1.25.16 CIVIC TAPROOM - TRIVIA
Tonight settles it...THE CIVIC TAPROOM is the best new Trivia show in the country! Wow! Are you kidding me? 16 teams forced Dice to zoom out on his scoring spreadsheet just to keep track of everyone! Amazing! Incredible! Astounding! I'm terrible at superlatives, but I'm humbled and honored to be hosting Trivia at the Civic. Thank you kindly for the cider and beers Trivia teams, and getting to toast champagne to celebrate with the winners was just mind-blowing! Seriously...I must be dreaming...
TRIVIA: Take me home country roads. West Virginia. Mountain AND Panhandle State. Our only anti-social (besides the wildly celebrated anti-social final round...). Most teams would have had more success had they thrown darts at a map blindfolded. Not much help Dice could do here without giving away the answer, but few teams could get past the idea that perhaps there were other panhandle states besides Idaho and Oklahoma.
Our 35th state, West Virginia was part of Virginia until 1863. The founders originally proposed the state to be called Kanawha, but Dice thinks everyone was probably like "Ken-a-whachamacallit?" and West Virginia was ultimately chosen. Among many sobriquets, West Virginia is known as the Mountain state (the highest mean elevation east of the Mississippi River), the Panhandle State (it looks like a pan with a handle), and even the Switzerland of America (for all the scenic 1500 foot mountain views).
For the record, Dice would've guessed Idaho, too.
TEAMS: With West Virginia being their only hiccup in the first half, WE'RE SMART NOT CREATIVE (83) bounced back from their Pogo-Ball mishap in the second half and celebrated their victory with two bottles of champagne! Inching up the leaderboard all night, MOTHERS OF RETENTION (73) secured their second consecutive gift certificate after a worrisome first couple of rounds. TICKLE, FONDLE, PET (70) were too busy scoring to be distracted by their name!
Playing all by himself and hoping for a bigger finish, DILDO BAGGINS (58) led a huge group of suitors vying for glory. Never underestimate Dice's friends the SILLY SCALLOPS (54)...so great to see you again after all this time! Civic regulars, SULTANS OF SEXY (53) battled all night, but a disastrous sixth round took the swing out of the Sultans. CAT THE DOG (52) relied on getting all their maximum wagers right. THE B SQUAD looked like winners early. KEANU and PIPPA'S PEOPLE went big on the final, but came up short. UMBRELLA CORP.'s stock rollercoastered all night. Date night for THE SOUR FRUITS who took home one of the many graciously donated Bonus prizes. BOB LOBLAW'S LAW BLOG successfully defended the coveted "Dice's Favorite Team Name" award. WHO LET THE DOG IN? tried to sneak into the top of the leaderboard. THE RURAL JURORS looked full of conviction early, but couldn't quite sequester the points needed for the win. Dice suspects the CIVIL ENGINEERS said "damn" early and often.
TUNES: Green Day's "Brain Stew" had some people feeling smart. Heart, Cher, The Beatles, Marvin Gaye, and Kenny Rogers took us back in time. We all had a Milky Chance of getting that question right. Cake told us "Sheep Go To Heaven" while Oingo Boingo suggests the whole thing is a "Dead Man's Party." Dice agrees...please vote.
More Trivia, more Teams (is that even possible?), and more Tunes next Monday! Until then, have a great week Civic Taproom...you've certainly kicked mine off in style!
-Dice
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
1.19.16 THIRSTY LION - TRIVIA
1.19.16 THIRSTY LION DOWNTOWN - TRIVIA
Another Tuesday night of brilliance at one of Portland's newest Trivia locations...THE THIRSTY LION - DOWNTOWN! THE place to be for the best Trivia night in town! The questions were all over the place tonight. Enough easy socials that Dice was feeling warm from all the toasts, a few difficult anti-socials that had everyone scratching their heads, and a halftime that can just go back to the island it came from!
TRIVIA: Picking just one bit of interesting trivia from tonight's show wasn't easy, but the Dorsa brothers introduction of Froffles to grocery stores across the country in 1953 was most intriguing. As the self-proclaimed "King of Breakfast," Dice doesn't think much of the frozen waffle, but it is amazing that as recently as 2009, Kellogg's Eggo brand carried a 73% market share over their competition. Dice's waffle recipe is a family secret, but Alton Brown's Good Eats version is a suitable substitute!
