Archives: October 2023

Politics

Missouri education board set to discuss social-emotional learning standards

Some public comments accuse Missouri education department of raising "snowflakes."
Annelise Hanshaw,

The Missouri State Board of Education listens to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s blue ribbon commission’s latest set of recommendations August 15. They discussed a lack of student discipline since the pandemic. // Photo by Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent Missouri’s board of education will decide Tuesday whether to implement social emotional learning standards for K-12 students. But though board…

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Politics

Kansas professors/fans: Musician Taylor Swift poised to raise political voice in 2024

Swift raising reputation as advocate by championing LGBTQ, abortion rights.
Tim Carpenter,

Taylor at Arrowhead 2023. // Photo by Chris Ortiz LAWRENCE — Professional musician and novice Kansas City Chiefs enthusiast Taylor Swift avoided flexing her artistry on the political stage during the 2016 presidential contest between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. A pair of Kansas college professors, who consider themselves Swifties, said the Grammy Award winner began to find her voice…

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Movies

Shudder’s V/H/S/85 tackles Satanic Panic, VR, and TV news in its strongest installment yet

Brock Wilbur,

Another Halloween season means another entry in The Pitch’s favorite anthology horror film series. Shudder brings back V/H/S with it’s sixth installment, featuring segments directed by Gigi Saul Guerrero, Scott Derrickson, David Bruckner, Mike P. Nelson, and Natasha Kermani. V/H/S/85 takes viewers on a journey into the grim underbelly of the forgotten 1980s. Unveiled through a made-for-TV documentary, five chilling…
Music

Photos: Indra, Harper K, and Izzy Hedges Band at the Bottleneck

Maura Dayton,

Indra. // Photo by Maura Dayton On Wednesday night, the Bottleneck hosted a stacked lineup of local indie rock, featuring Izzy Hedges Band, Harper K, and Indra. Izzy Hedges Band kicked off the show playing original tracks, notably “Alice” and “Hey Kid”, along with a cover of “This Must Be the Place” by the Talking Heads and “Los Angeles” by…
Food & Drink

Take Care intends to provide coffee worth a damn

By bridging the gap between growers and consumers, Take Care connects the humanity in coffee.
Sarah Sipple,

Mark Sappington and Christopher Oppenhuis of Take Care Coffee // courtesy photo Sip a simple cup of black coffee at Take Care and ask Christopher Oppenhuis about the family that grew it.  From the plant in Brazil to the mug in Kansas City, your coffee should be worth a damn. That is Christopher Oppenhuis and Mark Sappington’s goal with Take…

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Music

Bitch on her return to Kill Rock Stars with Bitchcraft ahead of Sunday’s recordBar show

Nick Spacek,

Bitch. // photo courtesy Kill Rock Stars Musician Bitch came to the attention of music fans when her former duo, Bitch and Animal, released two albums, Eternally Hard and Sour Juice and Rhyme, on Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records and routinely opened for the iconic singer-songwriter. They split in the mid-’00s and Bitch went solo, releasing Make This Break This…

Open The Doors Coaching
Culture

Keep Them Coming: Exploring love’s dark corners with AI

Kristen Thomas,

Kristen Thomas. // Photo by Nicole Bissey Artificial intelligence freaks me out in many regards to this day, yet it’s hard to argue against its growing practical benefits.  I used to give the contact info of the now-defunct Slutbot to clients who were not well-versed in the art of sexy talk. When I proposed options like practicing running lines in…

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Culture

Haunt Diary: West Bottoms’ backbone haunted houses are showing their age

Full Moon Productions' The Beast, Edge of Hell, and Macabre Cinema are mainstays on a slippery slide towards having overstayed their welcome.
Orrin Grey,

Photo by Elijah LaFolette This is part of our 2023 Haunted House coverage. Read more here. Every aficionado of haunted attractions in Kansas City has made the trip out to The Beast and the Edge of Hell at least once. Located in the historic West Bottoms, on either side of the dramatic 12th Street bridge, these two venerable haunts have been…

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Politics

Journalist Justine Barron on writing They Killed Freddie Gray and navigating a torrent of misinformation

Joe Ellett,

Van Used to Transport Freddie Gray. // Courtesy of Justine Barron Throughout her new book They Killed Freddie Gray, Justine Barron uncovers new facts and information, invalidating many of the details that have surrounded the death of Freddie Gray for nearly a decade. On April 12, 2015, Freddie Gray was with two friends when they were approached by a Baltimore…

KC Sipps neon sign logo
Food & Drink

KC Sipps: Festivals, Guy’s Cheese Balls drop, plus a T. Swift beer freebie

Your Kansas City dining guide.
Sarah Sipple,

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 (mostly) local.  Here is your weekly roundup of the best food and drink offerings around Kansas City. Cheers! Something New Guy’s Snacks: The people…

