THE
BAR |
Bright, spacious, cafeteria-like. |
Dark, cozy, boisterous, loud. |
LIBATION
SELECTIONS |
More than 30 microbrew taps and a full
— though small — bar. |
Eight or 10 taps: Deschutes, Bud, Guinness
and Widmer Hef; dozen or so bottles; wine. |
| ADDITIONAL
INGESTIBLES |
Delicious fish and chips, burgers,
addictive buffalo chips. |
Hypnotically spinning hot dogs and
endless, buttery, delicious bowls of popcorn. |
| THE
CROWD |
Wildly eclectic: College kids, grown-ups,
hipsters, children, parents, hippies, guys in suits (well, maybe
not) … |
Mostly college-age and twentysomething
participants with large lung capacity and a liking for punny team
names. |
QUESTION
SYSTEM |
Generally three rounds of 18 questions
each, broken into three-question clumps. |
Three rounds of three sets of six questions;
bonus question at the end of the last round. |
| ABOUT
THOSE QUESTIONS |
General knowledge: geography, sports,
history, entertainment. Seem to get harder as the night goes on.
Occasional name-that-tune questions. |
Feels a little tailored to the audience:
late '70s/early '80s name-that-tune, sports, geography, movies,
music and, inexplicably, algebra. Math is trivia? |
SAMPLE
QUESTION |
Name the three presidents who were
governors of states west of the Mississippi. |
What 1995 movie had the working title
I Was a Teenage Teenager? |
| PRIZES |
Random raffle-ticket numbers are chosen
for prizes, which are mostly $1 off coupons; end-of-night prizes
include T-shirts and gift certificates for various establishments
at which Mr. Bill plies his trivia trade. |
Round-winning teams earn cash; top
three teams pick from the overflowing table of prizes: toys, Bud
gear, candy, snacks, keychains ... |
| KNOW
THIS |
The Trivial Pursuit of trivia night:
Solid, established, general and accessible. You might not win anything
even if your team wins, though, which competitive types can find
frustrating. |
Winning goofy prizes = fun. But sometimes
the best questions are softened: close guesses
count, or Mr. E. gives too much information (like,
say, the entire plot of Macbeth). Still, the madcap enthusiasm
of regular teams is unbeatable. |
