Wandering Vine at The Castle // Photo courtesy of Wandering Vine The noise of everything going on these days can feel like a recipe for hopelessness. But for Wandering Vine Executive Chef Bryan Sparks, food has always been a way to fight back. When he learned that Della Lamb, a local organization supporting refugees and immigrants, had lost critical funding,…
Ward Davis. // photo by Mike Dotson Ward Davis w/ Clint Park Knuckleheads Thursday, Feb. 20 On Thursday night, Arkansas singer-songwriter-troubadour Ward Davis played Knuckleheads, with Clint Park opening and then providing backing vocal and lead guitar during Ward’s set. Our photographer Mike Dotson was there to capture it all and got to chat with Davis about his work. Your…
The Missouri House chamber (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications) I’ve written twice about the dangerous misunderstanding that you can’t get a divorce in Missouri while pregnant. Though I’ve yelled about the fact that Missouri’s law is not unique and there is no current law barring a judge from granting a dissolution during pregnancy, I’m in favor of the legislature making that…
Art by Cassondra Jones Life in KC is pretty delicious. In fact, there is often so much going on that it can be hard to decide where to go and what to try. That’s where I come in. I’ve curated this weekly list of events, openings, deals, and celebrations to keep you in-the-know. Cheers! Something New News Bites: Swordfish Tom’s…
Deanna Munoz and Ivan Ramirez speak at a rally in support of the immigrant and LGBTQ communities on Feb. 23 in Kansas City. CoreCivic, a publicly traded operator of private prisons, wants to open a facility in Leavenworth, Kansas, to assist President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan. (Mary Sanchez/The Beacon) The immigrant detainee, a client of Rekha Sharma-Crawford, would have…
Max Cooper III. // Photo by Earl Richardson If you’ve seen the young Lawrence funk band The Whips, you’ve seen Max Cooper III holding down the keys on stage. While the group’s other Max, Max Indiveri, has released a slew of solo material over the past few years, Cooper’s new EP, The Overthinker, marks his debut as a solo artist….
Photo Courtesy of TheBabeGabe When we spoke with Blackstarkids last year about their farewell release, HEAVEN ON URF, the group’s TheBabeGabe concluded our conversation by saying, “My growth keeps getting stronger and I’m excited for all the music I’ll continue to make with my bandmates in this new era we’re in.” That has proven true with the announcement of her…
Malek Azrael & The Vibez. // Photo Courtesy of Malek Azrael’s Instagram This Friday, Feb. 28, the Zhou B Art Center will feature ‘Rock is Black’, a “groundbreaking concert” which celebrates Black artists in rock—“a genre where their contributions are often overlooked.” The show also serves as the release party for Malek Azrael & The Vibez’s new EP, Feels Like…,…
Garden House Cafe’s espresso paired well with Bread Friend’s sourdough bagel. // Photo by Sophia Lail As I age, it’s hard to find a space that makes me feel 17 again. As someone who grew up in Kansas City, my teen years were spent sitting in the backseat of my friends’ cars and exploring the city, finding the hottest indie…
Photo by Travis Meier A lone light pole festooned with KC Current banners stands near a row of its fallen clones amid a sea of churned dirt. In the distance, heavy machinery crawls over heaps of earth. Construction workers prepare the land along the Missouri River for a project unlike Kansas City has ever seen. Down at Berkley Riverfront, the…
Photo by Charlie Mizel Tucked beneath a Raytown funeral home, friends and business partners Andrew Loos and Phil Worden run Til Death—a speakeasy blending unique drinks, a Prohibition-era ambiance, and a passion for philanthropy. At just 24 years old, Andrew Loos and his wife, Elizabeth—a fourth-generation funeral home director—purchased Heartland Cremation & Burial Society. During the day, Loos is your…
A little over a month ago, President Trump enacted one of the most intensive crackdowns on immigration that we’ve seen in recent history. As whispers of ICE raids in the metro become more frequent, the lives and safety of both legal and undocumented immigrants are jeopardized. After a confirmed raid at a restaurant in Liberty, local tensions are high. As…
