Return to Drag Trivia

We have been feel and little empty and in need of competitive answering since Pollo stopped hosting Brain Farts Trivia at the Lookout.  But this week we finally returned to the Fun Times and joined forced with our Brain Farts nemeses Mark and Ruben to form a Super Team for Miss Kitty's Smarty Pants trivia night at the Stray Bar in Bernal Heights.

This week's theme was Hawaii, of which we know nothing.  But  had set out leis to bring for festive.  After a slightly creepy 24 ride over there, I realized I left them at home.  But the early shirt bartender was much with the cool, and when she overheard my lament she pulled out leis from a previous bar event, and fixed our drinks with cocktail umbrellas.

When the time came to craft our team name, we pulled it out with Mai Tai Me Up, Mai Tai Me Down.


We were doing pretty well until the final round, which was all Hawaii all the time. I had checked in on Four Square and my friend Aaron who lives down the block saw the check in and joined us. Good thing as Aaron used to live in Hawaii, and was a total ringer for our ultimately winning team.


As is usual with good company and trivial matters, much fun.

And as I told my friend Gary who commented on this photo...


...the umbrella means it's healthy.

Thanks! It was a gas!

Sigh. On it's three year anniversary, last night was the finale of Brain Farts Trivia with Pollo Del Mar at the Lookout. We were a fun bunch of not-it-mostlys, and in a fitting end, it was me against Mark, team Cerebral Quifes versus team Janet Wood If She Could, in the lighting round. I lost by a half point, erroneously shouting Richard Geffen when it was (of course) David Geffen. Oh what fun it's been! Thanks Pollo!



We will never forget the Joyce Dewitt Rule.

(Of course, I had to wear something to sparkle for the occasion, although I did not manage any face paint.)

well helloooo Dolly

Brain Farts' theme last night was Six Degrees of Dolly Parton, and with the Indian Summer Heat Wave it was 96 degrees in that bar. I didn't study up, but we still managed a respectable third place (losing our tie for second in the sudden death round).


Notable team names were: "Tranny Theme Park Dolly's Wood," "We Just Left Dollywood and Are Suffering from Post-Parton Depression," and simply "Boulder, Colorado."

It was a hot night for Testarossa 80s night at Trigger (with a lackluster Ghostbusters theme this time—I think they are running out of ideas). Oliver Twist was back in his booth with bright balloon creations and face/body painting. I realize I have not posted stories or photos from the Big Country 40th Party yet but I hired Oliver to paint tattoos at the birthday party and he was a HUGE hit. His first tatt' taker got a cool Koi, which fluoresced and sparkled remarkably in the black light. I was happy with whatever he wanted to work on and he offered a rose or banner tattoo, which I loved.

.
Of course the name was my idea. Only real fags would get the joke. I sent this to Jeff M., who's muscled canvas was missing from our 80s night last night. Jeff got the anchor last time. He loved my Rose Nylund and replied "OMG that cracks me up! There need to be more GG themed tattoos in the world."

Sadly, there are:

.

To Bea or not to Bea, those were Pollo's questions

Last night's Brain fart's With Pollo Del Mar at the Lookout was HILARIOUS. Such a fun night.

Joining wilson/Skot/Shilpa in the fray were our new and equally competitive player Ryan Donovan, who is a pleasure to reconnect with after nearly a decade, the always faboo Jeff Meador and Brian Cassidy, Paul Day and Chris Maliwat back briefly from NYC.

This week's theme was "Six Degrees of Bea Arthur," and we came up with a slew of really good team names, including "Zbornak with a 'Z'!", which led to the also funny "Zbornak with a Bea," "Bea Em," "I Just Bea'ed My Pants," and "Bea-E-Aggressive."

We ultimately settled on the unanimous group favorite: "Don't You Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot like Bea!" We won best team name.

Other notable team names in the room included "The Maude Squad" and "Maude and the Rusty Coat Hanger."

.
While we had a perfect score for round one, it was up to Jeff to push us over the top in the lightning round:


I was able to shout "Stephanie Zimbalist" fastest in the final tie-breaker, earning our team first place and a round of truly disgusting and fruity shots.

