Photo courtesy of GWD
Lately I’ve been teaming up with another team on Sunday nights for Geeks Who Drink (what GWD means if you didn’t know). This nice person named Pablo who works at Waterloo Records invited me. I feel more like a mascot because he and Ken nail round two (music-based) to give the team 25-plus points which is enough to build a pretty defensible lead. Then throw in Pablo’s girlfriend Consuelo, an employee of Book People and I’d say this team is pretty invincible. What do I contribute? What I like to jokingly call old-guy facts being the only player over 40.
Pablo’s team tended play at the Highball on Sunday evenings. They were so good, they were sponsored by the nightclub to attend this year’s Geek Bowl. By the time I was recruited, they moved to the Black Star Coop to test those waters plus there’s a nemesis plaguing them at the Highball. The nemesis bullies the quizmaster; they have no problems with losing if they lose fairly. I agree with them, why deal with another team which kills the fun. I’m also accustomed to losing.
Fear not though, my loyalty to Kappa Kappa Wang remains! Pablo is cool with me staying with Jeremy, Kirstin, Kate and Chip should we attend next year’s Geek Bowl (also slated for Austin in 2013! Suck it Denver!). I’m good with having options.
KKW did get to test the Highball scene Wednesday night. GWD is so popular there, the joint sponsors two evenings a week. As much as we’ve enjoyed Billy’s on Burnet, the audio is problematic, the line for food/booze was getting too long (no wait staff) and the quizmaster changed. The replacement is alright, I think he’ll improve as he gets accustomed to the regular crowd. We didn’t have a choice with our original stomping ground Mr. Tramp’s, they canceled GWD for the Mexico-US soccer game. Highball it was. The three of us who could swing it were curious about the place’s environment, food offerings and how much this GWD crowd was out for blood.
I have to admit, despite the prices being significantly higher, I really liked the setting. The quizmaster could do a visual round of video clips with the Highball’s stage and AV system. Being in the heart of “Weird” Austin, there was additional entertainment before the final scores were announced…the quizmaster had a Zoolander-esque walk off for free tickets to the upcoming Zoolander quote-along or Arena Rock sing-along (Highball is part of the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar). I thought the Lindbergh Baby was the best one, the crowd forced it into a sudden death between The Girl From Last Night and The Shocker.
How did we fare? We expected to get clobbered. At Billy’s, it’s mostly people casually playing (hence our record score one night) and I would say Mr. Tramp’s is more aggressive since it hosted the Futurama tournament. GWD moves the themed contests around though. The Highball? If what Pablo, Jarrett and others told me was true, we were entering the lion’s den. To use a pro hockey analogy; Billy’s is the ECHL, Mr. Tramp’s is the AHL and the Highball is the NHL. I guess the Geek Bowl would be the Stanley Cup.
I digressed from how did we fare? We (going as Julia Child’s Play) tied for second! Holy cow we thought. Actually, we were feeling pretty good all night because we had a solid success rate through all the rounds: Mars stuff, songs with the word “Want” in their titles, name the Muppets in the picture, Zombie flicks/shows, etc. Unfortunately, ties aren’t allowed when a prize is on the line. In the past I’ve seen these matters settled with another round involving five more questions. The quizmaster and scorekeeper chose to be more humorous (or sadistic) by having one member of each team participate in a Yo-Momma Off. Being a ham and a moron, I volunteered. What can I say, taking public speaking courses in high school and college paid off. The hosts chose the three insult categories: ugly, stupid (stoopid maybe?) and fat.
What was I thinking?! Well, I guess I’m too loyal to a fault plus I figured, I’ve watched enough Chris Rock and I did attend one school with a significant Black American population…I got this! I could at least hold my own as my mind raced for past insults I heard in the Eighties.
My ugly and stupid were weak. I won’t even repeat them. Trust me, on the ride home I was hit with l’espirit d’escalier on those categories! The story of my life.
As the final round came about, the quizmaster took me aside, let me know it wasn’t going well (over the mike). I replied, oh I know, my Whiteness is showing. I was hoping he’d just let me concede and I could keep what remaining dignity I had. He said I had one last chance, I could win this if my fat won over the crowd. I drew a breath and went with a dig I always loved from the early Nineties courtesy of a Black co-worker.
*Ahem!*
You’re momma is so fat…when she dances, the band skips!
With the crowd’s reaction, I finally got to experience what happens when a gymnast sticks the landing. I could also see the look in my opponent’s face he had nothing as nasty yet he gave it his best shot.
Phew! It was the most difficult $25 I’ve helped win/earn in years. Winning was the better alternative than going down harder than Michael Richards’ stand-up meltdown.
Next time, I’ll take Eddie Murphy’s advice if you recognize the bit. “I’ll take the zero.”
More pictures of our Highball experience are available here! See if you can find the old, dorky guy with a mop of hair on the stage.
I do hope this upcoming Sunday will either be a clear victory or a clear defeat. I’m getting too old for making a complete ass of myself in public. I can’t do much about private.