Archives: April 2021

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Art

KCAI painter Nehemiah Cisneros is asking Kansas City, “Are we violent by design?”

Thomas Woodward,

Nehemiah Cisneros is a graduating senior from the Painting Program at the Kansas City Art Institute, currently exhibiting in two neighboring galleries inside the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center. The two shows are titled Violent By Design then denoted 1 and 2, with one being at Leedy’s Opie Gallery and two conveniently showing in the adjacent room in HabitatKC’s gallery space. The show…

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Music

Premiere: Cuee’s ‘Gravity’ brings a ‘love is in the air’ vibe

Nick Spacek,

Cuee // photo credit Jacob Schermerhorn Under the name Cuee, rapper Quis Wright has been a mainstay of the Lawrence scene for the last five years, regularly performing all over town and dropping mixtapes, each of which sees him evolving in terms of delivery, flow, and sheer exuberant attitude. His latest, Gospel, officially releases with an early show at the…
Culture

Celebrate May Day with plant-based goodies this weekend

Nicole Mitchell,

Courtesy of Soulcentricitea Calling all vegans! Grab your friends and reusable tote bags and head to the Plant-Based May Day celebration located at Soulcentricitea this weekend. On May 1 from 3-6 pm, you’ll get to experience everything plant-based and wellness-related all in one place. Get a tarot reading, purchase herbal pre-rolls, eat some vegan chocolate, and check out all of…

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Politics

Kris Kobach announces (yet another) attempted return to politics in campaign for Kansas AG

Cool. Welcome back, bro.
Lucie Krisman,

Former Secretary of State Kris Kobach announced an upcoming run for Kansas attorney general today, following two losses in two years. // Image courtesy of Kris Kobach Former Secretary of State Kris Kobach is attempting to jump back into Kansas politics as the state’s attorney general. From a takeover of elections, to restricting our #2A rights, the Biden Admin disregards…

Emerson Vieira Ar4l6fj6wq Unsplash
Food & Drink

Practice up, BBQ masters. American Royal World Series of Barbecue returns in September

Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga,

Photo by Emerson Vieira on UnSplash. Time to fire up the smoker and start practicing, pit masters, the biggest barbecue competition is coming back. After taking a year off due to COVID-19, the American Royal World Series of Barbecue is returning for its 41st year. This September 16-19 this, barbecue masters, fans, and meat-eaters will fill the Kansas Speedway. “The…

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Politics

After voting down Senate COVID liability bill, House focus turns to pared down version

One lawmaker who voted against the more sweeping bill said he did so in part out of frustration with the Senate.
Tessa Weinberg,

Rep. Ben Baker, R-Neosho, speaks on the House floor on April 1, 2021. // Photo by Tim Bommel/House Communications After voting down a sweeping bill to shield businesses from most COVID-19 related lawsuits Monday night, House lawmakers have pinned their hopes on a much more narrow version. Rep. Ben Baker, R-Neosho, said he plans to add provisions onto Senate Bill 27 on…

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Savage Love

A lot of quickies and then a few more

Dan Savage,

Illustration by Jack Raybuck Dear Dan: I have a quick question about bisexuality. What if one has a preference for dating straight individuals? As a straight woman, I am only interested in dating straight men. Is that some kind of phobia? Or is it okay for that to be a preference? I’ve always wanted to ask someone this but I’m…

Almost Andy Reid
Culture

What you should know about Almost Andy Reid, the impersonator who found himself in a Scientology rap video

How to react when the world springs a horrifying surprise on you.
Lucie Krisman,

Matt Black has gained a substantial following as Chiefs coach impersonator Almost Andy Reid, but he never intended to use that to promote Scientology. // Photo by Colin Gibson When Matt Black was approached by people filming a music video outside of Arrowhead Stadium and asked if he was Chiefs coach Andy Reid, he smirked and said, “Almost.” That’s what…

Amped For Camp Poster
Music

Amplify Lawrence would like to remake your acquaintance

Nick Spacek,

Courtesy facebook.com/amplifylawrence Founded in 2015 as Girls Rock Lawrence, and rebranded as Amplify Lawrence last year, the “week long summer camp in which girls and trans youth between ages 12-18 come together and form bands” has, over the course of the last six years, seen its numbers grow. As part of that growth came a realization that the term “girls”…

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Sports

Why does this Scientology rap video have a fake Andy Reid? Well, we live in Hell.