Only one team picked up on Dice's biggest hint in awhile, a mashup of Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" and "Let it Go" from Disney's Frozen, for that Eggo frozen waffle question. Curiously, Dice later played Coldplay's "Yellow" as a subtle hint that at least one team picked up on...well played!
TEAMS: Playing a nearly perfectly wagered game, THE MIGHTY DORKS (77) capitalized on a perfectly-suited final round to dive across the goal line first. YOUR MOTHER IS A COUNTRY (68) grows more powerful by the week. Newcomers GRILLED SALMON CAKES (41) were surprised to be taking home a gift certificate after a big gamble on the final round left BITCH THOTZ! (37) on the outside looking in.
TUNES: Mashups featuring Adele vs. Daft Punk and Idina Menzel vs. Coldplay made some teams question their answers. The video for Michael Damian's "Rock On" featured both Coreys, even though we were only looking for Haim. They Might be Giants and Bear Hands' song "Giants" were big hits for both bands. The Breeders, Candlebox, Black Happy, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers satisfied Dice's urge to play only artists he liked in the 90's.
Here's that Michael Damian video..."Rock On" Trivia teams! -Dice
Another Tuesday night of brilliance at one of Portland's newest Trivia locations...THE THIRSTY LION - DOWNTOWN! THE place to be for the best Trivia night in town! The questions were all over the place tonight. Enough easy socials that Dice was feeling warm from all the toasts, a few difficult anti-socials that had everyone scratching their heads, and a halftime that can just go back to the island it came from!
TRIVIA: Picking just one bit of interesting trivia from tonight's show wasn't easy, but the Dorsa brothers introduction of Froffles to grocery stores across the country in 1953 was most intriguing. As the self-proclaimed "King of Breakfast," Dice doesn't think much of the frozen waffle, but it is amazing that as recently as 2009, Kellogg's Eggo brand carried a 73% market share over their competition. Dice's waffle recipe is a family secret, but Alton Brown's Good Eats version is a suitable substitute!
TEAMS: Playing a nearly perfectly wagered game, THE MIGHTY DORKS (77) capitalized on a perfectly-suited final round to dive across the goal line first. YOUR MOTHER IS A COUNTRY (68) grows more powerful by the week. Newcomers GRILLED SALMON CAKES (41) were surprised to be taking home a gift certificate after a big gamble on the final round left BITCH THOTZ! (37) on the outside looking in.
TUNES: Mashups featuring Adele vs. Daft Punk and Idina Menzel vs. Coldplay made some teams question their answers. The video for Michael Damian's "Rock On" featured both Coreys, even though we were only looking for Haim. They Might be Giants and Bear Hands' song "Giants" were big hits for both bands. The Breeders, Candlebox, Black Happy, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers satisfied Dice's urge to play only artists he liked in the 90's.
Here's that Michael Damian video..."Rock On" Trivia teams! -Dice
1.18.16 Civic Taproom - Trivia
1.18.16 CIVIC TAPROOM - TRIVIA **OPENING NIGHT**
If there's one thing that makes Dice nervous, it's starting a new show at a new venue. Usually, Dice is worried nobody will show up. Tonight, my biggest fear was finding close enough parking to haul my equipment, because a full dozen Trivia teams packed the Civic Taproom for our first show!
The Civic Taproom is a unique Trivia venue. There are probably half a dozen fridges stocked with a regularly rotating collection of incredible bottled beer from all over the world. Patrons can purchase these for consumption on premises or to take home for later. The rotating taps of beer, cider, and wine are deftly managed by Katz at the bar, and the whole place is BYOF(ood). Neighbor Boise Fry Company graciously donated some prizes for our Bonus Question Champions tonight and they even deliver food orders directly to the Civic Taproom during our show! Yumm!
TRIVIA: Chessboxing. Chess and boxing. Boxing and chess. I'm still rather speechless about this one, but I can totally appreciate the desire to punch something while playing chess, so perhaps this wannabe sport has some merit. Check out this video about chessboxing that ESPN took time away from covering the National Spelling Bee to give this hopeful Olympic sport its due.
If there's one thing that makes Dice nervous, it's starting a new show at a new venue. Usually, Dice is worried nobody will show up. Tonight, my biggest fear was finding close enough parking to haul my equipment, because a full dozen Trivia teams packed the Civic Taproom for our first show!
