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Bon Temps Roulez

With all this talk of Philadelphia as New York's sixth borough, Johnny Goodtimes wants to spotlight a unique event that can't be found in London or Paris or Brooklyn, even:

A punk rock cowboy calypso Quizzo spectacular.

Sunday night Goodtimes is bringing his best Quizzo game to The World Cafe Live, where contestants will vie for some terrific - and some tinny - prizes by showing off what trivia they know about sports, popular culture, current events, history and worldly wonders.

Between rounds, the Kyle Dunleavy Steel Drum Quartet will perform. As will The Lunchbox Cowgirls, a country cabaret band. And some local break dancers.

"It could be a tremendous success or a complete train wreck," he promises. "People will be well served to see either."

We sat down at La Colombe with Goodtimes Monday afternoon unable to resist meeting someone who lists his previous employment as dolphin trainer and cantaloupe salesman.

That and more. He's a Virginia planter, reared on an Eastern Shore farm, outside a town of 600. After studying communications at Radford U., he spent three years in Hawaii (that's where he lent his skills to dolphins) then aimed for the big city. Which was New York until he investigated the cost of an apartment.

He was driving back to Virginia with a lady friend when the urge for a cheesesteak overwhelmed him. He'd been here as a boy - for an Eagles game and a trip to the Franklin Institute. He found himself at 12th & Chestnut one spring about four years ago. It was pretty. No humidity. "It seemed to have more breathing room than New York City."

Been here ever since. He started doing a pay-for-play radio show - sports talk on an AM African-American station. To afford the vanity slot, he waited tables in period costume at the City Tavern. He caught a Quizzo game and found his calling.

It took a while to find a venue. He pitched it about 150 places, striking out at most. "I did it in some places that shouldn't have had Quizzo." Moda, for instance, was blasting house music one night. People were standing around in $200 shirts drinking high-rent martinis. "They couldn't give a crap who was the king of Germany in 1752."

But since then he's found a half dozen or so homes - enough that this is his full time gig, promoting Quizzo and finding challengers to the reigning champs - champs anger most comers by not seeming to care and by winning consistently. (They were upset earlier this summer. Sunday should test whether that was an aberration.)

As for the prizes, he promises cash and gift certificates to the World Cafe and other venues. And Polish war movies.

Huh.

"Paulie Shore movies!" he repeats over the din at the cafe. Even worse.

PLD
Posted 08/24/2005 04:28:08 PM
sorry for the lack of support, Johnny. I'll definitely be there, and maybe win by default? I heart Quizzo. 
kendall roark
Posted 08/25/2005 10:52:18 PM
hey, thanks for mentioning us! despite our hair, or lack there-of...we're actually a "country cowgirl cabaret band". we play mostly original songs in the country crooner tradition with a sprinkling of american traditionals and old time country covers. 
bon ton roule,
-the lunchbox cowgirls