The Pitch: February 2020 by The Pitch KC

February 2020 I FREE I THEPITCHKC.COM

You Had Me At Aloe: KCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Blooming Plant Scene BY APRIL FLEMING

Bringing The Underground Railroad To Light BY TRACI ANGEL

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CONTENTS

ZACH BAUMAN

THE PITCH

Publisher Stephanie Carey Editor in Chief Brock Wilbur Digital Editor Kelcie McKenney Contributing Writers Traci Angel, Liz Cook, Riley Cowing, Karen Dillon, April Fleming, Roxie Hammill, Libby Hanssen, Deborah Hirsch, Dan Lybarger, Abby Olcese, Aaron Rhodes, Barbara Shelly, Nick Spacek Little Village Creative Services Jordan Sellergren Jav Ducker Contributing Photographers Zach Bauman, Chase Castor, Joe Carey, Travis Young Graphic Designers Austin Crockett, Jake Edmisten, Lacey Hawkins, Angèle Lafond, Jennifer Larson, Katie McNeil, Danielle Moore, Gianfranco Ocampo, Kirsten Overby, Alex Peak, Fran Sherman Director of Marketing & Promotions Jason Dockery Senior Multimedia Specialist Steven Suarez Multimedia Specialist Becky Losey Account Manager Rebecca Watson Director of Operations Andrew Miller Multimedia Intern Jonah Desneux Design Intern Jack Raybuck

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DISTRIBUTION

The Pitch distributes 35,000 copies a month and is available free throughout Greater Kansas City, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for $5 each, payable at The Pitch’s office in advance. The Pitch may be distributed only by The Pitch’s authorized independent contractors or authorized distributors. No person may, without prior written permission of The Pitch, take more than one copy of each week’s issue. Mail subscriptions: $22.50 for six months or $45 per year, payable in advance. Application to mail at second-class postage rates is pending at Kansas City, MO 64108.

The contents of The Pitch are Copyright 2020 by Carey Media. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without the express written permission of the publisher. The Pitch 3543 Broadway Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64111 For information or to share a story tip, email tips@thepitchkc.com For advertising: stephanie@thepitchkc.com or 816-218-6702

12 6 LETTER

20 FOOD

30 FILM

8 NEWS

22 EAT

32 SAVAGE LOVE

Welcome Let the Brock Party Begin. BY BROCK WILBUR

Streetwise Food, Politics, Real Estate—The various comings and goings-on about town. BY BROCK WILBUR

Neighborhood Eats Eating our way through the West Bottoms. BY APRIL FLEMING

Eat This Now The Puffy Tacos at Ta Co BY APRIL FLEMING

9 HISTORY

23 DRINK

12 FEATURE

24 ART

Luther Smith Bringing the Underground to light. BY TRACI ANGEL

You Had Me at Aloe For a surprising number of Kansas Citians, it’s all about the plants, and local business is blooming around it. BY APRIL FLEMING

16 CAFE

Pirate’s Bone Plants its Flag The meaty politics of Pirate’s Bones Burgers’ meatless menu. BY LIZ COOK

Drink This Now The Iceberg Theory at Novel BY APRIL FLEMING

THE PITCH | February 2020 | thepitchkc.com

The Long Game In which Dan loses his shit. BY DAN SAVAGE

34 EVENTS

February Events Get out, get busy BY JONAH DESNEUX

A Night At The Museum What to see at 21c’s art gallery Hotel. BY EMILY COX

26 MUSIC

Learning Beyond Limit Lauren Krum does not let one genre define her. BY RILEY COWING

28 Reel To Feel

Retro Cocktail host scores once more. BY NICK SPACEK

The Good, The Bad And The Smugly Navigating a bewildering Oscar season. BY ABBY OLCESE

“SNOW AT ARROWHEAD” by Travis Young // AWStudio

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THE PITCH | February 2020 | thepitchkc.com

LETTER

WELCOME LET THE BROCK PARTY BEGIN. BY BROCK WILBUR

Greetings Pitch readership. My name is Brock Wilbur and I’ll be serving as your editor-in-chief moving forward. Former editor David Hudnall has moved to a farm upstate, and I’ll be taking over where he left off. (He’s in Phoenix now. I didn’t mean to imply that he was dead. He’s great and we will miss him.) So what is a Brock Wilbur? I’m a Salina, Kansas kid who spent a decade in Los Angeles working in television, journalism, standup comedy, and for one strange year I was the face of Guitar Center in all their advertising. I’ve written books, broken the national story on the NXIVM sex cult, followed bands, and generally tried to live life to the fullest. I also do a lot of work in the fields of mental health awareness and politics—because those are one and the same these days. Two years back, my wife Vivian and I moved to Kansas City. Since then, I’ve fallen in love with my adopted hometown. I try to make time to do everything and meet everyone. You might have seen me hosting Pitch events in the past, or maybe just had a drink alongside me at one of my many haunts on 39th Street. My passion for this city is one of the main reasons I’m now occupying this position at The Pitch: it’s hard to find someone who has the puppy-dog level enthusiasm I have for exploring and celebrating this extraordinary town. While I hope that you enjoy the energy I’m bringing to the table, it’s important to note that my voice won’t be the primary voice of The Pitch. One of the most important skillsets I’ve picked up in the last few years is learning when to shut the fuck up. Everyone I meet has better stories than I can imagine, and my job here is to develop new diverse voices and help them tell those stories in our pages. I’m building my team of freelancers right now. So if you want to come to write for me, send an email to brock@thepitchkc.com and tell me who you

are and what you’re into. If you have samples, awesome. If not, do not let that stop you. Get in touch, because The Pitch belongs to the people. Beyond that, my promise is that we will always be trending more in the direction of The Pitch that many of you remember from the years before that big ‘ole corporate buy out. We’re locally owned and operated, and the pages of this magazine will be a place where we venture back into the bizarre, dirty parts of the city. We have writers whose opinions we will not be reigning in. We have stories that we’re going to be fearless in pursuing. We’re going to celebrate all the details and the people that make Kansas City one of the weirdest, most unique cities in the country. We’re going to make outsiders jealous that they can’t have what we have. And we won’t look back. I’m Brock Wilbur, and I’m here to lift you up. Be proud of where we’re going together.

thepitchkc.com | February 2020 | THE PITCH

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STREETWISE

FOOD, POLITICS, REAL ESTATE—THE VARIOUS COMINGS AND GOINGS-ON ABOUT TOWN. BY BROCK WILBUR

Local Sports Team goes to national competition. Young community sporting enthusiasts “The Chiefs” are set to travel to the city of Miami, where they will participate in a match of football. They’ve paid their own way there by working all fall, and I confidentially think I can say we’re all rooting for these young scamps. Good luck kids! Hogshead has closed. The restaurant at 4743 Pennsylvania Ave. on the Country Club Plaza has shut down, due to excessive overhead costs. After two years, chef Clark Grant was unable to find the appropriate customer volume for his rather excellent blend of Chicago style with a KC twist. This is certainly not the last we’ve heard of Grant, who was featured in an episode of Pitch’n Kitch’n earlier this year. Mickey’s Hideaway has opened. Westport was feeling the loss of both the legacy bar McCoy’s and its much shorter-lived companion Sailor Jack’s. The team from Char Bar was brought in to relaunch the location with a new concept. Pulling inspiration and personality from each member of the new staff and blending it into an upscale mancave makes for an adult playground, which is itself tied to the lore of a fictional Yogi Berra style local hero. Technically, it opened a few months back, but some of you haven’t gotten the memo. 4057 Pennsylvania Ave. Mills Record Company gets bookstore side project. After being relegated to a cor-

THE PITCH | February 2020 | thepitchkc.com

ner of Mills Record Company, the book-selling portion of the store has now expanded into its own location, just down the street. Wise Blood Booksellers (a nod to the Flanner O’Connor novel of the same name) is now open at 300 Westport Road. Elizabeth Warren is the first presidential candidate to open a local campaign office. The headquarters, at 31st Street and Gillham Road, moved into the former location of Lush Salon. Lush shut down late last year after a car smashed through the glass wall and narrowly avoided hitting members of the staff. Here’s hoping the Warren campaign has a safer experience and can focus on glass ceilings instead. Beastie Boys tribute band My Posse in Effect donates over $11K. The Beastie Boyz in The Hood holiday charity ball in St. Louis raised $11,750 for local non-profit The Ollie Hinkle Heart Foundation— which is committed to fighting pediatric congenital heart disease and strengthening heart families through loving and compassionate support, education, and funding of leading research. The show, sponsored by 4 Hands Brewery and local radio station 105.7 The Point, contained copious amounts of thrown White Castle, adolescent crowd surfers, and an appearance by Santa himself. Rockstar Burgers has closed. Sha-na-na-na. Sha-na-na-na. Hey hey-ey-ey. Goodbye.

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HISTORY

LUTHER SMITH BRINGING THE UNDERGROUND TO LIGHT BY TRACI ANGEL

Luther Smith arrives at the old Vernon School nearly daily, ready to share the history of Quindaro Village, an Underground Railroad stop on the Missouri River that received federal designation a year ago. He has lived in the area all of his life, except for a service tour in New Orleans when he was drafted. Now in his retirement, he makes regular trips to the school building, from which he doesn’t live far, at 17th and Sewell in Kansas City, Kansas. Quindaro Village was home to Wyandot natives before farmers arrived. Abolitionists came and established it as the Kansas Free State port of entry on the Underground Railroad. Slaves arrived there, gaining freedom before moving West. Those who stuck around established a thriving town that included a black elementary school, a vocational school in Western University, and Douglass Hospital. In March of last year, Quindaro received federal designation from the National Park Service for its historic role. “I would like to start doing things a little bit differently,” Smith says about the museum. He sees ways to improve it. He would like word to spread that the museum is open and boost its collection with funding or grants. Maybe he could reframe some of the photos. The John Brown statue at the corner features prominently outside, down the hill from the museum’s entrance door. Step inside the old Vernon school brick building and large mural portraits of African-American icons greet you: Martin Luther King Jr. Louis Armstrong. President Barack Obama. The sounds of Bingo played by older adults in the community ring through the hallways “O-60, G-55, O-62.” It serves as a meeting room, dining area, and space to help seniors in the area find a social oasis. On the lower level, youth have added their own colorful marks to the walls calling for an end to gun violence and aspirations for peace and community. Beside it is a saying about the Underground Railroad Museum: “In the last leg of their journey, the freedom seekers met down by the MisSmith, ready to spend his day reliving history. CHASE CASTOR

thepitchkc.com | February 2020 | THE PITCH

Above and left: A vast legacy comes to live at Quindaro Underground Railroad Museum. CHASE CASTOR

souri River and gazed across the horizon to freedom.” Framed photos of students posing for their class picture and memorabilia of the people who lived in Quindaro now adorn the building’s old classroom walls. An old piano tucked into the corner creates a setting for a display of local entertainers including the hometown Janelle Monae. “Her family still lives around here,” Smith offers. “When I first came up here in 2008