The Civic Taproom is a unique Trivia venue. There are probably half a dozen fridges stocked with a regularly rotating collection of incredible bottled beer from all over the world. Patrons can purchase these for consumption on premises or to take home for later. The rotating taps of beer, cider, and wine are deftly managed by Katz at the bar, and the whole place is BYOF(ood). Neighbor Boise Fry Company graciously donated some prizes for our Bonus Question Champions tonight and they even deliver food orders directly to the Civic Taproom during our show! Yumm!
TRIVIA: Chessboxing. Chess and boxing. Boxing and chess. I'm still rather speechless about this one, but I can totally appreciate the desire to punch something while playing chess, so perhaps this wannabe sport has some merit. Check out this video about chessboxing that ESPN took time away from covering the National Spelling Bee to give this hopeful Olympic sport its due.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
1.12.16 Thirsty Lion - Trivia
1.12.16 Thirsty Lion - Downtown - TriviaDice's return to the mike couldn't have been any sweeter, with several legendary teams arriving to welcome Dice back to the Last Call family! Downtown Portland's THIRSTY LION may be one of PDX's newest trivia locations, but the amazing staff handled the trivia crowd like pros! I'm honored to have this incredible venue to host Last Call Trivia at.....I can hardly wait until next Tuesday!
TRIVIA: I'm not sure there's any one bit of trivia from tonight's show that warrants much explanation. Dice enjoyed researching the Egyptian goddess Serket, who is known for healing venomous stings and bites, but also was known to have control over those venomous snakes and insects and could command them to bite or sting her enemies. Dice thinks that almost seems like the perfect business model. I can almost imagine Serket thinking while casting out her legions of poisonous critters, Mama needs a new pair of shoes!, or The chariot is in the shop again.., or I bet those damn kids think money grows on trees...$600 for a blinged-out iPhone...I'll show you bling...check out this scorpion on my head....
We did pull off the rare "Turkey Social" (3 socials in a row) in the second half, giving everyone some points to play with during the exciting final round!
TEAMS: In what can only be described as an upset of unscripted, theatrical proportions, the JABRONIS (89) had no idea they'd won, despite being in the lead the whole night! Never underestimate THE MIGHTY DORKS (82), they are already in midseason form after taking some time off during Dice's labor strike...Your support means everything! BITCH THOTZ (79) were slow out of the gate, but a nearly perfect second half and a monster 15-point final proves they're ready for the big time...Congrats!
THE WITTY WOMEN (73) made quick work of the Theatre-themed final round and nearly completed the most incredible comeback in Trivia history! Hardly a LOST CAUSE (70), all you have to do is get the final round right...Thank you Ryan and Carey!
Major love to THE UGLIEST PART (69) and VLADIMIR POUTINE (69)! You are the reason I do what I do...thank you! I find it absolutely perfect that you scored 69s! THE winning score in my mind, every time! A very solid night of trivia for ARUBA (61), which sure sounds nice with all this rain we've been having!
TUNES: As always, Dice explored the depths of his massive music library to put together the perfect Trivia playlist! Dice couldn't resist playing Aretha Franklin's "Think" to get teams tuned in to how we roll (and no, that's NOT Carl Weathers, AKA Apollo Creed or "The Count of Monte Fisto" in the Blues Brothers video.)!
I can honestly say that Dice was disappointed nobody answered "Huey Lewis and the News" for the doping question. If you like instrumental music, forget Kenny G, play some "Chariots of Fire" and slow things WAY down!
"S.O.B." by Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats helped get some creative juices flowing in the second half...and the beer...Thank you, Thank you, and Thank you Trivia teams (and thank you Crux Fermentation Project...incredible!).
CHEERS to everyone that was there for Dice's return! I can't wait to see you next Tuesday at 7pm!
-Dice
Friday, February 27, 2015
2.26.15 Rivershore Trivia
2.26.15 Rivershore Trivia Recap
Inspiration comes in many forms. For Dice, just the pursuit of Trivia is typically enough to keep him doing what he does, but the amazing Trivia teams and staff at the Rivershore do so much every week that Dice really enjoys going the extra mile for them. Tonight's winners of the Bonus Questions earned a couple of Dice's not-yet-famous chocolate chip cookies...hope you enjoyed them as much as we do here!
