Archives: October 2025

Violet Chachki & Gottmik on chemistry and self-identity ahead of their Knockout Tour show at The Truman

Javiera Perez For many artists, a national tour is a dream come true. For RuPaul’s Drag Race icons Violet Chachki and Gottmik, it’s the result of years of friendship and boundary-pushing drag. Their Knockout Tour blends burlesque, live original music, and fashion into a celebration of queer art.  The electric night of high-glam drag and bold self-expression will be on…

BoysGrow stokes their program’s blaze into a “Controlled Burn” at their South KC farm

Guests gather at the “On the Pond” hearth, overlooking the pond and bonfire. Photo by Katie Frankenbach Amante Domingo—chef and owner of The Russell, Noka, and Le Champion—grew up as a farm boy. During his youth, his father passed away and his mother remarried. Despite the challenges life brought his way, he says his family’s farm business taught him how…

West Bottoms Plant Co. turns three: How KC’s queer plant haven is growing community, creativity, and radical care

A highlight of the day was the “Pay What You Can" produce stand.

West Bottoms Plant Co. // Photo By Tiffany Watts Kansas City’s favorite plant shop and creative hub, West Bottoms Plant Company, just celebrated three vibrant years in business, and they did it in the most fitting way possible: with a full-blown Garden Party at their building, The 12th St Post. The event was part market, part celebration, and completely rooted…

Dish & Drink KC: Savoring the morning at AR’s and Soli Deo

AR’s Breakfast & Brunch // Photo by Tiffany Watts If you’re a brunch lover in Kansas City who’s not afraid to mix things up, AR’s Breakfast and Brunch just might become your new weekend obsession. They call themselves “the best brunch spot in Kansas City,” and while that’s a bold claim, their packed restaurant in Westport makes me think they…

The Cosmo Burger team diversifies with Arrow Dart Club, opening soon in Crossroads

Courtesy Arrow Dart Club A bar doesn’t need a collection of games in order to be something special, but those diversions can often go a long way toward shaping any bar into someone’s favorite spot. Darts, pool, arcade games, pinball, shuffleboard, and even board games lend an identity to a local watering hole—attracting diehards, helping people socialize, and offering a…

Photos: Young the Giant at The Uptown

Young the Giant. // photo by Haley Mullenix Young the Giant with Cassandra Coleman Uptown Theater Sunday, October 5 When alt-rockers Young the Giant brought their In the Open 2025 tour to the Uptown on Wednesday, country-tinged pop singer Cassandra Coleman was along as the opener. Our photographer Halley Mullenix was there to capture it all. Young the Giant Cassandra…

Photos: Cartel at the Truman

Cartel. // photo by Kylee Gregg Cartel with HUNNY and Macseal The Truman Wednesday, October 1 Touring as part of the 20th anniversary of their classic album, Chroma, pop punk trio Cartel hit the Truman on Wednesday to play it all the way through,, along with favorites new and old. California rockers HUNNY and indie rock band Macseal were there,…

Four Inane Questions with NoRudos’ Cody G.

Photo Courtesy of Cody G. If you spot a bold, body-positive swimsuit strutting across a KC pool deck—or even catching Fort Lauderdale sun—there’s a good chance it came from the mind (and sewing machine) of Cody G. By day, he’s an insurance pro. By night (and weekend, and probably whenever the mood strikes), he’s the creative force behind NoRudos—a swimwear and…

Fallternative treats: Exploring autumnal flavors around Kansas City

Everything nice, hold the pumpkin spice.