Bea Arthur was cast as Maude, narrowly beating out Doris Robers, who played Mildred Krebbs on Remmington Steele, starring Stephanie Zimbalist!

Tuesday morning feels like Saturday

Because we tend to rock it out on Monday nights with the one-two punch: Brain Farts Trivia with Pollo Del Mar at the Lookout followed by Testarossa 80s night with Bebe Sweetbriar at Trigger down the street. Our little core (and competitive) trivia team is picking up some groupies, and last night Skot Land and I were joined by the lovely and talented Jeff and Brian and the always-cycling-so-grope-his-backside-if-you-can Jim Rudoff. (Shilpa arrived for the Lightning Round.)

The theme for Brain Farts last night was blue. And appropriately enough (and unintended), the Testarossa theme was the Smurfs—bar staff in body paint and a free drink if you used "smurf" in a sentence with a bartender.

Skot and I were alone for the first round of trivia and cleaned up with a perfect score. Including our name: Picasso's Blue Period Scared His Gynecologist.

Brain Farts with Pollo Del Mar, every Monday night at 8:00 at the Lookout. Become a fan.

Brain Farts with a side of Totally

Supper Happy Fun Time Ian was in town from Ohio this weekend and managed to make some time for little ol' me and my merry band of Awesome People Who Bring It.

That is to say, Ian joined me and Shilpa for Pollo Del Mar's Brain Farts at the Lookout, and raucous/debauchous 80s dancing afterward down the block at Testarossa Monday at Trigger.

This week's theme was questions Pollo pulled out of her ass "potpourri," and Team Legalize Pot Pourri (us) "carried" it through the first round, scored in the lightning round (me), and nailed it in round two for the win. It was Ian's first time at the Lookout not to mention his virgin visit to drag trivia, and he was total game.

.
Also joining us were Brain Fart regulars Skot Land and Terrance, as well as adjunct Pee Dee, newcomer Sprout, and Ian's hosts Kevin and Shawn.

Now 80s nights, even the long standing 1984 at the Cat Club, can be hit or miss, but Testarossa Mondays at Trigger has proven a quality good time again and again (nevermind that the venue is perhaps my most hated in the City). Get on BeBe's list for VIP entry and a free drink, and pay attention to the news feeds if you want the free-drink code phrase for the night. But also beware that the free drink with code phrase is one of their frozen concoctions, whose sugar levels can render you an instant diabetic. The fruity ones taste like instant jello mix, but sweeter, and more artificial. Like the crowd. Svedka drinks are on special for $2 and served in big plastic Solo cups (yes, the crowd gets that messy). And avoid the DJ booth area—he LOVES to pump out the smoke, and it gets rather toxic rather quickly.

Like all 80s nights, the patrons fall into two distinct camps: those over 30 years old for whom this is nostalgia, and those under 30, for whom this is "retro." Bah! to the baby gays and their gaggles of tag along girls. I'm not against straight girls in gay bars, just useless ones who can't hold their liquor or a conversation. Or that far too common girl-in-a-gay-bar stereotype that feels entitled to special treatment either because she is (1) a girl [we don't care, we have no interest in paying any sort of attention to you] or (2) straight [it is not "cool" that you're going clubbing to gay bars, please do not act like we should appreciate your validation]. And girls in straight bars should learn to order drinks with a maximum of two ingredients. You're clogging the bar with all that prep.

So aside from the B&T/T&A element, the crowd is there for the fun of it and embraces the 80s music schlock-jock love.

Feel it:

.
Oh yeah, the bar staff is also in 80s costume. Often very well done. Here Rob and PD order drinks from a Super Mario "Brother."


Part of 80s music love is embracing a cliché. Either literally, like PeeDee here,

.
or figuratively, such as when the DJ plays "Vogue," you do.

.

.
There's nothing to it.

Oscar losers make us feel like winners

Skot Land the Shilpa had to bow out of last night's Brain Farts (theme: Oscar losers). And while my system was still recovering from the fun that was the Academy of Friends gala, I was happy to welcome childhood friend Jennifer Corbett —in town from NYC. No cloth napkins or tourist attractions for Jennifer, but rather some good local color. The color purple, actually, as Pollo was decked out in Harlem Globetrotters gear. And looking fierce as usual.

