Alone Together

Thursday nights in Hastings have always been about three things: fried clams, stiff drinks and Captain Jim’s trivia. The nautical-themed trivia night at Bread and Brine has become a ritual for dozens of boozed up brainiacs looking to match wits and cocktails with their neighbors.  

The man behind the microphone, James “Captain Jim” Dale, started his now locally-famous trivia night in the summer of 2017. It’s since blossomed into a weekly gathering of familiar faces grouped into teams with menacing names like the Hastings Hurricanes, What the Shuck? and Quizzery Loves Company.  

Today the bars are closed, the streets are empty, and the villagers—along with 80 percent of the country—are at home learning all about social distancing. But a true captain never abandons ship, and Jim has found a way to keep the yacht rock playing and teams scratching their heads. 

With a newly launched online platform, Jim brings his trivia nights to anyone with an internet connection, giving people a chance to exercise their brains while practicing their isolation mixology skills. Teams of up to six people can compete on Thursday and Saturday nights, logging into the event through Zoom. 

You might think cheating would be rampant in online trivia, but so far it hasn’t been a problem. “It’s about the ride more than the destination,” Jim said, pointing out the fact that there are no real prizes on the line—only bragging rights. 

Beyond bragging rights, Captain Jim’s trivia offers us something we could all use now more than ever. In a competition where the team with the most useless knowledge wins, trivia gives us a much needed distraction and a chance to get together, if only through our screens.

For more information about Captain Jim’s Trivia, visit captainjimstrivia.com