Oddities Prints is the hub all great scenes need: Best of KC 2018

This month, we published The Pitch‘s annual Best of Kansas City issue. You can browse the results of the readers’ poll here. The issue also included a list, compiled and written by our editorial staff, of some our current favorite things about Kansas City in 2018. We’ll be publishing these items online throughout October. 

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Jordan Carr is a veteran member of Kansas City’s DIY punk scene, previously known for singing in the infamous Dark Ages, co-hosting KCDIY Radio on KKFI with bandmate Justin Betterton, and snapping 35MM photos at the periphery of countless mosh pits and skate park bowls. These days, most of his time is spent toiling away at Oddities Prints, the midtown print shop where he creates bold designs and physical goods for artists and brands, local and otherwise.

Aside from what’s likely a very collectible Cliff Burton plaque hanging on its wall, Oddities’ ineffably endearing vibe arises out of a creative ecosystem you can watch unfold in front of you. It’s not just a print shop. You can catch a band (perhaps Carr’s current group, Warm Bodies) in the shop’s basement (dubbed The Snake Tank), purchase that band’s t-shirts (which might have been printed upstairs), and share a beer with the crew by the fire pit in the backyard. (We’re also big fans of the shop’s annual Fan Club event, where they crowdsource bootleg t-shirt designs, democratically elect the best ones, then throw a party where you can bring your own shirt to have it printed on.) The internet makes it easier than ever to find an obscure niche to endlessly explore, or an insular clique to stick to, which makes shops like Oddities Prints more essential than ever — a space where Kansas Citians can bridge divides, hang out, and create something meaningful together.

Oddities Prints, 602 E 31st Street. odditiesprints.com.