Photo Courtesy of Joel Goldberg Joel Goldberg has been calling ‘em like he sees ‘em for more than thirty years. The sports junkie has served as the pregame and postgame show host (and in-game reporter) for all Kansas City Royals broadcasts since 2008. The renaissance man has also created his own cottage industry as a revered motivational speaker, talking to organizations…
Kansas City Mavericks versus Allen Americans on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2024. // Photo by Eli Ralls The Kansas City Mavericks hosted their “First Responder’s Night” match on Saturday, Feb. 22, hosting a match against the Allen Americans. The Mavs got off to a quick jump, scoring both of their two goals in the 2-1 win in the first period, coming…
Arctic Char at Wandering Vine // Photo by Sarah Sipple At dinner on Saturday, I committed one of my personally-defined dining sins at Wandering Vine: I knowingly ordered the same entree as a tablemate. Specifically–someone who I know to be comfortable sharing food with me. If we both loved it, great, but we miss out on trying other flavors and…
Matt Hopper. // photo by Brian Turner It is Tuesday night at Green Lady Lounge in downtown Kansas City. Outside, the chill of the night sees one, maybe two on the street, most drawing into themselves to stave off the cold. Inside, The Matt Hopper Trio is showing. Unaccompanied, bassist Seth Lee and drummer Pat Adams build on the current…
Soccer Mommy. // facebook.com/soccermommymusic/ True to the band’s name, Soccer Mommy is constantly driving forward. Soccer Mommy, the moniker for singer-songwriter Sophie Allison, has had few breaks from touring since 2021. Delayed by the coronavirus pandemic to promote 2020’s “Color Theory,” by the time Allison concluded their second run of shows for that record, a new album, Sometimes, Forever, complete…
Update: Tonight’s screening has been delayed due to illness. A rescheduled date will be updated here. As a director, Orson Welles is probably best known for his early-career masterpiece Citizen Kane, considered by many to be one of the best films ever made. For many filmmakers and film fans, however, another of Welles’ films is one of cinema’s great White…
Savor the City passport // Photo by Brock Wilbur Set down the fork and break out the pen–it’s your turn to jot down notes about your meal as you eat your way through over a dozen Kansas City restaurants. The non-profit organization, Kansas City G.I.F.T. (Generating Income for Tomorrow), has launched its first “Savor the Flavor” restaurant passport to support…
Photo Courtesy of Nancy Mays When friends Martha Lawrence and Nancy Mays scrolled through the battered trenches of Facebook in January, they were met with the newest mutation of societal panic. Doom scrolling is a wicked, taloned monster akin to Freddy Krueger. Our delicate brain chemistries don’t stand a chance when it starts to pry. Albeit typing until our thumbs…
Photo by Cory Weaver Music Theater Heritage opened its 2025 season with Little Women: The Musical. Based on Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel. the Broadway musical adaptation is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, and the show’s mid-2000s arrangements make clever choices in bringing the book to stage—mostly in knowing that it can let Alcott’s prose soar and allow the…
Tajma Stetson poses with her “main man” André, the clarinet. // Photo by Sophia Lail Tajma Stetson slipped on her sickening sequin gown, fixed her crown and then slowly slid onto the seat of the grand piano in her living room. As she removed her clarinet from its case, she told me “Hey, by the way, my clarinet’s name is…
Brian Roberts, owner of Good Karma Coffee // Photo by Sarah Sipple Good Karma Coffee’s grand opening was a momentous occasion, a celebration of culture, community, and creativity. Kicking off on the first day of Black History Month, the café’s debut felt like more than just an opening—it was a statement. The air buzzed with excitement as guests sampled rich,…
In a nondescript building off 18th St., there is a room with a thirty-foot-tall ancient Persian statue. It looks like stone and has a tight-lipped expression carved on its face. The statue leaned against a wall as if it was bored with your questions. My guide, Steve Cochran, let me know that it’s a set piece for the opera Turandot. …
