Courtesy of Vulpes Bastille Lamplighters: An Exhibition of Lighted Sculpture at Vulpes Bastille displays the guiding lights of Kansas City’s art scene. The artist-run gallery and studio space is home to young creatives forging their careers in KC. Illustration by Steph Becker Sparking inspiration from the poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, organizer Adam Puryear hopes to capture the essence of…
Courtesy Tom Paolini Not to brag, but Paolini Garment Company owner Tom Paolini has outfitted an impressive and eclectic crowd over the years—everyone from businessmen to influencers. His clothing brand has also found a following amongst coaches and athletes from the NCAA, NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLS. The clothier successfully launched his custom suit company during the depths of the…
In April of this year, comedian and actor Gilbert Gottfried passed away from recurrent ventricular tachycardia, complicated by type II myotonic dystrophy. Before he passed, however, Gottfried recorded one last performance, and it’s an interesting one. We’ll let Josh Hazeslip of Deadspectres explain how it came to be: “We actually came out with our first studio album last October, with…
A coffee tasting setup for Panama varieties. // Courtesy of Wendy Eaton How do you take your morning cup of coffee? With a splash of cream and honey to sweeten? A shot of espresso? Perhaps an iced latte is more your speed? Whatever suits your fancy, coffee is a familiar ritual in many people’s lives. The drink has caused a…
Andrea L. Rogers. // Courtesy the author Writer Andrea L. Rogers’ new book, Man Made Monsters (out this week from Levine Querido) sees the Cherokee author delving into two centuries of a family, beginning in 1839. Along the way, Rogers takes horror tropes and uses Native history and perspective to turn them inside-out. While there are zombies, vampires, werewolves, aliens,…
Rendering of BRKTHROUGH’s BRK ROOM with kitchen and self-pour tap wall. Arcade-style gaming joints these days usually offer a more vintage experience, but new contender in the gaming world BRKTHROUGH promises a stylistic reboot in the social gaming scene. However OP you may consider yourself, this is no place for isolated gaming. BRKTHROUGH’s games require groups of friends and families…
Kristen Thomas. // Photo by Nicole Bissey Between book banning and censorship in schools, it’s imperative that parents feel informed and empowered to take on a role once reserved for gym coaches, biology teachers, and library materials. Someone I know—in their early 30s—didn’t know how babies were made because their parents opted them out of sex education in school. I…
Voters lined up outside the Boone County Government Center to cast absentee ballots in November 2020. // Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent WASHINGTON — Women running in governors’ races throughout the country are potentially set to break records if elected this November. In total there are 25 women governor candidates nominated by the two major political parties this election cycle, sharply up…
Whiskey Myers. // photo by Allison Scavo Firewater Music Festival Friday, Sept. 30 Saturday, Oct. 1 This past weekend, the second annual Firewater Music Festival, put on by Southern rockers Whiskey Myers, took place in LaCygne, Kansas. Featuring a murderer’s row of alt-country, bluegrass, and country rockers, it was the place to be for those who like their tunes twangy…
Dario Argento’s Dark Glasses. // Courtesy Shudder/IFC Midnight The prospect of a new film from the legendary Dario Argento is a double-edged sword in 2022. On one hand, the director hasn’t made a film in a decade, with the last couple of outings (Dracula 3D, Giallo, The Card Player) nothing to write home about. On the other, it’s always interesting…
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in the first image from The Last of Us. // Courtesy HBO An engrossing story of survival, hardship, and zombies, HBO’s The Last of Us has begun filming in Kansas City, Missouri. Based on gaming studio Naughty Dog’s video game of the same name, the 10-episode series is slated to include some settings not featured…
Ani Difranco. // Photo Credit Anthony Mulcahy This Saturday, singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco comes to Liberty Hall in Lawrence to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her first live album, Living In Clip. The musician is also preparing to release her first children’s book this coming March, entitled The Knowing, after decades of prose, poetry, and music. We reached out to the…
