I'll take "Nerdy Outings" for $1000, Alex. June 24, 2010 9:32 AM Subscribe
Considering how many of us wear glasses, I'm pretty sure we should be fielding a pub trivia team here in Houston. Let's have a meetup and see how it goes! Maybe it will be a fun night of nerdery. Maybe it will become an institution. We'll never know until we try.
I don't know from pubs, so I'm going to defer to one of you who is better about knowing these things. But I gather we'll want a place that can accommodate a bit of a crowd, that has a well-crafted weekly trivia event, and I suspect most of you will want something that has tasty libations. We'll let the trivia schedule for that location determine the date for us. Let's shoot for the middle of July, once all the jingoistic patriotism has calmed down a bit.
I don't know from pubs, so I'm going to defer to one of you who is better about knowing these things. But I gather we'll want a place that can accommodate a bit of a crowd, that has a well-crafted weekly trivia event, and I suspect most of you will want something that has tasty libations. We'll let the trivia schedule for that location determine the date for us. Let's shoot for the middle of July, once all the jingoistic patriotism has calmed down a bit.
Is this something a person would have to have watched Jeopardy to understand?
No, but seriously - the general concept of this is fairly obvious, and I'm font of useless information, but I'm totally unfamilar with the specifics of a "Pub Trivia Team"* Could you please elaborate for those of us who don't get out of the house too often? Thanks!
*Does this automatically disqualify me? :(
posted by MexicanYenta at 11:03 AM on June 24, 2010
No, but seriously - the general concept of this is fairly obvious, and I'm font of useless information, but I'm totally unfamilar with the specifics of a "Pub Trivia Team"* Could you please elaborate for those of us who don't get out of the house too often? Thanks!
*Does this automatically disqualify me? :(
posted by MexicanYenta at 11:03 AM on June 24, 2010
Pub trivia just means a trivia contest hosted at a pub! Everyone clusters in teams and there are questions and answers and hilarious team named and Deathless Rivalries and and...
They're a lot of fun.
Haven't been to one here in town though (not for years at least) so I'll be awaiting info from the more knowledgeable Houstonians.
posted by Neofelis at 11:07 AM on June 24, 2010
They're a lot of fun.
Haven't been to one here in town though (not for years at least) so I'll be awaiting info from the more knowledgeable Houstonians.
posted by Neofelis at 11:07 AM on June 24, 2010
I kinda like Deathless Rivalries as a team name, actually.
posted by MexicanYenta at 11:16 AM on June 24, 2010
posted by MexicanYenta at 11:16 AM on June 24, 2010
I hear good things about the Little Woodrows one in Rice Village. Also Tuesday nights.
Which is surprising, because I'm not a fan of Little Woodrows.
posted by politikitty at 11:35 AM on June 24, 2010
Which is surprising, because I'm not a fan of Little Woodrows.
posted by politikitty at 11:35 AM on June 24, 2010
Here's a directory of the pub quizzes run by "Geeks who Drink".
And here's one for those run by Challenge Entertainment.
Never knew this was such a cottage industry.
posted by Gridlock Joe at 12:10 PM on June 24, 2010
And here's one for those run by Challenge Entertainment.
Never knew this was such a cottage industry.
posted by Gridlock Joe at 12:10 PM on June 24, 2010
dude I would totally come play on your team if I didn't live in Wisconsin
posted by Madamina at 1:54 PM on June 24, 2010
posted by Madamina at 1:54 PM on June 24, 2010
Should still be in Houston in mid-July, so count me in.
posted by arcticseal at 2:37 PM on June 24, 2010
posted by arcticseal at 2:37 PM on June 24, 2010
I just want to encourage anyone who may be on the fence or nervous - this is a really fun evening even for just a handful of people. There are silly questions, interesting questions, awkward silences, and lots of laughs. You don't have to be a whiz at anything to be an asset to your team! And now that bars are nonsmoking I am much happier to go to these things.
Let's peruse some of these lists and see what speaks to us. I'll cross-reference with some Yelp reviews and see what that looks like in terms of group viability and we can start narrowing down the list that way.
posted by greekphilosophy at 7:40 PM on June 24, 2010
Let's peruse some of these lists and see what speaks to us. I'll cross-reference with some Yelp reviews and see what that looks like in terms of group viability and we can start narrowing down the list that way.
posted by greekphilosophy at 7:40 PM on June 24, 2010
This sounds awesome! Unfortunately I moved away from Houston 10 years ago. Now I'm sad.
And not just about being away from the art museums.
posted by jeoc at 8:00 PM on June 24, 2010
And not just about being away from the art museums.
posted by jeoc at 8:00 PM on June 24, 2010
Hasn't the iPhone rendered Pub Trivia nights a thing of the past, like long, drawn-out arguments about facts ("NO, 'strengths' is the second-longest word with only one vowel!")?
posted by Joseph Gurl at 10:26 PM on June 24, 2010
posted by Joseph Gurl at 10:26 PM on June 24, 2010
Yyyyeeeeessssss.
The Harp on Richmond also has one, I think on Thursday nights.
posted by LittleMissCranky at 7:17 AM on June 25, 2010
The Harp on Richmond also has one, I think on Thursday nights.
posted by LittleMissCranky at 7:17 AM on June 25, 2010
Joseph Gurl, the way we handle that back home? Phones verboten during the question asking and question answering. Between categories the emcee would gather every team's answer sheet to score them. Then you could bust out the phone if you needed to.
posted by Neofelis at 7:57 AM on June 25, 2010
posted by Neofelis at 7:57 AM on June 25, 2010
Yeah, every time I've been phones have been verboten and sort of talked about as a disqualifying event. So I wouldn't worry about that.
