The inaugural Westport Roots Fest, centered around the Westport Saloon and taking place on Saturday, May 24, is approaching fast. To prepare for the pending roots romp presented by the good folks at Little Class Records, The Pitch will be highlighting a “song of the day” from one of the featured artists in the weeks leading up to fest. There’s a specific songwriting gene…
Beer-festival season is officially here, and the weekend’s biggest event is HopFest, from 2 to 6 p.m. in the parking lot of the Well (7421 Broadway). (VIPs start at 1 p.m.) Chris Lewellen, owner of the Well and Lew’s, says this year’s event includes more than 50 breweries and 250 craft beers. Cinder Block, KC Bier Co., Martin City Brewing…
If you’re looking for a smaller craft-beer experience, Big Rip Brewing Co. (216 East Ninth Avenue, North Kansas City) is throwing an anniversary party from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday. “It should be a good fest,” says Josh Collins, who founded the brewery with Kipp Feldt. “It’s designed to be a super-laid-back festival where, if you want to try a…
Still cruisin’ in KC. My questions about why ride-sharing service Lyft does not believe Kansas City ordinances apply to it – I wrote about all this last week, here – remain unanswered. But the company is not backing down from challenges by our local government, who (rather reasonably, in my opinion) are requesting that it permit up and comply with…
I’d like to suggest an advertising tagline for the terrific new Italian delicatessen Pezzettino, at 2101 Broadway: “So good, you’re willing to circle the neighborhood half an hour trying to find a parking place.” Chris and Annie Barbieri Spohn opened the beautifully designed Italian deli and market on April 16, on the first floor of the dark brick warehouse building…
The inaugural Westport Roots Fest, centered around the Westport Saloon and taking place on Saturday, May 24, is approaching fast. To prepare for the pending roots romp presented by the good folks at Little Class Records, The Pitch will be highlighting a “song of the day” from one of the featured artists in the weeks leading up to fest. Alternatively calling themselves “dancegrass” and…
Back in 2011, the Kemper family had a novel idea: Tear down the West Bottoms arena named after them and replace it with a smaller event space and refashion the aging American Royal Complex. City leaders at the time didn’t exactly embrace the proposal with open arms, and Kemper Arena has remained largely dormant, except for the occasional high school…
Queens of the Stone Age and Primus Starlight Theatre, Kansas City Tuesday, May 13, 2014 For the full slideshow from last night, go here. “Hi everybody, how the hell you doing tonight?” These were the first words spoken by Queens of the Stone Age front man Josh Homme. Maybe the down-home attitude was a facade or just caked on a little…
Homebrewer Michael Crane doesn’t dislike beer. It’s just, well … “I’m a lightweight, I guess,” he says. “It doesn’t take much to get me quite buzzed.” Crane likes to quote his business partner, Christopher Meyers, who gave this analogy: “He’s like the grandmother who will spend all day shopping and cooking to prepare the meal to bring his family together…
Name: Diallo Javonne French Occupation: Photographer and filmmaker Hometown: Kansas City, Kansas Current neighborhood: Hyde Park What I do (in 140 characters): I’m a black-and-white music photographer and filmmaker. I try to inspire through my images. What’s your addiction? Cupcakes What’s your game? Basketball. I’m older so I’m not what I used to be, but don’t leave me open. Where’s…
Slayer The Uptown, Kansas City Tuesday, May 13, 2014 My brother summed up the bands at the Uptown last night pretty much perfectly when he said that you think of these bands in your mind as being in their twenties, so it’s a bit of a shock when you see older guys on stage. The same went for the crowd,…
Queens of the Stone Age with Primus and Chelsea Wolfe
It’s that tine again: The Pitch’s Golden Fork contest is back. The competition is at the center of our annual Taste event, where five chefs go utensil to utensil for top honors as hungry Kansas Citians go booth to booth to sample some of the metro’s coolest food and beverages. We interviewed six chefs for the Taste supplement included in…
Last September, as Breaking Bad neared its end, New Yorker writer Tad Friend profiled that series’ star, Bryan Cranston, who was then shooting the mega-budget remake of Godzilla that opens this week. “The actor has become the studios’ ancho chili, the ingredient that adds distinction to any dish,” Friend observed. And distinction was called for — no living human remembers…
If you’ve driven on Troost Avenue with any regularity over the past year, you’ve probably seen Jerry Crowell’s building at 4337 Troost. It’s hard not to notice. The lower level is painted a vivid pink, with purple trim. “I thought the paint was red when I got the paint,” Crowell says, “but when I opened the first can and saw…
Jenn Wasner had hit a creative wall. Two years of nonstop touring and playing had fatigued Wasner, the lead singer and guitarist for Wye Oak, and percussionist Andy Stack on the songs that had made their 2011 album, Civilians, a breakthrough success. Wasner couldn’t force herself to write anything that sounded similar, leaving Wye Oak’s future in doubt. Then Wasner…
In May 1953, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie recorded a legendary jazz concert in Toronto’s Massey Hall. The saxophone that Parker played that night is on display in the American Jazz Museum. The Gem Theater marks that show’s anniversary Saturday. Pianist Bill Charlap (who has backed Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand) brings his trio, adding alto saxophonist Jesse Davis and…
On a cool Saturday evening, the five members of Cowboy Indian Bear cluster around a metal table outside Grinders. They’re about an hour from taking the stage at Crossroads KC for the venue’s Spring Fling. It’s not a small gig, but in the fading daylight, the group is at ease, talking on the patio and exchanging high-fives with friends as…
Morrissey It has been five long, sad, lonely years since Morrissey last graced the area with his immaculately coifed presence. After two canceled tours, a bleeding ulcer and many broken hearts since his 2009 Midland date, it seems that everyone’s favorite melancholy man is returning for real this time. Morrissey is also preparing to release his 10th solo record in…
Nicholas Miller was 3 when he found his calling. The year was 1971, and Pinkie Miller had driven with her kids — Nicholas and sisters Kim, 9, and Rhonda, 7 — to see a family friend. Afterward, she stopped at a neighborhood convenience store, near 43rd Street and Cleveland. It was about 10 p.m. when she left her kids in…
It can be tough to stay optimistic about young theater companies. When the lifespan of a theater is less than five years, investing in one emotionally can feel as risky as embarking on a new relationship. So heed this bold proclamation from a commitment-phobe: Spinning Tree Theatre is going to make it. The theater’s third season ends on a high…
It appears that the gods of music, wherever they are, have heard the prayers of some Kansas City loyalists and have rewarded us with an unexpected show from art-punk collective SSION – hatched by KC mastermind Cody Critcheloe in the late 1990s – tonight at FOKL. The announcement came over Twitter this morning, and about an hour ago on Facebook. Critchloe…
