Before I was organising Shooters Trivia Night, around five years ago, a friend of mine, Kendall, used to run the event. She’s in the States these days, but I still follow her on social media, and she’s still a successful quiz master. I see her incredibly popular trivia nights and I always look for ways to learn from her to improve my own events.
A few months ago, I saw her host something called Mixtape Bingo. I’d never seen anything like it before, and the concept really excited me, so I sent her a message to find out how it worked. After our conversation, it occurred to me that with a few adjustments, Mixtape Bingo could be a really interesting and unique opportunity for international exchange – an event where people could connect with each other over music, something that is appreciated by people all over the world, no matter their language, culture or background. The great connector. A universal communicator.
So. This is the concept:
We’ve made a playlist with Western songs and Japanese songs from the past five decades, all well known in each their respective countries. You’ll be given a bingo sheet with track titles printed in each square. Listen to the playlist, identify the song, and if it’s on your bingo sheet, cross it off. Cross off a line and shout “bingo”! First five to shout bingo every round win prizes!
But here’s the beauty of it: if you don’t know the song, you’ll have to ask someone nearby to find out what it is! We’re betting that most of you expats won’t know Japan’s top hits of the last fifty years, the same way that most Japanese attendees won’t know every hit in the Western charts, especially not across every genre!
The perfect ice breaker.
Where do you go next? Tell me more about this song! Who is the artist? When was it released? What do you think of when you hear this song? It’s a veritable treasure trove of conversation ammunition. And who knows, maybe you’ll even find some new songs that you love.
If you’re imagining this to be a quiet, sit-down event… you’d be wrong! I’ve asked Shooters to replace the chairs with standing tables. We’re turning down the lights, the music will be louder and the drinks and snacks will be flowing – we’re going to create a social, party vibe where you’re encouraged to move around and meet some new people, with a stronger focus on conversation than some of our other party events.
I’m really looking forward to this event, and I think if everything works as I’m imagining it will… 😅 Mixtape Bingo will be a really unique and creative event that could even be the highlight of your month.
See you next on August 26 😉
– Matthew
Event Information
Date / Time: Friday, August 26 / 19:00 – 22:00
Location: Shooters Sports Bar & Grill
https://g.page/Shooters-spoorts-bar
Price: Y1,000 w/ 1 bingo sheet (additional sheets are Y500)
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