Black Lives Matter protest. // Photo by Jim Nimmo We’ve been asking members of the KC community to submit stories about life under house arrest. If you’ve got a story you’d like to share, please send it to brock@thepitchkc.com for consideration. Today, Samba Gnokane discusses BLM through the lens of a local Black student’s experiences. Illustration by Jack Raybuck Going into…
Photo courtesy of J. Rieger Co. Them virus numbers aren’t great, folks, so despite that we’re all over it and maybe even bored of the relentlessly bad news, the virus isn’t going away. The sorta bright side: There are a few ways to get out and enjoy some food and drink in Kansas City in the general proximity of others…
Portrait of Justice Horn. // Photo by Travis Young A self-described leader, activist, and trailblazer, Justice Horn is tricky to put a label on. The former UMKC Student Government President transferred from Northern State University in South Dakota, where he became the NCAA’s first openly gay multicultural wrestler. At 22, Horn is championing Black Lives Matter initiatives, raising his voice…
Helzberg Hall // Photo by Tim Hursley The Kansas City Ballet, Kansas City Symphony, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Harriman-Jewell Series announced that all events scheduled for 2020 at the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts will no longer take place due to building restrictions and social distancing guidelines. The organizations reached this conclusion based on current information about the…
Hal Brody in his first Penny Pitch office. // Photo courtesy of Hal Brody. We’re in the midst of a global pandemic, massive social upheaval, and the worst economic recession in a century. Things are not the best out there. This is perhaps an understatement. Simultaneously, we’re seeing change in our society on an unprecedented scale. There’s an accelerationist version…
Courtesy JCC of GKC The White Theater at the Jewish Community Center is presenting the first-ever virtual Jewish Film Festival in Kansas City from August 2-19th. This three-week festival will feature twelve award-winning films that educate viewers on the culture, history, and experience of the Jewish community. Some of the featured films include Miracle of Miracles, a behind-the-scenes look at…
HopCat tiki stuff. // Via HopCat social media. Welp. Not sure how to say except for just to say it: HopCat has closed its doors for good. We’ve seen a number of local favs shutdown during the coronavirus quarantine, and experts warned us that re-opening too early could have disastrous effects. The worst, for our economy, would be a re-shutdown,…
Lisa in the city. // Courtesy Sloane Heller Media Lisa Benson thought if she worked hard and played by the rules, she could avoid the racial pitfalls of a Black woman in her career field. She was wrong. And now she’s written a book about her experience: “Anchored in Bias: Fired Over White Tears.” Benson made national news when her…
Butterfly mural in Asheville, NC, by Sound Mind Creative. // Photo by Justin Mitchell, Courtesy Bloomberg Philanthropies KCMO Public Works has been awarded a $25,000 national grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, in partnership with Midtown KC Now and Street Smarts Design + Build. The Asphalt Art initiative is a new program designed to help cities use art and design to create…
The Penny Lane staff celebrates Hal Brody’s birthday. // Photo courtesy of Hal Brody In the beginning there was a record store. A dubious publisher. An editor named Warren Stylus, who existed only on the masthead. Some eager, talented writers. A lot of coffee and booze. What began in 1980 as the Penny Pitch, a monthly newsletter to promote Penny…
Our fearless leader getting crunk at the celebratory parade. // Photo by Zach Bauman Finally, some good news. Kansas City’s favorite Super Bowl champ is staying in town until the conclusion of the 2033 season, Patrick Mahomes’ extended contract says. Following a Chiefs Super bowl win in 2020, Mahomes’ contract was set to expire at the end of the 2020…
As Everett the Grey, musician Alex Hill blends elements of electronics, acoustic rock, and hip-hop into his music to create something which feels familiar, yet sounds wholly fresh. Like many musicians these days, he’s been coping with the Covid-19 outbreak, while still trying to find time to create. As an added wrinkle, Hill is a medical student, meaning his days…
The cover art for the compilation is by Chicago-based Nigerian American illustrator, Unimuke Agada // Courtesy French Exit Records Kansas City music fans are in for a treat today. French Exit Records is premiering its Black Lives Matter compilation with us and it features tracks from 22 acts from around the metro and the region. Contributors vary from the soon-to-be-famous…
Beach House still. // Courtesy Exile PR. Do you know that moment when you wake from a nightmare, and no matter what the situation of the nightmare, you briefly feel like that fiction and your world have a cross-over? That moment of believing the nightmare for a few minutes beyond when you should have left that dimension behind. That odd…
4th of July Protest // Photo by Jim Nimmo Two hundred and forty-four years ago, our nation was founded on July 4th with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. A document which listed 27 grievances held by the colonies against the English king. It was signed by 56 white men who proclaimed, “We hold these truths to be self-evident,…
The KCPD during Black Lives Matter protests in early June. // Photo by Angela C. Bond State control of the Kansas City police department is a ridiculous, demeaning form of paternalism that Kansas City has allowed for 80-plus years because political and civic leaders were either too lazy, too co-opted, or too cowed to do anything about it. Now, it…
The public participates in an environmental commission meeting. // Courtesy Sierra Club Missouri Chapter The Midwest is not immune from the effects of climate change, and while corona has our attention right now there’s a different pandemic that hasn’t slowed down. Luckily, we’re making progress in making sure the metro has a long-term plan moving forward. The Kansas City City…
Maneater // Courtesy Tripwire Interactive Last weekend, the two highest-grossing movies in the US box office were Jurassic Park and Jaws. Everyone wants a big summertime dumb blockbuster action film, but all the new studio movies have been pushed back months due to coronavirus concerns. So we’re turning to the past. A delightful bit that snuck through into the future…
I Am Lisa. // Courtesy the filmmaker. The new horror movie I Am Lisa is a Kansas City production through and through. Both writer Eric Winkler and director Patrick Rea are based here, and while star Kristen Vaganos might hail from California, she’s become an “honorary” Kansas Citian after her involvement in the picture. The plot to the film is…
Illustration by Jack Raybuck Dear Dan: I have a question. I’m a gay man in a relationship and we’re both really happy since we met a year ago. We’re “open” in the sense that he wants the option to be intimate with someone else if a connection happens, and in turn he said he would be supportive of me being…
Best of KC store. // Courtesy ourselves. It’s time for Best Of KC 2020. And you know what that means? New merch!!!! We’ve gone with a hard 80s style here, and between our throwbacks and our vaporware, we’ve got a little something for everyone. In the store we have everything from tees and hoodies all the way to water bottles…
August is creeping up on us like it’s a monthly gym membership that we were pressured into purchasing after going there one time to try out and feel the vibes. The months have blended together since COVID-19 laid us down for the three-second tan. The eighth month of the calendar year will have different circumstances to deal with, as kids,…
Ranking of top fireworks use by state. // Courtesy Zippia. According to new data in a nationwide study, Missouri f’ing loves fireworks. Like. A lot. Zippia, a career and information resource organization, examined statistics from across the United States and discovered that Missouri imports more fireworks per person than any one other state. For real. We’re number one. In Sky…
Get ‘Em Home Clinic promotional photo. // Courtesy KC Pet Project 4th of July weekend can be tough on dogs. The fireworks are often a major issue for their stress levels, and the recent pandemic has also resulted in area pets being unable to make regular vet visits for numerous extended medical issues. To combat these issues, KC Pet Project…
