April Is The Quizzest Month

Or maybe I should have gone with "breeding/Lilacs out of the dead land, quizzing/Memory and desire" but I thought perhaps lines 2-3 of The Waste Land are not quite so iconic. Anyways! I've got some quiz news for you, recounted here in roughly the order it came to me.

Once again, the Friends of the Terry Fox Library are hosting another literary quiz night. It's on Saturday, April 8th, at the Terry Fox Library in Port Coquitlam. Tickets are 20 bucks apiece.

There's a quiz at the Dubh Linh Gate on Main Street on Wednesdays now. Cool! Starts at 7.

Debbie, aka the Quizmistress, has moved her quiz at the Fringe to Tuesday Nights, and is starting up a new quiz on Monday's at Red Card, located in the Moda Hotel downtown. It's the same lucky key trivia she has always run, with a $50 gift certificate going to the winners. Should be fun!

Sadly, Darby's will be changing hosts yet again, and swapping the ever popular Carin for the quiz stylings of the IQ 2000 quiz company. Hopefully Carin pops up again at a new location. I'll keep you posted! Quiz at Darby's will change format, but should still be the same time.

Speaking of IQ 2000, they are making their first attempt at a grand trivia even in the style of Geek Bowl, with "The BIGGEST trivia event in history" [citation needed]. IQ Mania will be on Saturday July 8th at the Biltmore Cabaret, and tickets are about 20 bucks a person after ticketfly takes their cut. Teams are of 7 people, and top prize is rumored to be around 500 dollars. I'd make sure to get your tickets early. I've got mine!

 Shantih    shantih    shantih

The Circle of Life

I come today as the bearer of some sad news, but to counteract, I've brought double the glad news. I hope that'll work.

The sad is that there's one fewer quiz in the city: The Pressbox is no longer running their quiz. Too bad. 

The glad is that there's two new ones to announce! Falconetti's has brought back their Wednesday quiz, albeit with different hosts. As with some other quizzes in town, they look to be locking into a league play format, and according to their website are offering one thousand dollars to the top placing team. That's some pretty good coin right there. The second is a bit further afield, but will probably scratch your itch if you finding yourself missing the Pressbox. The Narrows in North Vancouver is now running quizzes Wednesday at 8, for those of you North of the Ironworker's. 

Enjoy!

Transhemispheric Airlines

Wow, I'm bad at updating. In any case, this is to let you that no, the blog isn't dead, and yes, The Master List is up to date. Please let me know if you have any news!

To show you how it works, I'll even supply with some tidbits of my own: pub quiz has returned to everyone in Vancouver's favourite antipodean hideout, The ANZA Club! This time around, it is on the last Sunday of every month, and will be run by Quiz juggernaut IQ2000. I hope to see you there.

Speaking of Mount Pleasant, Woo Hoo! Classics Simpsons Trivia will be migrating to the Biltmore Cabaret, effective October 24th. Ha... ho?

Triune Impurity Rites

It's been awhile since I've updated this, and we've got some news from three corners of the city. I hope this enables a broad swath of the city to drink and answer some questions.

First off, the good people of Marpole have a quiz to call their own, as the Milltown Bar & Grill have started a trivia night on Thursdays. head on down, for four rounds of trivia, for a shot to win over 60 dollars in prizes. I'm told Thursday is Fish and Chips night, so that's an added bonus. They also run Music Trivia every second Saturday, providing the opportunity to go to a quiz for thirteen consecutive days (!). 

Our next port of call will take us to Commercial Drive, where Stateside Craft is running some Thursday Night Trivia. It looks like you can grab a $12 pitcher of beer on Thursdays, so that should be reason enough to go. Don't know much else about it, though. 

And finally, to round out this holy trinity of Thursday quizzes - it looks as though the excellent quiz at the Our Town Cafe (the one at Kingsway and Broadway) is back on, after a long hiatus. I haven't stopped back in, but last I went, it was a fantastic quiz. No word on whether Def Jeoppard is back providing musical accompaniment. 

I'll try to head out to these quizzes to give everyone an update as soon as I can. It'll take at least three weeks, but more likely four or five. Or six. Or ten. 

Stay tuned for an excited addition to the blog!

The Impending Madness

I didn't need to to do this last year, so I'm glad to announce it this year: THE CANUCKS, PEACE BE UPON THEM, ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS. THIS MAY FUCK UP YOUR FAVOURITE QUIZ NIGHT, SO CHECK AHEAD OF TIME.  Sometimes the quiz will be cancelled, sometimes it will be wedged in between periods. In any case, don't get caught off-guard.

