Trivia with Jeff Madigan
Trivia with Jeff Madigan
Trivia Night Comes to 12 Gates EVL and FTR; How Much Do You Know?
Hands up if you are one of those people who remembers random bits of information that you really never use. If that sounds familiar, we have the perfect event for you. You can pop into Finnerty’s Tap Room on Wednesday or 12 Gates EVL on Thursdays, (both at 7:00pm) for DJ Trivia with Jeff Madigan. Perfect time to put your brain to use while enjoying tasty food and beverages.
But wait, who’s Jeff Madigan? What’s DJ Trivia? You want more details? Well, it just so happens that ellicottvilleNOW talked to Jeff about these new local events, how they came to be and how you can win prizes for competing. (Yes, prizes!)
Let’s start with Jeff himself. “I am 37 years old, originally from Rochester. I moved to the area in February 2009, nine months after I graduated from St. Bonaventure with a bachelor's degree in journalism/mass communications. I currently work as a security dispatcher at St. Bonaventure, working the overnight shifts. I have been married to my wife Erin since June 4, 2022 and she is fully supportive of me hosting trivia three nights a week (Tuesday in Holland, Wednesday and Thursday in Ellicottville). I live in Franklinville with her and our cat.”
How did he get started doing this trivia gig? “This story goes back years. I first got linked up with DJ Trivia back in the early-to-mid-2010s when friends of mine attended University at Buffalo law school and there was a show at a bar just up the street from campus (at a now defunct bar called Average Joe’s). I struck up a friendship with the host of that show, Bill Shaflucas, and that long-lasting friendship got me to the position I am today. Bill is currently the general manager of the Buffalo area DJ Trivia. I have loved game shows and trivia games since I was a kid and jumped at the opportunity to join my friends and play.”
“Bill got a hold of me in February 2021 as the Fattey Beer Ellicottville location was in the process of coming to fruition and they had high hopes, as the Fattey locations elsewhere generally have good attendance, and there isn’t any trivia game like this in Cattaraugus County. When Fattey opened in June 2021, I was tapped to host the show (originally on Tuesday night, but they quickly switched to Wednesdays). The first show at Fattey's Ellicottville was July 6, 2021. I don't recall for sure but I believe the last show there was December 28, 2022. They closed within the next few months after that. After Fattey’s closed, I was getting messages from my very loyal regulars asking if another bar in town was gonna do it. Once one of them said Finnerty's was interested, I contacted them immediately. It took less than two months from when Fattey’s closed to when Finnerty's started (February 15). Audrey at 12 Gates reached out to Bill in April and was interested in doing a show on Thursday nights. The first show at 12 Gates was on June 8.”
“I can't thank my regulars enough for showing up every week, rain, snow or shine. They allow me to do this each week. The Finnerty’s and 12 Gates shows haven’t quite hit their stride but I think once more people find out about it, they’ll come join in the fun."
So what is the game exactly? The name of the program/show is DJ Trivia of WNY. They do shows Sunday-Thursday night at many bars/restaurants throughout the Buffalo and Rochester areas mostly. It’s a fun-filled, interactive experience where you and your team play “live” trivia against other on-site teams! It’s always FREE to play and you can play with as big or small of a team as you like. The show usually runs about 120 minutes with questions in a variety of categories. If your team is really competitive, you can even join one of the leagues and vie for more than $1K in gift cards and prizes twice a year. (Do you have what it takes?)
How does Jeff come up with the questions? “I don’t write the questions, I just read them. The questions come from the program online, and I download them before each show (though players of the game can submit questions online if they wish).”
How the game is played? There are five questions per round. The final question of each round is a "double down" question in which you wager your point total. A right answer and you double your score. A wrong answer and you lose points. There are four rounds (20 questions total). In the first three rounds, the first four questions are multiple choice, then it goes to fill-in-the-blank questions. Topics range from movies to music to sports to geography, all sorts of pop culture and history. They aren’t Jeopardy level questions and you don’t need a PhD from Harvard to answer a lot of them. The first-place team wins a $30 gift card, second place wins $20, third wins $10 to use on their tab.
“While a lot of the weekly clientele are regulars, new players are always welcome. Ellicottville is a town where visitors are frequently coming and going, so sometimes we get people who are in town for the night, hear about it and come and play. There is no age limit.”
If you can’t make one show, that’s okay, Jeff is around. “I’m in three places, if you also count my Tuesday nights in Holland. I do the Valley in Holland on Tuesday nights (6:30pm) plus Finnerty’s on Wednesday nights (7:00pm) and 12 Gates on Thursday nights (also 7:00pm).”
Jeff’s goal is to continue to grow the game in the area. Ideally, he’s shooting for standing room only, any time of the year, be it an 80 degree June evening or a -10 degree January day. He wants to make it as fun and accessible to players as possible. “I play music during the game (and take requests), and my goal is to entertain everyone in attendance, whether they are there to play or not. Even if someone is there and does not want to play or has children and needs to leave before the show is over, I want them to enjoy themselves and discuss the questions internally at their table. In terms of the competition, sure people want to win but that isn’t the point. We’re all there to have fun, whether you finish first or last.”
Does Jeff plan to expand his area? “I don’t have plans to host at any other locations currently, but if there are any other places in Cattaraugus County that would like to do this, they can get a hold of me at jmadigan0408@yahoo.com or call 585-733-6726 and I will put them in touch with the general manager Bill to see what we can do.”
This sounds like a fun adventure to test your random knowledge whiling enjoying good company. (And to crush the competition of course… Just kidding.)
If you want more details on either host venue, so you scope out their beverages and delicious food offerings before you come into to compete, you can visit 12 Gates of EVL, located at 14 Washington Street in Ellicottville NY, Thursday - Sunday, call them at 716-699-1313 or visit their website at 12gatesbrewing.com. Finnerty’s Tap Room (great place for gluten-free options), is located at 5 E. Washington Street in Ellicottville NY, open 7 days a week, call them at 716-699-1226 or visit their Facebook page.