Archives: February 2022

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Politics

Loud Light’s weekly Kansas politics recap: map override, voter suppression, food tax, and renewables

Davis Hammet,

The Pitch has partnered with a local political awareness organization called Loud Light. Their goal is to engage and empower individuals from underrepresented populations to build community power. And impact decision-makers. Each week of the year that the Kansas statehouse is in session, they release a short video recapping what the legislature is up to. Knowing the nitty-gritty of what’s happening with your…

Stefano Merced, 17, Works On His Bike At The 816 Bicycle Collective.
Culture

KC Cares: 816 Bicycle Collective

Beth Lipoff,

Stefano Merced, 17, works on his bike at the 816 Bicycle Collective. // Photo by Beth Lipoff Want to fix that busted chain on your bike? Learn how to perform maintenance yourself for the next time something breaks? Or perhaps get rid of a bicycle that’s just been cluttering up your garage for years? The 816 Bicycle Collective is ready…

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Food & Drink

Tiki Taco gets new ownership, menu, and dining room

Walk-up West 39th Street taco shop is expanding.
Thomas White,

Courtesy Tiki Taco Tiki Taco opened in 2017 as a late-night walk-up window for 39th Street revelers, but now looks to expand with a new ownership group. Ownership of Tiki Taco transferred to Judy Rush, Lyndon, and Lindsey Wade, who also own The Guild event space in East Crossroads, Paradise Garden Club, and RW2 Productions. Former co-owner of Westport Cafe,…
Movies

You deserve a better movie than Marry Me because life’s too short for nothingburgers

You, your wine, your blanket, and your cats deserve something better.
Abby Olcese,

(from left) Charlie Gilbert (Owen Wilson), Kat Valdez (Jennifer Lopez) and Melissa (Michelle Buteau) in Marry Me, directed by Kat Coiro. // Photo by Getty Images Before I start this review, I want you to know that I watched Marry Me as God intended: on the couch, with a glass of wine, under a fuzzy blanket with my cats on…

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Food & Drink

Vignettes latest pop-up bar brings Dunder Mifflin to NKC

Tyler Schneider,

The iconic DVD loading screen gag. // Photo by Tyler Schneider Interview me in the mockumentary stylings of The Office and ask me to recall my first time at the newest Vignettes offering—“Assistant to the Regional Pop-Up Bar.” I’d start by noting that finding a place to sit was a bit jarring. I knew what was coming and was still…

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Music

Roots-rocking music of Pendergast returns tonight at the Pairing

Nick Spacek,

Tonight, should you be so inclined, Tony Ladesich and Miek Rooney will appear at the Pairing in the Crossroads to perform a set of songs from their old band, Pendergast. The band broke up in 2008 and yet, whenever Ladesich straps on the guitar and plays the songs from his old band, crowds show up. It’s a very particular thing,…

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News

A controversial opioid treatment drug comes to the fore

Mike Fitzgerald,

Daniel Coverdell. // Photo by Theo Welling Daniel Coverdell knows well the neighborhood surrounding Jubilee Community Church off of North Grand Avenue. In the bad old days, only a few months ago, Coverdell would drive his Dodge Ram pickup truck through nearby northside streets looking for black-market fentanyl, the synthetic painkiller 100 times more powerful than heroin. “This is where…

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Culture

Streetwise podcast considers all things with Laura Lorson

Brock Wilbur,

This week on the Streetwise podcast we talk about Marry Me, enjoy a reading of Michael Cripe’s story on Raven Book Store, listen to The TCR’s track “After Dark,” and interview NPR’s Laura Lorson. Streetwise is hosted by Brock Wilbur, Editor-in-Chief of The Pitch. Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify. Subscribe to the Streetwise newsletter, a weekly meditation on Kansas City news and events. Jason Klamm read our magazine story….
Music

Investigating the secret world of an enigmatic record label

Nick Spacek,

A collection of Quilt Records covers From the ‘50s through the ‘70s, some of America’s “budget” record labels gained notoriety for seemingly random output. They released what they could afford to release and, as such, created a connective thread between musicians and styles that otherwise could not be more disparate.  Few encompassed this scattershot set of sounds quite like Quilt…

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Culture

Union Station’s Auschwitz exhibition warns museum guests regarding rash of fake ticket sales

Adam Wilbers,

Auschwitz exhibition. // Photo Courtesy of Union Station Be warned. Fake ticket sales for Union Station’s Auschwitz Exhibition are on the rise. Interested guests have expressed deep frustration over fraudulent “ticket for sale” posts and comments on Facebook, and many have been robbed of their cash as well as a humbling historical experience. Union Station urges interested patrons to proceed with caution…
Culture

