​Brain games: bar trivia rocks F-M

“Trivia, unlike karaoke, which typically attracts the more outgoing, theatrical crowd, appeals to all personality types. Whether you’re a sports fanatic, movie guru, or just a nerd, there is something in each trivia show for all types of people.” -- Donny Dahl, Trivia Takeover

Television quiz shows like "The $64,000 Question” and "Twenty-One" were highly rated in the 1950s. Then “Jeopardy” emerged in 1964, went away for a few years, then resurfaced in 1984, partially driven by the popularity of Trivial Pursuit. And the wildly popular “pub quiz” started in the late 1970s in Great Britain.

Trivial Pursuit’s and Britain’s pub quiz popularity spurred bar trivia’s spread to the U.S. Some trivia nights are informal, where a bar employee delivers the trivia, while others hire a company or DJ to create and deliver it.

Team names are humorous or risqué. A Facebook poll revealed several interesting names: cultural references -- Scooby Snacks, Steamy Ray Vaughn, Harrison Fjord, Bi-Curious George, Lebowski’s Little Urban Achievers, The Brainy Bunch, Suck It Trebek and Otrivia Newton John; drinking allusions – Free Beer Tomorrow, My Drinking Team Has a Trivia Problem and Tequila Mockingbird; and sexual references -- The Nympho Virgins and I’m Not a Proctologist But I’ll Take a Look.

Dave Englehorn lives in Fargo and works at JC Penney’s. He plays trivia on Thursday nights at Speck’s Bar. Dave likes trivia at Speck’s because of the random questions and multiple choice format. He finds the bar tab prize at the end of each round (often a $30 tab) an incentive. He describes Speck’s trivia like “playing trivia with family over the holidays. Everybody has a lot of fun and they hoot and holler if you win. Sometimes they boo, but it’s all in good fun.” He says that you can surprise yourself with your hidden knowledge: “Last week I had NO idea of almost all of the questions in one round. Turns out I got all of the questions right, guessing at all of them. So you never know.”

John Andrick, originally from Crosby, N.D., now lives in Fargo. He works for Valley City State University. He regularly enjoys trivia at several venues: OB Sports Zone on Thursday nights, Pounds on Tuesdays, and Drekker on Wednesdays. He also plays at Tailgator’s, Vic’s, and Dempsey’s on occasion.

For John, it makes going out “feel more purposeful. I am not just going out to the bar; I’m going out to play trivia. It allows me to show my competitive side and use my brain in a social atmosphere. It gives the thrill of competing using your brain rather than another type of physical activity. Not everyone can play a sport, but anyone can play trivia.”Finally, Jim Haney of Haney’s Photography, and a member of the Irish band Poitin, has played Buzztime video trivia weekly since 1992. His current team competes at Tailgator’s on Tuesdays. Jim says that the key is “to have a cross section of nerds, I mean people, that gives us a very broad spectrum to draw upon.” His current team includes a former US Navy man, whose world travels make him “invaluable,” a well-traveled retired grain merchant, a local homebuilder, some fellow musicians, a Canadian physicist, a physician, a couple of lawyers, and two members of the UND Aeronautics program. The team also has car, movie, Sci-Fi and other “specialists.”

Jim’s team is currently ranked around #18 in the United States and Canada. If they are successful and make the “top 50” for the week, they channel Ogre from “Revenge of the Nerds” and loudly chant “Nerds! Nerds! Nerds!”

Here are a few of the many trivia nights in our area.

Buzztime Trivia, has competitors using handheld devices to compete against people all over the US and Canada. It is offered at Tailgator’s Sports Café; all local locations of Buffalo Wild Wings; and Three Lyons Pub.

Trivia Takeover, owned by Donny Dahl of KD Productions, has a large number of weekly trivia events. Donny also runs a DJ company and has been DJing weddings for over fifteen years. Donny says it is very interactive and features hosts with “lots of personality.” Trivia Takeover also has trivia leagues with a 13-week series and customers can play for league points at any of their locations. They give cash prizes for league winners, usually around $1,000 total.

Trivia Takeover has events on Mondays at Three Lyons Pub at 8 pm, Town Hall at 9 pm; Tuesdays at Sickies at 7 pm, Work Zone at 7 pm, Herd & Horns at 7 pm, Red Hen Taphouse at 7 pm. Wednesdays at Dave’s Southside Tap at 7 pm, The Hill Lounge at 7 pm, Silver Dollar at 7 pm, The Bomb Shelter at 9 pm, and Sky Zone at 4:30 pm (kid-friendly); Thursdays at The Frothy Stache at 7 pm, Hennessy’s Irish Pub at 7 pm, Three Lyons at 8 pm; and Fridays at Tailgator’s at 9 pm. They are adding O’Leary’s as a venue beginning November 1 on Tuesdays at 7 pm. More at facebook.com/triviatakeover

Red River Trivia is the brainchild of Erik Block, Associate Dean of Education at Globe University and local band member in What Kingswood Needs and FUP. Red River Trivia has bar events three nights a week. On Tuesdays, Erik is at Pounds at 8pm with a theme-based trivia (popular themes have included Disney, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and The Office). On Wednesdays he hosts at Drekker, 8pm, also with various themes. On Thursdays he is at OB Sports Zone for general trivia at 8:30pm.