Timbers Christopher Richard Kent
Music

PorchFestKC returns this Saturday after a 3 year hiatus

Nick Spacek,

From noon-6 p.m. this Saturday, October 14,  PorchFestKC returns in the Roanoke and Valentine neighborhoods of Midtown Kansas City. As their promo puts it, “This free community music festival features 100+ musicians, from all genres, performing concerts from front porches of homes across historic, walkable Midtown Kansas City neighborhoods.” Timbers at PorchFestKC 2017. // photo by Christopher Richard Kent It’s…

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Music

Lauren Daigle talks new self-titled album and authenticity ahead of Oct 26 show at T-Mobile Center

Mar'Che Boggess,

Lauren Daigle // Photo by Jeremy Cowart There aren’t too many people that can crossover from contemporary Christian music to mainstream pop spaces while allowing their artistry to remain authentic, but Lauren Daigle has done so with ease. Dubbed by many as the “Christian Adele,” the Louisiana born and bred artist stepped onto the contemporary Christian music (CCM) scene in…

Riddle Of Fire 4press
Movies

Fantastic Fest ’23: Weston Razooli builds a world to get lost in with Riddle of Fire, a loving ode to childhood adventure

Adrian Torres,

Courtesy of Fantastic Fest This is part of our coverage of new genre films premiering at Austin’s Fantastic Fest.  Trends in movies and television usually burn themselves out within a few years, with the seeming exception of 80s nostalgia. For two decades pop culture has mined as much entertainment fodder as they could from that period. Often, the result is projects…

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Music

Torn the Fuck Apart return with Kill. Bury. Repeat.

Nick Spacek,

Torn the Fuck Apart (l-r Brandon Mitchell (bass), Michael Langner (guitar/vocals), Dylan Watt (drums). // photo credit Jeffrey Sisson It’s been five years since Kansas City death metal band Torn the Fuck Apart’s sophomore album, A Genetic Predisposition to Violence, but this past Friday, Kill. Bury. Repeat. came out via Los Angeles label Gore House Productions. The new full length…

Dogman
Movies

Fantastic Fest ’23: DogMan is Luc Besson at his Besson-iest

The prolific filmmaker indulges his worst impulses in a Jokeresque tale of outcasts, drag and canine companionship
Adrian Torres,

DogMan. // Courtesy of EuropaCorp. This is part of our coverage of new genre films premiering at Austin’s Fantastic Fest.  Say anything else you want about Luc Besson’s DogMan; you have to admit it’s unique. That’s been true of most of Besson’s movies, from the career highs (Leon: The Professional, The Fifth Element, La Femme Nikita) to the…um…lows (Angel-A, Valerian and the…

Manorrecordstore
Music

Manor Records returns with a new store in West Bottoms

Nichola McDowell,

Manor Records. // Photo by Nichola McDowell Locally beloved music label Manor Records held a soft opening for a new brick-and-mortar record shop in West Bottoms over the weekend. The show included Manor family artists True Lions, Supermoto, and Khrystal. Since closing its bar location in Strawberry Hill this past March, the label has restructured its leadership team and business…

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Food & Drink

Drink This Now: Espresso Martini at Thou Mayest

Emily Jacobs,

Espresso Martini at Though Mayest River Quay. // Photo by Emily Jacobs The River Quay location of Thou Mayest is both a coffee shop and a bar in one, offering a lengthy list of herbal and caffeinated beverages, beer, wine, and cocktails, along with a small selection of snacks and baked goods. It’s a small, cozy café with bar seating…

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Stage

Actor Yaegel T. Welch on touring with To Kill a Mockingbird and using classic narratives as a platform for change

Ivy Anderegg,

Photos by Julieta Cervantes Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel with many different stylings across film and stage, with a recent addition by Aaron Sorkin—known for his writing on award-winning movies The Social Network and The Trial of the Chicago 7—taking the story to new heights. Sorkin’s production opened on Broadway in late 2018 with staging…

Falling Stars 4press
Movies

Fantastic Fest ’23: A low-budget speculative tale’s ambition outstrips its ability in Falling Stars

Adrian Torres,

Courtesy of Fantastic Fest This is part of our coverage of new genre films premiering at Austin’s Fantastic Fest.  Establishing yourself as a promising new cinematic voice doesn’t mean your first film needs to be perfect. That might sound antithetical, but if a strong voice and vision can shine through a small budget, then that’s proof of a talent worth taking…

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Culture

You’re not alone in the woods at Zip KC’s Exiled: Trail of Terrors

Orrin Grey,

Photo by Elijah LaFolette This is part of our 2023 Haunted House coverage. Read more here. Even the drive out to the Exiled Trail of Terrors is spooky. Leaving Bonner Springs behind, you take wooded backroads to the west, driving alongside railroad tracks and the river. On the night that I went, the ambiance was completed by a big, bright…