I had narrowed it down to a couple of bands for Quizzo Bowl XI, but wasn’t sure that either was the perfect fit. After taking a bath on the boat, I needed QBXI to be a success or it was going to be the end of the road for the Bowl as we know it. So I needed a sure shot for the band. When I saw that the musical Motown was coming to Philly, it clicked. I asked around about Motown bands, and was quickly pointed in the direction of the York Street Hustle.
The weather was snowy and nasty, and getting to to the World Cafe proved to be a major challenge. The snow and ice combo had me worried that whole teams were going to drop out, but only a few people couldn’t make it.
There were some shenanigans, such as the opener “Quizzo Bowl Man”, which was going great until I totally flubbed the lines in the second verse, which is something I’ll never forgive myself for. A more successful performance was put on by my mom, who sang backup on a Supremes number. The quiz itself was rather enjoyable, from the back and forth between Fastball Bob and Bing Supernova that formed Round Two to the debut of Johnny Flamethrower in Round Three. In terms of trivia, it was Round Four that took the cake, as the music round, a collection of Detroit musicians that ran the gamut from Del Shannon to Kid Rock, was a huge success. But it was the between round performances that truly made the night. The York Street Hustle simply channelled the spirit and energy of Motown, and by the end, the crowd was less interested in the scores than they were in the band.
With good reason. The Sofa Kingdom won their 5th Quizzo Bowl, but even their repeat title couldn’t put a damper on the night. The team of Jeopardy champs finished 2nd, but the heroes of the night were But My Mom Says I’m Cool, who took a narrow lead into the final round and finished an impressive third. (You can check all of the scores here.)
All in all, Quizzo Bowl XI was a resounding success, with numerous people saying it was the greatest one of all time. It certainly ranked right up there with some of the classics, such as QBIV (at the Blue Horizon), QBVIII (steel drums and Koob and Kristy’s on-stage engagement), and QBIX (Welcome to My Face). Regardless, it’s going to be a damn tough act to follow for whomever gets the music gig next year. Be sure to check out Emelie Rejician’s incredible photos from Quizzo Bowl XI.