For a Doggone Good Time at your next event | Trivia, music bingo, DJ services, weddings, and private events across Columbia, Lexington, and the Midlands
Columbia, Lexington, and the MidlandsTrivia Β· Music Bingo Β· DJ
Weeknight Entertainment People Actually Come Back For
Four Dogs Entertainment brings polished, local, high-energy trivia, music bingo, weddings, private events, and venue entertainment across the Midlands of South Carolina.
Trivia, Music Bingo, DJ Services, and Event Entertainment
Four Dogs Entertainment helps restaurants, bars, breweries, families, companies, and community groups create fun, organized, high-energy events that guests want to come back to.
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Trivia Nights
Hosted trivia nights for bars, restaurants, breweries, private events, and corporate groups in Columbia, Lexington, Irmo, Chapin, Cayce, West Columbia, and the Midlands. Weekly trivia, theme trivia, bar trivia, and private trivia are all available.
Music bingo in Columbia and Lexington SC for bars, restaurants, brunches, breweries, private parties, and community events. It is easy to play, simple to explain, and built for crowds that want music, laughs, and a little competition.
DJ services in Columbia SC, Lexington SC, and the Midlands for private parties, corporate events, HOA events, school events, birthdays, family celebrations, and community gatherings.
Wedding DJ services in Columbia and Lexington SC with reception music, MC services, announcements, timeline flow, professional setup, and a personal planning approach that keeps the night moving without feeling forced. Recent review: βDJ Joey did a fantastic job at our daughterβs wedding last night!β
Private event and corporate entertainment in Columbia SC, Lexington SC, and the Midlands. Four Dogs can help with company parties, birthdays, HOAs, schools, nonprofits, community events, trivia, music bingo, and DJ hosting.
Weekly trivia nights and music bingo are built to help local venues create repeat traffic, stronger guest loyalty, and a reason for people to choose your place on a slower night.
Looking for a night out? Find upcoming trivia and music bingo events. Own or manage a venue? See how Four Dogs can help turn slow nights into repeatable event nights.
I want to play
Trivia and Music Bingo Nights
Find the next theme, bring your people, and enjoy a night that is competitive enough to matter but casual enough for anyone to jump in.
Four Dogs helps restaurants, bars, and taprooms create dependable weeknight traffic through polished trivia and music bingo events that are easy for your staff, fun for your guests, and built to become part of their weekly routine.
See What Trivia or Music Bingo Could Be Worth for Your Venue
Not sure if trivia or music bingo is worth it for your bar, restaurant, or brewery? Use this venue profit calculator to estimate how a weekly entertainment night could impact sales, guest traffic, and repeat visits.
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20150
$25
$10$60
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Industry average for bars & restaurants is 28-35%. Drink-heavy venues typically run lower (22-28%). Food-heavy venues run higher (30-38%).
30%
20%45%
$200
$50$600
π‘ Suggested ranges: 1 bartender ~$100-150 Β· 1 server ~$80-120 Β· Busy night (2 staff) ~$200-350
$80
$0$300
π‘ Tips go to your staff, not the house - but trivia crowds tip well. Typical range: $50-$150/night. Factor this into your labor satisfaction, not your bottom line.
$50
$0$200
π‘ Prizes are covered by your venue - typically a bar tab credit or gift card. Most venues budget $25-75. This is your call and your brand moment with the winner.
Gross / Night
$1,200
Four Dogs Fee / Night
$125
Food & drink costβ$360
Laborβ$200
Est. staff tips~$80 (staff keep)
Prize budgetβ$50
Four Dogs feeβ$125
Est. Net Profit Per Trivia Night
$465
Monthly net Β· $1,860 Β Β·Β Annual Β· $22,320
π Heads up: First 2-3 trivia nights at a new venue typically run lighter as word spreads. Most venues hit their stride by week 4. These numbers reflect a steady weekly night.
For larger venues, results vary - let's talk through your specific setup.
If the numbers look good - we're easy to reach.
π New venues: $125 introductory rate for your first month
No pitch. No pressure. Just a conversation about whether it makes sense for your venue.
Want to bring trivia or music bingo to your bar, restaurant, or brewery? Four Dogs Entertainment helps venues in Columbia, Lexington, and the Midlands create organized, repeatable entertainment nights that feel fun for guests and practical for owners.
Weekly trivia nights, theme trivia, and bar trivia hosting
Music bingo for restaurants, breweries, brunches, and casual crowds
Clear rules, professional hosting, sound, timing, and room control
Local promotion support before the event
A practical venue calculator to estimate potential upside
Run the Numbers First
Use the venue calculator to estimate food and drink sales, event costs, and potential weekly, monthly, and yearly impact before you book.
Founder and host of Four Dogs Entertainment, based in Lexington, South Carolina and serving Columbia, Lexington, and the Midlands.
Four Dogs Entertainment grew out of what I have spent much of my career doing: creating organized, high-energy experiences that bring people into a room and give them a reason to stay. Before hosting trivia nights, music bingo, weddings, and private events, I worked in customer success, business development, recreation, athletic marketing, ticketing, sponsorship, and event operations.
My background is a little different from the typical DJ or trivia host, and I think that helps. I am also a business professor, so I think about events from both sides: the guest experience and the business outcome.
My goal is simple: show up prepared, read the room, keep the energy right, and make the event feel smooth from start to finish.
Why Four Dogs Entertainment
Prepared, organized, fun, and built around the crowd in front of us.
We know how to run a room with timing, energy, and clear instructions.
We understand the business side of entertainment.
We adjust the tone, pace, music, and hosting style to match the room.
We care about local relationships across Columbia, Lexington, and the Midlands.
Where We Play
Serving the SC Midlands & Beyond
From weekly trivia nights in Lexington to music bingo in Columbia - if you're in the Midlands, we're probably already near you.
Free-to-play trivia, music bingo, theme nights, and special promotions across the Midlands. Pick a night and bring your people.
Featured Music Bingo Promo
Mystery Four Dogs Song Giveaway
Each week during Four Dogs Music Bingo, one song is secretly chosen as the Mystery Four Dogs Song. If that song appears on your teamβs card, your team earns a giveaway entry.
Featured prize: 2 tickets to see James Taylor at Colonial Life Arena on Friday, September 11, 2026.
By Joey Elledge Β· Business Professor, DJ, and Host
As a business professor, I'm passionate first and foremost about the success of small business. Combined with producing weekly live trivia and music bingo events, I've come to see trivia not as a product to sell - but as a process to deliver consistent fun.
That distinction matters. I'm not interested in "selling trivia." I'm interested in helping venues create a repeatable guest experience that builds traffic, loyalty, and revenue.
Lesson 1
Build a process, not just an event
Success is rarely one great trivia night. Same night. Same time. Reliable structure. People return when they trust the experience.
Lesson 2
Treat trivia as a traffic-building system
Trivia should be viewed as a repeatable system for driving weeknight traffic, increasing guest spend, building regulars, and creating community habits.
Lesson 3
Sell the outcome, not "trivia"
People are not buying trivia. They are buying laughter, connection, and a reason to go out. Venues are not buying questions - they're investing in guest experience.
Lesson 4
Make consistency beat complexity
4 rounds, 5 questions per round, 90-120 minute experience, strong pacing. Consistency creates comfort. Variety keeps it fresh. Both matter.
Lesson 5
Design around repeat attendance
Loyalty does not happen by accident. It has to be designed. That's part of why we built a rewards app around check-ins and repeat visits.
Lesson 6
The host matters as much as the game
Questions don't create atmosphere. Hosts do. A great host doesn't just run trivia - they facilitate a room.
Lesson 7
Build community, not just competition
Learn names. Celebrate returning teams. Welcome new players. People return where they feel known. That is hospitality.
Lesson 8
Promote all week, not day-of
Monday teaser. Midweek reminder. Day-of urgency. Venue signage. Staff mentions. Good attendance is often built before game night starts.
Lesson 9
Use themed entertainment strategically
Themed nights, music rounds, visual rounds, and bonus rounds create novelty inside consistency. That keeps regulars engaged while bringing in new players.
Lesson 10
Chase repeatability, not perfection
The goal is not a flawless event. It is consistent fun. That scales.
When done right, trivia is customer retention, experiential marketing, and community - all in one.
For a doggone good time. πΎ
From the Host
Why We Built a Trivia Night ROI Calculator
By Joey Elledge
One thing I have become passionate about is helping venues make informed decisions before they ever hire entertainment.
"Because adding trivia or music bingo should not feel like a gamble. It should be a business decision."
The calculator helps bar and restaurant owners estimate potential impact by looking at factors like guest count, average spend, labor, and margins to understand what a successful entertainment night could generate.
I wanted to move beyond simply saying "Trivia can help your business." I wanted owners to be able to run the numbers for themselves.
That matters because entertainment should be measured not just by whether people had fun, but by whether it contributes to guest retention, traffic growth, and revenue. For me, that is the difference between selling trivia and building value.
If you run a venue and have ever wondered whether weekly entertainment makes financial sense - start with the math.
This may be the biggest lesson I have learned. Great trivia nights are not built by chasing perfect events. They are built through repeatable processes that consistently deliver fun.
"Early on, I would obsess over making every event flawless. Now I think differently. Process scales. Perfection does not."
For us, process means:
β± Consistent pacing
π Reliable event structure
π€ Welcoming atmosphere
βοΈ Balanced question difficulty
π£ Strong promotion rhythm
πΎ Loyalty via rewards app
That process is what creates consistency. And consistency is what builds trust. People return because they believe they are going to have fun.
Not perfection. Consistent fun.
For a doggone good time. πΎ
Local Guide
Best Trivia Nights in the Columbia & Lexington SC Area
By Four Dogs Entertainment
Looking for a great trivia night in Columbia SC, Lexington SC, Irmo, Chapin, or anywhere in the Midlands? You've come to the right place. Four Dogs Entertainment hosts weekly trivia nights and music bingo across the area - and here's what makes a great one.
The best bar trivia nights in the Midlands share a few things in common: a great host, rotating themed questions, consistent scheduling, and a venue that makes you feel welcome. That's exactly what we've built at Charter 803 in Lexington and at venues across Columbia.
Whether you're in West Columbia looking for a fun Wednesday night, in Irmo wanting something to do on a Thursday, or in Chapin hunting for weekend entertainment - weekly trivia is one of the best low-cost, high-fun options in the area.
All Four Dogs Entertainment trivia nights are free to play. You win prizes. You drink. You laugh. You come back next week.
Music Bingo in the Midlands SC - What It Is & Where to Play
By Four Dogs Entertainment
Music bingo is one of the fastest-growing bar games in the country - and Four Dogs Entertainment has been running it weekly across Columbia, Lexington, and the SC Midlands for years.
Instead of numbers, your bingo card is filled with song titles. When a song plays, you mark it off. First to get five in a row wins. It's louder, more social, and way more fun than traditional bingo - and it works for every age group.
We run themed music bingo nights - 80s nights, country nights, pop hits, decade mixes, holiday specials - so there's always something fresh. If you've ever searched for "music bingo near me in Columbia SC" or "music bingo Lexington SC," you found us.
We currently host music bingo at Charter 803 in Lexington and at select venues across the Midlands. Check our events calendar for the next one near you.
How to Win at Trivia Night (From the Guy Who Writes the Questions)
By Joey Elledge, Four Dogs Entertainment
As the host who writes and runs trivia nights across Lexington and Columbia SC, I get this question all the time: "How do we get better at trivia?"
1. Build a well-rounded team
Don't stack your team with one type of expert. You want someone who knows sports, someone who knows pop culture, someone who knows history, and someone who watches way too much TV.
2. Don't second-guess your first answer
Your gut is usually right. The most common mistake teams make is talking themselves out of the correct answer.
3. Use your wildcards and wagers wisely
Save your highest wager for the category you're strongest in. Don't go all-in on a topic you're shaky on.
4. Show up consistently
The teams that win most often are the ones that come every week. Pattern recognition from our question style is a real advantage - and you earn loyalty rewards too.
Ready to put it to the test? Find a trivia night near you.
Straight from our Facebook page - no filters, no fluff.
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"DJ Joey did a fantastic job at our daughter's wedding last night!"
Fran Tucker
Wedding DJ Review
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"We've been playing trivia in bars and restaurants for years and there aren't many hosts better than Joey and the team. We first came out for Sports Trivia Night at The Yard and had so much fun we've kept coming back. Joey puts tremendous effort into making each themed night unique and engaging. Can't wait for the next one!"
Sparky Superfan
Trivia Night at The Yard Β· Apr 2025
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"We couldn't have asked for a better DJ for our Spring Formal! Joey brought the perfect mix of current hits, timeless throwbacks, and crowd favorites that kept everyone on the dance floor all night. The setup was professional, with great lighting and sound quality that elevated the entire event. Easy to work with - responsive, punctual, and dedicated."
Jordan Anderson
Spring Formal Β· May 2025
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"Joey is such a nice person with excellent communication skills - he answered every text and call almost immediately. We hired him for our son's engagement party and he delivered every song on my list plus selections I hadn't thought of that matched perfectly. Promptly on site, stayed the entire evening, a true professional. You WILL NOT regret hiring him!"
Susan Leonard
Engagement Party Β· Mar 2025
Meet the Team
The Pack Behind the Fun
DJ Joey Elledge
Owner & Host
The face of Four Dogs Entertainment. Joey brings high energy, sharp wit, and an ear for what crowds love. From trivia to weddings, he's your guy.
Jim Kennedy
Host & Team Member
Jim keeps the energy going and the competition fierce. A crowd favorite at our weekly trivia nights.
Got Questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
Weekends book fast - especially for weddings. We recommend reaching out 4-8 weeks ahead for private events, and as early as possible for weddings. Use the booking form and he'll let you know availability right away.
We primarily serve the Columbia and Lexington, SC area, with regular events throughout the Midlands. We also take select events in Georgia. Text us and ask - we're usually willing to travel.
Pricing varies by format and frequency. We work with venues to find a structure that makes sense. The short answer: it's very affordable and pays for itself quickly in increased bar revenue. Use the booking form to talk specifics.
Yes - we bring everything: PA system, microphone, laptop, screens, answer sheets, and prizes. You just provide the venue and the guests.
Absolutely. We do pop culture, sports, local history, decade themes, holiday specials - you name it. We can also build custom rounds for private events.
Four Dogs Entertainment offers a venue calculator that helps estimate how trivia or music bingo could impact guest traffic, food and drink sales, and repeat visits. It gives owners a practical starting point before booking.
Yes. Four Dogs Entertainment hosts trivia nights and music bingo for bars, restaurants, breweries, and venues across Columbia, Lexington, and the Midlands.
Yes. Four Dogs Entertainment provides DJ services, wedding entertainment, private event hosting, corporate entertainment, trivia, and music bingo across South Carolina.
Let's Make It Happen
Get In Touch
Use the booking form to tell us what you are planning. We will review the details and follow up with the best next step.
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Start With the Form
Share the event type, date, location, and what you have in mind. This keeps the planning process clean and easy.
