Archives: October 2025

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Politics

Laura Kelly is suing Kris Kobach for not suing the Trump administration

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly says she’s the top official in the executive branch, yet Kobach has declined to sue when asked.
Blaise Mesa,

Laura Kelly is suing Kobach for his decision to not join recent lawsuits. Credit: Blaise Mesa / The Beacon Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is suing state Attorney General Kris Kobach for his “failure to defend Kansans against the Trump administration’s unlawful federal overreach. Kelly, a Democrat, announced the lawsuit Friday, saying that she has repeatedly asked the Republican attorney general…
Food & Drink

Autumnal drumroll, please: It’s Food Writer Jordan Baranowski’s perfect day of eating

Plus a definitive scope of what makes a worthwhile happy hour
Jordan Baranowski,

Courtesy Jordan Baranowski Grab your flannel shirts and your mittens—we’re in full-on fall mode. It’s that time of year when the only cooking I ever want to do is a large pot of something that takes minimal effort and will nourish me for several days. Otherwise, I want all of my food handed off to me, preferably while sipping a…

Duke With Countess Credit Cory Weaver
Culture, Music

Four Inane Questions with soprano Lauren Auge

Michael Mackie,

Photo by Cory Weaver When soprano Lauren Auge moved to Kansas City in 2017 for her residency with the Lyric Opera, she probably thought she was just passing through. Instead, she set up shop, unpacked her vocal cords, and never looked back. Since then, she’s become one of KC’s busiest musical multitaskers—performing, teaching, conducting, and still somehow finding time to…

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Music

Militarie Gun tore up the Bottleneck with Liquid Mike and Public Opinion

Nick Spacek,

Militarie Gun. // photo by Nick Spacek Militarie Gun with Liquid Mike and Public Opinion The Bottleneck Wednesday, October 29 Touring in support of the recently released God Save the Gun on what they’re calling The Bad Idea Tour, Los Angeles punk-adjacent rockers Militarie Gun took to the Bottleneck stage on Wednesday night. While it was cold and windy outside,…
Movies

Halloween 2025 film recommendations for a very bad, bad time

Brock Wilbur,

If you’re reading this, I just want to say ‘thank you’ for being a reader of The Pitch. We all appreciate you, and our team gets a bit emotional about our readers… especially around the holidays. And what is Halloween if not our biggest holiday? What’s scarier than being a journalist? Only a couple of things. Here’s my list of a…

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Art

Suzanne Jones on Indigenous narratives ahead of storytelling event at the Mid-Continental Public Library

Samantha Russell,

Suzanne Jones is exhibiting her Native American storytelling geared towards adults this weekend at the Mid-Continent Public Library, Saturday November 1 from 11am-12pm and 2-3pm and Sunday November 2, 2-3pm. Jones holds a tribal card of the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma, as well as being a descendant of the Cherokee and Delaware Nations/Tribes. She teaches high school science in the…

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Politics

Statewide survey shows Kansans want progressive policy. But don’t ask them to vote for Democrats.

Clay Wirestone,

People of Kansas, we need to have a heart-to-heart conversation. I don’t know what you want. This year’s Kansas Speaks opinion survey from the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University suggests that you have a lot of straightforward, admirable views on public policy. You want to expand Medicaid, legalize cannabis and keep abortion legal. You like…

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Photos: Durry at Warehouse on Broadway

Bentley Mahakijkittichai,

Durry. // photo by Bentley Mahakijkittichai Durry with Gully Boys Warehouse on Broadway Tuesday, October 28 Minnesota indie rockers Durry, fronted by the brother-sister duo of Austin Durry and Taryn Durry, took to the stage of Warehouse on Broadway Tuesday night in support of this summer’s sophomore LP, This Movie Sucks. Fellow Minnesotans and purveyors of grungey pop Gully Boys…

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News

MoCannTrade ‘Hemp Hoax Report’ exposes retailers in MO selling illegal, contaminated cannabis

Joe Ellett,

Photo Courtesy of Missouri Governor’s Office Hemp stores, smoke shops, and gas stations around Missouri have been selling contaminated cannabis illegally for at least the last several months, according to the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association (MoCannTrade). Yesterday, MoCannTrade released their “Hemp Hoax Report”, exposing different hemp and smoke shops around the state for selling cannabis products against state law. After…

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Music

That 1 Guy turned recordBar into a playground of kaleidoscopic magic

Allison Scavo,

That 1 Guy. // photo by Allison Scavo That 1 Guy RecordBar Wednesday, October 29 I was first introduced to Mike Silverman’s one-man band project That 1 Guy in 2009, two years after his breakthrough album, The Moon Is Disgusting. I was elated to see him live for the first time at recordBar in Kansas City last night, where he…

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Music

Lord Huron’s lantern-lit longing filled Cable Dahmer Arena

Alex Dodderidge, Zoe Strohm,

Lord Huron. // photo by Zoe Strohm Lord Huron w/ Kevin Morby Cable Dahmer Arena Saturday, Oct. 25 Following a decade and a half of cinematic myth-making, Lord Huron returned to KC for the third time with a diverging, two-hour set that reminded a crammed Cable Dahmer Arena why their specific brand of terra-cotta-toned expedition lands with pastoral devotion. Independence…
Food & Drink

Mise en Place: Roman Raya’s journey from Royals tailgates to constant carnitas at Barbacoa

