Café offers chance to match wits with Professor Knowitall

Staff file photo Riverbank Café, 102 Main St., Hamilton, will host trivia nights.

Contributed image Professor Knowitall will lead trivia on Mondays at Riverbank Cafe in Hamilton. The first is Nov. 14, 2011.

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By James Sprague, Contributing Writer Updated 1:13 PM Wednesday, November 9, 2011

HAMILTON — A local restaurant is issuing a challenge to area trivia buffs.

The Riverbank Café is hosting its first-ever Monday Night Trivia with Professor Knowitall in an effort to support and promote local businesses while offering an event that is becoming a growing trend in the region. The event is open to the public.

“We’re just trying to pull in the community a little bit with camaraderie and fun,” said Dennis Kurlas, owner of the Riverbank Café. “(Trivia nights) are becoming pretty popular around the area. Other businesses have had success with it around the area, so we’re going to try it out and see what happens.”

The event, which will run from 7 to 10 p.m. on the second, third and fourth Mondays of each month, will feature a wide variety of trivia questions ranging from literature, pop culture, music, movies and even Hamilton history, said Richard O Jones,also known as “Professor Knowitall.”

Jones, a staff writer for the Hamilton JournalNews, said he had talked with Kurlas many times regarding a trivia night at Riverbank Café and was finally able to make it happen.

“I’ve played a couple of gigs (at Riverbank Café) playing music and have been after (Kurlas) for a long time to do a trivia night,” Jones said. “A few months ago, it came up again, so I pinned him down for a date.”

Hosting the trivia night is right up Jones’ alley, having emceed variety shows at local churches and being a professional clown as well, Kurlas said.

“(Jones) has got the right personality for this trivia night,” Kurlas said. “He’s good at handling groups.”

It also helps that Jones is a trivia buff.

“I was in college when the Trivial Pursuit craze swept the nation and was always a fierce competitor,” Jones said. “I have been going to Dayton with a friend from time to time to do a trivia night up there, and I’ve also gone to trivia nights at Molly Malone’s in Pleasant Ridge and Van Zandt’s in College Hill.”

That experience with other trivia nights throughout the region helped Jones craft his approach for the event at Riverbank Café, he said.

“I came up with a format based on the things I like and didn’t like about the other trivia nights I’ve been to,” Jones said. “Writing my own questions also allows me to inject extra trivia knowledge and a little bit of humor, so I think our program will be more interesting and entertaining than others.”

The game will consist of five rounds featuring 10 questions, in addition to an audio challenge, Jones said. The point value for correct answers will vary depending on the question, and while some of the questions will be tough, clues will be offered if patrons are stumped, Jones said.

A variety of prizes — predominantly from other Hamilton businesses — will be offered during the event for winners, Kurlas said.

“We’re trying to support each other up here in Hamilton,” Kurlas said. “We’re looking to support (Hamilton businesses) and promote what they have to sell. The emphasis is on local businesses.”

So, where did Jones’ nickname of “Professor Knowitall” come from?

“Dennis wanted some kind of colorful nickname to give the night some flair because he’s also a colorful character,” Jones said. “When I was a student at Fairfield West Elementary School, I earned the nickname ‘The Professor’ because I was such a know-it-all. I lost the nickname when I changed schools, so I thought it was appropriate to revive that.”

Contact this writer at spragoo1977@yahoo.com.