Amidst the subtle and pervasive terror that is post-pandemic life, Screenland Armour’s 11th annual Shocktoberfest presents an opportunity to bring that repressed discomfort, disturbance, and sheer horror to the surface. The month-long Halloween celebration opened with an epic 8-film-long A Nightmare on Elm Street marathon on Oct. 1. The marathons continue, intermixed with less committal single viewings & double features,…
Toadies. // photo by Allison Scavo Toadies with the Reverend Horton Heat and Nashville Pussy Knuckleheads Saloon Tuesday, October 4 On Tuesday night, a duo of Texas rock ‘n’ roll acts took to Knuckleheads’ stage to belatedly celebrate the 25th anniversary of a pair of classic albums. The Toadies were there to run through their debut, Rubberneck, with the Reverend…
Members of The Satanic Temple clean up their adopted road. // Courtesy The Satanic Temple Missouri Far from being the demonic doomsday cult that its critics imagine, The Satanic Temple (TST) is a non-theistic religion that provides empowerment and community. It welcomes members from all backgrounds to assert their religious rights and bodily autonomy. In Missouri, there are four branches—or…
Fried Chicken Friday at Oddly Correct. // Courtesy Oddly Correct Oddly Correct’s Fried Chicken Friday Southern fried chicken biscuit sandwiches are making an unexpected appearance at your trendy neighborhood coffee joint, Oddly Correct. The coffee shop has always excelled at providing superior café eats such as bacon egg sandwiches complete with house-made sausage patties and a jalapeño pimento cheese spread….
Alex Vincent. // Photo by Anna Perry-Rushton Decades of movie-goers have been plagued by the laughter and horrific machinations of the doll with a serial killer soul, Chucky. The Child’s Play antagonist saw a pretty decent reboot film a few years back, and has now taken new victims on a Syfy / USA Network TV series, appropriately named Chucky. With season…
Photo by Add Weed A pair of polls in recent weeks found voters closely divided over the question of whether Missouri should legalize recreational marijuana use. Meanwhile, a third poll expects legalization will cruise to a double-digit victory. Five weeks before Election Day, despite public polling all over the place, proponents of the marijuana initiative petition — which will appear…
The law in question is one of two major bills passed in 2018 at the urging of then-Gov. Eric Greitens to limit the rights of public employees. One bill, which required some employee unions to receive annual approval to withhold dues from paychecks, was declared unconstitutional last year by the Missouri Supreme Court. // Jason Hancock/Missouri Independent Most Missouri state…
Cheval on Main. // Photo by Aaron Phelps If you’re on the lookout for some effortless elegance, Heather White’s catalog of bars and restaurants is always a good option. She opened and helped operate The Russell for years (though she’s no longer involved), and more recently opened the doors to the Euro-inspired Tailleur. Her newest location, Cheval, just opened across…
Downtown KC skyline. // Photo by Steph Castor. Processed by Filmxlab Ongoing Oct. 1 – 31 MAYA The Exhibition, Union Station Oct. 1 – 31 American Art Deco: Designing for the People, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Oct. 1 – 31 Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow, Liberty Memorial’s Wylie Gallery Oct. 1 – 16 Akeelah and the…
Haunted Trails. // Photo by Anna Perry-Rushton This spooky season, there are more pop-up bar experiences than there have ever been in Kansas City. Between throwing back a cocktail with the Ghost with the Most, making the journey into the Upside Down or running amuck with the Sanderson Sisters, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Reservations are highly encouraged…
Elliott Smith. // Photo by Autumn de Wilde. Courtesy of Pitchfork. recordBar is hosting an Elliott Smith Tribute show Oct. 6 that will double as a fundraiser for child abuse prevention. The concert features a collection of local bands paying homage to the late indie-folk musician. Smith was an American singer-songwriter who rose to fame in the ’90s with songs…
Adobe Stock. “And I am glad these Druid priests Once celebrated Celtic feasts, And from the history I ween That’s how we get our Hallowe’en.” —Jane A. Stewart, 1913 “You really don’t know much about Halloween. You thought no further than the strange custom of having your children wear masks and go out begging for candy! It was the start…
