Lamar Johnson, center and his attorneys react on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023, after St. Louis Circuit Judge David Mason vacated his murder conviction during a hearing at Mel Carnahan Courthouse in St. Louis. Johnson has been serving a life sentence after being convicted in 1995 of killing Marcus Boyd. // Photo by Christian Gooden Lamar Johnson was exonerated less than…
Adobe Stock This Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 10:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M., the ACLU of Kansas will host a coalition of activists at the South Wing of the first floor of the Kansas State Capitol Building to collectively advocate for the state-wide legalization of medical marijuana. The event is called Medical Marijuana Day of Action. Groups attending in allyship include…
Ribs. // Courtesy Wolfepack BBQ The Kansas City barbecue scene is a tough one to stand out in. For Jared Wolfe, the co-owner and pitmaster of Wolfepack BBQ, the challenge is part of what brings his team together. Along with co-owner Sam Parker, Wolfe has assembled what the duo views as the perfect team to sling high-quality smoked meats, tasty…
Courtesy Wil Franklin You know the old saying—where there’s a Wil, there’s a way. As the CEO of KC CARE, Wil Franklin tells us his organization helps more than 20,000 people in the KC metro area with quality, affordable, integrated health services. Originally from Southwest Louisiana, Franklin lived in St. Louis, MO, for fifteen years before accepting his KC CARE…
Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Springs, engages in debate in the Missouri Senate. // Courtesy Missouri Senate Communications In a series of digital ads focused on Chinese farmland and taxes, state Sen. Bill Eigel has launched the opening salvo of a likely contentious 2024 Republican gubernatorial primary. Eigel, a two-term GOP legislator from St. Charles County, began running ads on…
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…
Greg Smith watches as Mei-Huā Fong dances with Ben Todd during a December 627 Stomp event. // Photo by Beth Lipoff If you’ve got a soft spot for swing dancing and jazz, 627 Stomp might be just the place for you. The non-profit is dedicated to education and fostering a swing dance community. Though it started in 2013, it got…
David Amram. // photo by Nick Spacek The Folk Alliance International Conference, presented by Folk Alliance International, had its 2023 iteration this February 1-5 at the Westin Crown Center Hotel. With well over 100 artists performing over the course of five days, “crossing a diverse array of genres including Appalachian, Americana, Blues, Bluegrass, Celtic, Cajun, Global Roots, Hip-Hop, Old-Time, Singer-Songwriter,…
Laz and Steven are your new favorite guncles. // Courtesy photo Steven (who claims the nickname “Batter Bitch”) and Laz (“Dough Daddi”) are the masterminds behind Two Bears Bakery and the pastry pixies at the new Lawrence cafe, Grounded Coffee. They let us in on their flavor dreamscape, family baking traditions, and putting passion into people and patisserie. The Pitch:…
Longview at Melting Pot. // Photo by Thomas Kimble-TK Photography If you’re going to make one of the final performances of KC Melting Pot Theatre’s production of Fairview, just leave this review behind and go catch the show with no further context. Okay, there was your out. Fairview has a lot of tricks up its sleeve. Among them, one of…
Rep. Ben Baker, R-Neosho, listens to testimony during a nine-hour hearing on transgender rights Jan. 24 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent) A Missouri House committee on Thursday voted to expand a proposed ban on minors receiving gender-affirming care so that the bill would apply to adults who are incarcerated. An amendment proposed by Republican state Rep. Ben Baker of Neosho added adults…
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. // Courtesy Marvel Studios After roughly 30 films, the grand centralized experiment that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe feels fractured and confused. Where characters once stood on their own, since the leadup to Avengers: Infinity War, every new movie is now in service of the next “team-up” adventure, even if it’s several years down the…
Hot Rod Brian Posehn // Photo by Seth Olenick Brian Posehn thinks COVID lockdown was a time reserved for comfort movies and deliverable weed, but that’s also where he wrote entirety of his new special Posehna Non Grata. Now he’s back out on the road with killer material, and is swinging through KC for his upcoming shows at the Comedy…
Magdalena Padilla poses with new friends. Magdalena came with her mom and brothers from Russellville, Missouri. // Photo by Chase Castor On January 24, 2023, Missouri House members debated a record nine pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in a single day—for nine hours, until 1 a.m. the next day. Missouri representatives lost sleep that night arguing over whether or not queer…
Art by Cassondra Jones Looking for delicious plans? Whether you want to impress a date, show your fam the best of KC, or just get out of the house, we’ve got you covered… all while supporting local. Here is your weekly roundup of the best food and drink offerings around KC. Cheers! Celebrating Chiefs Kingdom Keep the KC spirit alive…
Howard Mahan. // photo courtesy the artist Guitarist and songwriter Howard Mahan’s second album, Marigold, comes from an interesting place. As a matter of fact, Mahan considers the album to be something more like album two and a half, because he and his bandmates had recorded an EP, Time to Go, during the shutdown as a “’here’s my demo, can…
Soaps and stones from Used and Worn by artist June Ahrens (soap, stones, and steel). // Courtesy photo We bend until we break. That tension and balance before the breakage is the theme running through the exhibit Tensile Strength, currently on view at the Kemper Museum. The precarity of El Gato perched atop a pedestal, a dense swirl of textured…
Drone shot of the assembled crowd outside Union Station for the Super Bowl victory parade. // Photo by Jim Nimmo Yesterday, the Kansas City Chiefs celebrated their second Super Bowl win in three years with the Parade of Champions downtown. Going from Grand Boulevard and 6th Street and ending at Union Station, an estimated 800,000 to 1 million people showed…
State Sen. Andrew Koenig, R-Manchester, talks about his bill on the Senate floor Wednesday. (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent) The Missouri Senate passed a sweeping education bill to the House on Tuesday that would create transparency requirements for school districts and ban them from teaching some diversity, equity and inclusion curriculum. The bill also seeks to add a patriotism course for teachers,…
Courtesy KC Pet Project KC defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi and ZIWI are sponsoring all adoptions of adoptable dogs at KC Pet Project. There are currently 264 dogs available for adoption. ZIWI will also be providing swag with all dog adoptions. All dogs available for adoption on or before February 12 qualify for this special. Visit the Kansas City Campus for…
The KC Jazz Orchestra will be celebrating 20 years at the Kauffman Center Feb. 24. // Courtesy of Kansas City Jazz Orchestra The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra celebrates current and future genre legends for their 20th anniversary concert The Future. The performance will be held in the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Helzberg Hall, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m….
The crowd gathers for the 2020 Super Bowl parade. There has not been a threat to harm Kansas city, despite “Kansas City Bomber” trending on Twitter. A very unfortunate coincidence that created a minor panic during the Super Bowl Parade. Twitter, maaaaaaaybe think through some of the trending topics. When ~1mil people were at KC's Union Station today to celebrate…
Clay & Fire is what happens when near-eastern cuisine and far-eastern philosophy take hold in the heart of a Midwestern chef. Should those things meld seamlessly together? We wouldn’t have bet on finding the best eggplant dip and some of the best pizza in Kansas City on the same menu. Yet here we are. The old house, which has been…
2023 Super Bowl parade with a very cheerful Patrick Mahomes. // Photo by Jim Nimmo At 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, the second Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade in three years began on Grand Boulevard at 6th street and went south to Pershing Road. An estimated 500,000 to 1 million people have traveled to downtown Kansas City to spectate, based…
