Valentine’s Day results in a lot of waste. Here’s how to do things differently this year. // Photo by Adobe Snow covered rooftops, and cold winter nights spent sipping hot chocolate by the fire… the romance of winter means that Valentine’s Day is near. Valentine’s Day is a holiday that sees an incredible increase in love and gift giving, as…
Frtz Hutcherson at the Ship. // photo by Patrick Sprehe Save Our Stages Kansas City is a series of conversations with KC independent music venues. We’ll discuss the pandemic’s (continuing) effects, some challenges facing smaller venues, the value and economic impact these spaces have on our city, and what we can do to support them now and in the future. At the…
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 James Beard Foundation: Seven…
Puddin. // Courtesy Great Plains SPCA Puddin Puddin is an 8-year-old cat that you may not notice at first. The shelter environment is very overwhelming for her, and she is often hiding in her bed where adopters can’t see. But if you stop to meet her, you’ll find the sweetest, gentlest soul just waiting for that special family to realize…
Gaslight. // Photo by Brian Paulette In one of society’s highest compliments, the 1938 play Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton was elevated to such notoriety that, in the last decade, it achieved verbification. Those unfamiliar with the ’38 thriller for the stage, or the 1944 Hollywood film featuring a young Angela Lansbury, still know exactly what the term means. Hamilton’s taught…
Sam Adolphsen, policy director at the Foundation for Government Accountability, told lawmakers the state needed to scrutinize welfare fraud, even though there is no evidence of widespread fraud associated with Medicaid or other safety net programs in Kansas. // Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature video TOPEKA — Kansas legislators heard about the dangers of “welfare fraud” from an…
2024 James Beard Awards // Image provided by James Beard Foundation The James Beard Awards recently announced this year’s semi-finalists and this year is an impressive win for the Kansas City metro area. A record number of seven semi-finalists were announced this year. With the increase in national attention on Kansas City thanks to the Chiefs, rumors of Rhianna and…
Courtesy of the Folk Alliance The Folk Alliance Conference is returning for February, 21-25, with public tickets available for Feb. 22-24. It’s a rewarding yet overwhelming night featuring a variety of musicians “crossing a diverse array of genres including Appalachian, Americana, Blues, Bluegrass, Celtic, Cajun, Global Roots, Hip-Hop, Old-Time, Singer-Songwriter, Spoken Word, Traditional, Zydeco, and various fusions,” despite being call…
Sen. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City, offers amendments to a bill that would bar transgender students from restrooms aligning with their gender identity in the Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee Tuesday. // Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent Legislation seeking to create a “parents bill of rights” in Missouri was amended in committee Tuesday morning to add prohibitions on transgender students accessing restrooms…
Birdie Hansen of Effing Candle Co. // Photo by Travis Young Wax on. Wax off. As the founder and CEO of Effing Candle Co. (and sister brand, themelty.co), Birdie Hansen has found her calling whipping up fragrant, hand-poured candles for the local masses. The entrepreneur tells us not only that she calls Midtown home but that’s also where you’ll find her shop….
Kee Mow (drunken noodles) at Thai Zappz. // Photo by Lauren Textor Vivid flavors at Thai Zappz Last week, I feasted on the offerings from businesses participating in this year’s Restaurant Week. After scanning menus online, my friend Sara and I decided on Thai Zappz for lunch. Neither of us had ever been, but it’s relatively close to where she…
Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, begins a filibuster on the Missouri Senate floor Tuesday afternoon. // Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent) The Republican civil war in the Missouri Senate reached a new crescendo of strife Tuesday, when Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden stripped four members of their committee chairs and declared he was acting against “a small group of swamp creatures.”…
The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue. // Courtesy of Oscarbate Film Collective What do The Last House on the Left, I Spit on your Grave, The Evil Dead, A Bay of Blood and Cannibal Holocaust have in common? In addition to the obvious—they’re all horror movies made between 1971 and 1981—all of these movies were either heavily censored or…
If you are unaware of local KC rock band Supermassive Black Holes, let me give you a perfectly transcribed quote from their website: “They forge a musical bond that transcends genres. Their chemistry, honed over 13 years of collaboration, effortlessly pushes the boundaries of sonic expression. Amidst the swirling sonic cosmos that Supermassive Black Holes conjure, the realms of space…
Courtesy Dominique Sanders In 2018, Dominique Sanders moved from his hometown of Kansas City to LA to climb the ladder as a producer and bassist. Five years later, Sanders tracked bass lines for two major 2023 releases: hometown hero Janelle Monaé’s Age of Pleasure and Hozier’s Unreal Earth. Now, the Grammy-nominated Age of Pleasure is vying for two awards: Best…
A trio of bills in the House would require pornographic websites and online dating services to verify the ages of all users. // Adobe Images Missouri lawmakers are pushing legislation this year requiring pornographic websites and online dating services to verify the ages of all users. Proponents say the goal is to prevent children from accessing inappropriate content online. However,…
CAKE. // Courtesy band Since 1991, Sacramento’s CAKE has being making a genre of rock music all their own. Formed as a sort of reaction to how loud and stupid 90s rock radio sounded to lead singer John McCrea, the band has carved out an incredible niche. Between hit songs like “Going the Distance” and “Short Skirt/Long Jacket”, they’ve equally…
Sen. Andrew Koenig, R-Manchester, answers questions about his bill that would expand MOScholars during a press conference after the second week of the legislative session. // Photo by Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent The next few weeks of legislative action are primed for debate over opening up access for Missouri students to leave their neighborhood schools — though escalating dysfunction in the…
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…
A statue representing justice stands at the Kansas Judicial Center, where the Commission on Judicial Conduct office is located. The panel has the authority to investigate allegations of misconduct by judges and judicial candidates. // Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector. TOPEKA — Former Montgomery County prosecutor Lisa Montgomery appeared before a judicial ethics panel in May to face retribution for breaking a…
He keeps bees. // Courtesy MGM Here at The Pitch, we’re fairly confident that we’re about to go “all in” when there’s a new Jason Statham film on the horizon. Our critic group chat was electrified the day the first trailer dropped for The Beekeeper, in a way that… well, let us just say other professional art critics probably do…
Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, and other members of the Freedom Caucus recount their priorities to reporters following the second week of the legislative session Thursday. // Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent The bitter feud between a vocal minority of Senate Republicans and the majority of the GOP caucus erupted Thursday into a fit of name-calling and allegations that certain lawmakers hoped to…
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 KC Craft Ramen: Through…
Missourians cast their votes in the general election at the Greene County Election Center on Nov. 8, 2022. // Photo courtesy of the Greene County Clerk’s Office After months of obstruction from Republican officeholders and internal disputes among the state’s abortion rights groups, advocates are expected to announce today the start of an all-hands-on-deck effort to get a ballot measure…
