Nick Toti and Rachel Kempf of DieDie Books telling campfire stories is Kirksville, MO. // Courtesy the creators Nick Toti and Rachel Kempf were making their dreams come true in Los Angeles, working as filmmakers and screenwriters in the city’s entertainment industry. Then, the pandemic hit and in-person filmmaking dissolved entirely for the next year, and then a slow trickle…
Uncoupled. (L to R) Tuc Watkins as Colin McKenna, Neil Patrick Harris as Michael Lawson in episode 10 of Uncoupled. // Courtesy of Netflix © 2022 Tuc Watkins would like you to know he’s an early-to-bed, early-to-rise kinda guy. That would explain why the versatile actor was so bright-eyed and chatty for our interview—a Zoom call that was scheduled at…
Passion Project beer collaboration by Torn Label and Josh Martin. // Courtesy Torn Label Brewing Company Torn Label’s Passion Project What happens when a brewmaster and tattoo artist collaborate? You get a Passion Project. Torn Label’s newest beer is a product of the brewery’s Artist Series, in which the brewery collaborates with a local KC artist to produce a specialty…
Butternut squash risotto with seared scallops. // Photo by Mike Iammarino Kansas City is filled with an entrepreneurial spirit and our local chefs are no exception. The Pitch has rounded up several outstanding private chefs available within the metro, each using their own unique cooking background to offer food services that are exclusive and catered to your individual preferences. While…
Sheriff Darryl Forté has pointed to a nonexistent provision in Missouri’s new voting law to limit voter registration efforts inside the Jackson County jail, where hundreds of detainees are potentially eligible voters. Missouri’s voter registration deadline is Oct. 12. // Courtesy Kansas City Beacon This story originally ran in the Kansas City Beacon. Social justice and voting rights groups in…
On a warm evening in late August, we sat down with local LGBTQ and women’s rights activist Jae Moyer (they/them). They grew up in Johnson County, attended Shawnee Mission North High School class of 2017, and most recently were hired onto Mark Holland’s Senate campaign staff. We talked about how crucial it is for the future of queer children to…
Matt Stewart poses with his new book. // COurtesy Matt Stewart Matt Stewart is all about work anniversaries this year. Besides hitting the 25-year mark as a TV newsie, he just celebrated his 10th anniversary as part of Fox 4’s insanely popular morning news squad. The Emmy-award winning reporter and anchor is also getting plenty of accolades and kudos for a…
Aaron Habel and Justin Evans. // Courtesy Generation Why Nothing helps the mind unwind like a podcast with an hour’s worth of gory details on the most appalling true crime cases ever recorded. Have you heard of Lamonte McIntyre, who was wrongfully convicted of a Kansas City, Kansas double homicide in 1994? What about Ali Kemp, a 19-year-old murder victim…
Hammerhedd. // photo by Barry Meitler Hammerhedd, American Terrorist, and the Perilous Ones The Granada Sunday, October 9 On Sunday night, a trio of local acts opened for Knocked Loose at the Granada in Lawrence, providing a set that had almost as much a draw as the touring headliner. Progressive metal trio Hammerhedd, alternative hip-hop quintet American Terrorist, and groove…
Courtesy Hearland Arts KC KC’s new Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan has been the center of many conversations since the announcement last month and will serve as the theme for Heartland Arts KC’s 2023 season. The non-profit uses performing arts to tackle important public policy in the area. The 2022 season focused on houselessness, allowing Fellows of the program to…
Eric Schmitt answers questions during a press conference after filing to run in the Missouri Senate primaries on Tuesday morning in Jefferson City, Mo. // Photo by Madeline Carter A push by the attorney general’s office for the emails of professors and staff at the University of Missouri has academic freedom advocates concerned the office is being weaponized to stifle…
Read the first part of the Unreal History of Halloween series from Summer Block Lizer right here. A young couple is happily married with an infant daughter sometime in the second half of the nineteenth century. On Halloween night, the wife falls asleep so deeply nothing can wake her, not even her baby’s cries. Frustrated, her husband is forced to…
