Trevor Coen’s Not-So-Trivial Pursuit

Here’s some trivia for you:

In 2009 David Jacobson launched TrivWorks — “New York’s only corporate entertainment and team-building company specializing exclusively in live trivia events.”

So far he’s produced over 350 of them, for “a broad range of prestigious corporate clients,” as well as bar trivia nights throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn.

But, David writes on his blog, a year ago this month he participated in “the greatest honor any quizmaster could ever dream of”:  helping a couple get engaged.

More trivia:  The groom is Westport’s own Trevor Coen.

Here’s the story.

Trevor and Julie, at the bar.

Trevor and his girlfriend Julie were big fans of David’s pub quiz nights.  Each week, they traveled from Brooklyn to the Upper East Side.

So Trevor emailed David — and proposed proposing at an upcoming event.  A bit of trivia:  David had gotten engaged a couple of weeks earlier, so he knew what Trevor was going through.

At the bar, Round 4 was always an “iPod Round” — 10 songs were played, and the challenge was to identify every song and artist.  The plan was for Trevor to slip David his own iPod, loaded with 10 songs with special meaning for the 2 of them.

For example, when they were getting acquainted on Match.com back in 2006, Trevor had asked Julie who would win in a volleyball game between Men at Work and Men Without Hats.

After the 10th song was played at the bar, Trevor would present her with a ring.

But the best-laid plans…

On the afternoon of the big night, Trevor (trivia:  He’s a professional musician) drove from New York to Westport to pick up the ring.  Then he drove to New Jersey for an early evening gig.  He figured he’d be back at the pub for the 9 p.m. start time.

This being the music world, his show ran late.  Very late.  When the trivia game began, a lonely girl — David figured it was Julie — sat by herself at the bar.  She stared longingly at the door, guarding the empty bar stool next to her with her life.

Trevor frantically texted David, providing updated ETAs every few minutes.

By 10 p.m., David was panicking.  With over 100 regulars in the house, he said that “technical difficulties” forced the postponement of the iPod round.

Finally, “this tall guy with a dark suit and broad smile” handed David an iPod.  Then he sat down next to Julie, who fortunately did not see the handoff.

Though Trevor had tried to keep the musical selections recognizable by including only songs that reached #11 or higher on the Billboard charts, there were plenty of groans and sighs throughout the round.

Except, of course, for one very excited woman at the bar.  She knew all of them.

The 10th song — “Romeo’s Tune” by Steve Forbert — was Trevor’s cue.  He pulled out the ring.

The place erupted.  Julie went nuts.  The bartender pulled out a bottle of Champagne for the newly engaged couple.

And David nearly cried.

Trivia:  Trevor and Julie were married last month.

More trivia:  Here are the songs Trevor selected for Julie:

1. “Safety Dance” (Men Without Hats)
2. “Overkill” (Men at Work)
3. “Don’t Shed a Tear” (Paul Carrack)
4. “I’ve Been Thinking About You” (Londonbeat)
5. “Time Passages” (Al Stewart)
6. “Waiting for a Star to Fall” (Boy Meets Girl)
7. “Fields of Gold” (Sting)
8. “Bed Intruder Song” (Antoine Dobson [feat. Kelly Dodson])
9. “Heart to Heart” (Kenny Loggins)
10. “Romeo’s Tune” (Steve Forbert)

Trevor and Julie, on their wedding day.