The Groove – Play That Funky Bingo – Blurb from 03/18/26

The Groove – Play That Funky Bingo – Blurb from 03/18/26

by John

The Groove came in tonight like it had been preheating all afternoon. Before I even touched the laptop, the room was already humming — newbs everywhere, regulars stretching their vocal cords, and a general sense that Wednesday had decided to show off a little. And then Latif stepped up to the mic.

Now, I’ve seen people “host.” I’ve seen people “fill in.” But Latif? He took that microphone like he’d been waiting his whole life for someone to say, “Go ahead, kid — the room is yours.” The crowd adored him. At one point I’m pretty sure someone tried to draft him into a boy band. The man had his mojo working before Round One even started.

British Invasion hit first, and the Achievers list filled up so fast I thought the spreadsheet was going to ask for hazard pay. A couple of our usual Round One sprinters were in early, but the real story was how many brand‑new faces jumped in like they’d been training for this moment.

Girl Groups turned into a full‑room singalong. If you weren’t singing, you were clapping. If you weren’t clapping, you were at least pretending to know the choreography. And if you were Miss Muffet, you were winning things at a frequency that suggests she may have discovered a cheat code.

Busy B’s lived up to its name — Rowan came out swinging, and a handful of folks who normally warm up slowly suddenly decided tonight was the night to become overachievers. By the time we hit 70’s Part 3, Matt W kicked the door in like he had a contractual obligation to win that round.

Meanwhile, four sharp‑eyed newsletter scholars — Janet, Beth, Alisha, and Ben — spotted last week’s Secret Phrase and earned their entries like Funky Bingo cryptographers. If decoder rings were a thing, they’d have them.

And then we had our $10 winners, who reacted with the exact level of joy appropriate for someone suddenly ten dollars richer: part celebration, part “this is going straight into the jukebox.” So DRAW A JUKEBOX on your Round 2 Sheet - and turn it in whether you win or you don't!