THE PITCH | February 2020 | thepitchkc.com

there was just a lot of stuff in boxes and crates,” he says. Walk around and Smith relays a personal connection to many of the collection’s items. “There’s my father right here,” he points to an older class image. While he has lived in Quindaro most of his life, he encountered the pain of segregation and racism when he was a service member in New Orleans. There, he saw the separate water fountains from which Black and white people were supposed to drink. “Here I was serving my country, and I had to drink from a different fountain,” he laments. Then there is a poster of Jackie Robinson. Smith watched him play locally. “I used to watch Jackie Robinson at (Kansas City Municipal Stadium) at 22nd and Brooklyn,” Smith says. “I got to see Jackie before he went to the pros.” “These were used for the slaves when they wanted to escape,” Smith explains of the quilt squares hanging above him. “They would put the squares in the window and it would communicate with the others a message and the masters didn’t know about it.” Smith has joined a local stakeholder group that meets periodically in city hall to discuss what’s next for the area. Is it a state park? Maybe trails through the Quindaro Ruins? Regional Department of the Interior and state officials are helping to look ahead. “There’s a lot of interest, but then a

GET OUT To tour Quindaro Underground Railroad Museum, stop by old Vernon School at the corner of 27th and Sewell. Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. when the community room is open. Call Luther Smith at 913-287-9830 for a tour.

Locking up the history of Quindaro neighborhood. CHASE CASTOR

lot of the older people are gone, and the younger [generation] it seems, a lot don’t care about the history.” Perhaps the Underground Railroad Museum can combine preservation efforts with those of the Old Quindaro Museum, with a separate historic collection a few streets away. But until those changes come, Smith will continue to serve the halls of these collected memories of Quindaro Village.

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FEATURE

YOU HAD ME AT ALOE FOR A SURPRISING NUMBER OF KANSAS CITIANS, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PLANTS. AND LOCAL BUSINESS IS BLOOMING AROUND IT. BY APRIL FLEMING

Alocasia Cuprea. Monstera Deliciosa. Pilosocereus Azureus. Perhaps these words don’t mean much to you (are they dinosaurs? Diseases?), but to a surprisingly vast—and vastly growing— subculture of houseplant hobbyists and professional cultivators and entrepreneurs, they are items of true love and obsession. Rachel Guffey, owner of Jungle House in Lawrence, estimates that she once had 500 plants in her home collection. Jordan Fox, owner of Foxtrot, says he and his wife Emily have probably 100 in their own collection, with several dozen more in their home-based shop, High & Dry Cactus Co. Local collector Jeff McHenry says he stopped counting his collection at 275 plants. Kelly Cirone, a horticulturalist and owner of Flora KC, laughs, and says her plant collection numbers in the “hundreds.” This might seem like a lot of plants to have in your home—and yes, it absolutely, totally is. So. Many. Plants. But these Kansas Citians are far from alone in their infatuation. Local YouTube creator SunnySideUpWithNicole creates videos devoted to the #PlantLife. Houseplant pop-ups are an increasingly regular sight at local art and maker fairs. And a quick search on Facebook will pull up several local groups devoted to plant cultivation, shopping, and swapping, with thousands of participating members. One local houseplant swap group, which boasts over 1,100 members, gets dozens of new posts every week: I’m only missing 9 pothos to finish my collection - anyone have any of the ones I’m missing by chance? Does anyone know anything about this plant? I’ve had it for about a month and it’s super happy. I’m ready to give her a name. I think I spent 7 hours yesterday just doing houseplant stuff and enjoyed every bit of it.

THE PITCH | February 2020 | thepitchkc.com

This “plant parent” phenomenon is a nationwide (and international) trend, and one that is poised to continue growing. In an April 2019 article, Bloomberg noted that the market for houseplants has exploded, with U.S. sales up almost 50 percent in the past three years to make houseplant cultivation a $1.7 billion industry. The sales data corresponds with the rise of popular plant stylists like Hilton Carter, who boasts a quarter million Instagram followers, million-follower Instagram accounts like Urban Jungle Bloggers, hashtags like #PlantsOfInstagram and #UrbanJungle that pull up multiple millions of posts apiece, “crazy plant lady” memes that flourish on Pinterest and Facebook, as well as other pieces in the New Yorker, Refinery 29, the New York Times, and other major outlets that detail the rapidly growing love for houseplants.

So yes, evidence is there for the phenomenon, but why are so many people sacrificing significant amounts of time, income, and living space for plants? Several local collectors and business owners say that just the act

of caring for something is satisfying. Kelly Cirone, owner of local horticulture business Flora KC, says “I feel a genuine connection with my plants. Caring for them, nurturing them, and helping them thrive is deeply satisfying.” Collector Jeff Henry agrees: “It feels great to have the watering, lighting, temperature, and all the other care just right, then the plant rewards you with growth.” Others point to the mental health benefits of the hobby. Local collector Nicole Liu, the aforementioned local plant YouTuber, backs this up. “Plants make me happy, relaxed, and hopeful,” she says. “I was fighting against my depression, and nothing really makes me feel calm, or positive again except plants.” Sára Emami, a Display Coordinator for Anthropologie and owner of the West Bottoms pop-up shop Terracotta, says that one of the reasons she dove into the hobby “is the calming and therapeutic effect it provides for me.” Jordan Fox, owner of High & Dry Cactus Co. and Foxtrot in the Crossroads, feels that part of the upswing in popularity has to do with wider demographic changes. “Plants are important especially with younger people, especially as they’re making decisions not to get married, or not having kids as early, or at all,” he says. “Plants also fit into that realm of living in smaller spaces. They make [these smaller spaces] beautiful.” It’s also impossible to understate the influence of social media on the trend, particularly image-based platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, which are bursting with ridiculously well-manicured interiors that teem with enormous, expensive plants. “Who wouldn’t want their home to look like a jungle oasis?” argues the designer Emami. Jordan Fox agrees: “You see plants in

Above: At Foxtrot in the Crossroads, cacti initially started as decor, but customers asked to purchase them. Below: Jordan Fox, Foxtrot coowner, makes frequent trips to Arizona to source impressive and prickly cacti for the shop. ZACH BAUMAN

product shots for almost everything. Even a photo of a watch will have a small succulent somewhere. Plants stop people when they’re scrolling.” Yet the influence of social media on plant collecting and cultivation is not all mindless copycatting: it is important to note that it has created genuine community among hobbyists who were formerly dispersed. The horticulturalist Cirone says that because of social media, “Plant Nerds have united! Now I know where to find plants on my wish list and where to go with questions about particular plants or plant issues.” Another local collector, Kara Castigliano, affirms this: “I have really enjoyed the community building around houseplants. It is beautiful in more ways than the obvious. I love talking and sharing excitement about new plant babies, care tips, and favorites.”

FEATURE

Shop Local for Happy, Healthy Plants BY KELCIE MCKENNEY

A first-time plant parent? Houseplant hobbyist? Avid greenery collector? Whatever your level of houseplant addiction, there are a plethora of local-owned shops to satiate your need. We can’t name them all, but here are a few to start with. Paradise Garden Club 1621 Locust St facebook.com/wegrowparadise Open since last November, this desert oasis has a broad selection of cacti to add to your collection. Plus succulents and other flora. Foxtrot Supply Co. 115 W. 18th St. foxtrotsupply.com More cacti can be found at Foxtrot, thanks to High & Dry Cactus Co., an online shop operated from the home of Foxtrot’s owner Jordan Fox.

Above: At Paradise Garden Club, the pit of gravel filled with impressive cacti is all for show, and not for sale. Below: Paradise does well a number of leafy greenery along with cacti and succulents. ZACH BAUMAN

MANY PLANT “PARENTS” ARE LOOKING FOR A LOCAL TOUCH WHEN IT COMES TO SOURCING, AS WELL AS EDUCATION ON HOW TO KEEP THEIR GREEN PROGENY ALIVE THAT THEY JUST CAN’T GET FROM WAL-MART.

Local entrepreneurs are responding to the increased demand in the market. It’s true that stores like Suburban Lawn & Garden and Family Tree have long offered a selection of houseplants to local customers, and even stores like Trader Joe’s, Wal-Mart, and Home Depot generally have a smattering of houseplants including philodendrons, sansevieria (also known as snake plants), and succulents for sale. Yet these stores typically don’t offer the most prized varieties of plants—you’re unlikely to see rare, prized specimens like a spiral aloe polyphylla or a copper-colored alocasia cuprea anywhere near a box store. Additionally, many plant “parents” are looking for a local touch when it comes to sourcing, as well as education on how to keep their green progeny alive that they just can’t get from Wal-Mart. For this reason, small local plant shops and plant pop-ups in Kansas City seem to be booming. One of the newest is Paradise Garden Club, which opened at 16th and Locust last November. Featuring a bright, green neon sign that beckons with the word “Paradise” in cursive, as well as an impressive “curated” collection of cacti (meaning, you’ll find no Wal-Mart cactus here, and this stuff is definitely not for sale) on display

in an 8,000-pound bed of gravel and cactus soil. For its customers, the shop also carries an impressive selection of large, mature columnar cacti, baby cacti, and large, leafy houseplants like monstera deliciosa and Chinese money plants. The shop also plans to capitalize on legalized medical marijuana in Missouri by selling equipment and training to home growers. The shop holds regular classes on a variety of subjects, including on potting and plant care basics, hydroponic growing, and even crafts. Asked how they got into the business, Jessica Teliczan, one of Paradise’s eight-member ownership team, describes that she and her husband, Matt Lett (another of the shop’s owners), both grew up near Kansas City, and each have farming backgrounds. “His experience is more industrial, and I grew up in this very small town, you know, grow your own food and sell the rest of the church kind of thing,” she says. “But we’d been living in San Diego for the past two years, and just fell in love with how easy it is to have all of this tropical life around your all time. And Kansas City didn’t have anything like this yet.” They operated Plant KC in Westport before getting the opportunity to join the team at Paradise Garden Club. Lett now regularly travels to Arizona with the shop’s head grower, Joel Clark, on buying trips to source most of the shop’s large columnar cactus varieties, and they drive them back, packed safely in a moving van. [If this seems like a lot of effort just for some cac-

