Quiz recap: L.A. rises

Delayed, sure, but last Sunday night was our third monthly gig at Busby's East in Los Angeles, and our West Coast quizmaster, Daniel Halden, checks in with a recap…

It was a special night for BQT L.A., for two reasons: First, birthday boy Byron Lane used the show to celebrate, and was even presented with a cake by the quizmaster after Round 1, much to the delight of his many friends in attendance. Second, the quizmaster proudly announced that Busby's has taken such a liking to the show that BQT L.A. is now returning to the venue on a monthly basis—the third Sunday of each month! The next show will take place on Sunday, August 19 (happy birthday, Bill Clinton—we'll be sure to get you a cake, as well).

As usual, the show hummed merrily along with many enthusiastic Angelenos in attendance.  Whereas the video round, the Movie Quote Thesaurus, was met with some head-scratching (though, sadly, no Smart Ass Points), the audio round, A History of Musical Theatre via Bad Karaoke, was met with laughter and applause. It was a strong night across the board, points-wise, as five teams finished with more than 60 points, paving the way for an exciting finish.

Following a tense fourth-place tie-breaker (won by two-time champion Gelatinous Cube), a politically themed finale kept the crowd on edge.  The three competing teams were Byron Beware, featuring the birthday boy; Skokie's Barbershop Quartet, the team that has won the points total—but come up short in the finale—two months in a row; and Trivia Newton-John, a stalwart fan of BQT that has battled hard to play for—but never won—the $200 cash grand prize (provided by very special sponsors, the fantastic new social quiz app, Trivi.al).

Tied at one point each with Skokie, and armed with inexplicable knowledge of the 1896, 1900, 1908 and 1968 presidential elections, new team member Louis helped Trivia Newton-John climb into the promised land, winning the $200 jackpot and assuring itself at least one month as reigning champions of BQT L.A

Another special thank-you to our sponsors: Trivi.al, The Twylight Zone: The 6th Dimension (A Parody) (now playing now at Studio Stage), and fantastic Segway jaunts from South Bay Mobile Tours. See you in August!