In other news, East Side Craft House's quiz has been pushed up to 7:30 PM every Friday,and  it looks like there may be a quiz at Seven Dining Lounge in Mount Pleasant.

Go Canucks!

The Beat Goes On

Good Evening! Even more quiz updates. In standard point form:

• The Waldorf, current hosts of Woo Hoo! Simpsons trivia, is now hosting trivia nights the second and fourth Monday of every month. Mark that in your calendars, if your calendar apps support that level of specificity (and they should).
• IQ 2000 is now hosting at Colony in Kits on Mondays
• I hear there is a J.R.R. Tolkein trivia night coming up in March, but I won't say any more about it.

Quiz Digest: Year of the Sheep edition

Happy new year, to those of you inclined to a lunar calendar! I've been quite busy lately, so I apologize for the lack of updates. The plus side is that I get to share a whole bunch of news with you today.

• First off, congratulations are in order for Quiz Night With Katie, who recently hosted her 200th quiz! It is one of my favourites, and at this point probably the longest-running quiz in town. May she host 200 more. 
• Following up on the heels of their Harry Potter trivia night, The Biltmore is getting into the action with two quizzes this week: The second coming of Punk Rock Trivia, and a Game Of Thrones night, hosted by sometime–blog contributor IQ 2000. 
• And speaking of IQ 2000, there's quite a bit of news coming from his direction. This Tuesday will mark the final quiz night at Mr. Brownstone. But fear not! Mr. Brownstone's is merely changing owners, and after a period of renovation, should be back with a new name and the same quiz.
• IQ 2000's Sunday night gig at Rowan's Roof has shifted venues, and you can now catch his impeccable slideshow at The King's Head in Kits.
• I got the chance to go to the Portside's quiz, and I'll hopefully have a review up in the next few weeks.
• Finally: Once again, I wrangled up a team of friends to head to Geek Bowl, North America's largest pub quiz. Geek Bowl IX was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and was once again an excellent time. It was a white knuckle ride featuring the Dan Band, a Dance Round (!), and more beer than normal. In the end, we cracked the top 10, and came in ninth place out of 140 of the top quiz teams in North America. Don't believe me? Check out the official standings. Next year, we're gunning for a podium finish!

Godt Nytår!

Since the Danes have been eliminated from the World Juniors, maybe let's leave it at Happy New Year. I hope it finds you well or miserable, as you prefer. I've got some ideas as to what makes the perfect start to a year, but I'm not going to waste your time with any, save one: new quiz announcements! I've got one new recurring quiz, and a one-off spectacle for you. 

First off, The Portside Pub (7 Alexander Street in Gastown) has recently started a weekly quiz, Wednesday at 8PM. Highlights include free canapés during the quiz, and a pair of Canucks tickets as a grand prize. That's some quizmaster largesse right there. I'll try to get a review up in the next month or so. 

Secondly, the Biltmore will be putting on the one-time event "Harry Potter and the Hall Of Inebriation" on Wednesday (when else?), January 21st. Tickets run eight dollars apiece, Butterbeer and Firewhiskey will be served, and the ultimate Harry Potter trivia master will be determined. We're a long way from Hogwarts, so this might be your best chance to nab a Nimbus 2000, Sorting Hat, or Time-Turner.

Will There Ever Be a Rainbow?

I'm a little bit late to the game, but Woo Hoo Classic Simpsons Trivia has moved out of the slightly bizarre environs of SD Galleria, and on to the less convenient, but nicer confines of The Waldorf. Head down to the Tiki Bar, and share a drink with everyone's favourite Olmec head. When's the next quiz? Tomorrow, so adjust your schedules accordingly.

As Christopher Wallace once said, "If you don't know, now you know"

Señor Xtapolapocetl

Quiz Roland To The Dark Tower Came

Once again, it appears to be time to announce another new pub quiz. The newest kid on the block is Roland's on 4th, located on West 4th avenue in Kitsilano. You thought that Wednesday's quiz schedule was getting full, and you were having trouble picking out which quiz to go to? Tough! We've got another hat in the ring, run by the people of Moving Music & Events - in the even that name means anything to you. I've never heard of them before, which has got me quite excited to take in a quiz written by an unknown (to me).

The quiz advertises itself as being based on pop culture, and they're offering specials of $3.95 highballs and a free plate of wings for each table. there's no entry free, and the quiz purports to start at seven PM. The quiz starts as of Wednesday, November 12, 2014, and runs weekly.

