Hello, everybody! My preparations for February 8th’s Clash of The Trivia Titans are coming together nicely . . . I hope yours are, too! I have six teams that have definitely qualified for the Titan Invitational (by winning 11 times since last year’s tournament), and another half dozen that are right on the verge of qualifying. And remember, even if you don’t make the cut, ALL teams are welcome to compete in the Olympian Open, which is the first quiz of tournament day – the champion team immediately qualifies for the Invitational. And of course, there are still plenty of chances to increase your win tally – you can play as much as six times a week. In fact, an intrepid member of Dana Plato’s Republic did just that last week; he played at every single venue I hosted (with fresh questions each night, of course!) – I love that pioneering spirit! I haven’t finalized the tournament venue yet (I’ve got it narrowed down to a couple of good’uns), but I’ll be ready to announce it next week.

In the meantime, remember that I’ll be handing out trophies and prizes for a lot more than just trivia prowess at the tournament; Best Team Page, Best Team Costumes, Best Shit-Talkers, Favorite Foes, Best Bartender, and Favorite Venue are all going to win stuff. Prepare your costumes, make a team page, think about who your favorites are – I will be sending out a survey soon so that you can cast your votes.

Another excellent Triviology event coming your way is on Oscar night! Sunday, February 22nd at East Burn, all you film buffs are invited to participate in my Oscar themed trivia quiz, then watch the ceremonies on the big screen while bartender Billy pops fresh popcorn for us! The winner of the quiz will receive the regular Triviology prize (gift certificate and T-shirts), but if I hear that you guys are interested in dressing up (as either characters or award recipients), perhaps I’ll have a special prize for the best costume as well – let me know what you think!

Here are the champions for the week of 1/4/09 – 1/8/09:

Sunday @ 6:00
East Burn
1800 E. Burnside
DR. SPACEMAN

Sunday @ 9:00
Ladd’s Inn
1204 SE Clay
WILFORD BRIMLEY EXPERIENCE

Monday @ 8:00
Hawthorne Hideaway
2221 SE Hawthorne
FELLATIO HORNBLOWER

Tuesday @ 7:30
Sewickly’s
4901 SE Hawthorne
DANA PLATO’S REPUBLIC

Wednesday @ 8:00
The Hutch
4606 NE Glisan
DR. SPACEMAN

Wednesday @ 8:00
Peter’s 19th Hole
5701 NE Fremont
JIMMY HAT NATION

Thursday @ 9:00
La Merde
301 SE Morrison
PORK SWORDS

Thursday @ 9:00
Kenton Club
2025 N. Kilpatrick
*no pub quiz

Thanks so much for playing with me, everybody!

Your trivia jockey,

Shannon Donaldson
ShanRock’s Triviology: Willamette Week Best of Portland
www.shanrockstrivia.com
(503) 957 – 7806

“Materialism is a disease of the mind starved for ideas.” – Jacob Needleman

Happy New Year, Triviologists! Xmas is over, the Snowpocalypse is behind us, and with the dawn of a new year, there is one question on everybody’s mind: What is the magic number of wins a team must earn to qualify for the Clash of the Trivia Titans?!?! First of all, a quick reminder that on the big day, absolutely anybody can play in the first quiz (the Olympian Open), and that the winning team becomes the wild card to compete in the second quiz (the Titan Invitational). To qualify for the Titan Invitational, a team must have had a certain number of wins at any of my regular trivia nights the preceding trivia season (which began on 2/11/08, right after last year’s COTT). Fear not if you’ve racked up some wins at retired venues – those still count! All wins are recorded on The Hall of Fame. After tallying the team wins thus far, I have decided to guarantee a slot in the Titan Invitational for any team with 11 wins or more (as of 2/8/09, the date of this year’s tournament). Don’t worry if your team hasn’t turned it up to 11 just yet – I might lower the qualifying number in the days to come, but I just wanted the teams who have made the grade to rest assured that they are in. Also, there are 30 more chances to add to your tally before the COTT, so even if you have ZERO wins to date, you can still definitely qualify!

It’s a good idea to check out the Hall of Fame, and keep a tally of your wins yourself – contact me if you’d like to make sure that your count equals mine. At this time of year, folks usually also like to know which venue provides their best chance of winning (i.e., the ones with the lower attendance). I honestly don’t currently have any venues which are doing poorly, but if you seek less competition (in terms of quantity, not quality, of course) at this time of year, I recommend, East Burn, Sewickly’s, and Peter’s. As to the venue for the tournament, I am still looking for just the right place, and open to suggestions! I’ll send you more details each week, and as always, please feel free to call or Email me with any questions or concerns you might have. 

Here are the champions for the week of 12/28/08 – 1/1/09:

Sunday @ 6:00
East Burn
1800 E. Burnside
EVERY WEEK IS SHARK WEEK

Sunday @ 9:00
Ladd’s Inn
1204 SE Clay
I CAME HERE TO CHEW BUBBLE GUM AND ANSWER TRIVIA AND I’M ALL OUT OF BUBBLE GUM

Monday @ 8:00
Hawthorne Hideaway
2221 SE Hawthorne
ZACHARY TAYLORZ

Tuesday @ 7:30
Sewickly’s
4901 SE Hawthorne
I WANT TO GO TO THERES

Tuesday @ 8:00 (next week this venue returns to normal Wednesday night quiz)
The Hutch
4606 NE Glisan
FRIENDS OF DEAN MARTINEZ

Wednesday @ 8:00
Peter’s 19th Hole
5701 NE Fremont
*no pub quiz tonight (New Year’s Eve)

Thursday @ 9:00
La Merde
301 SE Morrison
FEAR! FEAR FOR YOUR SAFETY

Thursday @ 9:00
Kenton Club
2025 N. Kilpatrick
*no pub quiz (closed for New Year’s Day)

Thanks so much for playing with me, everybody!

Your trivia jockey,

Shannon Donaldson
ShanRock’s Triviology: Willamette Week Best of Portland
www.shanrockstrivia.com
(503) 957 – 7806

“Materialism is a disease of the mind starved for ideas.” – Jacob Needleman