Family Tree Nursery 7036 Nieman Rd., Shawnee familytreenursery.com With three location, family-owned Family Tree Nursery isn’t a surprising place to buy plants, but we wanted to point out Cafe Equinox at the Shawnee location. Sip on Thou Mayest coffee while immersed in a lush, indoor garden. Jungle House 924 Delaware, Lawrence junglehousegoods.com Grown from quite literally a jungle house (owner Krum is our 500+ plant owner!), Lawrence’s Jungle House hosts classes and workshops for new plant parenthood, propagation, and more. Virgil’s Plant Shop 1746 Washington St virgilsplantshop.com When the weather is nice, you can find Virgil’s mobil plant shop out and about at local events. But until April, stop by Seven Swan’s Creperie’s cozy side room for a wellstocked sea of greenery. NOVA Vintage 1515 Walnut St. facebook.com/nova.vintage.kc NOVA is a hidden gem of a vintage shop in the Crossroads. But along with the well-curated boho and mid-century modern furniture is a consistently stocked stream of happy houseplants curated by owner Nova Engle. Modern Lily 2 Westport Rd facebook.com/modernlily.kc One of Westport’s newer home decor shops, Modern Lily stocks artwork from owner Megan Gallagher along with an assortment of plants and pots. February 2020 | THE PITCH

FEATURE

well her shop has performed over the past year. “When I envisioned the store when we were opening, I thought I would work by myself, come in and hang out with some plants, listen to some music, maybe a few customers would come in,” she says. “Instead, we have eight staff members, and we’re open seven days a week.” Whether the local plant community (and KC’s new plant entrepreneurs) continues to flourish as industry experts predict (some estimates show the market doubling by 2025), or whether the trend eventually withers like the macrame of the 1970s, it’s hard to ignore that thousands of collectors and hobbyists are finding beauty, companionship, and craft in indoor plant rearing. For business owners, particularly those passionate about the hobby themselves, the market does seem ripe to make the world a little more green. Left: Virgil’s mobile plant shop parked on W 39th St. last spring. Below: Kelly Cirone has a home plant collection numbering in the hundreds. ZACH BAUMAN

ti, maybe it’s helpful to know that a mature, four-foot-or-so tall cactus, particularly if it is a rarer variety, can sell for anywhere from $200-$400 per cactus. One cactus!] Across the Crossroads at 18th and Baltimore, Jordan Fox also sells a variety of eye-catching cacti out of his shop, Foxtrot, which he owns with his business partner, Ryan Hetu. Fox originally came to the plant business as part of his own hobby—he and his wife are collectors who favor the big, unusual, columnar cacti and eye-catching plants like euphorbia tirucalli (also known as pencil cactus or ‘fire sticks’). He says that his cacti initially came to Foxtrot just as decor, but increasingly, customers asked to purchase them. Based on his success selling plants at Foxtrot, in early 2019 Fox and his wife, Emily, launched High & Dry Cactus Co., an online shop dedicated to fine specimens of cactus, succulents, and other houseplants, pottery, and tools. They also renovated their personal Rosedale garage into a large showroom, which is open by appointment, and for monthly classes where customers can come and learn how to pot and care for cacti, while enjoying a beer or glass of wine. They, like the buyers from Paradise Garden Club, regularly travel to Arizona on buying trips to source the most impressive items for resale here in Kansas City. Reba Hamilton, owner of Virgil’s Plant Shop, moved back to Kansas City in 2019 from New York with the intention of being closer to family and opening up a plant shop. In warmer months, Virgil’s is a mobile shop, based out of a magazine-ready, repurposed mini school bus, which Hamilton and a friend restored and painted a deep forest

THE PITCH | February 2020 | thepitchkc.com

green (it cute). This year (at least until April or May), she is operating a pop-up shop with regular hours out of the back of Seven Swans Creperie at 17th and Washington. She carries tropical plants like alocasia, sansevieria, and philodendrons. As for what smaller plant shop owners can provide to customers, Hamilton notes it’s all about personal touch, and plant care. She says, “I’ve always felt like the most important thing that I wanted in a store is somebody that would actually talk to me about this plant instead of just ringing me up, like ‘it’s $34, like, here take it.’ The key to keeping plants alive is knowing how to, and I felt like there was just a lot of that lacking in a lot of places. There’s often no one who’s going to tell you even what it’s called.” One of the biggest success stories in the local plant economy is that of Jungle House, owned by Rachel Guffey and located in East Lawrence. She decided to open her business about a year ago after the astonishing success of a pop-up in which she sold hundreds of plants out of her personal collection in just a few hours (she was the collector noted in the beginning of this piece who once had 500 plants in her home). At Jungle House, she carries exotic tropicals, cacti, ferns, succulents, common houseplants, and even seasonal outdoor plants. The shop’s Instagram feed shows a parade of happy customers holding their new plants like human babies. Guffey’s success in Lawrence may foretell the success of other local businesses like Paradise Garden Club, High & Dry Cactus Co., and Virgil’s, as well as support businesses like Flora KC, which offers in-home care and consultation for plant owners. Guffey seems more surprised than anyone at how

Full Page FEBRUARY-9.75 X 11.5.qxp_Layout 1 1/17/20 3:57 PM Page 1

IT’S GROW TIME!

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thepitchkc.com | February 2020 | THE PITCH

CAFE

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THE PITCH | February 2020 | thepitchkc.com

PIRATE’S BONE PLANTS ITS FLAG

Pickled cabbage and guacamole top a house-made patty that swaps beets for beef. ZACH BAUMAN

PIRATE’S BONE BURGERS

THE MEATY POLITICS OF PIRATE’S BONES BURGERS’ MEATLESS MENU BY LIZ COOK

All food stories are political stories. The United States has a food system in which much of the labor—from the farm to the fryer—is performed by immigrants (69 percent of hired farmworkers were born in Mexico alone). At the same time, the U.S. agriculture industry is consolidating, our spending on imported foods is increasing, and the restaurant industry’s exposure to tariffs and trade disputes is growing. Which is just to say: it’s impossible to keep politics off our plates. Zaid Consuegra, the chef-owner of Pirate’s Bone Burgers, knows that better than most. Since opening the Crossroads vegan diner last September with his business partner, Lydia Palma, Consuegra has been the subject of numerous local and national news articles, most of which have focused on his immigration status. Consuegra was born in Mexico City and is currently protected from deportation due to his status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program—a program the Trump administration has attempted to end (the Supreme Court is reviewing the decision). Consuegra’s story has justifiably taken center stage in the restaurant’s press coverage. But that coverage has also elided answers to a question at the forefront of most diners’ minds: how’s the food?

As a vegan answer to the greasy-spoon smashburger: pretty good. The menu at Pirate’s Bone Burgers features four different burgers plus a “sriracha chix” sandwich. All of the sandwiches are $4.55, all of them are billed as “sliders,” and all of them are served on a tar-colored sesame-seed bun. I went in skeptical about that bun, which publicity photos had rendered an unsettling Vantablack. I was equally skeptical about the source of its color—activated charcoal, a trendy, wellness-y ingredient used medically to treat people who have been poisoned. But the charcoal doesn’t impart any off flavors, and in person, the color reads paler, like a beach-going pumpernickel. Plus, those black buns (hereafter, “bluns”) are undeniably good marketing for Pirate’s Bone, to the extent they evoke a sort of carbohydrate-based Jolly Roger. They’re also regular-hamburger size. Calling them “sliders” doesn’t seem quite right, though the label may be intended more as a signaling device for hungry diners. The patties are thin, but not insubstantial. A single burger is a fine size for lunch with a side of fries. Still, heartier appetites can’t go wrong— or broke, at these prices—ordering two. The “classic burger” is the only patty not made in-house. Consuegra tops a thinner

2000 Main St, (816) 605-1014 plant-based-burgers.com

Hours: Monday–Friday 11 AM–7 PM Saturday–Sunday 11 AM–3 PM

Prices: Sliders $4.55 Fries and plantains: $4.55 Drinks: $2.50–$4.50

Best bet: Sip a Pirate’s Bone Coffee while you wait for your meal—a black bean burger with cheese fries.

CAFE

Voted Best Mom & Pop restaurant in The Pitch’s Best Of KC.

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1667 Summit , KCMO 816-471- 0450 Above: Crisp house-cut fries stand up to a creamy cashew cheese sauce. Left: Raw cane sugar and warming spices dress up the restaurant’s signature coffee drink. ZACH BAUMAN

THIS BURGER, MORE THAN ANY OTHER VEGAN DISH I’VE HAD LOCALLY, IS A PLATONIC REMINDER THAT GOING VEGAN DOESN’T MEAN SACRIFICING THE HEDONIC, ENDORPHINSPAMMING PLEASURES OF FOOD.

cut of the popular Beyond Burger with vegan mayo, shredded lettuce, and pickles. It’s a good sandwich, and a safe bet for avowed carnivores. The Beyond patty has a traditionally “meaty” texture, with a familiar charcoal aroma built in like a scented candle. But Consuegra’s house-made patties are the main draw. My favorite was the black bean burger, a firm, carrot-speckled patty with a seductive, slow-burn heat from softgrilled jalapeños. Shredded lettuce, aioli, and a generous smear of avocado spread delivered a punch of fat and crunch straight to my fast-food-loving lizard brain. This burger, more than any other vegan dish I’ve had locally, is a Platonic reminder that going vegan doesn’t mean sacrificing the hedonic, endorphin-spamming pleasures of food. The beet burger was thinner and lighter-tasting, with a spark of pickled cabbage that floated through the aioli. And the “sriracha chix” patty was promising but too small for the blun. Half of my sandwich was naked bread—a let-down after the few bites of excellent, subtly spiced filet. The only real miss was the breakfast burger, which promised plant-based sausage, egg, and queso on the classic blun. The sausage patty needed more structure—the version I tried had the mushy, if not unpleasant,

Hours: Open Daily at 11 am M-Th: close at 11 pm Fri/Sat: close at Midnight Sunday: close at 10 pm m

RESERVATIONS Sunday: close at 10 p

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thepitchkc.com | February 2020 | THE PITCH

