When our kid went off to college in late August, my husband and I rejoiced. Freedom! Finally, we had our lives back! Time to work out, eat out, and party like it’s 2002 (the year before our kid was born).
We started off strong. While walking the dog one September evening we stopped by a friend’s housewarming gathering. Fifteen minutes later, we left, high-fiving each other over our social stamina.
The adventure continued—a week later we impulsively made reservations for dinner at a restaurant! Seated by 5:30pm, finished by 6:30pm, home in time for the evening news—we were living the life, just like Jerry’s parents on “Seinfeld.”
By October, we were falling asleep in front of the TV at 8:30pm, lulled by the prattle of “Emily in Paris.” Sedentary dotage beckoned like a dreamy siren call from our cushy couch. What could break the spell and lure us into the land of People Who Go Out and Do Stuff at Night?
Dangerous and wild though it sounds, the answer was (not so) obvious: trivia nights.
What
Trivia nights at local breweries.
Why
Because if anything can keep me awake past 7pm, it’s the borderline sociopathic desire to crush the friendly neighborhood competition. (Nothing says “I’m not dead yet” like coming in third out of 11 on a quiz about movies made in the 1970s.)
How it went
Overall assessment: hilarious, brain-tickling fun.
Decipher
Vibe: low-key, flannels and fleece, dog- friendly.
Style: We used our smartphone to access and play the game (via Geeks Who Drink, a national trivia quiz service). A charming DJ led us through rounds of categories like Ten Letters and Starts with a ‘D,’ spinning upbeat oldies (“Bust a Move”) while I cursed my husband for not coming up with the no-brainer answer (somehow eluding me) to the question about an instrument made from a hollowed-out eucalyptus trunk (didgeridoo, dammit!).
Takeaway: Proudly veteran-owned. Bring a pizza and a pup, and settle in for tough questions and good beer.
Starr Hill Downtown
Vibe: Buzzy, bubbly, bopping.
Style: Bartenders Olivia and Nate wrote and hosted this trivia extravaganza, leading a packed house of 30 teams through categories like Grammy songs: Listen, then name artist and title. My husband and I—team name The Olds—strained to recognize any artist post-1999 (Me: “Pink?” Him: “Rihanna?”), while teams with names like Quiz in My Pants and Balloons Are People Too cruised to the lead. Thank god for visual round three, Famous TV Couches, where we matched five out of eight couch photos to their corresponding TV shows. That’s right, baby, The Olds were on fire, moving into 29th place.
Takeaway: Come early, bring friends, have a ball.
Random Row
Vibe: Laid-back, sporty, a little slice of homemade pizza heaven.
Style: Emboldened by our tough new team name, The Angry Elves, we greeted our lovely Geeks Who Drink trivia host, primed our smartphones, and prepared to rule Random Row. What a shock when we actually won! A free beer … in a round-one raffle. Hey, it was a start. And people cheered! We ultimately finished 11th out of 15 teams, and dang, it felt good.
Takeaway: Like family game night, if the family were as supportive, funny, and quick as this crowd.
What did I learn in three nights of trivia? One, so many great options. Two, for a guy who listens exclusively to sports and Springsteen, my husband seems oddly adept at identifying Nicki Minaj songs. I guess trivia raises more questions than it answers.
Follow the FAQs
Decipher Brewing, Monday 6:30pm, instagram.com/decipherbrewing
Starr Hill Downtown, Wednesday 7pm, instagram.com/starrhillcville
Random Row Brewing, Sunday 5pm, instagram.com/randomrowbrewing
Firefly, Tuesday 8pm, instagram.com/fireflycville
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Thursday 7pm, instagram.com/alamocville