Nice Guys Trivia @ the Lamplighter

Bring your near-sighted brain.
Also, your astigmatic liver.

Where: The Lamplighter, 92 Water Street

When: 7 PM, Tuesdays.

Web Presence: Check the Nice Guys Trivia page for occasional updates.

Team Info: Not entirely certain, but I'd wager that you can bring as many as you like, per other quizzes at Donnelly pubs.

Prizes: Top three teams win a pitcher of beer, along with other prizes. Also a few games of "Heads Or Tails" could win you supplementary drinks.

Format: The standard 8 round Nice Guys quiz you'll see at Donnelly pubs across the city. A photo round to warm up, and a heavy emphasis on music. Be prepared for an "In the news" round, coming from that liner of composts across the city, The Province.

Food and Drink: I found the food to be pretty pub-standard, but I was very impressed by the beer selection. I mean, nobody will confuse it for the Alibi Room or 12 Kings, but the selection is vast, with a lot of good craft choices.

Here we are again, at another quiz in a Donnelly pub run by the kind fellows at Nice Guys Trivia. I had a pretty good idea of what to expect, but let's recap for those at the back. Here you'll find lots of pop culture questions, with almost half the points coming from music and current events. The quizmasters are fairly brisk about proceedings, moving along at a much faster pace than I had previously experienced with Nice Guys. If there is one thing I really don't like about quizzes, it is when the hosts artificially drag things on. I understand that the quiz is here to get us to buy food and drinks and otherwise patronise a place we maybe wouldn't, but I can't stand it when places are downright shameless about it. Anyways, not a problem this time around. Perhaps someone reads my occasional bitching? A nice thought.

No, my son is also named
the Lamplighter

The tenor of the questions seemed quite similar to what I've seen at The Bimini, the former Calling, and other similar pubs, so I think it is a very safe bet to say most quizzes are a long the same lines here. Nothing unusually dumb, but also nothing overly difficult. A good sense of standard quiz knowledge, acronyms, and picking the least-likely sounding multiple choice question will take you a long way here.

The bar's a big one, so chances that you'll find a seat. The Lamplighter's website claims that it is "The biggest pub quiz night in Vancouver," although I dispute that particular claim. They definitely have a large and busy space, but based on the number of teams I've seen there, I don't think it is the biggest by a long shot. Even though it isn't packed to the rafters with teams, there is still a good number of regular teams that show up to do battle every week, which is the sign of a healthy quiz. They mostly seemed nice, and were gracious in defeat.

WELL:  Probably the best location I've been to yet for a Nice Guys/Donnelly quiz. Good sized crowd, and moves along at a decent pace