So, a quick recap:
-Roland's on 4th
-Wednesdays at 7PM
-FREE WINGS

Make Your Answers Count

Look at that, couldn't even go four days without finding out about a new quiz event to share with you guys.

Decoda Literacy Solutions is running a fundraising trivia night and optional costume party on Sunday, September 28th at the Butcher and Bullock (911 West Pender Street). It's run by the folks at Nice Guys Trivia. If you're someone with good recall, and you should be, if you're looking for a trivia night, you'll remember what I said about the Nice Guys. If you forgot, I can't blame you, and I'll paraphrase: They're nice, and it's a fun time. As I've probably said before, I love fundraising quizzes, and have had a great time at all of those I've been to in the past.

Follow the link to get all the details, then find a team, raise some money, and do some quizzing for a good cause!

Trivia Church, or Judas Quizcariot

More and more publicans have been deciding that Sunday is the night for pub quiz. That's great! I wholeheartedly support this trend and will probably be checking out a quiz myself this coming Sunday. That means I'll have a new quiz to review, and we won't have another month go by without a post.

The latest entry into the Sunday quiz market is Rowan's Roof, which had such a good time with their Canada Day special, they've decided to keep it as a regular Sunday fixture. It will be run by IQ2000, so it should be a sharp quiz with the same excellent multimedia show. I head that the prizes last week were pretty impressive, too. The quiz starts at 7.

Nobody Suspects A Thing

Canada Day is fast approaching, and what better way to celebrate than with a quiz? I suppose I can think of few, but they all involve extenuating circumstances, so let's just leave those off the table for now. So, as a gift to you, my fellow Canadian residents and transients, I present with two new quizzes! Or rather, two quizzes heretofore unknown to me. Although I am octopus-like in some respects, I can assure that I am a completely normal human being, and thus cannot be everywhere at once. Anyhow.

Vancouver Trivia Party (is now/has been for some time) running two weekly pub quizzes. You'll find one on Tuesdays at The Academic in Kits, and the other on Wednesdays, at the Blarney Stone in the loins of Gastown. Both quizzes advertise a 7:30 start time. I haven't had the chance to attend either yet, but given the name and the locale, it sounds like it will be a riotous occasion indeed.

Will your local quiz be running on Canada Day? Beats me! You may want to check ahead of time just to be sure though. I can tell you for certain that my local Tuesday quiz at Mr Brownstone will not be running Canada Day. If you fear you may suffer from IQ2000 trivia withdrawal, fear not, as Mr IQ2000 will be running a special one-off quiz at Rowan's Roof, in Kitsilano.

Warning: Incoming Quiz

I found out about a bunch of quizzes in town recently. I'm not sure how new they are, but they were news to me. So here they are, in roughly the order I learned about them

-Caffe Barney, on Granville Street is running Rock Trivia tonight at 7:30. This appears to be a one-off quiz that is related to their irregular yet popular Music Trivia nights. It is written, hosted, and sponsored by Red Truck Brewing, so it sounds like it will be a lot of fun. A shame that I'll have to miss it tonight.
-The Five Point, also on Main, runs a quiz every Wednesday at around 8PM. They have DJ Thunder/Junk spinning 80s hits afterwards, so I feel that this may be run by the same people as at Falconetti's. Or maybe it is just a coincidence. I suppose I'll walk the five blocks and find out one day.
-London Pub, at East Georgia and Main Street, is now running a quiz on Sunday nights, starting at 7PM. Aside from a single quiz at the legion, they have this night almost to themselves.
-The Gallery, at UBC, has a quiz every Monday at 8PM sharp.

Not much luck for people who live downtown, but those who live around Main Street should enjoy this. I guess I've got even more work to do. Next up, a review of the quiz at The Bimini, which I (finally) made it out to.

The pride of Burnaby

Yet more quizzes?!?!

The boom cycle of quizzes in Vancouver continues - I'm pleased to have found out about 2 new quizzes tonight, one which is currently running, and one which will start up next week. First off, Displace Hashery is running a Monday night quiz, aptly titled "Quizplace" - weekly at 8:30PM. Secondly, The Locker Room Pub on Kingsway will be starting a trivia night on Thursday evenings as of May 1st. It will be hosted by IQ 2000, aka our very own Mike, who has seen some success at Mr. Brownstone in recent weeks. Speaking of that devil, look for a review of said quiz coming soon! Spoiler alert: it is a lot of fun. After that, I'll be doing by best to venture into deepest, darkest Kits to attend The Bimini's quiz night, which likewise sounds like a good time.

It is officially more work to go to every quiz night in the city than I ever thought it would be.