CAFE

texture of refried beans. A little more crust (read: a little more time on the flattop) might have helped. Still, I have no beef quarrel with the thick-sliced “tofu egg,” which had powerful McMuffin vibes. Even an average meal here is still pleasant. The cheery restaurant is right on the streetcar line, in the corner slot on 20th and Main formerly home to Brioche Pastry Shop. Palma and Consuegra have made the space even more welcoming since they signed the lease. They put in a glassy, pool-blue diner counter, painted the walls a brilliant white, and built a waterfall of plants. A cartoon mural of beets and heart-shaped tomatoes juts out from the north wall; red-velvet theater seats tuck their knees to their chests by the window. The counter seats are ideal for solo dining. Hop on a (adjustable) stool and hypnotize yourself watching horchata churn in a drink machine, plastic blade twirling like a music-box ballerina. Sip a Pirate’s Bone Coffee ($4.50)—lightly sweet, spiked with cinnamon—and listen to Consuegra chat to a customer next to you in Spanish. Clock the laugh of a slender woman in a “Got Consent?” tee as she tips potatoes into the fryer. You’re going to want what comes out of that fryer. Pirate’s Bone Burgers offers boats of crisp shoestring fries, most of which are

gussied up in some way—cheesed, guac’ed, gravied. All are $4.55. The guacamole on the “guac fries” was more of an avocado-dressed salad, with hunks of crunchy cucumber. I preferred the cheese fries, which were piled high with a cashew-cheese sauce and stippled with parsley. The cheese sauce isn’t going to fool gas-station-nacho lovers, but it’s delicious in its own right: creamy and nutty and salty and rich. If you’re not feeling the fries, Pirate’s Bone also offers tostones ($4.50), thick rounds of smashed green plantains fried to a chewy crisp and served with a ramekin of the “house sauce” (a more piquant, pickle-y take on Thousand Island dressing; excellent). The restaurant often has a couple offmenu items worth asking about, like a recent riff on poutine ($4.50). The “tofu cheese curds” on the fries didn’t do much for me— the small squares of tofu were neither firm nor flavorful enough to suggest their less-ethical ancestor—but the onion gravy was glossy and well-seasoned. The community of vegetarian and vegan diners is growing in Kansas City, and a plantbased diner no longer seems like a bold proposition. Pirate’s Bone Burgers is filling a definite need. But the loss of a couple high-profile meatless restaurants over the past few years— the Westside’s Füd, Plaza’s Eden Alley—have

Bright walls, friendly plants, and a pool-blue counter make the restaurant a cheery and casual space. ZACH BAUMAN

levied some unfair expectations on a restaurant that’s been committed to a narrow, hyper-focused menu since it opened. Palma and Consuegra have also had to grapple with the bizarre assumption that because their food is vegan, they’re able to accommodate any dietary restriction. Nearly every Pirate’s Bone social media post has a comment from some diner wanting to know why their menu isn’t gluten-free. Restaurant staff have thus far responded to these requests with the patience of Job: some items are glu-

ten-free, they point out, but their small, open kitchen means cross-contamination is a risk for those with life-threatening allergies. Still, they say they’re working on it. And that doggedly inclusive attitude seems to be paying off. Weekday lunches are often crowded, though a stool always seem to open up when you need it. Consuegra’s story might have something to do with the traffic, too. On a recent visit, I eavesdropped as Consuegra chatted with a pair of women sitting next to me. He wanted to know how they’d heard about the restaurant. “We read the article,” one of them said. “Which one?” he asked, and laughed.

Concerts are held in Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

(816) 471-0400 / kcsymphony.org

FUN, FEEL-GOOD MUSIC FOR EVERYONE A CELEBRATION OF ISAAC STERN

■ Zukerman Plays Beethoven’s Violin Concerto

Friday, Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. Michael Stern, conductor Pinchas Zukerman, violin › JANÁČEK The Fiddler’s Child W.A. MOZART Symphony No. 39 BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto A violin lover’s dream come true. Zukerman puts his virtuosic gifts on display with Beethoven’s exquisite Violin Concerto.

THE PITCH | February 2020 | thepitchkc.com

VALENTINE’S DAY ROCKS!

■ The Music of Pink Floyd

with the Kansas City Symphony Friday, Feb. 14 at 8 p.m.

Experience the unique sounds of Pink Floyd as your Kansas City Symphony and a full rock band perform hits by one of the most influential groups of all time. The same minds who brought you our Led Zeppelin, Queen and David Bowie tributes will transport you through Pink Floyd’s harmonies and iconic songs from “Dark Side of the Moon,” “The Wall” and more. Hear “Money,” “Another Brick in the Wall,” “Comfortably Numb,” “Wish You Were Here” and so many others.

■ Valentine’s Weekend with Leslie Odom, Jr.

■ The Music of the Rollings Stones

Jason Seber, David T. Beals III Associate Conductor

Your Kansas City Symphony TICKETS ARE and Windborne present SE LLING a full rock band with the FA ST ! orchestra to celebrate the music of the Rolling Stones. Hear classic hits “Gimme Shelter,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” “Brown Sugar,” “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” and many more!

Saturday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m.

From his Tony® Award-winning role as Aaron Burr in Broadway’s hottest hit, Hamilton, Odom joins your Kansas City Symphony for evenings filled with jazz standards and Broadway favorites. Tickets from $45. Sponsored by:

Friday, March 13 at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 14 at 8 p.m.

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thepitchkc.com | February 2020 | THE PITCH

FOOD

NEIGHBORHOOD EATS

WEST BOTTOMS WORDS AND PHOTOS BY APRIL FLEMING

The West Bottoms has lived so many different lives—one of the city’s oldest settled areas. In our city’s early years it was home to legions of legendary bars and businesses, as well as the city’s first train station and its notorious stockyards. Two massively destructive floods in 1903 and 1951, alongside a changing economy, left the area fallow and largely industrial (perhaps ironically, preserving much of its architecture). Yet in the past 20 years a slow re-emergence of retail, including dozens of antique malls housed in the area’s enormous 19th-century brick warehouses, has opened eyes to how glorious and historic the area really is. While largely vacant in recent memory, the area now features nearly a dozen super approachable, high-value dining and drink options. Most of which are clustered on a heavenly little stretch of Genessee. This current incarnation of the Bottoms seems poised to keep scaling up, and we’re fans. about bologna, and even salads. But honestly, who likes salads? Monsters. That’s who.

EJ’s Urban Eatery 1414 West 9th Street Kansas City’s only Meat-&-Three restaurant, EJ’s Urban Eatery offers the comfortiest-of-comforts. We’re partial to the “breakfast” ribs with Bernaise that is offered on the weekend brunch menu, but you also can’t go wrong with a short rib grilled cheese or shrimp and grits. And being that this is a Meat & Three, you can’t sleep on the sides: spicy creamed corn, macaroni and cheese, and that squash casserole that made Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness’ eyes roll back into his head are all favorites. A meal here is likely the only one you’ll need all day. (Be sure to check out our Pitch’n Kitch’n episode too.) The Lunch Box 1701 West 9th Street This no-frills dive/liquor store has long catered to construction workers and suits alike, and its humongous portions ensure you don’t leave hungry (after all, no KC diner is worth it’s salt without a pork tenderloin that positively dwarfs the bun it is served on). Regulars swear by the breakfast burrito (available all day), but the surprisingly expansive menu includes burgers (a triple cheeseburger is only $8!), a fried bologna sandwich that might change your mind

THE PITCH | February 2020 | thepitchkc.com

The Ship 1217 Union Avenue We don’t deserve The Ship. It’s a comfy dive with an exceptionally odd and well-blended

collection of nautical items and Royals and Chiefs gear. It’s the perfect place to catch live music and drink yard beers, as well as one of the most underrated spots in the area to grab a bite to eat. Seasonal vegetables are at home alongside steak tacos with housemade chimichurri, creamy shrimp po’boys, burgers, and excellent seasoned fries. For under $10 per plate, it’s a steal. Lucky Boys 1615 Genessee Street With new chef Derek Solsberg (the former sous chef of Novel), Lucky Boys promises to only get better and better. The wood-paneled dive with retro flavor could get by on its looks and yard beers alone (as well as its super-dedicated clientele), but... the food. The Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich is perfection: it’s tangy, crunchy, and perfectly spicy, and you can just toss all your cares about your waistline away if you order it with a side of poutine. If that doesn’t fit your bill, Solsberg soon plans to add a bánh mì, fish

sandwich, and a chili-stuffed hand pie to the menu.

KC Pinoy 1623 Genessee Street Chef Chrissy Nuccum’s bright, welcoming restaurant beckons repeat visits—there are too many hearty, comfort-based options on her menu for anything less than a dozen visits. Stop in for some steamed pork dumplings (siomai), fried pork belly (tocino), or of course, adobo, which is available with either chicken thighs or frog legs. Thoughtful cocktails, vegan dishes, and an excellent selection of desserts from pastries to halo-halo are also available—and eating with your hands is never frowned upon. The Campground 1531 Genessee Street Chris Ciesel quietly runs one of the most proficient, impressive cocktail programs in town. It is based on crafting exceptional versions of classic drinks—like the Ramos Gin Fizz, which practically leaps out of the glass, or the Desert Paloma, which features sage-infused tequila, fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, Rainwater Madeira, and a hint of wormwood. Yet for as good as the cocktails are, the menus also continually impress. Pick up a seasonal game pot pie with roasted root veggies and a cream game demi-glace, or maybe some carrot juice cavatelli off of the “garden” side of the menu.

