The Groove – Play That Funky Bingo – Blurb from July 1, 2026

 The Groove – Play That Funky Bingo – Blurb from July 1, 2026

The air at The Groove was thick with the scent of barbecue, cold drafts, and the distinct hum of absolute musical focus. John kicked things off on the mic by making sure everyone knew the correct use of the Ink Daubers and golf pencils were. It is a vital public service announcement he graciously delivers nearly every single time, just in case anyone forgot how it works since last week.

We slid smoothly into Round 1 with a patriotic "US of A" set, celebrating America's then-upcoming 250th anniversary celebration with a heavy focus on life in these United States. Lisa c showed her inner patriot by nailing one of the coveted Round 1 Funky Bingos. From there, the Winner's Wheel filled up fast as a trend started emerging: andy b, michele t, and shannon h apparently woke up with a deep, spiritual connection to the playlist, immediately landing themselves on the wheel and setting a frantic pace for the rest of the crowd.

Things took a hilarious, nostalgic turn in Round 2 with 1960’s Part 1. Once again, Johnny-Come-Confusedly struck. He was five songs into a sweet round of 1960’s classics, bouncing and singing entirely by himself, before realizing he was playing "Part 3" audio instead of the "Part 1" which would have better matched the cards he handed out to his dead-panned audience. We are officially thinking of starting a pool - $5 buy-in to select the exact date John next plays the incorrect round audio. Despite the musical whiplash, alisha b and lisa n were among the Round 2 bingo achievers before the clock ran down. Meanwhile, brittanie s and vickie d were busy quietly building a multi-round streak, securing back-to-back wheel spots via our sand castle Art Bonus. While some of last week's castle drawings were epic, others were, well, worth a free name on the winner's wheel (Mama always said...).

Round 3 brought out the heavy artillery with Classic Rock Part 1, unleashing that unmistakable, driving guitar thunder that makes your teeth rattle in a good way. Wally b and stef g were among those with Classic Rockish wins on this one, snatching Bingos to ensure a spot in the final drawings.

By the time we hit Round 4 for John's Birthday Bingo, the room was pure chaos (or simply confused?). John's birthday week officially came to a close with an eclectic selection of songs that were either deeply meaningful to dear, confused John, or he just liked their groove. From '70s electronica to "who knows!", people were flipping through mental Rolodexes while Shazam flashed from tables like fireflies in the dark. Otis e, who was having a great night, and karen w led a massive, crowded race to the finish line to get their names added to the wheel.

Start practicing your graphic design skills for this week, because players will need to stylize the word "Boom" directly on their game cards. Mastering the sketch earns you two raffle entries if that card hits a real bingo, or one automatic entry turned in when you come up to get your Round 3 card.

Finally, after John's patented "index finger X 2 approach" to typing, the wheel was loaded and ready to go for a spin.

It's always great to see our weekly and bi-weekly regulars as well as the new and mildly put-off normys. John is an acquired taste, but if you hang in there, you may learn that behind his inability to read single-digit numbers, he's really a warm and caring dumb guy... and now he's another year older.

💵 The Night's Payday:

• wendy e – $10.00
• jon c – $10.00
• michele t – $10.00
• kevin s – $10.00

At least that's how I remember it. But it's not been a great week for memory! I DID remember to do my blurb. Which is good. Your photos are POSTED ON FACEBOOK - PLEASE like 'em or even tag 'em! It helps our algorithm or something and helps keep our game strong at The Groove!