Just not a headline we thought we'd have to write today. And yet.
Sophia Misle,

It has been confirmed by The Kansas City Chiefs that Matt Black, an impersonator of head coach Andy Reid, was in a Church of Scientology music video—and not the actual Coach Andy Reid, as social media believed it to be. Tony Ortega, an investigative journalist who has written about Scientology since 1995, made this information public to his 28,600 Twitter…

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Dining

Martin City Pub now operating as the Coast to Coast Pub

Sophia Misle,

Photo courtesy Coast to Coast Pub Martin City Brewing Company has rebranded the Martin City Pub as the Coast to Coast Pub to give customers a splash of coastal seafood in the midwest. Chef Dan Uche is the mastermind behind this revitalized Coast to Coast menu concept. Uche’s previous experience at upscale seafood restaurant Bristol inspired him to create new…

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Politics

Transgender youth athletes need adults to go to bat for them

Brianna Titone,

Colorado State Representative Brianna Titone writes about the support trans youth athletes need from the adults around them. // Image courtesy of Shuttershock The introduction of legislature that discriminates against trans youth has spurred a massive discussion across the United States, but they’ve gained a special place in the spotlight across the Midwest, particularly in Kansas and Missouri. The creation…

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Politics

KC’s experiment relocating the homeless to hotels yields uneven results [Updated]

Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga,

Alina Heart and Chet Bell, volunteers who have been working to make sure hotel guests are fed. // Photo by Bek Shackelford Two weeks ago Mayor Quinton Lucas announced 90-day hotel accommodations for anyone in the over 100 homeless encampments in Kansas City. Reactions were overwhelmingly positive from the community. What volunteers and the beneficiaries did not expect was the…

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Art

ArtsKC announces recipients of the 2020-2021 Inspiration grants

Take a look at the artists selected.
Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga,

A few of the grant recipients. // Courtesy of ArtsKC Each year since 2016, ArtsKC Regional Arts Council has been providing funds for local artists through Inspiration Grants. This year, ArtsKC is giving $35,468 in Inspiration Grants to 18 local artists. Inspiration Grants are designed to support individual or small groups of artists in the area as they work on…
News

Supreme Court sides with Scott Tucker, who defrauded millions via KC payday lending scheme

Savannah Hawley,

Scott Tucker, the man responsible for defrauding millions of Americans—many in Kansas City—through predatory payday loans just won the support of the Supreme Court. Tucker was arrested and convicted in 2016, and was appealing part of his conviction from the Southern District of New York. The Pitch has been reporting on Tucker and his associates since 2013, when news of…

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Culture

TGP teaches the art of pet grooming to help struggling parents find employment

Sophia Misle,

A precious pup received grooming services through The Grooming Project // Photo courtesy The Grooming Project Facebook The Grooming Project (TGP), a nonprofit dedicated to helping struggling parents find employment through pet grooming, has opened a housing facility. The multi-family transitional housing facility is two blocks from TGP’s pet grooming school on Troost. With the help of many donors, six…

Mahomes Carolina Reaper
Food & Drink

Some spicy news from the Chiefs

(Not gossip, sorry.)
Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga,

Mahomes hot sauce. // Photo courtesy of Spicin Foods Things are heating up with the Kansas City Chiefs, but not in the way you would expect. Today local sauce manufacturer, Spicin Foods, announced a multiyear deal with the Chiefs allowing Spicin Foods to manufacture and sell Chiefs-branded barbecue and hot sauces. The products will launch May 28, making Spicin Foods…