Photo Courtesy of Nick Spacek Greetings dearest reader, and welcome to the July print issue of The Pitch: our annual dedicated Music Issue. This one is always a beast to tackle, mainly because everyone in our orbit wants to contribute. There is simply too much great music—and along with it, too many great stories—for us to have enough page space…
Photo by Martha Wirth Photography Inc. The Kansas City Fringe Festival is right around the corner, celebrating the arts throughout the KC area for its 20th season. Films, theatre, music, and dancing will be performed across the city for an action-packed fortnight. While many local artists will take the stage for the festival, artists from far and wide will travel…
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 Summit Summer Crawl: Tell…
Winners Circle Weekend 2024 // Photo by Najah Shields Empowerment, upliftment, and passion were poured into our community this June 27-30 at Winners Circle Weekend 2024. Over the weekend, something special happened here in Kansas City. Multiple professional athletes, born and raised here, came to give back to everyone—with the youth first in mind. For the second year in a…
The Big Biscuit introduces its own take on the “dirty soda’s” trend with five specialty Western Sodas. Each drink has a foundation of popular fountain drinks, with added coconut cream and lime. And even with the limited ingredients, the Big Biscuit achieves many unique flavors to try. The Western Sodas The Orange Creamsicle with Orange Crush soda, coconut cream, and…
Irene Manning. // Photo by Michael Stoufer How will today’s world shape comedy in the future? A group of 12 performers led by Jami Campbell will present their idea of Sci-fi comedy 100 years from now at the KC Fringe Festival. While this show is about a fictional future, Campbell’s goal is to leave the audience wondering about the long-term…
JJ Grey & Mofro at Knuckleheads on July 3, 2024 // Photo by Joe Ellett JJ Grey & Mofro Knuckleheads Tuesday, July 2 JJ Grey & Mofro took over Knucklehead’s outdoor stage on Tuesday, July 2 at 8 p.m., on Grey’s Olustee World Tour, accommodating his first album release in nearly a decade, Olustee. Entirely produced by Grey, the album…
July 9, 2017 my life forever changed. I attended my first screening of The Room in Los Angeles, hosted by Tommy Wiseau. This is a movie that came out in 2003 that was written, directed, and starred Wiseau. It lives on in the pantheon like Ed Wood’s Plan 9 From Outer Space and is considered to be the worst movie…
Courtesy of Sweat Forum Sweat Forum is making its mark on the KC fitness scene by bridging ancient ideals with modern needs. This twist on the classic workout has filled a void in the market for many locals. Their focus is simple: utilizing a ‘two-room approach’ to bring high-intensity and low-intensity fitness together in one place. Sweat Forum partners, Stephanie…
Six matches will be held at at Arrowhead Stadium during the 2026 World Cup. (Vaughn Wheat/The Beacon) The 2026 World Cup will squeeze Kansas City’s already tight housing market in ways that could make shelter particularly scarce for homeless people. Many thousands of soccer fans flocking to the region will need places to stay. But some housing experts say that…
Muspresso from Herban Tea Bar // Photo by Tiffany Watts Herban Tea Bar I like to keep a diverse go-to list of cafes in Kansas City in case I’m in the mood for a particular drink or vibe. When my mind and body call for tranquil and soothing energy, I go to the Herban Tea Bar located inside The Laya…
Photo by Sarah Sipple We’ve rounded up KC’s hottest spots for fireworks and other festivities that will keep your holiday booming! July 4 Stars and Stripes Picnic, National WWI Museum and Memorial Tyler Booth, Power & Light Lenexa Freedom Run/Community Days Parade, Lenexa Four on the Fourth, Ward Parkway 4th of July Celebration, Downtown Parkville Liberty 4th Fest, Capitol Federal Sports Complex of Liberty Red,…
Courtesy Socci Stories of family quirks, dating mishaps, and “blasting” rotisserie chickens over trashcans will be brought to Kansas City this summer when stand-up comedian, Blair Socci returns to town. The LA-based comedian and voice actor will be performing at The Kansas City Comedy Club from July 5-7. Known for her authenticity and biographical comedy, Socci’s work elevates with her…
