GameOn
Where Brews & Brains Meet
MARCH 2019
Trivia night at King Canary Brewing attracts approximately 50 people every Wednesday.
46 LAKE NORMAN CURRENTS
Trivia events offer local bars and participants a chance to shine on off nights by Aaron Garcia photography by Lisa Crates
f you’re willing to regard Wikipedia as reliable historical record, pub trivia has only been around since the 1970s, a stunning fact considering that beverage-born debates and slurred claims of intellectual superiority are as ingrained in the bar motif as stools and small napkins. According to the website, though, the trend didn’t start until an English company called Burns and Porter used it to lure patrons in on slow nights. Nearly 50 years later the gimmick has not only endured,
but it’s become a common staple of many Lake Normanarea bars’ weekly lineups. On any given weeknight you can find a room with small groups of people racking their brains for bragging rights and gift cards. To those involved, however, the payoff is bigger.
Establishing a following Andrea Gravina, who, with husband, Matt, opened Mooresville’s King Canary Brewing last May, says that starting a weekly trivia night was a great way to connect with her new patrons. It began after Andrew Katsamas, who
was hosting a trivia night at Lake Norman Tavern on Tuesdays, approached the owners about starting their own weekly event. It was a hit. Andrea says although the outdoor setting and summer weather certainly helped attendance, King Canary has carried that success into the colder months. She estimates that roughly 50 people gather each Wednesday to try to figure out Katsamas’ questions that range from geography to history to pop culture. “We want to be a place where everyone can enjoy it, so to have one more fun thing to do,
it’s been a good thing for us,” says Andrea. After just six months, the following has started to become loyal, says “Lightning” Liz Hann, whose team took first place during a recent event at the brewery. “It’s fun to go out and do something different,” says Hann. “It’s more than just going out to the bar. We socialize and come up with strategies, and we’re spending time with our friends.”
New approach for an old favorite Dora Callahan likes to ask several questions from a single