Jen and I are the type of folks who can pick up a conversation where we left off, which I think was in a downtown NYC Macy's Christmas 1994. Jennifer is both a hoot and a holler. She's also total PLU and got into the Brain Farts spirit in the blink of an eye. She's got a new local client so here's hoping we will see her back for more.

.
Welcome Jen!

(She's also got some trivia props and we missed qualifying for the lightning round by one point.)

Bain Farts Monday

Brain Farts trivia tonight at the Lookout with your host Pollo Del Mar, and your competition Shilpa, Skot and Wilson. Tonight's theme: famous gays.

Other than me and Marvin.

It's beginning to look a lot like Shilpa

everywhere we go!

Wednesday last was Shilpa's birthday, and we gathered for her favorite game: Brain Farts Trivia at the Lookout. But we met her at a beautiful and somewhat secret bar in the Mission: Morac. She recommended this as (1) it's sultry and gorgeous, and (2) it's unknown and we could take it over. Which we did. If you're walking down 16th between Valencia and Mission, don't blink because you'll miss it. There's not even a sign, but there is a dark leather smoking lounge out front. They also serve hookahs, which was much fun for those inclined.


We placed well in the first round, but had our paper taken before we could write in all of our answers (We brainstorm on our own pads before copying over final answers. We take this a BIT seriously.) Even though our absent correct answers would have made us the clear winners, it was more fun to tie as that put Shilpa into the Lightning Round! She pulled some of those answers out of her sleigh and we scraped through to victory (the theme was Christmas songs).


Our team name was "It's beginning to look a lot like Shilpa," and every time it was read aloud, our team would chorus "...everywhere you gooooooo." It's a thing now.

Happy Birthday Shilpa!

Flickr set.

silent but deadly

I missed Brain Farts last night for the amazing performance of November at ACT (post to follow). Shilpa reports that they had a nearly perfect score for the TV families-themed night. They thought they had the "best team name" competition in the bag too, as "Leave It to Pollo's Beaver." Until they heard about "Spunky Brewster."

The Jackson 5art

Team Wilson scored abysmally low in last week's Brain Farts, but I was perfectly content that the knowledge of how deeply dysfunctional the Jackson family is was not taking up any of my brain space. That family is some EFFED up. I am proud to be absent that trivia. Scoring only two points in the first round, we had to hang our heads in shame. We brought it back in round two however and redeemed some pride.

Special appearances at the Jackson Farts night: Jackson homocker (homage/mockery) Kevin Koberle, the return of Prentiss Nelson, and newcomer Elizabeth Feldman. Elizabeth's dad has been dating a friend of mine in Nashville for man years (mother of friend E'beth here in the Bay Area). I saw Patsy and Bob recently at Mom and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary in Nashville, and Bob shared our e-mails and got us in touch.

I made sure to get photos of Prentiss and Elizabeth with Pollo so their wholesome families back home could appreciate my influence on their lives.


Elizabeth may be a baby compared to us, but she is total PLU and we are excited to have her join this merry band. Expect to see more of Elizabeth here or at Brain Farts.

phasers on stunning

Brain Farts Wednesday. And Terrance's birthday. Theme: SciFi. Resistance was, other than volts over amperes, totally and completely futile.

You should know you're going down when another team has a battery-operated star field shirt and a Seven-of-Nine eyepiece. I was able to put us into first place, and amply increase our point lead, by smacking it out in the tie-breaking lightening round. The second round we all just pulled an amazing amount of esoteric SciFi bits from our black holes, as it were.

.
While we all could name (well, not all) Godzilla's insect enemy who could be killed basically by an enormous porch light and a bug zapper (that would be Mothra), Terrance was able to pull out the lesser known Godzilla-grappler Rodan. ("Hey, wasn't there that sappy Godzilla romantic film? Nights in Rodan-the?")


Sadly, Ciroc was not sponsoring the Farts that night, but we went away with non-vodka prizes, including the new DVD Newcastle and the new CD from Imogen Heap.

Update: Yes, Shilpa is sporting a shiner. For some reason, I can only attribute it to frequency of companionship, everyone assumes that I hit her. She's been merely replying, "well, I don't listen..."

