Photo by Meredith Schneider (@merelygrace) On Friday, August 29th, a popular group of men from a boy band era gone by stopped through Kansas City on the Pop 2000 Tour. In fact, members of four popular musical acts graced the stage at VooDoo Lounge, bringing on an ultimate evening of nostalgia and, quite frankly, chaos. Superfans lined the halls of…
With last night’s win, the Current became the first NWSL team to clinch a spot in the 2025 NWSL Playoffs. In front of a sold-out crowd at CPKC Stadium, the team defeated the North Carolina Courage 2-0 with first-half goals from defender Izzy Rodriguez and midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta. The shutout was the team’s sixth consecutive regular-season match without conceding a…
Jalon Daniels threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns as the Kansas Jayhawks rolled up 631 yards of total offense in a decisive 46-7 win over Wagner Friday night at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. With the victory, Kansas improved to 2-0 for the third time in the past four seasons, while Wagner opened the season 0-1. Our photographer Tarik…
Courtesy Chris DeVille “Indie rock” as a genre is unfortunately near-universal in its applicability. There’s an idea of what the sound technically reflects, but you can find the wording applied to everything from noise electro to death metal to, on at least one occasion I’ve witnessed, even Taylor Swift. So to hear that a single writer would take a stab at…
Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins walks into a Missouri Right to Life rally wearing his signature red sport coat in March. Hoskins is currently facing two lawsuits alleging he crafted deceptive ballot language for public-education initiative petitions (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent) Two initiative petition campaigns seeking constitutional protections for public education are suing Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins alleging…
Andi Phillips speaks at a rally on the Missouri Capitol steps on May 15 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent) Andi Phillips has never really had the option of being sick. A server at a Springfield-area restaurant, the single mother of four finally has a job allowing her to financially support her family. But if she or one of her children falls ill,…
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe is convening a special legislative session to focus on gerrymandering and initiative petition changes (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent) Missouri lawmakers will return to the Capitol next week to gerrymander the state’s congressional map in the hopes of creating a new Republican seat. They will also debate putting a constitutional amendment on the 2026 ballot that would make…
Indigo Girls & Melissa Etheridge Starlight Theatre Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025 Kansas City loves a hometown hero. When Melissa Etheridge took the stage at Starlight last week, the love shown to her was palpable, and it was also reciprocated in full. The Leavenworth native took the stage wearing a Kansas City Current shirt under her signature black leather…
Jon Batiste. // photo by Bentley Mahakijkittichai Jon Batiste with Diana Silvers The Midland Wednesday, August 27 Multi-talented musician Jon Batiste brought The Big Money tour to the Midland in support of his new album, Big Money—released less than a week ahead of the gig. Singer and actress Diana Silvers opened, and our photographer Bentley Mahakijkittichai was there to capture…
Naveen Moinuddin and Muhammad Mashwani of Nivi’s Minis // Photo by Sarah Sipple I recently attended an event that brought in Nivi’s Minis to provide food. The portable cart is the latest in Kansas City’s diverse selection of food trucks and pop-up vendors. Nivi’s Minis is a family-owned snack cart that sets up primarily at events, offering three different menus….
Photo by Collyn Robinson Last night, more than 75 people gathered at Unity Temple on the Plaza for a conversation centered around the book, Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House—which was published in early April. That book is authored by political journalists Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes, who have spent over 20 years covering politics and contentious…
Courtesy of Sony Pictures Overindulgence is the name of the game in Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing, adapted from Charlie Hurston’s novel of the same name. This jam-packed caper will give you whiplash as it ricochets from plot point to plot point—but who cares? Put a collection of attractive actors on the screen, sprinkle in some nostalgia, and it doesn’t really…
KC Sipps logo by Theodore Rosen 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: Adding…
Alabama Shakes @ Starlight. // Photo by Kylee Gregg Alabama Shakes with Y La Bamba Starlight Theatre Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 Alternative rock stargazers Alabama Shakes took over the Starlight on Sunday, with Brittany Howard and crew knocking out a stunning set under a Midwest sky—after our brutal summer heat seemed to finally break. Y La Bamba provided support. Our…
The Cole County Courthouse in Jefferson City (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent) A Cole County judge heard arguments Wednesday over whether a proposed ban on abortion set to go to voters next year should be thrown out or revised over a provision targeting gender-affirming care for minors. The ACLU of Missouri believes the proposal, which was drafted by state lawmakers, violates the…
Cinema Stereo. // photo by Nick Spacek Cinema Stereo with Flora from Kansas and the Blast Monkeys Replay Lounge Wednesday, August 27 Nothing fixes a lousy week quite like a matinee rock show. As Blast Monkeys frontman Scott Vick put it about two songs in, “What else are you going to do on a Wednesday night?” I mean, there’s definitely…
Lil Wayne. // photo by Tarik Sykes Lil Wayne T-Mobile Center Tuesday, August 26 Touring in support of this summer’s Tha Carter VI, rapper Lil Wayne brought his show to the T-Mobile Center Tuesday night, and our photographer Tarik Sykes was there to capture Weezy as he ran through a career-spanning setlist. All photos by Tarik Sykes Categories: Music Tags:…
The Avett Brothers. // photo by Allison Scavo The Avett Brothers with Blackberry Smoke Azura Amphitheater Thursday, August 21 The Avett Brothers have been traveling for 25 years, but this was my first time seeing them live. Each song felt like it bloomed in a different way. Some sent the crowd into a soft sway, while others were anthemic, personal,…
The percentage of kindergarten students in Missouri vaccinated against diseases like measles and whooping cough is dropping each year as more parents turn in non-medical exemptions prior to their child’s first day of school. Only 90% of Missouri kindergarten students were immunized against measles, mumps and rubella last year, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. That’s…
Art by Teddy Rosen Imagine, one summer day, Kansas City doubled in size. What would Crossroads, Westport, 18th and Vine, the West Bottoms, and all of the beautiful boroughs that make the community one of one look like? Well, on June 16, 2026, Kansas Citians will find out. It should be no surprise to anyone living in the metro that…
Baramee Thai Bistro // Photo By Tiffany Watts Say what you want about catfish, but Baramee’s version could probably convert a non-believer. Known for its Thai comfort food, Baramee Thai Bistro came through with big, bold flavors for my first visit, serving none other than their Baramee Thai Catfish. Made with two crispy catfish fillets laid over fresh steamed veggies…
Photo Courtesy of Elliot Pees When Elliot Pees first tasted kombucha back in 2008, he was skeptical at best. He was—in a word—confused why anybody would drink it. But the tangy, effervescent tea grew on him, especially after his sister brought home a fruity, homemade batch that flipped the script. Soon, the siblings were treating kombucha like a DIY science experiment, joking, “One…
Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, says in an interview with ALEC that one of his objectives will be to reduce overall state spending by $200 million and target Medicaid for spending cuts during the 2026 legislative session. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins said the 2026 Legislature would strive to slash $200 million from the…
Photo by Kenney Ellison Book lovers, rejoice! Whether you’re a lifelong bibliophile or a casual reader looking for your next great read, the Heartland Book Festival is back—and bigger than ever. Now in its third year, this city-wide celebration of the written word is presented by Missouri Humanities, The Kansas City Public Library, Mid-Continent Public Library, and the Missouri Affiliate…
