By Zach Bauman“The clubs that try to prove themselves as funny, instead of trying to get rich out of the gate, are the ones that are still successful,” Kaufman says. Upon hearing the name, you might assume it was chosen out of laziness, or perhaps Google searchability. But Dustin Kaufman says The Comedy Club of Kansas City, which he opened…
By Katie Rich After moving from St. Louis to Kansas City a year and a half ago, dancer Jordan Kaya began to notice a divide in the local dance community. There are those who work in concert styles (formal stage and theater, typically) and commercial styles (music videos, television). That’s where the jobs are. But then there’s the street style…
MSNBC Here’s Claire McCaskill last night on MSNBC saying Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are too progressive for America. A note about Claire McCaskill. She is a tough, talented public servant—one of the best Democratic politicians in the Midwest of the last few decades. In 2018, she tried to appeal to rural Missouri voters by running a centrist campaign, and…
Remember when Republicans were so mad that the big mean government was making decisions about how big their sodas could be? I just read all of Sen. Hawley’s “SMART” act and it is pretty much the opposite of smart. Probably the most bonkers part is this: Hawley wants social media platforms to limit usage to 30 minutes a day by…
COURTESY THE SAVOY AT 21C Tuesday, July 30 Chef Joe West of the Savoy at 21c (219 West 9th Street) is hosting chef Ryan Williams of Rye Leawood for a five-course collaboration dinner, part of a series the Savoy is calling “The New Midwest.” Each chef will present two courses (with drink pairings) with an opening canapes course presented by the Savoy’s chef de cuisine, Nick…
Something called Shaq’s Bass All Stars will appear this Friday, August 2, at KC Live! in Power and Light District. Other than Shaquille O’Neal, aka Diesel, the show will feature Valentino Khan, Eliminate, Nitti Gritti. Tickets to Shaq’s Bass All Stars are $20 in advance, $30 day of the event. There’s also a couple of VIP options. More info here….
In its third year, Manor Fest is making the leap from a Shawnee basement to multiple Kansas City music venues. The DIY music festival kicks off Thursday in midtown KC with shows at Mills Record Co., Riot Room, and miniBar. Friday night’s in the West Bottoms/KCK: Blip Roasters, Hickory Union Moto, and Colonial Club. Saturday the shows migrate to the…
Sara Hart Weir, a Mission resident and former president and CEO of the National Down Syndrome Society, announced on Monday she would challenge U.S. Congresswoman Sharice Davids next fall in the race for Kansas’ Third Congressional District. Weir is 37. She’s the first Republican to declare her candidacy in the race. As the Star notes, Weir will “likely face…
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway says her office is hearing from an “increasing number of taxpayers who have not received their refunds, despite some of those returns being filed as early as January.” Governor Mike Parson’s office has offered no real plan to handle the situation, Galloway notes in a letter sent to Parson on Monday. Parson previously responded to…
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver joined the growing chorus in the U.S. House of Representatives calling for an impeachment inquiry into President Trump, releasing the following statement on Monday: “After reading Special Counsel Mueller’s redacted report and listening to his testimony, it’s clear to me that they indicate the President committed one or more instances of obstruction of justice while in office….
Dear Dan: I’m a 36-year-old straight guy, happily married for more than 10 years, and a longtime reader. My wife and I are monogamous. We’re good communicators, well matched in terms of libido, and slightly kinky (light bondage, Dom/sub play in the bedroom). For the last few months, I’ve been thinking about trying prostate play, and I have a couple of…
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At the inaugural Romance GenreCon in 2018. COURTESY OF MID-CONTINENT PUBLIC LIBRARY Romance books are a billion-dollar industry, bigger than mystery and science fiction combined. They’re also the top-circulating genre across Mid-Continent Public Library’s 31 branches. And currently, according to the people who know such things, romance novels are actively being created and sold by no less than 60 active authors in…
The last several years have seen a great deal of development in East Lawrence, a section of the college town that’s east of Massachusetts Street and north of 23rd Street. But the growth there hasn’t been gross and corporate; it has managed to maintain the essential rebellious and artistic qualities we’ve always loved about Lawrence. The Warehouse District, at 8th…
A big part of the culture at Freshwater — and one of the best reasons to visit — is James Beard-nominated chef Calvin Davis’ insistence on using as many ingredients as possible from local sources: proteins, herbs, seasonal vegetables. This is reflected in the dishes, which change from day to day depending on what’s available. But it’s also a part…
A chalkboard wall lists Black Sheep’s daily specials, which skew more complex than the perennial standards. Zach Bauman It’s a great relief to eat a simple, well-prepared meal that isn’t trying to impress the neighbors. I’ve grown tired of restaurants “elevating” classic dishes, an inane descriptor that seems to be industry shorthand for “putting a short rib on it.” I’m…
We’re deep in the heart of the 2019 Fringe Festival, which has brought about 75 shows in 14 different venues throughout downtown and midtown. With such abundance, the same dilemma arises every year: How to choose? Buzz by word of mouth is one way — but helpful mostly after the festival has begun. Preparing for opening weekend, July 19-21, we put our ears to the…
Photo by Zach Bauman Nine months after the closing of Open Spaces last October, KC Creates — the non-profit that produced the two-month-long citywide arts festival — is still on the hook for approximately $480,000 owed to various vendors that participated in the event. The city of KCMO has contributed nearly $1 million to the festival; earlier this year, it…
About ten years ago, Fred Spompinato, the original owner-operator of the Westside’s beloved Fervere bakery, started selling cheese slippers on summer Saturday nights. His over-the-top cheesy creations were a quick hit. Before long, customers were waiting upwards of an hour for the slippers, whose flavors changed from week to week. In 2015, Spominato sold his bakery to Ibis Bakery owners…
The pillars designed by Vonderschmidt (above) and Cisneros (photo below) are a permanent installation at the mall.courtesy of Independence Center Blank space abounds at Independence Center. It’s all white walls, white floors, white ceilings, and — until recently — white, 40-foot pillars that shoot up like towers from the floor to the tippy top of the shopping mall. About a…
Shane Linden When Eman Chalshotori was in fourth grade, his teacher would punish kids in detention by playing the radio’s classical station. The students would complain and beg the teacher to change the station. One day, Chalshotori decided he would try a different tack. “In a fit of defiance I was like, Well, I’m going to turn it up,…
Coppage and Smith (with Davis in background) in the Kansas Repertory Theatre’s Chasing Gods. // Photo by Aaron Paden, courtesy of Kansas Repertory Theatre. Consider the perennial political divide at holiday dinners, and you can imagine the tension among members of the Curtis family, in Kansas Repertory Theatre’s Chasing Gods. Only here, it’s Scripture, not partisan belief, that’s on the…
Reel Big Fish / The Aquabats with Six Percent The Uptown Theater Friday, July 12 “I feel like this was our high school experience,” a friend posted on Facebook regarding Friday night’s ska show at the Uptown. I couldn’t disagree. There was a time in my life where I was attending a ska show of some sort in Kansas City or Lawrence…
Dear Dan: My fiancé and I have been in a relationship for 11 years. His best friend is one of his exes, and that has always bothered me. What do I do? Needing Guidance After Getting Engaged Dear NGAGE: You could make up your mind to get over it, NGAGE. Or you could threaten to break off the engagement unless your…
