I walked into The Groove last week and immediately felt like I’d wandered into a St. Patrick’s Day pop‑up shop. The room had gone green — not “a overly festive,” (if a leprechaun walked in, he’d want to have words with the decorating committee.) The crowd was solid too: fifty‑one players at peak, all in a weird relaxed mid‑week funk mode where nobody’s trying to out‑sing anyone… yet.
Round 1, “I’ll Drink to That,” warmed us up nicely. Steven P kicked things off, and then the rest of the round filled out with a whole crew of Funky Bingo winners — Judy, Vickie, Lelia, Sara, Tabatha, Jakob, K Patt, Brittanie, Beth, Megan — all taking their turns shouting the magic words. It was one of those rounds where the room wakes up slowly, like a bear coming out of hibernation but still wearing slippers.
Round 2 was “Say What?”, the round where the lyrics sound like someone spilled alphabet soup onto sheet music. And right in the middle of Wooly Bully — a song that already sounds like a toddler trying to cast a spell — my laptop power cord decided to eject itself like it was abandoning ship. Instant silence. Fifty people staring at me like I’d just unplugged the jukebox in a 1950s diner. I shoved the cord back in like I was restarting a heart, and the room came back to life. Meanwhile, Larry, Sara, Brittanie, Derby, Vickie, Aimee, both Bens, both Brandons, Maruyah, Adele, Tabitha, Tammy, Alisha, Latif, and Beth all snagged Funky Bingos in the chaos. Honestly, the round had more winners than my laptop had battery percentage.
Round 3, “Hey Ladies,” is where we flip the script and ask for the female artists instead of the song titles. The room always perks up for this one — suddenly everyone remembers they do know things. Maruyah (who was on a tear tonight), Gunther, Liberty, Matt, Kim, Latif, Lisa, Jakob, Mandy, Logan, Brandon, Ben, Malindie, Derby, and Sara all hit Funky Bingos like they were checking names off a grocery list.
Then came Round 4: 1970s Part 7, chosen by Latif, who apparently has a direct line to the Funky Bingo gods because he immediately turned around and won the first Funky Bingo of the round. And he wasn’t alone — Matt, Mary, Lisa, Logan, Louise, Maruyah, Grace, Marie, Mandy, Tabitha, Tammy, Jakob, Brandon, and Beth all joined the 70s parade. It was like the decade came back just to hand out prizes.
Speaking of prizes — the wheel was generous tonight. Lisa P, Latif, Brandon P, and Maruyah all walked out with ten‑dollar gift cards. And yes, first‑timer Maruyah not only won a stack of Funky Bingos but also spun her way into a prize. If she comes back next week, the regulars may demand a background check.
Somewhere in the middle of all this, I began thinking about next week’s Automatic Win Secret Phrase... which is “I’ll be the Roundabout.” Remember to write that at the bottom of your Round 2 card, and turn it in, even if your didn't get a Funky Bingo on the round!
Not that I’m saying you should take a picture at The Groove next Wednesday with your Funky Bingo Round Card and a dabber in hand and submit it for a little… extra appreciation… I’m just saying people who do that tend to have a very good time.
We’ll do it all again next Wednesday at 6:30pm.
Bring your friends. Bring your luck. Bring your hunger. Bring your thirst. I'll bring a laptop cord that doesn’t try to escape during Wooly Bully.
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