Alright gang, here’s a list of some of the kool stuff we are gonna be giving away at the World Cafe Live for Beat the Champs. There are going to be lots of winners throughout the night, not just for first and second place. For more info on Beat the Champs, click here. Here’s some of the stuff we’re giving away:
$450 cash
Dinner for two to Mercato (1216 Spruce)
Six tickets to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden
$75 gift certificate at World Cafe Live
100 free tickets to see the Camden Riversharks
$40 gift certificate to Black Sheep
$40 gift certificate to the Bards

I scored the best breakdancer in Philly, but somehow it happened. Raphael Xavier has performed in numerous spots over the past 20 years of breakdancing, including the Kennedy Center. Uh, yeah, that Kennedy Center. In one of those instances where a disaster turns into a huge triumph, yesterday I was freaking out because some guy who told me he could do it wasn’t returning my calls. Giving up on him, I was led by a friend to the Community Education Center Meeting House Theatre, who in turn put me in touch with Xavier. Unlike the previous guy I contacted, Raphael was a true pro, and we had worked out a deal in a matter of hours. I am exceptionally excited to see him perform.

For more info on Beat the Champs, click here.

Okay, my instructions in Beat the Champs haven’t been the clearest. Here’s the very basics:
When: August 28th, 2005 at 6:30 p.m.
Where: World Cafe Live (3025 Walnut Street)
Who: Johnny Goodtimes, a cowgirl band, a steel drum band, and you
Why: Because I think it will be a lot of fun to have a bunch of quizzo enthusiasts get together to listen to good music and play quizzo in a world class music hall.
What: Beat the Champs is your chance to knock off the champions of Quizzo Bowl I. I am giving you a head start by giving you an opportunity to earn a ten point lead over the champs. You can earn 8 of those points just by ordering your tickets early. The other two points can be earned by performing any of a number of physical challenges, found here and here. All points must be presented to me by Saturday at 12 noon. If a member of your team orders tix online, please have them email me to let me know (johnny@johnnygoodtimes.com)
Do I need to have 8 people before I can buy tickets?
No, each member of the team can buy tix seperately. Also, you do not need to have eight players on your team. Eight is the maximum. You can play by yourself if you want.
But quizzo is normally free. Why would I pay $10 to play quizzo?
Jumping out of a tree is free**, but a roller coaster is a lot more fun. There’s gonna be incredible live music, which is not normally found at quizzo. Also, over $750 worth of cash and prizes on the line, as opposed to the $35-$60 usually on the line.

If anybody has any more questions, please feel free to email me or leave a comment below. Thanks.
**Johnny does not endorse nor condone an activity as dangerous as jumping out of trees, despite the savings.

Johnny is giving away free Camden Riversharks tickets to the first 100 people through the door to Beat the Champs! This will give you a splendid opportunity to lay eyes on Campbell’s Field, unquestionably one of the most beautiful minor league ballparks in the country (sit on the first base side, where you’ll have a view of the bridge and the Philadelphia city skyline). As most of you know, I did a piece in the City Paper a few weeks ago about the Sharks. Well, I am happy to report that a former Shark recently had his dream come true. Kane Davis earned a win in relief for the Milwaukee Brewers this past Sunday. In other baseball news, the Kansas City Royals bear watching the next few days. Why? Because they might break the 1961 Phillies record of 23 straight losses! So far, the Royals have lost 19 in a row.

As you all know, there is a scavenger hunt portion of Beat the Champs. I have decided to add a few things that you can do to earn points. I think you’re going to like the first one. Earn eight of the ten possible points simply by buying your ticket before August 28th!!! That’s right. All you have to do is buy your ticket in advance, and I’m gonna give you an 8 point lead over the Champs (send me an email letting me know you already bought your tickets to either johnny@johnnygoodtimes.com or beatthechamps@yahoo.com). Then, if you complete just a couple more things, I’ll give you 10 points heading into your meeting with the fiercest quizzo team ever to lace ’em up. Here’s a few more ways you can earn some points.

Write a letter to the editor of Philly magazine: 1 point
Yes, I know that some people have already written their letters. If those people send me an email telling me what team they will be playing on, I will give them their point. If you haven’t already sent in a letter, do so now. If you do it by this Sunday, you will also be eligible to win $50 cash.

Take a picture of Marky Mark or M. Night Shymalan in Philly: 1 point
Get your picture taken with Marky Mark or M. Night: 2 points
Ticket stub or receipt from World Cafe Live: .5 points
Leave a message on the johnnygoodtimes.com message board: .5 points
(just be sure to let me know what team you play for when you leave the message.)
Send Johnny some of your favorite photos you’ve taken of Philadelphia .5 points
Adventure Aquarium ticket .5 points
zoo balloon ticket .5 points
Ticket to Walt Whitman’s house .5 points
ticket to Poe house .5 points
(if some of these places don’t give actual tickets, just get me a receipt)

Though I thought that Quizzo Bowl I was, overall, a success, there were a number of things that could be improved for the next event.

a) Downtime. Yes, there was too much downtime. That was because I didn’t have enough graders. There will be several more graders. There will also be a few less questions (we’ll be going 12 per round instead of 15), and my answer sheets will be better organized.

b) Ended too late for a Sunday night. I have corrected that by lessening the downtime and moving the starting time up a half an hour.

c) The food situation. Last time, we went with more of a snack menu. This time, a full dinner menu will be offered.

d) Most importantly, THERE WILL BE NO BELLYDANCING. Yes, you may breathe a sigh of relief. The breakdancers will not come into the crowd and try to get you to dance with them on the tables.

