The Hub September 2016 | Page 12

Want to check out trivia night in Windsor? Here are some pointers for making the most of it. Bring a group of friends with diverse interests Do you have a friend who’s a whiz at Name That Tune? Know someone who knows every Broadway play and Oscar-nominated film? If your friend can name all the elements on the periodic table in alphabetical order, recruit that person for your team! Bring your sense of humour It never fails that an answer that got out-voted turns out to be the correct answer after all. Sometimes you won’t all agree if it was Nixon or Reagan who said that quote, or if Switzerland has counties or cantons. There will always be somebody shouting, “I said that!” in self-righteous indignation. It’ll be best for all your relationships if you can laugh about it and move on. Bring your inside voice Nothing will rile up a trivia crowd more than someone shouting out answers. Don’t be that guy. Bring your wallet Show the venue some love by buying food and drinks while you play. You’ll be supporting local small-business owners and enjoying some delicious eats. It’s a win-win. action starts at 7 p.m. and you’d better come early if you want a good table. Trivia night at the Dominion House is a low-key affair attended by a familiar crowd of trivia teams. Hosts Gerrod Rankin and Tony Fleming bring a lot of personality and banter to the evening, giving the night a Cheers-like atmosphere, where everybody knows your name. Covering the widest variety of topics in each of three rounds, you’re liable to encounter anything from classic literature to WWE wrestling. Put together your most well-rounded team to capitalize on this one. Rock Bottom’s Sandwich Town location makes it a prime spot for university students looking to blow off steam. Host Carrie caters to the younger crowd featuring questions on the latest viral hits from YouTube and the strangest stories from worldwide headlines. Come prepared for a couple hours of bizarre ephemera. Leave your sense of political correctness at home and bring out your most vulgar team name. On the host’s side, creating a great set of questions has its own challenges. For Fleming, the toughest part is striking a balance in difficulty. If the questions are too easy, the veteran teams aren’t challenged. On the flip side, nobody enjoys it when the questions are too hard. If you spend any amount of time attending trivia nights you’ll notice they all share one thing in common when it comes to categories: they all shy away from sports questions. “I'm known for not including sports - especially the big four,” says Jacques. “I think my audience has adapted to my trivia style, which I describe as ‘general knowledge with a lean on pop culture’. It's what people know and like these days music, movies and video games.” When you set foot into any of these venues you’ll be greeted with an inter-generational crowd of players; pub trivia seems to be a great equalizer, attracting everyone from university students to retirees. One thing is for certain, the popularity of pub trivia in Windsor is ever-growing. Thanks to the success he’s had at The Manchester, Jacques’ Mack Flash Entertainment is popping up everywhere. “More bars started inquiring about having trivia. I gradually added a bunch of nights, had to find other hosts to help me out, and we're still looking to expand.” Click for more info! The Manchester Dominion House The Dugout Mack Flash Entertainment