Ashamed at my lack of Dio knowledge, I drove home crying last night to learn about the man they lovingly call “The Elf.” Here are some true facts I have learned about the legendary frontman:

• He is only 5’4″ tall, and has performed with the band Elf. Go figure.

• He is credited with popularizing “devil horns,” he may have claim to a patent pending on “hook ‘em horns,” and he played the French horn.

• He is from Portsmouth, N.H., home of the Monkey’s Fist, which might be one of the most hilariously named shops in America. This is what a monkey’s fist actually looks like, if you didn’t already know.

• He attended the University of Buffalo and majored in Pharmacy. Curiously enough, he did not graduate.

So there you go… Dio facts. Now for Pub Quiz facts! Last night was a nice little bout at the Space Room. Though the crowd was at its usual size (42 people), the room seemed very well put together and orderly. What was up with that!? Before the quiz began (and after all the papers were turned in) “No Future” whipped up a great playlist using the iPhone’s Remote App (I explained how to control my music on the Quizmaster JPP Fan Page) despite my lack of Dio’s greatest hits. Or any of their hits, for that matter. Wait, do they HAVE hits?

And in the end, as it usually does at the Space Room, it all came down to three. “Spoonful of Courage,” “Clarification, Please?” and “No Future” were the Challenge Round participants this week. No Future came up empty-handed on the answer to the Challenge Round question, so they came in third. Meanwhile, Spoonful outwagered and outscored Clarification to claim the night’s top prize. And of course I missed the opportunity to photograph them, so here’s a throwback photo from the wayback machine: Halloween 2009!

Why yes, that IS Three-Hole-Punch Jim!

And now for your SPACE ROOM SAUCER STANDINGS:

1 Spoonful of … 11
2 No Future 10
3 Clarifacation Please 9
4 House of Ill Repute 7
- Sparging the Mash 7
6 Team Cupcake 4
7 Laird Creiger 3
9 Bishop and Queen 2
- Dracula Tree Forest 2
- Bobby Monster’s Linoleum Loafers 2
- Argyle Mafia 2

Lots of jawing going on between a few teams after the quiz tonight, and more on the blog comments this morning (check out last week’s Space Room entry). Tension is mounting as the weeks are counting down to the St. Paddy’s Day SHOWDOWN! But we take it one week at a time at Pub Quiz. Will Spoonful break away from the pack next week? Or will Clarification or No Future bounce back and reclaim the top spot? OR — and there’s still plenty of time for this to happen — will another team vault to the top and crap all over those guys’ oatmeal? We’ll find out when we find out. In the meantime, be well, play hard, and try to remember everything you can…