The ticket situation is a little convoluted when you go to buy tickets online. Do not pay attention to the seating chart. It is useless. After you click on “Buy Tickets”, just click on “Quick Pick Tickets” on the next page. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. So far, we’ve sold about 50 tickets. Also, I am extending the deadline to get in your bonus points. You must submit your points to me by next Thursday, August 25th.

Johnny Goodtimes is extremely excited to announce that the featured band for the Beat the Champs Spectacular is going to be the Kyle Dunleavy Steel Drum Quartet. Kyle, who is a professional steel drum manufacturer, has been performing professionally for over 10 years. His travels have taken him all over the Northeast, from Maine down to Virginia. He also spent time playing with a number of Caribbean orchestras while on a musical pilgrimage in Trinidad and Tobago. Dunleavy, who graduated from the internationally acclaimed Hartt School of Music, will be joined by three other musicians, a bass player, a percussionist, and a vibraphonist. Johnny will have more details about the band in the near future.

Johnny yesterday signed the breakdancers for the quizzo event of the century*. They will be part of the half-time extravaganza at Beat the Champs Spectacular. They join the Lunchbox Cowgirls, who have already signed on. Two of the members of the Cowgirls will be performing at the GhettoSongbirds WingDom Fest, which is a Rock ‘n’ Soul Music and Arts Festival this Saturday at the Halycon Gallery on 3237 Amber Street. The Show starts at 12 noon and runs all the way until Midnight. It looks pretty kool, it’s only $10, and its goal is to raise funds and awareness for the Calcutta AIDS House in North Philly. For more info click here. The Wingdom Fest will also feature a group called Tangled Thoughts, who are the most talented underground hip hop group I’ve seen in Philly.

Hey gang, I’ve gotten a lot of questions about Beat the Champs, so I’ll try to clear a few things up.

1) Is the scavenger hunt for real?
Yes, you may earn points by embarking on a number of adventures. Remember, all pictures, tickets, etc. must be sent to Johnny by August 21. Email things to beatthechamps@yahoo.com.

2) How many players are allowed on a team?
Eight players maximum.

3) Why can’t I tell what table I’m ordering?
We’re going to do it a little bit different than last time. It’s going to be first come, first serve on the tables, just like at regular quizzo. You order the tix online, but you don’t order a specific table.

4) Will you have more graders than at Quizzo Bowl?
Yes. Lesson learned.

5. What about bellydancing?
Uh, no, there will be no bellydancing.

6. Should I plan to have dinner at the World Cafe Live that night?
Yes, they will be offering a full menu.

7. Do you really want our photos of Philly?
Yes, please send me your photos of Philly and of you and your teammates. I want to incorporate them into the show. Please send any kool, funny, or Phillycentric photos to johnny@johnnygoodtimes.com.

8. Is it going to be worth $10?
Absolutely. This is either going to be one of the most amazing shows of any kind in this city this year or it’s going to be a complete train wreck. Either way, it’s worth a measly ten bones.

9. Can I get tickets at the door?
Yes, but they will be a little more expensive. Also, keep in mind that the last show sold out and we turned away a bunch of people at the door. I would suggest ordering them online.

10. Will there be any other prizes besides the money?
Yes, there will be a few Let’s Make a Deal-like moments throughout the course of the night, with a chance to win some great prizes (and alas, some zonks).

If you have any more questions you want answered, please provide them in the comments section below.

Momentum is starting to build for the Beat the Champs Spectacular, as Johnny today signed the first band to the show. The Lunchbox Cowgirls are a country cowgirl cabaret band. Kendall Roark (“the Texas Mermaid”) writes and sings most of the songs and plays rhythm guitar. Moe Pain (“the Bitch-N-Black”) keeps it all together with her steady and melodic bass lines. Local singer/songwriter Nicola Visaggio (aka “Butch-N-Busty”) plays a mean lead guitar and sings harmonies. For the show they’ll be joined by banjo/vocalist Kathleen Pappalardo –the newest edition to the band.

The Lunchbox Cowgirls play mostly original songs in the country crooner tradition with a sprinkling of american traditionals and old time country covers. They are not afraid to search out the roots of country and its connections with other styles of music. This experimentation takes the form of everything from country-tangos and blue-grass inspired laments, to country-twanged gypsy-jazz for the burlesque crowd. You can see them perform every last Monday of the month as the house-band for the SideShow Cabaret at the Khyber in Center City Philadelphia. The Cowgirls will be playing to open the show. Johnny still has several more surprises in store. Stay tuned!!!