FOOD

Stockyards Brewing Company 1600 Genessee Street Stockyards Brewing Company leans in hard to the aesthetic of the old Golden Ox (formerly located here and now split between Stockyards and the resurrected Golden Ox), with its antique Western mural, wood-paneled walls, and gorgeous curved bar. This spot has most assuredly transitioned into a high-quality beer spot, which specializes in IPAs, ales, and pilsners—though they brew a little bit of everything, and have plenty of other types of beverages available, as well as bar snacks. You can also fill up on live bluegrass, which is regularly featured. The Golden Ox/the Ox Cafe 1600 Genessee Street Wes Gartner and Jill Myers’ lovingly restored Golden Ox saved the historic brand from its long decline and seeming demise. Nearly two years after its reopening, they are still serving up beautiful cuts of steak alongside classic mid-century dishes like Oysters Rockefeller and bacon and chicken liver rumaki, as well as contemporary vegetable-forward dishes (no 1950s boiled stuff here). During morning and lunch

hours, the Ox Cafe (accessible from the lobby of the Livestock Exchange) also serves a solid menu of fresh salads, sandwiches, and baked goods to get you through the day. Blip Roasters 1101 Mulberry Street Blip has become a haven for KC’s motorbike and motorcycle culture, but it’s also a pretty perfect spot for anyone who likes fair-trade, house-roasted coffee. Blip sources its beans from Central America and Africa, and roasted whole bean coffee is available in the shop, as well as hand-crafted coffee drinks and locally-made doughnuts and pastries.

thepitchkc.com | February 2020 | THE PITCH

EAT

Eat ThisNow The Puffy Tacos at Ta Co WORDS AND PHOTOS BY APRIL FLEMING

Though the $6 Pueblo Viejo margaritas alone make a stop at Lawrence’s Ta Co. a worthwhile venture, what we keep thinking about are chef/ owner Jay Draskovitch’s puffy tacos. A puffy taco, if you haven’t tried one, begins with a deep-fried disc of masa that “puffs” as it is fried, resulting in a taco shell with an extra-satisfying crunch (it’s the same idea as fry bread but with thinner dough and a much crispier result). What Draskovitch fills his tacos with then makes them exceptional. You can opt for a short rib taco, which comes topped with a bright chimichurri, queso fresco, and pine nuts; or maybe the duck confit, which comes with a tangy red onion marmalade slaw, habanero creme, and goat cheese. Our top choice is the Korean chicken: shredded chicken is topped with kimchi “slaw”, a soy-ginger vinaigrette, and sesame seeds, all wrapped in that super crunchy shell. It’s juicy, savory, tangy, and again, crunchy, and there’s nothing quite like it anywhere else. Ta Co. 801 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence. tacolawrence.com APRIL FLEMING

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THE PITCH | February 2020 | thepitchkc.com

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DRINK

Drink This Now The Iceberg Theory at Novel WORDS AND PHOTOS BY APRIL FLEMING

Sometimes a cold, over-wintered, seasonally-affected heart just needs something green and bright—this calls for a trip to Novel for Tex Bush’s cocktail, the Iceberg Theory. This drink is clever because Tex is clever; he named it after writer Ernest Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory, which reflects Hemingway’s belief that the deeper meaning in a story should largely lie beneath the surface. Following that line of thinking, this drink may look relatively simple, but there’s actually a lot here. The Iceberg Theory starts with Probitas rum, to which Bush adds Benedictine, jalapeno-infused Chartreuse, grapefruit oleo saccharum (basically house-extracted grapefruit oil), and spirulina, which doesn’t really impart much flavor but renders the cocktail a vibrant green. Bush said the drink began as a play on the Hemingway daiquiri, and that the chartreuse component was inspired by a drink he sampled in New York that featured jalapeno-infused chartreuse. “Chartreuse has just always been one of my favorite things,” he says. “It just has so much complexity and flavor, and this made it spicy.” The drink is citric and yes, spicy, but also herbaceous and fresh—everything we are hoping for with Spring (please oh please) on its way. APRIL FLEMING

Novel. 1927 McGee Street. novelkc.com

WE’VE BEEN DRAFTING 40 YEARS OF NEWS AND CULTURE FOR KANSAS CITY, SO FOR OUR BIRTHDAY WE’VE TEAMED UP WITH SOME OF OUR FAVORITE LOCAL BREWERIES TO CRAFT LIMITED RELEASES THROUGHOUT 2020 TO RAISE MONEY FOR LOCAL CHARITIES. STOP BY AND SIP ON SOME OF OUR STORIES TODAY.

BREWED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE PITCH, & INSPIRED BY THOSE THAT LEAVE A REAL IMPRESSION ON US. THIS 6% SOUR ALE WAS BREWED WITH PASSIONFRUIT, BLACKBERRIES, & LACTOSE.

thepitchkc.com | February 2020 | THE PITCH

ARTS

A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM WHAT TO SEE AT 21C’S ART GALLERY HOTEL BY EMILY COX

Since 21c Museum Hotel opened in Kansas City in 2018, many have wondered: just what in the world is this place? A doorman opens the door for you, and you walk up a corridor lit only by bars of red and blue LEDs—a permanent art installation by Luftwerk—into a lobby with century-old tile work and 21st-century artworks. The entrance corridor immediately informs hotel guests that they are not in for a conventional hotel experience. It perhaps also reassures museum guests: yes, this is the place. Contemporary art is certainly more fun than what is usually found in hotel lobbies. Glowing LEDs and colorful plastic penguins win over taupe wallpaper and fake plants any day. But for new visitors, it might be a disorienting experience—what rules do you follow here? Merging hotel and museum means remaking the social conventions for each. How loud can I be? Where can I drink? Am I supposed to be here at all? For one, this museum is open to the public 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for free. You need not be constricted by a conventional institution’s hours: need a hit of contemporary art before work? After bars close? They’ve got you covered. 21c is a chain—or as they call it, a multi-venue museum. Steve Wilson and Laura Lee Brown, heiress to the Brown-Forman whiskey fortune, opened the first one in Louisville in 2006. The couple are avid art collectors, predominantly focused on work made in the 21st century, hence the name 21c. They set out to open a museum—something only people with heiress kind of money and connections can really aspire to do—when they were presented with the idea of combining it with a hotel and restaurant to simultaneously supporting Louisville’s tourism industry. 21c was born and has since expanded to eight locations, with three more in the works, predominantly in middle-tier cities that are pumping money back into their downtowns. There’s one permanent art installation that’s shared across all locations: life-size penguins made from recycled plastic in a special color designated for each location. Kansas City’s are sky blue. The penguins are made by artist collective Cracking Art, intended to draw awareness to environmental crises, but here they’ve become a quirky, playful mascot for the brand. “People love them,” says museum manager, Jori Cheville. “They can touch

THE PITCH | February 2020 | thepitchkc.com

them! Gotta give them one thing they can touch. Guests request them at their dining table. They can take them up to their room. They take on a life of their own.” If you really love them, you can have one of your own at home—they’re for sale on the museum’s website for $5,000. 21c bought the historic Savoy Hotel and Grill in 2016 and did extensive remodeling before opening in July 2018. The Savoy Hotel originally opened in 1888 and was the longest continually operating hotel west of the Mississippi until its 2016 closure. As the building has historic landmark status, much of the building’s original features are preserved: including colorful tile in the lobby and an art glass dome. Reupholstered chairs from the hotel’s old barbershop can be spotted around the hotel. Walking the guest room halls, you’ll see the old sealed off wooden doors, keeping that historical footprint though the rooms have been expanded. The hallways are also remarkably wide for a hotel: it was built in an era where guests arrived wearing hoop skirts and hauling steamer trunks. All this tangible history finds a potent contrast in the 21st-century art that fills the building. The art glass dome in the lobby, installed in 1903, now has a bright neon colored chandelier hanging from it, by artists Ken and Julia Yonetani. They made 31 chandeliers to represent the 31 countries with nuclear power, the chandelier’s size representing each’s capacity. This is the largest in the series, representing, of course, the United States. The chandelier is lit with the soft blue glow of uranium glass. Jori Cheville says they get some travelers who are unaware that the place they’ve booked accommodations is not a conventional hotel. They are pleasantly surprised to find that they’re spending the night in a museum. “People who wouldn’t normally find themselves in a contemporary art museum,” says Cheville, “are now immersed in one.” To ensure travelers get a taste of local artists, each location has an exhibition series entitled Elevate, featuring local artists in the elevator lobbies on guest floors. Through mid-February, Jillian Youngbird’s works are currently on view in this series. While Cheville often features multiple local artists, Youngbird has such a substantial amount of work in a variety of mediums, that she’s been the solo artist for Elevate for the last year. “While I know in the back of my head

Inside the lobby at 21c Hotel.

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it is a hotel,” says Youngbird, “when I walk in, I still get museum vibes. There has been incredible museum-quality work there in every exhibition that I have seen and it’s humbling to have my work in the same vicinity.” The space for the main exhibition is dispersed throughout the first and second floors of the building, in six separate galleries, as well as hallways. Unless taking a docent tour, it is unlikely most visitors would endeavor to find every artwork on display. There’s still a sense of trespassing, of am-Isupposed-to-be-in-here? when you wander up to the second-floor conference rooms. They call these rooms galleries, but really, they’re meeting rooms that just have better art on the walls than most. The current exhibition, Off-Spring: New Generations, is curated around the themes of family and ritual. The hundred or so works in the show encompass almost any medium you can think of: sculpture, fibers, video, photography, paintings. Each location’s main exhibition is a rotating, traveling show that stays in each for 1012 months. All the exhibitions are curated

GET OUT 21c Museum Hotel 219 W 9th St. 888-511-0078 Upcoming exhibitions at 21c: February: Elevate features new artworks by local artists Armin Mühsam and Megan Pobywajlo April: Portraying Power and Identity, a group exhibition featuring contemporary portraiture from Wilson and Brown’s extensive private collection. With eight locations open, they may have around 800 works on view at any given time. They reported collecting 264 new works in 2019, by which they were

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mostly, if not entirely, supporting living artists. While there is an air of public service when private art collectors endeavor to share the art they own with the public, it also feels self-serving for philanthropists to expect ovations for sharing what they have too much of (that is, wealth). Marrying the social mission of an art museum with the business venture of a hotel is a very twenty-first century late-capitalism move. It caters to a fastpaced lifestyle that means you can’t spare the time to go to a museum that’s any farther than the lobby of your hotel. What’s more, it’s an example of the way we’ve accepted the privatization of everything, including cultural spaces and artifacts. Simply saying that an elite space is open to the public is very different than actually making it welcoming to the public. Who feels comfortable venturing into a pristine boutique hotel? This is open to the public in a very different way than, say, the public library is open to the public. Even a traditional institution like the Nelson-Atkins feels more accessible because it’s not sharing air with hundredsper-night luxury accommodations. 21c might feel new and exciting in its format, but ultimately it remains a business venture and still has the entrenched gatekeeping of the modern art world. While much contemporary art grapples with issues of the uneven and unjust power structures in our society, these works are now held within places that replicate that status quo. For those who do make it inside to see it, there are artworks that speak potently on the powers that be. The Savoy Grill retained its antique wood bar and booths, original stained glass and light fixtures, as well as its original murals painted by Edward Holslag in 1903. “These murals are depicting expansion, settlers traveling west,” Cheville says, “and that has a negative history attached to it.” The museum’s chief curator, Alice Gray Stites, commissioned Brad Kahlhamer, a Native American artist, to create a response piece. Now hanging in front of one of the murals, dominating the space visually, are seven dreamcatchers made of wire and bells, entitled Super Catcher, Vast Array. “He’s healing the space for us, in a way,” says Cheville, “Dreamcatchers are meant to filter out negative energy or spirits.” The delicacy of the wires and the simplicity of the metal adornment serve to enhance the spiritual effect of the installation. In a room that was originally a smoke-filled club for white men out to fulfill their manifest destiny, some spiritual cleansing is definitely necessary.

THE PITCH | February 2020

MUSIC

LEARNING BEYOND LIMIT LAUREN KRUM DOES NOT LET ONE GENRE DEFINE HER. BY RILEY COWING

PHOTO BY RILEY COW ING,

Local singer-songwriter Lauren Krum is no stranger to the Kansas City music scene. She’s become a regular at The Ship in the West Bottoms, playing monthly Honky Tonk Tuesdays with her band Lorna Kay’s One Night Stand. But the musician’s interests don’t stop at honky tonk: over the last 11 years, Krum has explored genres from country to jazz in three primary projects—The Grisly Hand, Lauren Krum Quartet, and Lorna Kay’s One Night Stand. These collaborations have provided an opportunity to remain true to herself and reclaim the music she loves. “Sometimes I feel overly precious because I’m someone that wants to practice and feel good at something,” Krum says. “But I have way too much zeal for music and for people to just be in one genre, you know. Especially doing the jazz stuff, where I started to kind of unearth and almost had this rebirth of what do you actually like? Stripping away some of your teens and twenties and ‘Do you like that or did cool dudes tell you that it was cool?’”

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Lost Cowgirl Presents: The Cosmic Country Ball Saturday, February 15 VooDoo Lounge Lorna Kay’s One Night Stand at The Ship Tuesday, February 18 The Ship She admits that she sometimes struggles with self-doubt in her music and will create hurdles for herself, which often manifests as procrastination. Over time, she’s learned to dabble in different interests, like playing guitar, and to give herself space to be more than just one type of singer. “The older I get too, I just feel braver,” Krum says. “I’ve grown in my own power and understanding of myself, so I feel more willing to be like, maybe it’s not what you expect-

ed but it’s what I’m doing.” Working with trusted collaborators and dear friends in each of her projects combats self-doubt and maintains creative momentum. She also draws inspiration from those around her. “I think I’ve definitely gotten less self-conscious, and there’s a good community in KC right now of people that are five and 10 years younger than me,” Krum says. “And maybe that’s always true, but they’re a good source of inspiration of, ‘Wow I wish I would’ve already been that brave.’ And instead of being jealous, like the ship didn’t sail. [laughs] I’m not on my deathbed like, ‘You kids have fun!’” She adds: “I think too the richness and experience of being 35, I do also feel like there’s things that I’m learning and things that I want to talk about and just being braver about that.” On Valentine’s weekend, Lorna Kay’s One Night Stand will play at The Cosmic Country Ball at VooDoo Lounge, alongside Miki P & The Swallowtails, Unfit Wives, Elexa Dawson, and a number of other country power-house women. It’s an exciting start to 2020. This year, she finds herself very close to something new: releasing a project that’s entirely her own. “I’ve learned so much, and I’ve made so many excuses about things,” she says. “It’s been really wonderful too, but I think it’s so easy to be like, ‘Well there’s always someone next to me that’s better at this thing.’ And that’s not really what it’s about.” Reflecting on over a decade’s worth of performing, Krum feels more confident in what she brings to the table. She recalls watching bands growing up that seemed disconnected, seen with their arms crossed or facing toward their equipment. Krum calls on her sense of humor to break down the wall that exists between the performer and audience. “I think when you make people laugh, then they feel like they belong there,” she says. “Like then they’re pulled in and they’re all in it together.” While Lorna Kay’s One Night Stand plays primarily country music, Grisly Hand plays original music and Lauren Krum Quartet covers beloved songs, Krum doesn’t limit performances to one genre. Krum acknowledges that country can be a divisive genre; to pull more people in, Lorna Kay’s will incorporate 50s rock and roll or a country music reimagination of “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley into their set. “That’s always fun because again it’s like ok sure, you might still be the kind of person that’s like ‘I like everything but country’ but you still liked that cover and it was fun,” she says. “And letting people know that you can play with styles or dip into things, again we have such all or nothing, pigeonhole way of wanting to think about the arts I think. It only robs us of good experiences.”

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REEL TO FEEL RETRO COCKTAIL HOST SCORES ONCE MORE BY NICK SPACEK

Kansas Public Radio’s newest show, Film Music Friday, has a title which seems to say it all. At KPR studios, the host wants to clarify where this is all going. “Obviously people are doing all kinds of different things with [film music] now, but we’re going to focus on orchestral music because it is a good fit with our existing programming,” Brogdon explains. The host, who is also the station’s program director, sees orchestral film scores as dovetailing nicely with the station’s classical music. “Aside from stuff that was composed for movies, we’ll also play occasional classical pieces that are familiar from movies,” he says. Brogdon was introduced to classical music through Bugs Bunny cartoons. “The more I talk to people about this, the more I think we’re in the majority here—cartoon kids, you know?—so we want to keep some classical music as part of the mix in addition to doing original scores for films. It’s a good way to tie things together.” While only having premiered on the first Friday of the new year, Brogdon already has plans for future episodes in mind. He points to a two-inch thick three-ring binder on his desk with the Film Music Friday logo on the front. “Before I even went on the air, I assembled this resource book, because there’s so much classical music that’s been used in the movies. I wanted to have some kind of reference so I could cross-check and find stuff,” Brogdon says. “You could do a whole hour of just the Die Hard movies, and maybe we’ll do that. You can do Beethoven’s Ninth and [Jean Sibelius’] Finlandia—each one of them is built around some classical piece of music,

THE PITCH | February 2020 | thepitchkc.com

Host Brogdon, where the magic happens.

so that would be a fun hour.” Brogdon didn’t immediately break out the big guns for Film Music Friday’s first jaunt on the radio. Aside from “Rey’s Theme” from The Force Awakens, there was no John Williams, nor was there any Alan Silvestri, Jerry Goldsmith, Hans Zimmer, Michael Giacchino, or any of the other big names one might expect. The next week, however, featured Ennio Morricone, Goldsmith, and Elmer Bernstein. The host is careful as to how he wants this show to unfold. “My natural inclination would be just come out with all guns blazing, but I opted not to do that because it just seemed like that was too easy,” Brogdon says thoughtfully. “It was more about let’s think about this differently and see what happens.” Definite plans for the future include further themed shows, with the focus on a particular genre or a film. “Unquestionably, we’re doing theme shows,” Brogdon says. “Valentine’s Day is

TRAVIS YOUNG

on a Friday night, so we’re going to do an all-romance edition of Film Music Friday with scores from Bette Davis movies in the ‘40s like Now, Voyager or Love Actually.” Bogdon throws out a couple of ideas, based on a show he used to do years ago at a station in Texas, which was also focused on film music. One of that show’s most popular editions was swashbucklers. He says that those pirate films, with their sword fighting and derring-do, make for an electric set of tunes. Brogdon’s other show The Retro Cocktail Hour also features film music. “Clearly, I play a lot of film music on Retro, but a lot of that’s never going to work in a semi-classical or light classical setting,” Borgodon demurs. “Either it’s jazz or it’s just crazy European go-go music from the ‘60s and stuff like that—which I love equally— but this is a little more targeted. The one thing we wanted to do was make sure we didn’t create another discrete program. We

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Film Music Friday Fridays, 7-9pm Kansas Public Radio 91.5FM or kansaspublicradio.org wanted this to be part of our existing classical schedule. It may have a more specific focus, but it still fits comfortably in what we’re doing.” All that said, Brogdon really hopes that the show will find fans of KPR’s classical music getting turned on to film scores, and vice versa, as much as he is. “I’ve loved film music since I was seven years old and saw The Magnificent Seven and heard that music by Elmer Bernstein. How could you not hear that and be moved?”

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THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE SMUGLY NAVIGATING A BEWILDERING OSCAR SEASON BY ABBY OLCESE

They’re almost here! The 92nd annual Academy Awards, otherwise known as the cinephile Super Bowl, will air Feb. 9. If you’re a hardcore movie nerd (or, like me, it’s your job to be), you’ve likely been jockeying for your favorite contenders since last fall, when the Toronto International Film Festival unofficially kicked off the awards campaign season. You probably also felt some disappointment when the nominees were announced on Jan. 13, and some great films and performances were kicked to the curb. If, on the other hand, you still have some catching up to do, look no further. Here you’ll find information on the nominated movies, the likely winners, and the ones that didn’t make it in, but are still worth your time. Best Supporting Actress: Experts claim Laura Dern’s had this race on lockdown for weeks, and her Golden Globe win back in January would seem to confirm that. While her work in Marriage Story is great (and so is Dern in general), Pugh was also a standout in Little Women, charming and lovable as the often-maligned Amy March. The shocker here is Jennifer Lopez being overlooked for Hustlers, where she played stripper-turned-con artist Ramona, and displayed incredible physicality during her character’s memorable introduction. You’ll never hear Fiona Apple’s “Criminal” the same way again. Best documentary: The documentary category can go one of two ways, depending on the year. Sometimes, voters honor storytelling and craft, as was the case with last year’s Free Solo and 2012’s Searching for Sugar Man. Other times, as would seem to be the case this year, the Academy sees this category as the most acceptable spot to display their politics. The critically lauded, Obama-produced American Factory will likely win

THE PITCH | February 2020 | thepitchkc.com

Joker is up for 11 nominations too many.

here for that reason, though it would also be great to see the artistically ambitious Honeyland (a crossover nominee for Best International Film) get recognized. Missing from the conversation: the crowd-pleasing Apollo 11 and the impressive Mike Wallace is Here, both of which used curated archival footage to tell a story or craft a critical essay about their subjects. Achievement in makeup and hairstyling: Theron’s uncanny transformation into Megan Kelly for Bombshell means that film’s team has the award all but locked down, and deservedly so. Years from now, however, it’s unlikely anyone will be dressing up as her for Halloween. The dozens of Us and Midsommar makeup tutorials on the internet, on the other hand, speak for themselves. While, as we’ve already discussed, the Oscars have little respect for horror, it seems odd that the Academy would outright ignore the incredible work of hair and makeup artists on Us and Midsommar, particularly given the instantly iconic looks of Nyong’o’s Red and Pugh’s Dani as the May Queen. Best Cinematography: For years, Roger Deakins was often the cinematography bridesmaid and never the bride, until he finally got a well-deserved win in 2018 for Blade Runner 2049. He could get passed over this year for 1917, but it seems a little silly to give the award to anyone else. 1917 consists of long shots, edited together to look like a single take, and without an artist like Deakins at the

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helm, it simply wouldn’t work. The Academy missed the opportunity to nominate female cinematographer Claire Mathon for her painterly work on the French drama Portrait of a Lady on Fire. They also overlooked Jörg Widmer’s gorgeous, naturalistic photography on the Terrence Malick WWII drama A Hidden Life, and the stunning sun-bleached horror of Pawel Pogorzelski’s Midsommar cinematography. Best International Feature: A double nomination for Parasite might look exciting (it’s also up for Best Picture), but the reality is less so. Likely, what happened with Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma at last year’s Oscars will happen again this year with Bong Joon-Ho’s film. Academy voters will assume a Best International Feature award is enough, and not give it the crossover win it deserves for Best Picture. That’s a shame, because a win for Parasite here shuts out Honeyland and Pedro Almodovar’s Pain and Glory. Parasite’s inclusion in the category also took away potential slots from many other brilliant international films, like Celine Sciamma’s beautiful Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Atlantics, Senegalese director Mati Diop’s impressive debut film, and cinephile favorite Christian Petzold’s Transit. Best Supporting Actor: The smart money is on Pitt in this category—he’s got a Golden Globe and a strong campaign behind him. He, and his abs, are also great in Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood. Pesci, however, was one of the

year’s best surprises in The Irishman, toning down his usually loud, brash persona and becoming almost unrecognizable as the quietly menacing mafia don Russell Bufalino. You may have noticed the overwhelming whiteness of this year’s acting categories, and that’s particularly disappointing here. Korean actor Song Kang-Ho developed a devoted following among audiences for his great turn as Parasite’s opportunistic patriarch. Jonathan Majors’ performance as Mont, playwright and best friend to the protagonist of Joe Talbot’s The Last Black Man in San Francisco, is the tender, beating heart of that film. It’s unfortunate neither Song nor Majors were recognized. Best animated feature: Missing Link was the surprise winner of this category at the Golden Globes, and it was nice to see Laika studios’ movie recognized for its painstakingly detailed stop motion. However, this is a Disney-dominated category, and Toy Story 4 completes a beloved franchise, which makes it a more likely winner. Overall, this is a strong category, though it would have been nice to see some recognition for the shockingly mature and emotionally complex Lego Movie 2 (I’m still smarting that “Super Cool” isn’t up for Best Original Song). Do yourself a favor and check out I Lost My Body on Netflix. It’s the dark horse here, but very good. Best Adapted screenplay: Given the outcry over Gerwig being ignored in the Best Director category, the Academy might award her Best Adapted Screenplay

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by way of apology. That’s not to say it would be purely a sympathy vote—Little Women is legitimately the strongest candidate here. Gerwig’s script is true to Alcott’s beloved novel, while also making some creative choices that respect the spirit of the author herself. It strikes a perfect balance of loyalty and interpretation, exactly what you want in an adaptation of classic literature. Best Original screenplay: Tarantino won the screenplay Golden Globe for Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood. A win here, balanced with a likely win for Pitt and some possible (wellearned) technical awards would soften the blow should it lose the Best Director or Best Picture categories. It would be great to see Rian Johnson recognized for his whip-smart Knives Out screenplay, but the film isn’t up for any other awards (not even production design, which feels rather egregious) so it’s unlikely. The Farewell and The Last Black Man in San Francisco were both standout scripts, so it’s sad to not see them here. The fact that The Farewell is based on Wang’s own experiences— and that the true story itself is ongoing— makes it all the more appealing. An award for Wang would have been a great way to cap off that journey. Best Original Score: The Icelandic Guðnadóttir took home the Golden Globe for her intense, moody Joker score, the first solo-nominated female composer to do so. Whatever your opinions are about the film itself, the metal-as-hell quality of Guðnadóttir’s work can’t be denied. However, don’t count out Thomas Newman’s 1917 score, his best work in a long time, or the legacy power of John Williams’ Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which could win simply on sentiment. The most disappointing snubs in this category include Daniel Lopatin’s electronic Uncut Gems opus, and James Newton Howard’s achingly lovely score for A Hidden Life. Best Actor: Everyone thought this would be Adam Sandler’s year, with many calling his performance in Uncut Gems a career best. It’s extremely disappointing we won’t be treated to a Sandler Oscar win, and somewhat surprising that DeNiro isn’t in the race given The Irishman’s many other nominations. Of what is here, Phoenix’s performance is the flashiest, and he’s got the Golden Globe to his advantage. Driver’s heartbreaking and physical turn in Marriage Story, however, is the one that deserves real praise and attention. Best Actress: Zellweger has the Golden Globe, and the Academy loves a good transformation, and a good comeback, but Marriage Story is a

much stronger film than Judy, and Johansson’s performance in it is a real showcase for her talent. In this case, the Academy—which is made up of actual artists working in the industry, as opposed to the HFPA, which isn’t—is more likely to award that quality. As previously mentioned, the Academy doesn’t typically hold horror in high regard, but even though a nomination for Us was a long shot, many critics and fans were disappointed Lupita Nyong’o wasn’t nominated for her intense, bifurcated performance. Pugh was also stunning in Midsommar, following her character through an emotional wringer, and putting that process on full display. It would have been great to see that commitment acknowledged. Best Director: It’s possible that, given how much money Joker director Todd Phillips has made for Hollywood with the Hangover movies, he could be rewarded in this category. However, just as likely (if not more so) is that the Academy will follow the pattern they set with Roma: Parasite will get Best International Feature, Bong will get Best Director, and Best Picture will go to someone else. Bong has more than earned the award, too, as Parasite is hands-down one of the best movies of the year—he’s got the Cannes Palme d’Or to show for it. It’s disappointing, however, that there’s no female representation in this category, given that 2019 was a strong year for women-directed films. Gerwig was snubbed for Little Women, as was A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’s Heller (also overlooked last year for Can You Ever Forgive Me?). Wang’s The Farewell and Scafaria’s Hustlers are up for absolutely nothing. Best picture: This year’s Best Picture is a tough one to predict by typical metrics—many of the nominated movies have some hallmark that could signify a win. Hollywood loves stories about itself (see 2011 winner The Artist), which is promising for Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood’s chances. Marriage Story has contenders in three of the major acting categories. Jojo Rabbit won the people’s choice award at TIFF, which the 2019 winner Green Book did last year. Joker director Todd Phillips is a genre crossover success story, as was Green Book director Peter Farrelly. 1917 has the Golden Globe for Best Drama. Ford v. Ferrari, The Irishman, Jojo Rabbit, Joker, and Parasite are all nominated for best editing, which is also considered necessary for a Best Picture win. At most, that knocks Little Women off the list. Parasite is the critical favorite, but a category crossover win is unlikely. Joker’s probable acting win for Phoenix, and its 11 total nominations suggest it could be the most likely winner, but anything’s possible. Watch the Oscars on Sunday, February 9, at 7 p.m. on ABC, Red carpet begins at 5:30 p.m.

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Dear Dan: I’m a 30-year-old bi male. I’ve been with my wife for five years, married nine months. A month into our relationship, I let her know that watching partners with other men has always been something I wanted and that sharing this had caused all my previous relationships to collapse. Her reaction was the opposite of what I was used to. She said she respected my kink, and we both agreed we wanted to solidify our relationship before venturing down the cuckold road. Fast-forward a couple of years, and we are in a healthy relationship, living together, regularly visiting sex clubs (though playing only with each other), and beginning to add some cuckold dirty talk to our sex play. Then after I proposed, we got busy… with wedding plans. Sex and experimentation were set aside. Once we got married, we started… looking for a house. Sex again took a back seat. Life has settled down now, and when I bring up my desire to see her with other men, she tells me she’s willing, but the conversation quickly ends. I have suggested making profiles on various websites, but it doesn’t happen. Am I doing something wrong? I fear that saying, “Let’s make a profile right now,” is pushy, and I absolutely do NOT want to be the whiny and pushy husband. Any advice you might have would be amazing. ––Wannabe Cuckold Growing Frustrated Dear WCGF: So you don’t want to be pushy where the wife is concerned, WCGF, but you’ll send me the same email half a dozen times in less than a week. Look, WCGF, some people mean it when they say, “We can have threesomes/ go to BDSM parties/try cuckolding once our relationship is solid.” But some people don’t mean it. They tell their kinky and/or non monogamous partner what they want to hear in the hopes that after the wedding and the house and the kids, their husband and the father of their children (or their wife and the mother of their children) isn’t going to leave them over something as “trivial” as a threesome, a public spanking, or cuckolding. Complicating matters further, some people say it and mean it and then change their mind. To figure out what’s going on (and to figure out whether you’re doing something wrong), you’re going to have to risk being a little pushy—not about putting up a profile, but about having a conversation. You’re ready for this to happen, she tells you she is willing, but nothing ever happens. If she does want it to happen, what steps can you take together to make it happen? If she doesn’t want it to happen—if she never wanted it to happen— you need her to level with you. Remember, WCGF, she’s the one being asked to take the risks here—it’s her picture you want to put on a profile, not yours; she’s the one who’s going to potentially be meeting

up with strangers for sex, not you; she’s the one who is risking exposure to STIs, not you. (Although you could wind up exposed, too, of course. But just because you’re comfortable with that risk doesn’t mean she is.) She also might worry that you’re going to want her to fuck other guys way more often than she’s comfortable with. There are a lot of solid reasons why she might have developed cold feet, and by addressing her concerns constructively—no face pics, no strangers, no cream pies, it can be a very occasional thing—you might make some progress. But if it turns out this isn’t something she wants to do—because she never did or because she changed her mind—then you have to decide whether going without being cuckolded is a price of admission you’re willing to pay to stay in this marriage. Dear Dan: I did one of the things you always say is bad, immature, and hurtful. I was a jerk to my girlfriend for weeks because I wanted her to break up with me. I know it was cowardly. I think she is a great woman, but I just wasn’t into the relationship and I let it go longer than I should have. I felt terrible that she loved me and I didn’t love her back, and I didn’t want to hurt her. My question is this: Why do you think sabotaging a relationship in this way is so bad? I’m glad she hates me now. She can feel anger instead of sadness. I didn’t want to be a “great guy” who did the right thing when the relationship needed to end. I want her to think I’m awful so she can move on with her life. If I said all the right things, that makes me more attractive and a loss. I’ve had women do that to me—break up with me the “right” way—and I respected them more and felt more in love with them and missed them more. I still think about them because they were so kind and respectful when they dumped me. I prefer the relationships I’ve had that ended with hatred, because at least I knew we weren’t good for each other and the end was no skin off my back. Isn’t it better this way?(I’ve got no sign-off that creates a clever acronym. Make one up if you want to publish my letter.) ––Annoying Shittiness Should Help Outraged Lovers Escape Dear ASSHOLE: I did what I could with your sign-off. Being a jerk to someone you’re not interested in seeing anymore in the hopes that they’ll dump you is never okay. It’s certainly not a favor you’re doing them, ASSHOLE, if for no other reason than they’re unlikely to call it quits at the first sign of your assholery. When someone’s actions (jerkishness, assholery) conflict with their words (“I love you, too, sweetheart”), the person on the receiving end of crazy-making mixed messages rarely bolts immediately. They seek reassurance.

They ask the person who’s being an asshole to them if they’re still good, if everything’s okay, if they’re still in love. And those aren’t questions the person being an asshole can answer honestly, ASSHOLE, because honest answers would end the relationship. And that’s not how the asshole wants it, right? The asshole doesn’t want to honestly end things themselves; the asshole wants to dishonestly (and dishonorably) force the other person to end the relationship. So the asshole says we’re good, everything’s okay, I still love you, etc., and then dials the assholery up a little more. Does the other person bolt then? Nope. The other person asks all those same questions again, the asshole offers up the same lying assurances, and the other person asks again and is fed more lies. This sometimes goes on for years before the person being emotionally abused by a lying asshole decides they can’t take it anymore and ends the relationship—often over the objections of the person who wanted out all along! Gaslighting isn’t a term I throw around often or loosely, ASSHOLE, but what you describe doing—and what you’re attempting to rationalize as a gift of some sort—may be the most common form of gaslighting. Nothing about being gaslighted in this manner makes it easier to bounce back after a relationship ends. It makes it harder. Yeah, yeah, your ex “gets” to be mad at you, but she’s going to have a much harder time trusting anyone after dating you because your assholery will likely cause her to doubt her own judgment. (“This new guy says he loves me, but the last guy—that fucking asshole—said he loved me, over and over again, and it was a lie. What if this guy is lying to me, too?”) These brand-new insecurities, a parting gift from you, may cause her to end or sabotage relationships that could have been great. As for your worry that a person may wind up carrying a torch for an ex who ends things with kindness and respect, well, torches have a way of burning out over time, and it’s even possible to will yourself to set a torch down and walk away from it. But the kind of emotional damage done by actions like yours, ASSHOLE? That shit can last a lifetime. Question for Dan? Email him at mail@savagelove.net. On Twitter at @fakedansavage.

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thepitchkc.com | February 2020 | THE PITCH

EVENTS

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For more events, visit thepitchkc.com/calendar. BY JONAH DESNEUX

FEBRUARY 4 - 9 The Office! A Musical Parody, Sprint Center, $52 - $72

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Jade Jackson, The Riot Room, $13 - $15 Post Malone, Sprint Center, $184 - $1885 TedxKC 2020, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts , $40 - $70

FEBRUARY 6 Dying in Designer, Uptown Theater, $13 Mike Zito, Knuckleheads, $17 Miranda Lambert, Randy Rogers Band & Parker McCollum, Sprint Center, $38 - $4078

FEBRUARY 6 - 23 Forever Plaid, MTH Theater, $29 - $55

FEBRUARY 7 Dylan LeBlanc, The Riot Room, $15 Lorrie Morgan and Mark Wills, Star Pavilion , $38 - $175

FEBRUARY 8 Brunched Madrid Theatre In its fourth year, the boozy breakfast event Brunched is back at The Madrid Theatre. Nosh on breakfast bites from local restaurants and participate in the illustrious Bloody Mary Competition (all attendees can vote for their favorite drinks). Last year Smitty’s Garage won the best bloody award, but you’ll have to attend to taste this year’s winner. What can we say? Nothing caps off a weekend better than brunch and booze. M80s w/ the Suburbans, Knuckleheads, $15 - $75

FEBRUARY 7 - 8 Tim Meadows, The Comedy Club of Kansas City,

FEBRUARY 8 Black Prom With The Phantastics!, The Granada, Free Frank Werth, VooDoo Lounge, $54 $73

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The Harlem Globetrotters, Sprint Center, $47 - $379 Love Boat 6, The Ship, $5 Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group, Uptown Theater, $45 - $277

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816-841-1521 34

THE PITCH | February 2020 | thepitchkc.com

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FEBRUARY 13 Elliot Moss, Uptown Theater, $16

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Excision, Silverstein Eye Centers Arena, $39.50 - $49.50 Spag Heddy, The Granada, $20

FEBRUARY 1-16 Fun Home KC REP Adapted from Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir, Fun Home is a family-drama musical that handles themes of sexual orientation, emotional abuse, and forced gender expectations. Bechdel’s time through childhood and college is explored on stage this February at the KC Rep as she discovers her sexuality and deals with her mentallyill father who is a closeted homosexual himself.

Pepperland: Mark Morris Dance Group, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts , $32 - $82 Queensryche, Knuckleheads, $35

FEBRUARY 9 Dr. Dog, The Truman, 25 Shaken & Stirred: Michael Feinstein With Storm Large, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts , $49 - $109

FEBRUARY 10 Riff Raff, The Riot Room, $17- $50

FEBRUARY 11 Trixie Mattel, The Truman $59 - $202

FEBRUARY 11-16 Come From Away - The Musical, Music Hall, $58 - $643

FEBRUARY 12 Film Club: Freeway, Alamo Drafthouse G Herbo, The Granada, $30 - $99

FEBRUARY 13 - 15 Cupid’s Arrow, The Speakeasy, $75 $125

FEBRUARY 14 Crazy Rich Asians Black Tie Valentines Day Feast Screening, Alamo Drafthouse Dustin Lynch, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland, $30 - $46 Iration, The Granada, $25 - $119 Shwayze, The Riot Room, $15 - $17 King Princess, The Truman, Sold Out Jimmy Webb, Knuckleheads, $35

FEBRUARY 14 - 15 Rodney Carrington, Star Pavilion, $60 - $169

FEBRUARY 14 - 16 Damon Wayans, Kansas City Improv Comedy Club, $40 - $50

FEBRUARY 14 - 23 Kansas City Ballet Presents Swan Lake, Kauffman Center, $41 - $141

FEBRUARY 15 Atlantic Express, Knuckleheads, $12

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thepitchkc.com | February 2020 | THE PITCH

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EVENTS

FEBRUARY 14

FEBRUARY 17

Valentine’s Day Whether you’re taking out a loved one, a date night for one, or treating mom to a fun time on the town, Kansas City features a heartwarming selection of Valentine’s Day events. To prepare for the big day, Strawberry Swing Valentine’s Day Pop-Up at Parlor is hosting some of KC’s most creative makers who will help make DIY Valentine’s Day cards, floral bouquets, poetry, and more on February 8th. Tony Award-Winning and Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr. will be serenading Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts on Valentine’s Weekend with two shows on February 15th and 16th. If you’re looking for the perfect dinner and a movie date night, Alamo Drafthouse hosts a Crazy Rich Asians Black Tie Valentine’s Day Feast and screening on February 14th. Want more music? Here are some V-Day shows to check out: Valentine’s Love Jam, Sprint Center; Dustin Lynch, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland; Iration, The Granada; Shwayze, The Riot Room; Jimmy Webb, Knuckleheads.

FMC Lars / The Doubleclicks / Schaffe the Darklord The Riot Room The Doubleclicks are a traveling folk-pop sibling band performing songs that perfectly encapsulate nerd culture. The two heavily feature the cello, ukulele, and a meowing cat keyboard in their songs about Dinosaurs, Netflix, and gender identity, to name a few. The Doubleclicks perform a President’s Day show at the Riot Room with headliners MC Lars and Schaffe the Darklord.

FEBRUARY 15 - 16 Valentine’s Weekend with Leslie Odom, Jr., Kauffman Center, $52 - $132

FEBRUARY 16

THE PITCH | February 2020 | thepitchkc.com

Andy Mann, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, $22 - $67 Matoma & Two Friends, The Granada, $26

FEBRUARY 19 Electric Guest, The Granada, $20

FEBRUARY 20 Jim Gaffigan, Silverstein Eye Centers Arena, $69 - $229

FEBRUARY 21 Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day 2020, Kansas City Convention Center Michael Menert, Uptown Theater, $15

Tender, Uptown Theater, $15

Peekaboo, The Truman, $20 - $30

FEBRUARY 17

Ross the Boss, The Riot Room, $15 - $17

Stone Temple Pilots, Uptown Theater, $29 - $177

FEBRUARY 18

We Were Promised Jetpacks, recordBar, $20

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FEBRUARY 21 - 23 ANDY WATSON

Johnson County Home & Garden Show, Overland Park Convention Center, $13 - $25

FEBRUARY 22 Andy Gross, Knuckleheads, $25 FAC MMA, Silverstein Eye Centers Arena, $7 - $96 MAC LETHAL, recordBar, $20 Vader, The Riot Room, $20 - $22 White Reaper, The Truman, $10 William Clark Green, The Granada, $20

FEBRUARY 23 Dashboard Confessional, The Truman, $35 Flatfoot 56, The Riot Room, $13 - $15 King Solomon Lives, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland, $35 - $67.50

FEBRUARY 24 Falling In Reverse, The Truman, $27 - $30 Stonefield, recordBar, $12 - $15

FEBRUARY 24 - 25 Musical Monday & Tuesday: Super Sounds of the 70’s, MTH Theater, $27 - $49

FEBRUARY 25 Saint Motel, The Truman, $25 - $88

FEBRUARY 26 AEW Dynamite, Silverstein Eye Centers Arena, $29 - $84

FEBRUARY 27 Ekali, recordBar, $20 - $25 Tig Notaro, Uptown Theater, $27 $182

FEBRUARY 29– MARCH 1 PBR: Unleash The Beast Sprint Center The bulls are back in town. Professional Bull Riders Unleash The Beast is returning to Kansas City for the 17th consecutive year in the ultimate “Man vs. Beast” competition. For two nights, the top 35 bull riders in the world will compete in three thrilling rounds for a $30,000 event title. In 2019 Chase Outlaw captured his world No. 1 Ranking in KC. With a name like that, we’re not surprised that he’s back this season on a path to winning the gold buckle championship.

FEBRUARY 28 Dennis Deyoung, Star Pavilion, $40 $200 Destroyer, The Granada, $20 Fabulously Funny, Municipal Auditorium, $52 - $125 Rome and Duddy, VooDoo Lounge, $76 - $237 Zach Villere, Uptown Theater, $16

FEBRUARY 29 Bay Faction, Uptown Theater, $13 Dweezil Zappa, The Truman, $35 - $75 Gene Watson, Star Pavilion, $20 - $175 Kansas City Heart Ball, Kansas City Convention Center Shane Smith & the Saints, Knuckleheads, $15 Super Whatever, The Rino, $14

thepitchkc.com | February 2020 | THE PITCH

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