Despicable Me 4. // Courtesy Illumination Studios In a world with seemingly infinite amounts of animated children’s programming, it’s a rare IP that can keep an audience in the palm of its hand at the box office. That’s what makes Despicable Me so noteworthy. It made a bajillion dollars, put Illumination Studios on the map, and launched a thousand minions. With…
Sarah McLachlan. // photo by Andrew Dodderidge Sarah McLachlan with Feist Starlight Theatre Sunday, June 9 Both Feist and Sarah McLachlan had headlined KC’s Starlight Theatre before Sunday, June 9, an early summer double-bill that ravished those who have a soft spot for McLachlan’s ‘93 gem Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. Leslie Feist’s previous stop in KC was nearly 16 years back,…
Myranda Agnew said Leavenworth locals donate many resources to her shelter, like clothes and toiletries. But what her organization really needs most is staff to support the people the shelter serves. // Photo by Dylan Lysen/Kansas News Service A bill in the Kansas Legislature would have provided millions of dollars to build homeless shelters across the state. But lawmakers let…
Photo Courtesy of James Cumpsty Back in the mid-’80s, the music of Thompson Twins was, well, inescapable. The radio-friendly Brit-pop trio had become a staple on MTV—with their hits “Doctor! Doctor!” and “Hold Me Now” in seemingly perma-rotation. Leading the charge was frontman Tom Bailey, whose unmistakable vocals and keyboard-heavy arrangements helped propel the band into mainstream consciousness. In the 2000s—as his…
Softcult at recordBar. // Photo by Hayden Kalp During only the third date of their summer tour, Canadian sibling duo Softcult graced Kansas City, bringing their twisted flavor of Shoegaze Riot-Girrrl rock to the stage of the iconic recordBar. Opening the show was the Bay Area-based alternative act Present. The five-piece seemed to be the perfect fit to warm up…
Parker McCollum. // photo by Kylee Gregg Parker McCollum with Corey Kent and MacKenzie Porter Starlight Theater Saturday, June 29 Texas singer-songwriter Parker McCollum brought his Burn It Down tour to Starlight Saturday night, along with fellow Texan and country artist Corey Kent and Canadian musician MacKenzie Porter. Our photographer Kylee Gregg was there to capture it all. Parker McCollum…
Recs With Merritt. // Art by Cassondra Jones Records with Merritt is Marion Merritt’s vinyl store in Westport with partner Ann Stewart. As a staple in our community for nearly a decade, we’ve partnered with Merritt for a monthly column, where the tastemaker shares her picks for the best wax releases to look forward to grabbing, divided by release date. Here’s Marion Merritt’s…
Photo by Ken Howard Last year, Kansas City got a chance to witness the spectacle and scale of a new opera, based on Stephen King’s novel The Shining. Sharing a title with the book, the show adapts directly from the 1977 horror novel, pulling narratives and character arcs that divert (at points sharply) from the 1980 Kubrick film. While English…
Whole tilapia at Prado’s // Photo by Nika Renee Pardo’s Grand Buffet Mexicano Restaurant and Taqueria on Southwest Blvd. is a unique dining experience. There is such an impressive variety of dishes that unless you were raised on traditional Mexican food, this cuisine may only be suitable for the adventurous foodie. They offer carryout and delivery options, but to get…
Photo by Elise Poehling The1994Project is a concert series. And a reading series. And nostalgia. And wildly creative. It’s even more than all of these things, but it’s also rooted in an element of charity and fun, explains producer Katie Gilchrist. “This series is in two parts throughout the year, with 22 shows scheduled. The Sessions: a live music series…
Photo courtesy of Ernie Nolan After an impressive 45-year run, Cynthia Levin is stepping down as Artistic Director at The Unicorn Theatre. The new director, Ernie Nolan, takes the reigns on July 1. Nolan possesses over 20 years of experience within the arts field and brings a passion for storytelling and inclusivity to this position. Nolan will be coming to…