Tosin Morohunfola. // Photo by Brian Paulett Let it be known: Tosin Morohunfola is an official Hollywood triple threat. The actor, writer, director—who grew up in Kansas City—can be seen leading the new Starz comedy Run the World, recurring on HBO’s new series Julia, and ABC’s Everything’s Trash. Morohunfola is also an independent filmmaker whose festival-selected films include: Endowed, a…
Danger Bob. // photo by Chris Ortiz Danger Bob with the Bubble Boys and Cher UK Liberty Hall Friday, October 7 On Friday night, it was a trifecta of local rock ‘n’ roll reunions when pop rockers Danger Bob, garage rockers Cher UK, and pop-punk trio the Bubble Boys all reunited at Liberty Hall. With plenty of hugs, handshakes, and…
Ani DiFranco/ // phot by Chris Ortiz Ani DiFranco with Jess Nolan Liberty Hall Saturday, October 8 Alt-folk artist Ani DiFranco took to the Liberty Hall stage Saturday night for a show that saw her debut a new song, “Baby Roe,” as well as a couple getting engaged in the audience. Singer-songwriter Jess Nolan opened. Our photographer Chris Ortiz (Instagram: @fastboyent) was…
Vacant lot in Columbus Park. // Photo by Zach Bauman Driving through Columbus Park in the summer is like entering Kansas City’s version of the secret garden. It’s only about two miles off I-70, but it somehow feels like its own world. A hybrid of Little Italy and Little Vietnam, Columbus Park is home to some of the best restaurants…
A public clinic, Columbia/Boone County Public Health & Human Services, advertises services to participants of WIC, a federal nutritional assistance program for qualifying low-income women, infants, and children. // Photo by Clara Bates/Missouri Independent Even as the COVID-19 pandemic intensified economic hardship and unemployment, Missouri saw one of the nation’s sharpest drops in participation in WIC, a federal benefits program…
Love Boat’s 2022 party series “Beachless.” Organized and designed by DJ Sheppa and Meagan Kilgas. // Photo by Chase Castor Love Boat is a series of parties designed to create a safe, inviting space for anyone to enjoy themselves, the dance floor, and giant flamingo floaties at the deep end of The Westin pool. The parties are organized by DJ…
Salted Trail Mix Coffee at Wild Way Coffee. // Photo by Kala Elkinton Kansas City is a coffee town. With the numerous coffee roasters, brewers, and mixologists around town, deciding where to caffeinate each weekend is a difficult decision. Among the many popular java spots, customers can find the adorable Wild Way Coffee camper bebopping around Kansas City. Wild Way…
Courtesy of La Resistencia Press Christina Santiago has been to Hell and back. Now she wants to tell her story. Creativity has always been an essential part of Santiago’s life. She was involved in musical theatre growing up, eventually trading her dance shoes for a career in journalism. Though her early dreams of being a singer and dancer didn’t develop…
BLM protest from June 2020 on the Plaza. // Photo by Jim Nimmo We’ve been asking members of the KC community to submit stories about their thoughts and experiences in all walks of life. If you’ve got a story you’d like to share with our readers, please send it to brock@thepitchkc.com for consideration. Today, former lawyer and current KU law…
When a new trend starts to form in the horror world, popular media always feels the need to give it a name. It’s a way of putting a stamp on that subgenre, even if that name is associated with an even more exploitative form of cinema. “Torture Porn,” “French Extreme,” “New Folk Horror,” and “Elevated Horror” are just a few…
The Bubble Boys. // photo courtesy the artist Lawrence’s pop-punk band, the Bubble Boys, were omnipresent in the ’90s. With songs from their debut full-length, Bitter is Better, finding regular airplay on 105.9 the Lazer and the band opening shows for the likes of Descendents and Blink-182—the trio of guitarist/vocalist Brian Gee, bassist/vocalist Dan Cook, and drummer Chris Bulgren were…
Lamar Johnson’s sister Candace Crisp and his mother Mae Johnson braved the cold to bring attention to Johnson’s case on Dec. 10, 2019, in front of the Old Post Office downtown. A group of about 25 community leaders and residents, organized by Color Of Change and Organization for Black Struggle, demonstrated outside of Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office to…