A Book Quiz For Your Quiz Book

An eagle-eyed reader has brought yet another quiz to my attention: A Quiz Night for the Friends of the Coquitlum Public Library! It all goes down on Friday, April 11th at 7:30PM. Teams of up to 7 people, with a $25.00 entrance fee, all going to a good cause, by the sounds of it. Located at the Coquitlam Public Library, City Centre branch at 1169 Pinetree Way. Do you live in the suburbs and bemoan your relatively lack of pub quizzes? Here's a great chance to knock minds to raise money for the community, and on a Friday night, no less!

Unfortunately for me, I've got a previous engagement at the North Shore Writer's Festival, so if anyone can attend and let me know how this was, I'd love to hear it.

Also, I've disabled comments on the Master List & Calendar. Not for any reason as dramatic as you might think, but rather I don't find them aesthetically pleasing now that we've had more than 2. Comments will work the same on all other posts, of course. If you want to contact us, send an email to vancouverpubquiz@gmail.com, and we'll get back as soon as we can.

A Noble Quiz Embiggens The Smallest Man

It would appear that this month's trial run of Woo Hoo Classic Simpson's Trivia was a success, and they'll be running another in April. This is great news, for a number of reasons:

1) It is "Classic" Simpsons trivia  - covering the nearly unimpeachable first 9 seasons.
2) I wasn't paying attention and missed it, so now I have a chance to go.
3) Maybe it'll stick around even longer. There has been a Toronto edition of this quiz and it sounds like great fun. 

The quiz will be on Monday, April 21st, at Simply Delicious, AKA SD Galleria Sushi Lounge, which you can find at 4316 Main Street, starting at 7 PM. I've added it to my calendar, you should at it to yours!

Check out more info at the official Facebook Page.

New Quiz Announcement(s)

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It is always fun to be able to report on a new pub quiz coming out, and today I get to do it twice.

First off, the second annual North Shore Writers Festival literary trivia quiz is coming up next month on Friday, April 11 from 8:30-10 pm at the North Vancouver City Library (14th and Lonsdale). As someone who likes to look at words on pages, I'm quite excited. I hope to see you there. As an added bonus, it is hosted by none other than CBC's own Grant Lawrence.

Next up, is even better news - a new weekly pub quiz is springing up at Mr Brownstone Bar and Grill on Main Street. The first edition will run Tuesday, April 14th at 7pm, and I'm going to guess that it'll run onTuesdays after that. Good news, since the Mount Pleasant has been without a weekly quiz for a while, and better news, since Vancouver Pub Quiz's own Mike will be running the show! I promise I won't let him write the review for this one. He knows his stuff, and I expect it to be a fun time - I plan to be there.

The only possible downside, is that this new quiz only adds to the embarrassment of quizzes on Tuesday nights - baby makes 9. Hopefully the next few to pop up decide that Monday is also a perfectly good night for a quiz. We've only got 3, making our most quiz-deprived night of the week.

And if you've read this far, you may as well keep reading - the QuizUp app for Android was released a few days ago, and if you like trivia and haven't tried it yet, it's a lot of fun. If you want to play a game, hit me up - my user name is Vancouverpubquiz, appropriately enough. It is an excellent <strike>time waster</strike> study tool.

Returnal

Another quick administrative post. As previously discussed, I was out travelling, but now I am returned. The quizzes seemed to have multiplied while I was away, so it looks like there will be super new reviews coming up. First in line are a pair of quizzes downtown - Malone's and The Bottleneck.

My co-blogger Mike, who has been doing a fantastic job in my stead, and will continue to update the blog as well. Rumour has it he's trying to start up a few quizzes of his own. Stay tuned!

Darby's now running monthly league competition

Darby's pub has introduced a new competition that adds an extra level of excitement to their already excellent product.

Throughout November, the results of each weekly quiz will also count towards a monthly leader board; total points scored carry over from week to week, and the team who tally the most at the end of the month win a spectacular prize pack including Steamworks beer and branded glassware, a Darby's gift certificate, custom printed winners' t-shirts with the team name screened on it, and a grand prize yet to be determined. (The prize has been awarded once already, and it was Whitecaps tickets, so expect something equally big).

Quizmaster Katie plans to repeat the Monthly Cup at least through the winter, and perhaps on indefinitely thereafter. As if you needed another reason to go.

This columnist's only complaint is that I keep declaring this or that pub to have the best prizes in the city, and then another goes one better and makes a liar of me. Truly are we living in a golden age of Vancouver bar trivia!

Darby’s runs every Thursday at the corner of 4th Avenue and Macdonald.