Ouch.

No seriously. She walked into a door.

Brain Farts theme tonight: Sci-Fi

Text messages have been flying, all crying the same thing:

Bring the nerd.

They mean me. I'd be insulted if I also didn't feel so powerful.

But oh, the pressure is on.

I want a team of nine so I can be player number seven.

Brain Fart Birthday

Happy birthday to Skot Land! We celebrated the little biscuit last week at our usual Wednesday night party: Brain Farts hosted by Pollo Del Mar and BeBe Sweetbriar.

.
As Farah and MJ died the day before, all trivia questions were Farah Fawcett or Michael Jackson related. For only the second time on our run, we didn't win. We came in a strong third though.


And as for the fun, we came in first.

the real Real Housewives

Shouts out to last week's trivia partners, the real Real Housewives of the Bay Area.

Gay Greg used to work with Bev and Pam. Bev and Pam were having their girls night out, and planned to visit Bev's son's bar, the Lookout. Knowing it's a gay bar in the City, they asked Gay Greg to join them. Knowing we hot Brain Farts every Wednesday, Gay Greg included us.

On the heels of the Pop 8 ruling, the theme was divorce. As usual, Pollo and Bebe brought up the train wreck that is reality TV, and The Real Housewives. They, of course, loved Bev and Pam and their gang, not only as Mother of the Owner, but as The Real Real Housewives (our team name, although the best team name appropriately went to "Revenge is a Dish Best Served Family Style")



The Real Real Housewives

.

.
Happy fun times and winners' shots. We did, of course win. It's our habit. C'mon, there was even a Buffy question—this game is so ours.

During the Price is Right round (of things you'll need when during your divorce, like menstrual cramp pain killer and Secret antiperspirant)one of the items was Summer's Eve Kootch Freshener or some sort of feminine hygiene spray. Being a gay bar, the crowd had little experience with this item and we let the women bid (although we lost that bid). Curiosity got the best of Bebe and they sprayed it around to see what it smelled like.

Wow.

Strong.

And a bit offensive.

Hostess Bebe or Pollo: "Ladies and Gentlemen this is what fresh vagina smells like!"

Which was pretty hilarious.


And led to an unfortunately out-of-context tweet/status update from me: "OMG. If this is what fresh vagina smells like I am so glad I'm gay!"

There was much comment.

Flickr set.

Boldly ho

Pollo Del Mar and BeBe Sweetbriar hosted a Star Trek-themed Brain Farts last night.

As usual, it was hilarious, and we won. The Ciroc shots were nice, but I also won a Trek t-shirt too small for me to wear and free passes to a pre-screening I won't be in town to see. James gets prizes tomorrow morning for giving me a ride to SFO at Dear God It's Early O'Clock.

Some of the team names we considered:

• Rock Out with Your Spock Out (which we used)
• The Captain's "Log" (which we dismissed but someone else used)
• Deep Space Nine Inches
• Tribbles with Crabs
• Where No Man Has Gone Down Before
• Boldly Going, Bitches.
• Quantum Singularities (how can you have more than one singularity?)
• Rock, Paper, Sissors, Lizard, Spock
• Vulcan grip this, Baby.

Team name we liked the best: Spock in a frock on a rock with a cock.

Nice.

Brain Farts!

Brain Farts Trivia—every Wednesday at The Lookout.


Shilpa and I are big fans of bar trivia, even though she is more dedicated to it than I am. And we have found a new bar trivia home at Brain Farts! Advantages over traditional bar trivia: it starts earlier, doesn't run as late, has at times easier questions, and is much more about comedy than the questions. Brain Farts is much more entertaining than ordinary bar trivia, thanks to your hostesses Pollo Del Mar and BeBe Sweetbriar!


And of course for Pollo, I had to bring it for trivia (i.e. wear face paint).


April Fool's Day trivia was about cheating fools, with all questions and price-is-right items related to cheaters and cheating. And with drag queens running the show, they brought the funny. This is not your Irish Bar Trivia. Much more fun!


Leave your competitive nature at home and come join the silly.


Of course, we will still be competitive. We want to win. Winning teams and exact bidders get free rounds of shots. We won A LOT last week.