Alexander Omorodion,

Photo courtesy of Roman Raya At the crossroads of Mexican cuisine and Kansas City barbecue, Chef Roman Raya has established himself as a mainstay. Chef Raya has climbed the ladder from starting food truck Taco Tank to co-owning the flagship brick-and-mortar Barbacoa along with Madeline Buechter. Together, they have curated an experience at Barbacoa that blends Mexican and Kansas City…

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Politics

Missouri’s Josh Hawley, SNAP, and the life-threatening hypocrisy of government shutdown politics

Trump’s Department of Agriculture warned that SNAP benefits scheduled for Nov. 1 disbursements have all “run dry.” Let's be real about who is endangering Americans for political theatre.
Michael McGrady Jr.,

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley speaks to reporters after joining challenger Lucas Kunce in the middle of the floor of the governor’s ham breakfast at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent) Stop the presses, everyone! A MAGA Republican from Missouri’s congressional delegation actually cares for the well-being of children and adults going hungry? Oh, false alarm, it’s just…

Zombie Prom
Music

The undead rise again to dance at Kat King’s Zombie Prom

Rowan Bickelhaupt,

Kat King’s Zombie Prom // Photo by: Jonathan King On Saturday, Oct. 25, at The Ship, smudged eyeliner, torn lace, and fake blood filled the room while the dance floor pulsed under faint red lights. The third annual Zombie Prom was hosted by the local indie-pop band Kat King. Known for their glittery blend of pop hooks and rock edge,…
Food & Drink

Dish & Drink KC: A Night out with In Good Company and Addicted

Tiffany Watts,

Dish & Drink KC logo by Theodore Rosen Solo dates have become a kind of ritual for me. A way to recalibrate and be social without performance. Still, it’s rare that a bar makes solitude feel this comfortable. On a Friday night, I walked into In Good Company, a social cocktail lounge on McGee Street, and immediately understood what makes…

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Culture

Novel Adventure KC’s small but mighty book bus offers access to literature around the metro

Rowan Bickelhaupt,

Crystal Fritz (L) and Shannon Langdon (R) of Novel Adventure KC // Photo by Rowan Bickelhaupt On a crisp, rainy October afternoon, booths filled the open-air Monster Market at the Merriam Marketplace. Between tables of handmade crafts and Halloween treats, a teal-blue trailer stood out against the gray sky. Lined with wooden shelves along its front and back, the caravan…

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Culture, Stage

Paula Poundstone returns to The Folly

Michael Mackie,

Photo Courtesy of Paula Poundstone Not that we’re counting, but it’s been almost exactly three years since Paula Poundstone last unleashed her quick-witted stream of consciousness on The Folly Theater. The comedy icon makes her much-anticipated (and likely very chatty) return on Saturday, Nov. 8. When we pointed out the three-year gap, Poundstone was quick to joke, “There’s probably some sort of…

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Music

Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison brings Stop Making Sense to the Kauffman

Nick Spacek,

Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads in ‘Stop Making Sense.’ // Photo Courtesy of Jerry Harrison Talking Heads’ Jonathan Demme-directed concert film, Stop Making Sense, is variously described as legendary and classic, frequently referred to as one of the best concert films of all time. It exists in the pantheon of the Band’s The Last Waltz or Pink Floyd: Live at…

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Sports

Photos: U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team gets involved in local youth soccer scene ahead of New Zealand match

Tarik Sykes,

Soccer Forward Community Spotlight. // Photo by Tarik Sykes The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team is set to play New Zealand at CPKC Stadium on Wednesday, Oct. 29. But, before the best soccer players around the nation take the field, they decided to get involved in the local youth soccer scene. Partnering with the KC Current, on Monday, Oct. 27,…

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Music

Daniel Donato talks all things cosmic country ahead of November’s Granada show

Allison Scavo,

Daniel Donato // Photo by Jason Stoltzfus Musician Daniel Donato released Horizons, the latest album from his band Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, at the end of August, continuing to push the boundaries of the genre. While frequently name-checked as a band you absolutely have to see live, their “kinetic fusion of country, rock, bluegrass, funk, and psychedelia” soars on Horizons,…

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Food & Drink

Pete’s Garden redirects nutritious excess from Chiefs training meals to KC dinner tables

Each family goes home with a family-sized portion of a protein, starch, and vegetable
Sarah Sipple,

Former Chiefs Linebacker/Defensive End Tamba Hali volunteers to pack meals at Pete’s Garden // Photo courtesy of Kansas City Chiefs What do Chiefs players and nightly attendees of New Theatre & Restaurant have in common? Within a matter of hours, their leftover food at the end of the night ends up feeding children and families in need across the metro….

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Politics

THC beverage boom faces Missouri crackdown amid regulatory concerns, safety risks

A new report shows Missouri has the potential to pull in $75 million in annual THC drink sales, dependent on how state leaders and law enforcement respond to the fast-growing, unregulated market.
Rebecca Rivas,

Karen Brady, the mother of Mighty Kind owner Josh Grigaitis, waits to talk to shoppers at Fresh Thyme grocery store in St. Louis about the company’s hemp THC seltzers (photo submitted) A recent economic study on THC beverages found the industry has the potential to reach between $9.9 billion and $14.9 billion in national sales. In Missouri — where the…