Here is Brock Wilbur’s Letter from the Editor at the start of our January issue of The Pitch. Happy New Year to all! “Have you tried turning it off and turning it back on again?” That’s the familiar refrain of tech support professionals and millennials with less-than-tech-savy parents across the globe. When the problem seems unsolvable by any other means,…
Illustration by Jack Raybuck We hosted our second Savage Love Livestream the other week and it was a blast. I ran my mouth as fast as I could but couldn’t answer every question that came in—there were hundreds of you and only one of me—so I’m going to power through as many leftover questions as I can in this week’s…
Kate Frick at the now-shuttered Myers Hotel Bar. Photo by April Fleming At the end of 2019, I was fretting about oversaturation in the restaurant industry, and at the time that plausibly seemed like one of the greatest threats to chefs and restaurateurs in 2020. Well, I was not correct. The greatest threat, rather, turned out to be a federal…
Today in News We Would Be Fine Without, the T-Mobile Center announced that they will be hosting performances from Disney on Ice. Yes, mid-pandemic—as hospitals and ICUs in the metro are at capacity, and as our numbers continue to spike—you and the whole family can pack into a stadium to watch Donald Duck fall on his butt. We miss live…
I Am Lisa. // Courtesy the filmmakers. I Am Lisa brings heart to horror as the film explores the dangers of being different in a small town. Loaded with action, suspense, and intimate performances, I Am Lisa is a supernatural revenge romp that effectively presents it’s messaging on growth while simultaneously showcasing Kansas City scenery. Director Patrick Rea and Writer…
It is possible, and we aren’t suggesting that this is the case, but it is possible that you or someone you love might be bad at book clubs. We know: scandalous. J/K. We’re terrible at it. We love reading books. We plow through them. Yet, somehow, when it comes time to be held to a deadline for discussions, we fall…
Professional skateboarder (and KC native) Sean Malto dropped an original series of videos about the metro experience, via Mountain Dew’s YouTube channel. The episodic run, called Back To KC, is airing now. See the boarder celebrate Kansas City culture in a series of tributes, covering everything from BBQ to kick-tricks. In an interview earlier this month, Malto summed up the…
In July of 1994, Phil Kilgore and his wife Lynn had a dream—open a clean, sleek game store that the KC Gaming community could call home. He had the help of investor HW Coyle, who had long wanted to open a board game store but didn’t have the time. The investor and the Kilgore’s collaboration produced TableTop Game and Hobby;…
Shawn Edwards with Eddie Murphy in 2019. // Image courtesy of Shawn Edwards. Shawn Edwards’s prolific reputation precedes him. In conversation, he certainly lives up to it—he’s kind, thoughtful, and incredibly smart. Edwards, who began his career at The Pitch as a writer and an editor in the early 90s, has worn many hats throughout his life as a journalist,…
St. Francois County jail in Farmington is facing a class-action lawsuit for “unlawful” conditions. // Courtesy Missouri Independent When Bonne Terre resident Robert Hopple entered the St. Francois County Detention Center in May 2018, he was placed in a small holding cell with about ten other men for roughly three days. Hopple, 49, says the jail staff gave him a…
Photo by Kelly Sikkema It’s been a rather annoying year, to say the least. The after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have caused major isolation across the world. The 2020 U.S. Election and handling of the pandemic by the Trump administration divided the country more drastically than anytime I’ve seen during my life. Multiple police murders of Black citizens resulted in…
There’s merch now. That makes it real. // Courtesy KC WoSo Store A spot of KC’s brightest sports news in 2020 has been the announcement of women’s soccer returning to the metro. Between the Olympic team’s success and the sport making one of the few safe returns during coronavirus, fandom has boomed and our city has long been longing for…
Photo by April Fleming It’s been a weird holiday season, friends. But it’s not all bad news—delicious, wonderful things are still out there, waiting to be tasted. Jill Cockson and her team at Swordfish Tom’s have long provided Kansas City with well-balanced, smart cocktails, and they are here to help us through what may prove to be a rough season….
TFW you’ve been waiting on no-tag day for too long. // Photo by Brock Wilbur A friendly reminder from your neighbors here at The Pitch: now through Thursday, no-tag trash pick-ups are instituted. You can put out as many bags of garbage (30lbs or less, up to a dozen) along with unlimited recycling for pick-up on the Missouri side—no extra…
The editor’s office features many records and a Pitch dispenser that looks hella cool. // Photo by Kelcie McKenney Thus ends 2020. Good. Glad you’re dead, you stupid year. You were not beloved, and we spit on your grave. Despite a lockdown, a revolution in the streets, and political turmoil unlike America has ever seen, we here at The Pitch…
Courtesy of Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar The year Donald Trump was elected also happened to be a particularly difficult year for an Australian friend of mine. He told me in a conversation as the year drew to a close that “2016 can stuff it in the bin.” I loved that phrase. 2020 can stuff it in a hundred…
Illustration by Jack Raybuck Dear Dan: One of my very close friends, a lesbian, has been married for a couple of years now. It’s been nothing but drama since the day they met. My friend had a terrible home life growing up and doesn’t understand stability. She also has zero self-confidence. My friend and her wife are constantly calling the…
The Missouri Supreme Court building in Jefferson City. // Courtesy of FLICKR/David Shane, licensed under CC BY 2.0). Sometimes people feel like the government is dumping on them, and this week that person is Charlie Gott. For 35 years, Gott has been the answer to the call of nature for thousands of people on construction sites and outdoor events. His…
Whitney Manney is a Real Nice Lady. // Photo by Lauran Pusateri The women of Kansas City have made incredible strides this year in coworking, supporting each other, and generally hyping each other up. Behind the scenes of this city, it is women who are breaking glass ceilings everywhere, calling for action and change, and starting brand-new business ventures. Fortunately,…
“Every week I go to a club. I act like I’m too drunk to stand. And every week a ‘nice guy’ comes over to see if I’m OK.” // Courtesy of Focus Features Forgiveness is a tricky thing. In the church, I was taught that we’re supposed to forgive the people who do us wrong. Simple enough in Sunday school—you…
Chris Riggins began college with no aim of starting his own restaurant. While studying business at the University of Iowa he was introduced to the entrepreneurial program. These courses made him fall in love with the idea of selling something he made himself. He graduated and accepted a job in the restaurant business. Eventually, he worked his way up to regional…
White Lie. // Courtesy Tricoast/Rock Salt Releasing Tension has become a difficult vibe to pin down in 2020. Each day is somewhere more tense than the last, as an invisible virus becomes exponentially more dangerous/murderous, seemingly at random, to the people we know and love. Amid a (pre?)-apocalyptic world, how do you ratchet up a sensation of soul-crushing dread that…
Wonder Woman 1984 still. // Courtesy Warner Brothers When Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman hit theaters in 2017, it was an undeniable game-changer for mainstream superhero films. Gal Gadot’s memorable turn as the beloved DC character overwhelmingly illustrated modern audiences’ interest in blockbuster adventures featuring female leads, paving the way for Captain Marvel and the recent Birds of Prey. The movie’s…
As the co-host of a multi-year podcast called Missouri Loves Company, you can’t imagine my surprise that a brand new Missouri beer was named after our show. Really came outta left field. Especially since we haven’t released an episode in months? It’s just nice to know how beloved we are. J/K, we’re here to talk about someone doing much better…
