A raucous night, some great country tunes, and some heated competition at World Cafe Live, and when all was said and done, it was the Cracked Pact taking home their 2nd title in three years. The Magnificent Seven, the defending champs, fell just short at 129. And a spectacular finish by North Star alums Careless Fister put them in third place, and Beast of Bourbon and five time champs Sofa Kingdom finished tied for 5th. For more photos and analysis, check out the JGT Quizzo Page on facebook.

1. Cracked Pact 133
2. The Magnificent Seven 129
3. Careless Fister 124
4. Beast of Bourbon 123
5. Sofa Kingdom 123
6. Jawny Goodtimes 119
7. Duane’s World 119
8. But My Mom Says I’m Cool 117
9. Synchronized Trampoline 117
10. Alien vs Predator vs Brown vs Board of Education 115
11. Pats Over Eagles, 9 to 5 114
12. Lambda Lambda Lambda 113
13. Why Can’t Us? 111
14. Double Stuff Oreo 110
15. High and Lonesome 110
16. Specific Jawns 108
17. Is Your Cousin as Pretty as Mine? 104
18. Tempura House 103
19. Patriots Don’t Have Cox 102
20. World Cafe Live Staff 101
21. We Bathe in Eagle Tears 100
22. Manic Pixie Dream Team 98
23. Penguins 98
24. Philly Blues 98
25. Stormy Daniels Fan Club 98
26. Babysitters Fight Club 93
27. Superb Owl Week 92
28. Pat Meehan’s Soulmates 85
29. Disco All Over JGT If We Lose 81
30. Nelson’s Willie 77
31. Dickin Around in the Background 75
32. Trivia Newt and Jawn 73
33. Pad Thai-d Pod 60
34. Margate Mashers 56
35. The Nardawgs 25 

First of all congratulations to Cracked Pact, who defeated the Sofa Kingdom in overtime at Quizzo Bowl XII. I’ll have a full write up once we get our photos and video in. In the meantime, here’s how everyone finished:

1. Cracked Pact 133
2. Sofa Kingdom 133
3. 50 Shades of Cray 126
4. #1 Government Team Competitor 124
5. Imaginary Pablo and the Goat 122
6. Tempura House, a Shelter for Lightly Battered Women 120
7. The CGA 120
8. Invincible Ignorance 117
9. Dr. Teeth and Electric Mayhem 116
10. Honeybadgers 113
11. Duane’s World 111
12. Popesack 110
13. Make QUizzo great Again 107
14. Everybody’s Working for J-Weekend 106
15. The Frederalists 106
16. But My Mom Says I’m Cool 103
17. Lambda Lambda Lambda 103
18. Premature INquizilation 102
19. Synchronized Trampoline 102
20. In the Lead 101
21. Island of Misfit Toys 100
22. Jack’s Back 100
23. Satan’s Minions 100
24. At Least We Get to See Kweder 99
25. Quizzes and Quills 99
26. Trumpleforeskin 98
27. Jitney Spears 95
28. Show Me Your Caucus 88
29. Hammered Dulcimers 87
30. One if BY Pink, Two if by Stink 84
31. Quizzo Bowl 13: A Subsidiary of Geek Bowl 11 84
32. Cuts Dat Flo 82
33. Mysterious Mr. Mapother 82
34. Incontinental Congress 81
35. Intoxication w/o Representation 81
36. Slow Talkers of America 80
37. A Jerk and a Squirt 79
38. I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Reach My Beer 77
39. A Structured Settlement Rules Everything Around Us 67
40. Ardmore Assassins 53
41. Vote for Pedro 47
42. King Jake Jelly Jam 45

 

 

 

WHO: Anybody who wants to play. Teams of up to 8 players.

WHAT: Quizzo Bowl XII, the longest running quizzo event of it’s kind in the Universe. It is a celebration of nerd awesomeness, great music, and a vaudeville spirit. In the past we’ve had breakdancers, glam rock bands, Motown bands, human pretzels, Black Elvis, dancing, singing, Fastball Bob, . And this year we are bringing a true Philadelphia legend to the stage to rock. Kenn Kweder and the Hipster Mind Tricks are going to be taking you back to the 1970s (more on that later).

WHEN: Saturday, February 6th, 2016. Doors open at 7 p.m. Event starts at 8.

WHERE: World Cafe Live. 3025 Walnut Street.

WHY: Why not?

PRIZES: Yes, there will be $1500 worth of prizes for the winning teams (and new this year: a 14th place prize!). There will also be raffles and prizes given away throughout the evening. And Electric Mayhem will be gunning for their 4th straight last place prize.