Thai Orchid // Photo by Sarah Sipple At a recent Pitch staff meeting, we debated what represents the start of fall. I tend to be quite literal, so I said it comes down to the season date marked on the calendar. Facts.  You may have noticed that our President, Andrew Miller’s, marker is the Louisburg Cider Fest, as he mentioned…

Artists and activists raise the roof for KC Tenants at Yeehaw! 2025

Photo by: Rowan Bickelhaupt Kansas City’s creative community showed up in full force for KC Tenants’ latest Yeehaw! benefit show on Oct. 2—a night where comedy, music, and activism collided for a common cause: housing justice. By the time the final notes rang out, the grassroots tenant union had raised an impressive $47,000, proving once again that Kansas City’s art…

Garmin Kansas City Marathon road closure notice

Garmin Kansas City Marathon road closure notice This post was paid for by the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission & Foundation. The Garmin Kansas City Marathon is Kansas City’s largest annual race and will be taking runners on a tour through the coolest neighborhoods and past the most beautiful landmarks in the city. Scheduled for Saturday, October 18th, this event…

Chappell Roan’s first night in KC transformed Liberty Memorial into witchy spectacle

Chappell Roan. // photo by Kylee Gregg Chappell Roan with Japanese Breakfast Liberty Memorial Friday, October 3 Chappell Roan lit up Kansas City on Friday with the first night of her pop-up Visions of Damsels & Other Dangerous Things tour at Liberty Memorial. More than 35,000 fans flooded the park—dressed head to toe in pink, glitter, and Midwest Princess flair—transforming…

Across state line and following historic redlines: Kansas City food deserts expand as grocery stores close

Residents deal with mile-long walks, corner store diets and poorer health as grocers are forced to close unprofitable locations on both sides of the state line.

Phillip Ramsey, a master gardener, stands in the Ruby Jeans Community Garden at 29th Street and Wabash Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri, where he grows and distributes fresh produce to neighbors. (Thomas White/The Beacon) Phillip Ramsey is a master gardener who’s planting fall produce in one of the community gardens he manages. It’s just two blocks from the Sun Fresh…

Photos: PBR Outlaw Days brought country culture to T-Mobile

PBR Outlaw Days on October 6, 2025. // Photo by Tarik Sykes Between Friday, Oct. 3rd and Sunday, Oct. 5th, PBR Outlaw Days took over the T-Mobile Center, as the Kansas City Outlaws faced off against the Texas Rattlers. Country attire truly encapsulated the entire downtown scene this past weekend, as the two demographics of PBR attendees and Chappell Roan…

Some Missouri schools use AI, digital tools to prevent suicides. What does that mean for student privacy?

Advocates for the digital monitoring tools say they help save lives. Experts warn that the programs have a higher tendency to flag content from certain groups of students, and that more is needed to address youth mental health concerns.

New Franklin School District uses a free program called Bark to monitor student activity for signs of mental health crises, bullying or harassment. (Meg Cunningham/The Beacon) As a school counselor in Neosho, Missouri, Tracy Clements was skeptical that an AI tool could help her students’ mental health, or make any dent in the school’s suicide prevention efforts. She entered the…

KC Sipps: A new paella spot, two restaurant closures, and KC Black Feast Week returns

This week's Kansas City restaurant news.

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:…

Actress Diane Franklin’s approach to conventions, fandom ahead of this weekend’s Slash and Bash

Diane Franklin. // image courtesy the actress Depending on your genre preferences, actress Diane Franklin might be known to you as some very different characters. Those who love comedies know her as one of the princesses in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure or Better Off Dead’s foreign exchange student Monique Junet. Horror fans recognize her from Amityville II: The Possession…

Supernatural thriller Good Boy does daring drama from a dog’s perspective

Courtesy IFC Films Earlier in the year, Good Boy got announced and immediately filled my friend group with equal parts demand to see it immediately… and of course, dread. A horror film told from a dog’s perspective hooked us. Who wouldn’t want to see that? Well, I suppose, most people. Considering how things tend to go for dogs in horror films,…

Photos: Conan Gray brought pop spectacle to Starlight

Conan Gray. // photo by Eli Ralls Conan Gray with Hemlocke Springs Starlight Theater Monday, September 29 Former YouTuber and pop singer Conan Gray brought The Wishbone Pajama Show to Starlight Monday night in support of his latest album, with singer-songwriter Hemlocke Springs opening. Our photographer Eli Ralls was there to capture it all. Conan Gray Conan Gray setlist My…