Pop Quiz trivia event: American Cool

Another hot DC summer is under way, but the National Portrait Gallery is the coolest place to be. You don’t have to look any further than the acclaimed exhibition “American Cool” to see why. “American Cool” uses photographs of actors, singers, writers, and charismatic public figures to explore the question, “What does it mean when a generation claims a figure as cool?”

This month’s Pop Quiz museum trivia night features twenty-one portraits from the exhibition. Did you know that U2 wrote their 1988 song Angel of Harlem as an homage to Billie Holiday? Or that before becoming known as the “King of Cool,” Steve McQueen served in the United States Marine Corps, and was once part of the honor guard who guarded President Harry Truman’s yacht?

American Cool is on view until September 7, so stop by the show and brush up on your cool history before heading to trivia night. The Portrait Gallery’s Pop Quiz will take place in the Kogod Courtyard on July 23 at 6:30 p.m. The museum’s café will be open, and snacks and beverages will be available for purchase. All the cool kids will be there.

Here is a sneak peek from this month’s bonus question, worth ten points!

As a singer-songwriter, director, and composer, David Byrne has been described as the “thinking man’s rock star.” In 1975, he teamed up with his friends Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth to create a band that combined elements of punk rock, art rock, avant-garde, pop, funk, world music, and Americana. Name the band that Byrne co-founded.

A. Ministry
B. Talking Heads
C. NIN
D. One Direction