Keep Them Coming: Men need sexy undies too

Kristen Thomas,

Illustration by Shelby Phelps “I took your advice, Kristen.” “Oh yeah? On what?” “I finally bought some non-cotton, non-boring underwear and wore them for my date. I felt sexy, and it put me in a different mindset for the date!” I give this advice to all my friends of all genders. This particular conversation happened with a fella who had…

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Politics

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas delivers State of the City Address

Fantasia Wesley,

State of the City Address 2022. // Screengrab from the official stream “Today, Southeast High School is a key part of the resurgence of Kansas City Public Schools,” says Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, at his third State of the City Address. “I stand this evening in Southeast’s Restorative Justice Room: a space where students and their mentors every day…

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Art

Two KC artist designs coming (potentially) to a PBR can near you

Two KC artists can win $10k if you vote for them by Feb. 18
Thomas White,

Vote for your favorite PBR artwork. // Courtesy of PBR Pabst Blue Ribbon holds an annual Art Can Contest for emerging artists to feature their designs on PBR beer products. Ben Walters and Frank Norton are local artists whose designs were selected for the top 25 out of over 7,000 submissions worldwide. Ben Walters Scorpion design. // Courtesy of PBR…

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Culture

Everything Is Terrible’s Kidz Klub! is a stilted, disorienting nether-realm

Nick Spacek,

Everything Is Terrible // Photo by Jim Newberry The long-running video and art collective Everything Is Terrible disseminates some of the most brain-melting video content out there. While their YouTube channel and various social media feeds are a consistent pipeline of clips sure to bring forth memories of fuzzy VHS tapes watched in your youth, it’s the Everything Is Terrible…

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Art

Charlotte Street Fellows create portals at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art

Emily Cox,

Kathy Liao installation. // Photo by EG Schempf I wasn’t ready to travel into new dimensions on a Tuesday afternoon. But at the Nerman Museum, the artworks of Charlotte Street Foundation fellows glyneisha, Cory Imig, and Kathy Liao created portals that shaped the space around me in new ways. Cory Imig’s abstract installations, glyneisha’s sacred spaces, and Kathy Liao’s massive…

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Culture

Melgren brothers relocate Flagship Books to Strawberry Hill

KCK now has an independent book store
Thomas White,

L-R: Joel Melgren and Ty Melgren in their new bookstore. // Courtesy Flagship Books Independent book store owners Joel and Ty Melgren live in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood and have fallen ass-over-teakettle in love with the Kansas City, Kansas borough. When they outgrew their shipping container storefront in the Iron District of North Kansas City, the brothers had a location…

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Sports

Chiefs gift $250k in turf to a KCK middle school’s football program

Thomas White,

A barren football field at Eisenhower Middle School. Want to hear something uplifting about local football this week? Unfortunately, for Chiefs fans, this story isn’t about the Super Bowl in Los Angeles—where the team should be preparing to take the field for a third straight NFL championship appearance. This story is about a football field in Kansas City, Kansas. Eisenhower…

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Food & Drink

Dish & Drink KC: Mother Clucker on the move, vegan fare from Spicy Moon Foods, and a sitcom pop-up

Liz Goodwin,

The Assistant to the Regional Pop-Up Bar in North KC is fully decked out in details from the hit series. // Photo by Liz Goodwin Drinking: Dunder Mifflin style Scranton, PA, is closer than you think—and it’s slinging some wonderfully weird cocktails. Vignettes Bar, a rotating pop-up concept in North Kansas City, is bringing The Office to life with its…

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Art

Alchemy Space Pole and Fitness brings art and wellness together

Adam Wilbers,

A glimpse into the Alchemy Space Pole and Fitness Studio. // Photo by Laura Martin Kansas City native and national pole champion Laura Martin opened her first pole dancing studio—Alchemy Space Pole and Fitness (524 Walnut Street). The studio looks to celebrate, connect, and uplift patrons in a safe and body-positive environment. Alchemy emphasizes its role in fitness is more…

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Politics

Missouri’s redrawn congressional map remains in limbo after 31-hour Senate filibuster

The Senate is expected to continue working on a redistricting plan when it reconvenes at noon
Tessa Weinberg,

As the redistricting debate stretches on, it remains to be seen if it will rival some of the chamber’s longest filibusters. // Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent A roughly 31-hour filibuster in the Missouri Senate paused early Wednesday morning, when the chamber adjourned without taking action on the state’s new congressional map.  Just after 12:20 a.m., Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia,…