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Here are three questions that I guarantee you will bother townies:
1. Without Googling it, what is the number printed on the side of the train in Watson Park?
2. Fourteen states got left out of Lawrence’s naming streets after states program. How many of them can you name?
3. How do you pronounce “Ousdahl”?
Suppose these questions keep you up at night, or they will now. In that case, you should join us for M@ssholes, a local comedy show this Saturday night at Maceli’s that pits two teams of comedians against the audience in an all-Lawrence comedy quiz show where the crowd can win brownies for being townies.
I started the show eight years ago, shortly after the end of The Victor Continental Show, when it became clear that there was a hole in the local comedy scene for local comedy material. The idea came from our friends across the pond — in the UK, you couldn’t produce comedy shows until after watershed (9 p.m.) on the BBC, so some clever comedians side-stepped that by adding a quiz-show element to a comedy show.
M@ssholes follow this fine tradition. The team’s goal is not to get the correct answer but the funniest one. The evening winner wins the title Comedy Mayor of Lawrence, with its own Twitter account. Big important stuff, if they can get it right.
And let’s not forget the audience — we wanted to have a participatory element to the game, so if the actors can’t get the correct answer (and they usually don’t), it goes to the audience to guess. Anyone who gets it right gets a brownie for being a townie. The brownies for almost every show (including this upcoming show) are from Ladybird, so this is a big win.
What kind of rounds will you see? We try to take on local crime — in the past, we’ve asked questions about the mooning man, the movie poster and pizza thief, and the infamous attempted after-hours heist of Munchers Bakery, which failed because it’s open 24 hours.
There was a taste test competition where panelists attempted to determine which spilled local sauce was on Chad Lawhorn’s tie. We’ve played a lightning round with “Lawrence business, adult film title, or both.” Around city commission elections, we have invited all the candidates to a Dating Game-style contest where we learn what topping they would be if they were on a hot dog. Sexy hot dog toppings preferences are the kind of necessary city knowledge you can only get here.
We’re excited to bring a few of our regular folks to the table and a few fresh new voices. If you’re looking for something unique and local to do this Saturday night, please come and check it out. If you love it, tell everyone! If you hate it, we’ve been Right Between The Ears.
M@ssholes is taking place this Saturday night, Sept. 10, at Maceli’s. Doors at 7, show at 7:30. You can purchase tickets for $11.25 at this link.
Click here to reveal the answer key for the trivia questions above.
- 1073
- North Carolina, Texas, South Carolina, Hawaii, North Dakota, New Mexico, South Dakota, Nevada, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming, Idaho, Georgia, Alaska
- According to the city manager’s office, it’s pronounced “Oz-DAHL,” emphasizing the second syllable.
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