I recently caught up with Shawarma Chameleon’s John Walker who made TOTW in Week 5 of Season 13. He grew up in Poughkeepsie, a place I have visited often in my youth. We tried the 5-course menu which is a hefty $285 per guest.
Rich: You have been close to TOTW a few times the past couple seasons. What was it about the Week 5 set that finally got you the honors?
Walker: I was very happy to have The Sundays in my seat. Anyone who knows me will not be surprised that I still have my tape from the early 90s. Also Kwaidan came up in a Mimir set awhile back and I added a flashcard at that time. I suspect that these two gets may have made the difference for me, this week.
Rich: How did you first get into trivia as a hobby? What is your favorite and least favorite subject?
Walker: My friends and I started going to bar trivia in Brooklyn regularly in 2015. I never played any online trivia nor got really into trivia until OQL. My least favorite subject is sports, and it isn’t even close. Picking a favorite subject is tough, but definitely anything 80s, horror, or punk rock.
Rich: How did you first get into OQL?
Walker: My friend and teammate Ben Chadwick found OQL USA (I think via LL message boards?) and he recruited our bar trivia team to join. Shawarma has been in the league since Day 1.
Rich: Have you ever been on any game shows and are you currently trying out for any?
Walker: I have never been on a game show. I really wanted to go on The Chase (I tried out but didn’t hear back), but it seems to be on hiatus. I never took the Jeopardy! test until a little over a year ago, and I never heard anything from them. I have been considering taking it again soon, though I think the buzzer would really frustrate me.
Rich: What is the live trivia scene like for you in NYC?
Walker: We used to go a lot more often until several of my teammates had babies. Ha. We still go on occasion but not to one specific place. There are various places in Brooklyn and Manhattan that I like. I also like meeting up with local OQLers for bar trivia, like you Tim!
Rich: What are your other hobbies besides trivia?
Walker: I play hockey, watch (almost exclusively horror) movies, museums, thrift shopping, I love travelling especially when it’s with Kelsey Barcomb.
Rich: What pro sports do you follow and what are your top five highlights as a fan?
Walker: I am anti-pro sports. I find it disturbing how much some people care about pro sports - setting buses on fire, setting jerseys on fire, etc. It also makes me so angry that many new stadiums are (even partially) taxpayer-funded.
Rich: Have you ever been to big live trivia events like Geek Bowl, Trivia Nationals, or SporcleCon? If so, what did you like best and least about them?
Walker: I have been to all three SporcleCons. My favorite thing about them is the people. Lobby rats for life.
Rich: What kind of music do you enjoy listening to and who are your favorite bands?
Walker: I grew up listening to punk rock and metal. These days I still listen to some of that, but also a lot of rap, and even some (female-fronted) bubblegum pop.
My favorite band of all time is Dead Kennedys. They taught me so much during my formative years.
Rich : What is the dining scene like in your city? Any favorite restaurants? What is your favorite cuisine and beverages?
Walker: I don’t care about food, but depending on what I am in the mood for my favorite thing to eat is either the (vegan) fried calzone from Screamer’s Pizzeria in Brooklyn, or the (vegan) nachos from jajaja.
My favorite beverage is Diet Coca-Cola.
Rich: So far, what have been your favorite films that you watched in 2024?
Walker: Oh man, hmm…have I even seen any 2024 films? I don’t see many new movies. I am looking forward to Terrifier 3 and Smile 2, but haven’t gotten around to seeing them yet. Oh, I just remembered a 2024 movie I saw - In A Violent Nature. I liked that one.
Rich: What other online quiz leagues do you play and which are your favorites?
Walker: Currently I play in QuiP, BP, and Mimir. I really like the format and content in QuiP. Highly recommend others check it out if they haven’t played yet.
Rich: If you could have dinner and play trivia with any five people from history, (dead or alive) whom would you choose?
Walker: Alice Bag, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Malala Yousafzai, Angela Davis, and last but certainly not least…Elizabeth Miervaldis Lemon.
Rich: What are your top five quizzing highlights either as an individual or as part of a team?
Walker: One time at bar trivia the final question of the night was: (For 2 points each) name all six #1 hits by Hall & Oates. I was able to nail all six, which was not easy as a few others were close/needed to be ruled out. It helped us get the win.
Rich: What are your top three countries that you have visited and what other destinations do you want to travel to in the future?
Walker: Narrowing this down to three is tough, but, in no particular order…
Vietnam - Highly recommend Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, which a lot of people seem to skip.
Turkiye - Cappadocia is especially beautiful.
Indonesia - Loved every island I went to.
I am looking forward to seeing more of Japan, I have only been to Tokyo.
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