COFFEE with KEVIN CHASE

FIREFIGHTER BY DAY, QUIZMASTER BY NIGHT

 BY SUZANNE LEDBETTER

As captain of Engine Four, Kevin Chase has been extinguishing fires with the Stockton Fire Department for 16 years. But what you may not know is Kevin has an entirely different persona outside of the firehouse. Affectionately known as Quizmaster Kevin in the Lodi community, he hosts trivia nights at breweries and wineries, providing entertainment for locals and visitors.

We sat down with Chase at House of Coffees for a strong cup of coffee after a long shift at the firehouse to ask him how Quizmaster Kevin came to be and how his trivia hobby has turned into so much more for the married father of three.

The trivia gig started a few years ago when his friend Jenn Phillips began hosting game nights at her coffee shop, House of Coffees.

“I’d mentioned to her that I loved going to pub trivia in Sacramento and suggested it would be a great idea for her to do it at her shop… She asked if I’d host one and that’s how it all began.”

As Kevin started picking up more venues, he felt the act needed something more. Enter DJ Double D, Kevin’s fellow firefighter, Darren. The two were hired at SFD together in 2006 and have been great friends ever since. Darren had DJ’d on the side for a long time and thought adding a live DJ to trivia nights would take it to the next level.

For Chase, the coolest part of hosting trivia nights is engaging with the crowd throughout the night. “I don’t take it lightly that people made plans, hired babysitters, and got their group of friends together to come listen to me ask random questions for a couple hours.”

“I’d mentioned to her that I loved going to pub trivia in Sacramento and suggested it would be a great idea for her to do it at her shop… She asked if I’d host one and that’s how it all began.”

Chase credits his wife, Melissa, for keeping him grounded. She also acts as his pseudo-manager because, according to Chase, her organizational skills are far superior to his. Of their three kids— Charlie, 12, Juliette, 9, and Nolan, 7—Charlie is most interested in the family business, becoming somewhat of a trivia buff himself, and leading his school to a firstplace victory in a regional trivia competition called “Quiz Bowl.” Catch a Trivia Night with Quizmaster Kevin and Darren D at Michael David Winery on September 9 or at Calivirgin Winery and Olive Mill on December 1. You can also find him on Instagram at QuizmasterKevin.