The Spelling Bee is the ancient classroom game which got you out of the boring lecture routine in grade school. It was also fun because you could laugh at your classmates that sucked at spelling.
The Spelling Bee is the ancient classroom game which got you out of the boring lecture routine in grade school. It was also fun because you could laugh at your classmates that sucked at spelling.
Now as an adult, you look back at the proud time you got 2nd place in your 5th grade class and still claim yourself to be a quality speller.
Yes, there are many of you that claim you are great spellers–but what about after a couple drinks?
Tonight Strange Matter, at 929 W Grace St., will host a Drunk Spelling Bee. The sign up is from 10 to 10:30 and the spelling begins at 11.
Anybody can sign up; it’s first come, first serve. There is only room for about 25 contestants. Keep in mind there will be prospective spellers that arrive early out of excitement and have participated in previous Drunk Spelling Bees so try to get there at 10 if you want a spot.
Otherwise just watching the drunken spellers slaughter their words should be exciting enough.
The Drunk Spelling Bee has been around for about 6 years. It started at the recently closed Empire on Broad.
Ron Rogers and his friend Blake Midgette were the original hosts, and they used to host the event monthly. Midgette lives in NYC now, pursuing stand-up comedy. Rogers is still the host and works at Strange Matter, where the event has been held for 2 years now.
There are usually six rounds in the spelling bee. “First round is definitely to build confidence, second one is like ‘oh okay this is like a legitimate word’ and third round is like ‘oh that’s tricky.’ And third round is when you cut down like a good like half of the spellers,” said Rogers.
The drunker the spellers get, the harder the words get, said Rogers.
“The one that the guy got out on last time was ‘Reconnaissance.’ Other words, um, a lot of French cooking words.”
Since the event happens at Strange Matter, you may be wondering about the playlist of the event–or if there even is one, since spelling bees require a little concentration.
Rogers says there will be music.
“I actually play music just because silence is awkward,” said Rogers. “I usually just do a 90’s banger playlist–something chill in the background that people can get into if they’re not 100% into the spelling bee.”
The contestants are not completely sloppy drunk, but they gradually get a little tipsy as time goes on. “We encourage one drink per round. When it comes to the final two, we’ll usually have the bartenders make a shooter and you have to do the shot before you spell.”
You may ask, what’s the grand prize?
“We usually do a case of beer,” said Rogers. “We just bought the winner’s bar tab last time, and the time before that it was a pair of rollerblades. It’s probably going to be something random as well this time.”
Beer, shots, and 90’s banger music while trying to spell French cooking words? If this sounds like your bag, get to Strange Matter at 10 sharp to get a spot–or 11 just to watch in amusement.
