Geek borders on a dirty word in Bend, where the athletic mindset drives folks to care more about their recreation and their after-workout beers than their brains. But that's not the case across the board, and a new pub-quiz-style trivia game is out to prove that Bend has its share of brainiacs, as well as athletes and beer-lovers.
Geeks Who Drink is a national franchise with branches in just about every major city (in 300 pubs and restaurants across 25 states, to be exact). It was the craft-beer culture that attracted the group to Bend.
"While our content isn't beer-themed or anything, we look to run events in bars and restaurants that carry or produce craft beer. It's a pretty good audience filter," said Geeks Who Drink crew manager Kent Wilhelmi. "You're not going to find our quizzes in Chili's or Buffalo Wild Wings or TGI Fridays."
The eight-round quiz features two audio rounds and a visual round (for all of you kinesthetic learners). Geeks Who Drink will start two nights of trivia, Wednesdays at Volcanic Theatre Pub starting April 23, and Tuesdays (competing with the new, but extremely popular trivia night at The Lot and the long-running trivia night at Astro Lounge) at Platypus Pub beginning April 29.
"We're not flipping through old Trivial Pursuit decks to find content. We have a full time editorial staff headed by a six-time Jeopardy champion that produces our content," said Wilhelmi.
But that doesn't mean Geeks Who Drink is a button-down, solo Trebek-style, answer-in-the-form-of-a-question contest. They encourage teamwork, a lot of snark, a bit of drunken debauchery and all breeds of geek.
"It runs the gamut, because really—you can be a geek about just any subject," said Wilhelmi. "We'll have questions about movies, music, celebrities, sports, history, geography, science, math, art...if it's a valid field of interest it's fair game."
Geeks Who Drink
Wednesdays, 7 pm, Volcanic Theatre Pub, 70 SW Century Dr.
Tuesdays, 8 pm, Platypus Pub, 1203 NE 3rd St.