TEAMS: It is just a coincidence that the STANLEY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (71) were atop the leaderboard tonight...they earned their way to the top of Dice's leaderboard long ago! The VAN OWLS (61) wisely put together the right answers on the final round, but unwisely assigned a zero-point wager to it. STRAIGHT SHOOTERS (56) had big money on their mind, but a big gamble on the final round nearly dropped them out of the money.
DISNEY DIRTY (49) came up short in their bid to post a nice qualifying league score. MORE E (48) was hoping for more points on the final round, but sometimes less can mean more, like winning a gift certificate. BROOKLYN (46) scored a near-perfect first-half, but stumbled out of the gate in the second and was unable to recover. It's no secret, everyone knows the awesome and hilarious VICTORIOUS SECRET (45) prefers a big wager. Not to be outdone, DEATH BY MISADVENTUR(ous wagers) (41) put up more right answers than most, but missed on some of the most valuable ones.
Enjoy your cookies Rivershore...Cookie requests for next Thursday can be made in the comments section! Until then, here's a snippet of Dice's Rivershore playlist from our show.
Have a great week!
-Dice
Inspiration comes in many forms. For Dice, just the pursuit of Trivia is typically enough to keep him doing what he does, but the amazing Trivia teams and staff at the Rivershore do so much every week that Dice really enjoys going the extra mile for them. Tonight's winners of the Bonus Questions earned a couple of Dice's not-yet-famous chocolate chip cookies...hope you enjoyed them as much as we do here!
TEAMS: It is just a coincidence that the STANLEY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (71) were atop the leaderboard tonight...they earned their way to the top of Dice's leaderboard long ago! The VAN OWLS (61) wisely put together the right answers on the final round, but unwisely assigned a zero-point wager to it. STRAIGHT SHOOTERS (56) had big money on their mind, but a big gamble on the final round nearly dropped them out of the money.
DISNEY DIRTY (49) came up short in their bid to post a nice qualifying league score. MORE E (48) was hoping for more points on the final round, but sometimes less can mean more, like winning a gift certificate. BROOKLYN (46) scored a near-perfect first-half, but stumbled out of the gate in the second and was unable to recover. It's no secret, everyone knows the awesome and hilarious VICTORIOUS SECRET (45) prefers a big wager. Not to be outdone, DEATH BY MISADVENTUR(ous wagers) (41) put up more right answers than most, but missed on some of the most valuable ones.
Enjoy your cookies Rivershore...Cookie requests for next Thursday can be made in the comments section! Until then, here's a snippet of Dice's Rivershore playlist from our show.
Have a great week!
-Dice
2.24.15 Cider Mill Trivia
2.24.15 Cider Mill/Fryer Tuck Chicken - Trivia
It should be noted that the table by the pool table is exceptionally lucky when Dice is hosting Trivia. In the last few weeks, at least a couple of winning teams have come from the corner. Tonight was no exception. Perhaps it's the acoustics, maybe it's the solitude allowing freedom to communicate. Regardless, apparently it pays to sit in the front of the class.
TEAMS: Ascending to the top of tonight's contest, TRIGGER HAPPY BUNNIES (92) figured the easiest order of succession was to just be on top. Going the distance, GOAL DIGGERS (84) played a perfect second half. FEMBOTS HAVE FEELINGS TOO (83) rightfully took Dice to task on several answers.
Nearly skating away with some Cider Mill gift cards, the STANLEY CUPCAKES (78) opted to wager conservatively on the final to post a legit league score. VAN DE GRAF & THE GENERATORS (78) were hoping one of the top teams would falter. CHIMP N' IT (67) battled an early wagering setback all night. EBR #1 (61) was just visiting from Colorado, but played like Cider Mill veterans. The other halves of SCRATCH N' SNIFF (52) should have been playing Trivia. BALLZ DEEP (30) tried to relive past Trivia glory, but pulled out of competition at half.
Enjoy this week's playlist and have a fantastic week Cider Mill! See you next Tuesday!
-Dice
It should be noted that the table by the pool table is exceptionally lucky when Dice is hosting Trivia. In the last few weeks, at least a couple of winning teams have come from the corner. Tonight was no exception. Perhaps it's the acoustics, maybe it's the solitude allowing freedom to communicate. Regardless, apparently it pays to sit in the front of the class.