IS THERE A THEME? Of course there is. The theme is “The Spirit of ’76”. We’re bringing the bicentennial to life at the World Cafe. Expect 1970s tunes, 1970s outfits, and a bicentennial twist on some of the questions, whatever the hell that means. Furthermore, the best dressed team will win a $100 gift card to a local establishment. So wear either 1776 gear or 1976 gear, and you’ve got a good shot of going home with a sweet prize.

IS THIS THING GOING TO BE ON A BOAT AGAIN THIS YEAR? No, this year’s event will not be on a boat. It will be at the World Cafe Live. There will be no more boat events.

GOOD, BECAUSE WE DON’T DO BOATS. I am well aware.

WHERE DO I SIGN UP? You can currently purchase tickets online here. I will also be selling a few on consignment at my quizzes starting next week. Tickets are $25 a pop. If you haven’t been before, trust me, it will be well worth it. And do not wait until the last minute. This has sold out in 10 of the previous 11 years.

THE BOAT DIDN’T SELL OUT. No it did not.

NOT EVEN CLOSE. Will you knock it off?

WILL THERE BE AN AFTERPARTY? Yes, working on details now. Will let you know soon.

WHERE CAN I GET UPDATES AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE EVENT? The Quizzo Bowl Facebook page just went live. It will be filled with previous Quizzo Bowl performances, Kweder performances, practical ticket info, and all sorts of tomfoolery. So be sure to sign up there, and that’ll keep you informed.

ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD KNOW? Just have fun. That’s the biggest thing about Quizzo Bowl. Kweder does a lot of back and forth with his crowds (which is why his live shows are legendary). This is gonna be an interactive event, from the trivia to the music. So be ready to be part of the show. Let’s do it to it!

 

You always remember the first time you hear something that sounds unlike anything you have ever heard before. I still remember as a 7-year old in 1982, listening in amazement at the Little League field as a couple of guys played Grandmaster Flash on their boombox. I had never heard anything like it, and it kicked off a love of hip-hop that persists to this day.

Fast forward about 25 or so years, when tuned in WXPN one day and heard a song unlike anything I had ever heard before. It was Heroin, a song that broke the longstanding rule in our society that art about dark topics needs to carry with it an appropriate gravitas. This song broke that rule, being an upbeat and peppy song about a relationship made stronger through heroin. It was ironic, weird, and really catchy. By the end of the song, I found myself singing along enthusiastically. I heard the DJ say that it was Kenn Kweder. When I got home, I rushed to the computer to see what the deal was with this guy, and ran into not only a great artist, but an amazing story. (I also contacted Chip, who said incredulously: “You’ve never heard of Kweder? Duuuuuuude!) I had stumbled onto a local icon, a Philly guy who had travelled the world playing rock music, who had had a chance to make it big but refused to sell out, and who was still rock ‘n’ rolling into his 60s, somehow maintaining rock n roll not as a hobby but as a profession. Who does that? (If you haven’t already, PLEASE read this interview with Kweder that I did a couple of years ago. Really fascinating.)

Kweder became the subject of a documentary that was recently released to rave reviews at a Tampa Film Festival and will be released in Philly at some point this year (see trailer above), so I thought it would be a really cool time to get Kweder on board for Quizzo Bowl. He’ll be bringing a full band along, and is prepared to rock the house down. Our last few music acts have been truly incredible, and this promises to be no different. And I’m expecting you guys, the nerd elite who will be attending, to get into the spirit too. A lot of Kweders stuff is sing-songy, back and forth with the crowd, so be ready to get involved. He and his group (the Hipster Mind Tricks) will also be playing a lot of sweet jams from the mid 70s, as our theme is “The Spirit of ’76” (more on that later.) We have the last of the true rock stars performing at Quizzo Bowl XII, so get excited. The Bowl takes place on February 6th at World Cafe Live. Tickets can be purchased now online. I’ll have some on me at quizzo starting next week. Let’s get it!

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. 

We are definitely going with a nautical theme at Quizzo Bowl X, and I highly encourage teams to dress with a nautical theme. Whether that means pirate, mermaid, captain, or pompous jackass preparing to sail with a popped collar and a sweater around his shoulders, that’s up to you.  Best dressed team will be rewarded with quite a bounty. TICKETS TO QUIZZO BOWL X CAN BE PURCHASED HERE. 

RELATED: Everything you need to know about Quizzo Bowl.