Classic columns from side in summer framed by green; Jesse dome view from Cornell. / Courtesy Missouri Independent The committee that promotes Gov. Mike Parson’s political interests took the largest donation of the year Thursday, the same day Parson replaced a University of Missouri curator who refused to resign amid controversy over an appointee backed by the donor. Ketchmark and…
Courtesy of Strawberry Swing Summer is here, and many of our favorite events are coming back from the summer we collectively took off. Whether you’re into festivals, concerts, food trucks, art exhibits, movies, or wellness inspiration, we’ve got you covered. Our Summer Guide is your key to an unforgettable season. We all deserve a break, and with The Pitch’s guide,…
Be it their work in Hembree or the Noise FM, brothers Alex and Austin Ward have become known for intensely-catchy, danceable pop songs. Combining forces with CJ Calhoun (Bonzo Madrid, Cowboy Indian Bear) for their latest project, Scores, only brings those elements even more to the forefront. Taking inspiration from the “pulsating bass lines, pounding drums, and heavy synthesizers of…
This week on the Streetwise podcast we discuss Shakespeare dog, enjoy a reading of J.M. Banks’ piece “Def Do Us Part”, jam to The Grisly Hand’s track “Now That You Know”, and chat with Mackenzie Clark about creating The Lawrence Times. People can follow the Times on Twitter at @LawrenceKSTimes! Our episode this week is brought to you by Worlds of…
Speakers from the livestream of the town hall meeting. The crowd at a hastily called town hall meeting in Kansas City’s Northland on a rainy Thursday night in the last week of May was a balm to a city councilwoman’s wounded heart. “I kind of had my fingers crossed, thinking, ‘well, I hope a few people show up,’” said Teresa…
Lighting the skyline teal. // Photo by MSH Visual Local government and politicians are often punching bags. Sometimes for good reason. I engage in this time-honored tradition too, even on this blog, for example, when I wrote: Northland Council People Should Look In The Mirror Before They Talk About Process and Norms and Is The Kansas City GO Bond Infrastructure…
Sean Malto. // Photo by Tim Rogers In Iowa, they have a saying, ‘build it and they will come.’ Previously, it referred to baseball in a cornfield somewhere in Iowa. However, this past weekend it referred to skateboarding in Des Moines. Build on the banks of the Des Moines river, the newly opened Laurendsen Skatepark is now hailed as the…
Image courtesy Katie Mabry van Dieren Katie Mabry van Dieren has been delighting Kansas Citians with The Strawberry Swing Indie Craft Fair since 2011. Since opening the pop-up craft fair 10 years ago, van Dieren has continued to build an empire of local makers. At the Swing, one will find hundreds of products created in Kansas City by new and…
Fans of Planet Comicon take it all in // Photo from The Pitch After taking a gap year from the craziness of 2020, Planet Comicon Kansas City will return to Bartle Hall Convention Center in Downtown Kansas City on Aug. 20-22, 2021. Founded in 1999 Planet Comicon Kansas City is the largest and longest-running comic book convention and pop culture…
Owen Cigich. // Photo courtesy of Megan Bennett Heartwarming news alert! A fundraiser to help Kathleen Cigich, a principal at Lakewood Elementary, and her husband pay medical bills for their four-year-old son Owen has raised almost $20,000 in just seven days. Owen, who has suffered from kidney issues since birth, was going to a kidney evaluation last week. Unfortunately, during…
Kenny Broberg at the ready // Courtesy of Kennybroberg.com Kenny Broberg, a graduate student in Park University’s International Center for Music, is one of five finalists in the upcoming American Pianists Association’s 2021 American Pianists Awards. Broberg is regarded as one of the top pianists in the world under the age of 30 and has played around the world, and…
Courtesy Kansas City Symphony Our unrivaled hometown symphony is finally returning to the stage in Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts—and at full capacity, no less, which seemed impossible this time last year. “We’ve missed performing in Helzberg Hall in front of live audiences so much,” says Executive Director Danny Beckley. “There is a spark that…
The moment John’s soul left his body.// Photo by Zach Bauman If you’ve never seen Hot Ones—the hit YouTube series from First We Feast in which celebrities are interviewed eating hot wings—allow me to suggest an entry point: Paul Rudd. In the viral 2019 episode, Kansas City’s prodigal son suffers through a series of increasingly hot sauces with Midwest stoicism….
Dear Dan: I had a stroke a year ago. The woman I was dating at the time stepped away. I have no hard feelings but I long for intimacy again. I am profoundly grateful that I don’t have any major outward injuries from the stroke, but my stamina is still very low and might always be. That makes me self-conscious…
Courtesy of Fancies Sodas and Cocktails Coming in June: Fancies Sodas and Cocktails will be taking over miniBar for a month If you’ve dined out or gone out for cocktails in Kansas City in the past 10 years, you’ve probably enjoyed the work of Ryan Miller. He’s either worked at, managed, or has created drink menus for restaurants including Voltaire,…
Photo by Trust Katsande Graffiti on the Window is a whacked out amalgamation of weird, scary, and beautiful things according to the author himself. Kansas Citian Alexej Savreux showcases his vulnerability in dealing with schizophrenia and manic-depressive illnesses through poetry. Most of the work was written from 2008 to 2012 following a four-month manic episode. During this time, Savreux was…
Derek & Alaina. Brock shouting in the bottom right while holding up a chair. // Photo by Erica Streelman Derek and I met Day One at college. We didn’t live in the same dorm. We weren’t in any sort of “Meet & Greet,” and we had no shared interests. Determining how and why we met or even spoke is nearly…
Hikers explore a natural spillway. // Photo courtesy of Heartland Conservation Alliance If you’re excited and ready to get outdoors after being stuck inside the past fourteen months, adventure-based non-profit, Exploring Roots, joins Heartland Conservation Alliance to provide opportunities for outdoor adventures for Kansas-Citians. The program launches June 1 and allows Kansas Citians to explore beautiful spaces throughout our community….
Photo by Mercedes Mehling June is Pride month! Here is an ever-changing list of events happening this month in Kansas City to help you celebrate. If you have Pride events you want to share with us, let us know at tips@thepitchkc.com. Brunch with Quez and Friends Pride Edition To celebrate Pride month, Quez Presents will be highlighting Black-led LGBTQ+ businesses…
Smash room funtimes. // Photo by Zach Bauman Here’s a round-up of some of the best writing we put out last month, in case you missed it: We sent Liz Cook to a smash room. You’ll absolutely guess what happened next… Birdie is a local candle maker with some bite. It’s a shame you can’t scratch and sniff this article….
We have teamed up with KC Pet Project to host a weekly “creature feature” on a loveable and adoptable animal here in the KC Metro. This week’s local Adopt an Animal features Bruce Lee, a 7-year-old Snowshoe mix. He resides at the Kansas City Campus for Animal Care at 7077 Elmwood Avenue in Kansas City, MO. He has been there since May…
This post was paid for by Lyric Opera of Kansas City. West Side Story, the dance at the gym. // Photo by Elise Bakketun. When you think of a night at the opera, what comes to mind? Massive, 18th century ball gowns and long songs in Italian? At Lyric Opera of Kansas City, you’re in for a surprise. In May,…
The Amusement Park. // Courtesy Shudder We open on a direct address to camera from the film’s star—aging actor Lincoln Maazel. For several minutes, Maazel discusses the many ways society discriminates against the elderly. As he talks, he walks through an abandoned amusement park. There’s an explanation of the film that we’re about to see that you’d expect from anyone…
