Ash Greblo runs a high-energy quiz night at the Moama microbrewery called Two Lads where prizes include, surprise, surprise, jugs of beer.
If you know what a group of flamingos is called, the first signature on the US Declaration of Independence or which Australian prime minister was a Chilean, go and read another story.
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But if you want to be a wit and have only got halfway at this point in your life, read on.
The answers are: A flamboyance, John Hancock and Chris Watson.
So, if you want to sound that smart, or want to be surrounded by people who are, there are opportunities galore in Echuca-Moama, which is fast becoming the quiz night capital of northern Victoria.
On a Tuesday you can hit the Workies in Annesley St, Wednesdays, cross the river and head for Two Lads Brewing in Moama’s Neil St and Thursdays it is the long-running Caledonian Hotel quiz night in Hare St.
The Cal’s Dave Cunningham has been running these nights around the world but has been king of the quizzes at his hotel for the past decade.
Dave Cunningham juggling dinner, microphone and question sheets at his weekly Caledonian Hotel quiz night.
Where a loyal and boisterous crowd, backed by an endless parade of one-offs and trivia champ wannabes, jammed into the dining room from about 7pm for the alleged 8pm start, which can get a little rubbery depending on weather, waiting times at the bar, service from the kitchen and getting Dave into his quizmaster chair.
The fascinating thing about the Cal’s show is there is no prize; just the glory of victory, and yet it still pulls a crowd.
Drawn, possibly, by the enticement of half-price dinners if you also happen to be a member of Dave’s huge footy tipping contest.
And almost certainly sustained by Dave’s unique delivery style, wrapping his still-thick English accent around everything from Latin to the ludicrous as he rolls out questions and musical challenges.
“I’ve been doing quiz nights for more than 20 years in various pubs, and they just never seem to lose their pull,” Dave says.
Brady Dunn mans the microphone and controls at the Workies, where teams battle for the biggest cash purse in the twin towns.
“We have some great regulars and seem to pick up a couple of floating teams each week – often people who have dropped in for dinner, find out what’s on, and they stay on,” he says.
“It’s pretty routine most weeks, but we do have theme nights for things such as St Patrick’s Day, Easter, Christmas and so on, and they can get pretty wacky and are great fun.
“We’ve always got room for more, even if we have to shuffle some tables around, so if you’ve got a hankering to show how clever you are, come and try us.”
The Workies decided to weigh into the quiz craze with its Tuesday challenge – and it went the whole high-tech hog with its launch into the Mensa-sphere.
Manager Erin Langman looked around for something to make her club’s connection with the clever crowd a little different.
And she has pulled that off in super spectacular, technicolour, large-screen style, complete with touch consoles which light up for first in, and then offer a barrage of buttons for multiple choice questions.
It’s standing room only in her club’s sports bar most weeks, as teams battle for the $150 first prize (in cash what’s more). Second and third is no slouch either, with club vouchers of $100 or $50 also available.
“We really liked the interactive, game-show style digital trivia night we have established where questions cover a range of topics, including music, sport, pop culture and general knowledge,” Erin says.
“Teams compete for a variety of prizes, including cash and club vouchers and it is ideal for serious trivia buffs and casual players,” she says.
“Tuesday nights also double as our Parmi Palooza when you can grab one of four different varieties with chips and salad or vegetables for $25 while you play.”
Over at Two Lads, Ash Greblo from Quiz Knows Trivia runs the newest of the quiz nights in town and he sees nothing trivial about turning on a show along with the questions.
And Ash knows what he’s doing; he runs quiz shows here, there and everywhere from his base in Bendigo and has been doing that for the past 10 years.
He says the trick with quiz nights is reading the room and pitching the presentation to suit.
At Two Lads there’s no doubt it’s a fun crowd – with a growing interest in Ash’s jackpot beer jug, which is filled with cash each week and keeps getting topped up on a weekly basis until someone can answer the big question.
“It doesn't matter if you've never seen a movie, or can't comprehend history before the year 2000, there's still probably that one question only you can answer,” he explains.
“We’ve found our quiz shows really add something to the venues which host them and develop a strong following.”