Red River Trivia gives out fun theme-related prizes. Theme nights can be wildly popular: “It’s not uncommon for our themed games to have over 30 teams.” Erik’s humor shines through, as he has worked as a stand-up comedian. He says, “It NEVER feels like a job, which is awesome.” More at facebook.com/redrivertrivia.

Benjamin Revier is behind Two Lantern Trivia, established in January of 2016. He says that the Sidestreet chose him as they moved to their new location “as the intrepid host with the trivial most.” Ben hosts trivia for Sidestreet every Monday at 8pm and at Flatland Brewery in West Fargo on Wednesdays at 7pm. In addition to trivia hosting, Ben has been a local musician with The Dirty Hurlers and Tom Collins and the Whiskey Bandits. He also works as a voiceover artist and actor. For each game, Ben includes “a game-within-the-game called ‘What’s in the Bag?’ It’s kind of like a marriage between ‘Let’s Make a Deal’ and ‘White Elephant Gifts.’ It’s pretty fun.” More at www.facebook.com/twolanternstrivia.

Think & Drink Trivia is hosted by me, Brittney Goodman, at Pepper’s Sports Café on Wednesdays at 8pm since December 2015. It is a general, non-themed, trivia contest designed for a wide audience. It tends to be more visual, with mind games, puzzles, and game show questions (e.g., Wheel of Fortune, Price Is Right) interspersed with general trivia. Sports and popular culture questions are particularly liked by the audience. All questions are written by me. Appetizer certificates, specialty shots, and Pepper’s Bucks are prizes. More at facebook.com/thinkanddrinkfargo/.

Aaron Mayers runs a Trivia Face Off contest on Friday nights at The Bowler at 8pm. Prizes include gift certificates, beer, and drinks. He asserts: “good trivia needs an engaging host that’s there to entertain, not just spew questions, along with challenging trivia that will surprise players with what they know.” Aaron explains, “Ever since I was three years old, I wanted to be a game show host. This is pretty much a chance to be able to live out my own dream. Isn’t that what everyone wants out of life?” More at facebook.com/Trivia-Face-Off.

Trivia Mafia is run locally by hosts such as Amanda Nelson. Amanda also currently manages the taproom at Fargo Brewing Company, teaches at FIT Hot Yoga, and coaches high school soccer. In Fargo-Moorhead, Trivia Mafia can be found on Wednesdays at 7pm at the Fargo Brewing Company, with prizes being free pints of beer. On Fridays at 7:30pm they are at Vic’s Bar & Grill with Savanna, with prizes being drinks and gift cards.

According to Amanda, Trivia Mafia has more questions than most trivia nights, and they include a picture round and a sound round weekly. She also brings her dog, Zoe: “She’s more recognizable and recognized than me, that is for sure.”

Speck’s Bar features trivia every Thursday at 7pm, delivered by DeAnn Wika, bar manager, with an occasional guest host. Dee is originally from Mayville, and has been at Speck’s Bar for over five years. Dee says that weekly trivia is one way that Speck’s Bar has “introduced me to many wonderful customers who I proudly call friends.” The questions are all multiple choice – ten questions per round. BINGO games are often interspersed. Winning at Speck’s Trivia can be lucrative, with round winners receiving significant bar tabs. The players are very engaged, with a great deal of cheering and playful cross-talk.

Dee says that Speck’s Trivia is unique: “We have guest trivia hosts, which I love seeing. Patrons are given the chance to do their own style of questions and to be in the spotlight.” Check Speck’s Facebook for the next sex trivia with game show host Dick Wrinkle: “It’s a production in itself.”

Dempsey’s Public House has offered ahead of the recent curve. Currently Dempsey’s trivia is on Fridays at 6pm with host Nick Harr, an employee who moved from frequent player to host two years ago. Nick hosts in an entertaining manner and he writes all of the questions. Drink cards and beer pitchers are prizes. Nick describes why he enjoys hosting: “I love entertaining our guests at Dempsey’s. I love hearing cheers. I kind of like being mean sometimes with a trick question and hearing a groan or two.” He likes surprising people with questions where they have to search the memory banks: “Like this week when no one knew that Paddington Bear was from the forests of Peru in the stories.”

John Andrick, gives apt advice: “I think people can be intimidated by trivia and they think they aren't smart enough to play, but if you put a team of four or five friends together, almost anyone can be competitive no matter the game. Don't be afraid to show up alone either. You might be surprised how much you know or you might get asked to join a team and make some new friends.”