Anyone have a run down of what we could expect at:
Flying Saucer
Ashford Arms
Anyone have a fix on the vibe at each place? Does anyone have an inside track on one of these?
Harp requires teams of 5. And Roeder's is a computerized thing... which isn't nearly as fun as an emcee'd trivia night. So I think Flying Saucer and Ashford Arms are going to be our best bets at this point? Anyone? Bueller? Suggestions?
posted by greekphilosophy at 9:35 AM on June 25, 2010
Anyone have a run down of what we could expect at:
Flying Saucer
Ashford Arms
Anyone have a fix on the vibe at each place? Does anyone have an inside track on one of these?
Harp requires teams of 5. And Roeder's is a computerized thing... which isn't nearly as fun as an emcee'd trivia night. So I think Flying Saucer and Ashford Arms are going to be our best bets at this point? Anyone? Bueller? Suggestions?
posted by greekphilosophy at 9:35 AM on June 25, 2010
She Eats had a review of the Ashford a while back.
posted by Gridlock Joe at 12:32 PM on June 25, 2010
posted by Gridlock Joe at 12:32 PM on June 25, 2010
Flying Saucer is right in the middle of downtown, convenient to rail (less so for parking), and they're famous for having a million kinds of beer. I know one person who loves the heck out of the trivia night and I would expect a lot of "young professional" (I know, barf) inner-looper types there. Next time I talk to this dude, I'll ask him more about it. He's gonna be pissed because he wanted me to be on his team. But I love you more.
posted by *s at 3:18 PM on June 25, 2010
posted by *s at 3:18 PM on June 25, 2010
right in the middle of downtown
Hmmm...thats actually a negative point for me. Finding it, and parking, etc.
But ultimately it's whichever place will be the most fun.
posted by MexicanYenta at 4:28 PM on June 25, 2010
Hmmm...thats actually a negative point for me. Finding it, and parking, etc.
But ultimately it's whichever place will be the most fun.
posted by MexicanYenta at 4:28 PM on June 25, 2010
Four years of college quizbowl better have been good for something. I'm in for wherever, but sometime near weekends would be nice.
posted by casarkos at 7:44 PM on June 25, 2010
posted by casarkos at 7:44 PM on June 25, 2010
I wish I could do this, it sounds like great fun, but I'm overcommitted.
posted by jjray at 8:19 AM on June 26, 2010
posted by jjray at 8:19 AM on June 26, 2010
I'm with MexicanYenta about the problematic nature of downtown Houston as a venue for almost anything. Personally, I don't mind it and of the time I spend in Houston, about 70% of it is in downtown, either at Bayou Place, The Wortham or Disco Green. But I *do* absolutely understand the deterrent effect of downtown, and I'd like this to be something that people feel comfortable coming to.
But I've done a little recon and here's what I've learned:
Harp and Little Woodrow's both have a team limit. IMO, this pretty much outright disqualifies them since I hate the idea that our team would fill up, and then casarkos shows up and has to sit at a booth all alone on her own little space cadet team of one. How sucktastic would that be?
So here's what we'll do. Tomorrow I'm going to go to Flying Saucer. I'll be there at 7:30. I'll be doing some recon. Anyone who is interested in helping with recon is more than welcome to join me! I'll be our guinea pig and I'll report back with precise information on parking, I'll triangulate the position of the quiz, and I'll assess the decor and the appropriateness for a little bit of a crowd (as well as how early we'll want to get there to stake out a spot for ourselves). Then, if I/we find it a promising option then we'll go ahead and schedule an official meetup with official times and dates and information.
Anyone interested in joining me for recon?
posted by greekphilosophy at 9:30 AM on June 28, 2010
But I've done a little recon and here's what I've learned:
Harp and Little Woodrow's both have a team limit. IMO, this pretty much outright disqualifies them since I hate the idea that our team would fill up, and then casarkos shows up and has to sit at a booth all alone on her own little space cadet team of one. How sucktastic would that be?
So here's what we'll do. Tomorrow I'm going to go to Flying Saucer. I'll be there at 7:30. I'll be doing some recon. Anyone who is interested in helping with recon is more than welcome to join me! I'll be our guinea pig and I'll report back with precise information on parking, I'll triangulate the position of the quiz, and I'll assess the decor and the appropriateness for a little bit of a crowd (as well as how early we'll want to get there to stake out a spot for ourselves). Then, if I/we find it a promising option then we'll go ahead and schedule an official meetup with official times and dates and information.
Anyone interested in joining me for recon?
posted by greekphilosophy at 9:30 AM on June 28, 2010
It's kind of intermittently rainy and gross and I am feeling unmoved to drive an hour into Houston tonight to do recon. I'm actually being more ditzy than usual today, and I think being on the road in a rainstorm would be a recipe for disaster. I'll try a little recon next time probably.
posted by greekphilosophy at 3:26 PM on June 29, 2010
posted by greekphilosophy at 3:26 PM on June 29, 2010
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I think the Ashford Arms does trivia on Tuesdays. Not close at all for the inside-the-loopers, though.
posted by Gridlock Joe at 10:24 AM on June 24, 2010