TEAMS: Ascending to the top of tonight's contest, TRIGGER HAPPY BUNNIES (92) figured the easiest order of succession was to just be on top. Going the distance, GOAL DIGGERS (84) played a perfect second half. FEMBOTS HAVE FEELINGS TOO (83) rightfully took Dice to task on several answers.
Nearly skating away with some Cider Mill gift cards, the STANLEY CUPCAKES (78) opted to wager conservatively on the final to post a legit league score. VAN DE GRAF & THE GENERATORS (78) were hoping one of the top teams would falter. CHIMP N' IT (67) battled an early wagering setback all night. EBR #1 (61) was just visiting from Colorado, but played like Cider Mill veterans. The other halves of SCRATCH N' SNIFF (52) should have been playing Trivia. BALLZ DEEP (30) tried to relive past Trivia glory, but pulled out of competition at half.
Enjoy this week's playlist and have a fantastic week Cider Mill! See you next Tuesday!
-Dice
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
2.23.15 Malone's Cafe - Trivia
2.23.15 Malone's Cafe - Trivia
When playing Trivia, it can be very important to try approaching questions and answers from a different angle or point of view. This skill is equally important when hosting Trivia and is something Dice takes pride in when putting on a show. For starters, when I receive the questions, I typically try to "play" the show as though I were a contestant. Often this is a crucial step in Dice's playlist creation, but more importantly, it reminds Dice why he hosts Trivia more often than he plays. This reminder also eliminates any "Trebek Phenomenon" that some hosts experience where they forget that all the answers are right there in front of them!
Monday at Malone's, desiring to create a different perspective, Dice set up his equipment on the other side of the room from his usual table. Although less centralized, the new TJ-booth offers plenty of room for Dice to get his groove on, a better view of all the teams playing Trivia, and significantly improved sound quality. Dice loved the new TJ-booth, especially the full hot sauce bar that seems to come with it!
TEAMS: Breaking news, BRIAN WILLIAMS WON A TRIVIA SHOW (83) after discovering America, landing on the moon, and acing the final round of tonight's contest. Winning the David vs. Goliath battle, BLASTER RACCOON BATTALION (79) took down the mighty MY DRINKING TEAM HAS A TRIVIA PROBLEM (79) in the tie-breaker. In a tale-of-two-halves, POOP SHOOT RIOT (67) put first-half woes behind them with an almost perfect second-half. Dice was ready to sic SIT UBU SIT (63) on the question writers, but a perfect sixth round and final round convinced Ubu to be a "good dog." Unfortunately unpixelated, POOP COCK E (46) showed us all that rhyming with bukkake might be worse than bukkake itself.
Try taking a little different look (at life, not bukkake), and have a great week Malone's! See you next Monday at 7:30pm!
-Dice
When playing Trivia, it can be very important to try approaching questions and answers from a different angle or point of view. This skill is equally important when hosting Trivia and is something Dice takes pride in when putting on a show. For starters, when I receive the questions, I typically try to "play" the show as though I were a contestant. Often this is a crucial step in Dice's playlist creation, but more importantly, it reminds Dice why he hosts Trivia more often than he plays. This reminder also eliminates any "Trebek Phenomenon" that some hosts experience where they forget that all the answers are right there in front of them!
Monday at Malone's, desiring to create a different perspective, Dice set up his equipment on the other side of the room from his usual table. Although less centralized, the new TJ-booth offers plenty of room for Dice to get his groove on, a better view of all the teams playing Trivia, and significantly improved sound quality. Dice loved the new TJ-booth, especially the full hot sauce bar that seems to come with it!
TEAMS: Breaking news, BRIAN WILLIAMS WON A TRIVIA SHOW (83) after discovering America, landing on the moon, and acing the final round of tonight's contest. Winning the David vs. Goliath battle, BLASTER RACCOON BATTALION (79) took down the mighty MY DRINKING TEAM HAS A TRIVIA PROBLEM (79) in the tie-breaker. In a tale-of-two-halves, POOP SHOOT RIOT (67) put first-half woes behind them with an almost perfect second-half. Dice was ready to sic SIT UBU SIT (63) on the question writers, but a perfect sixth round and final round convinced Ubu to be a "good dog." Unfortunately unpixelated, POOP COCK E (46) showed us all that rhyming with bukkake might be worse than bukkake itself.
Try taking a little different look (at life, not bukkake), and have a great week Malone's! See you next Monday at 7:30pm!
-Dice
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