Best of KC 2025: “Clubbing” finds new forms for a reinvention generation
Photo by Shea McGraw
Earlier this month, we published The Pitch’s annual Best of Kansas City issue. You can take a peek at the results of the readers’ poll here. The issue also included a list, compiled and written by our editorial staff, of some local people, places, and things that we thought clearly won 2025. We’ll be publishing these items online throughout November.
Though we don’t think people really say “going clubbing” anymore, it used to imply late nights, dark clubs, drugs and alcohol, hookups, and cover charges. In 2025, Kansas City experienced a shift in club culture: not taking anything away from the late-night scene, only adding to it. Cover charges remain, but other aspects of clubbing have become more inclusive.
Now, there are more opportunities than ever to see and be seen, dance, and hear DJ sets (for better or worse). Only now, it may happen at 9 a.m., or be held at a coffee shop, or be a completely dry event. For example, Cougar Club and its monthly dance parties target the 35 and older crowd, promising guests access to shake their asses on a weeknight, then be home and in bed with their skincare routine complete by 11 p.m.
Other new parties bring the club environment to the other half of the day. AM Club is exactly as it sounds, creating a pop-up joint in a coffee shop or non-traditional location at 9 a.m. There is no alcohol served at most AM Club events, and it takes the club mentality even further in the opposite direction by kicking off the day with a run, cold plunge, and massage before turning down the lights and bringing out the DJ. Caféton brings a Latin lounge atmosphere to Café Corazón, also at 9 a.m., with a darty centered around Latin beats, community, and strong coffee or yerba mate.
As fewer people choose to drink alcohol but still prioritize social connections, what transformations will we be observing in 2030? For now, we’re loving that both types of “clubbing” exist.
Click below to read the November Best Of 2025 Issue of The Pitch Magazine:
