The Pitch: Summer Guide Issue 2022

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THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

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Have an air-friendly summer!

Summer has arrived in the Kansas City region. And that means increased air pollution in the form of ozone and particulate matter.

Heat and sunlight convert solvent and gas fumes mixed with exhaust and smoke into ground-level ozone. Particulate matter can be produced from small focused sources, such as an individual fire or widespread events like fireworks on the Fourth of July. People exposed to the affected air can breathe in the particles and absorb them into their bloodstreams, causing potential heart and breathing issues.

“Poor air quality and ozone often can’t be seen, which makes outreach and education important,” said Karen Clawson, air quality program manager at the Mid-America Regional Council.

Clawson and the air quality team at MARC monitor ozone and particulate matter levels during ozone season. They also manage SkyCast, the ozone forecast for Greater Kansas City.

The SkyCast is issued each afternoon by 4 p.m. between March 1 and Oct. 31, when the Kansas City region is most likely to experience an ozone alert. When SkyCast issues an ozone alert, that means an unhealthy concentration of ozone pollution is predicted for the following day. It’s like a weather forecast for air quality conditions.

In addition to watching SkyCast, everyone can take steps to reduce ozone and particulate matter pollution. Altering driving habits is a good place to start. And with uncertain gas prices and free bus fares in Kansas City, now is the ideal time to explore other transportation options. Visit AirQKC.org for ways to improve air quality and visit RideShareKC.org for ride-matching and support resources, including the Guaranteed Ride Home program for carpoolers, transit riders and cyclists.

Follow the MARC educational resources online at AirQKC.org, @airqkc on Twitter.

Help keep your family and friends healthy this summer: • Follow the SkyCast at AirQKC.org.

• When elevated pollution levels are predicted, consider scheduling outdoor activities before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m.

• Tell your child’s caregivers about the SkyCast and the health risks of air pollution.

• Provide support to older adults, children and those with respiratory problems such as asthma or emphysema, as they are most often affected by air pollution.

• Use cruise control, avoid harsh stops and starts,

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string multiple errands into one well-ordered trip and travel with a light load to increase your vehicle’s fuel efficiency.

• Wait until after sunset when filling up your gas tank and be sure to stop at the click, so the tank doesn’t overfill.

• Walk, bike, carpool or ride the bus to reduce emissions.

• Opt for electric lawn equipment when possible and avoid using starter fluids. Or, use a charcoal chimney or a natural gas grill.

June 2022 CONTENTS THEPITCHKC.COM

Steph Castor

22

FOOD & DRINK

Glitter and Goats

BY STEPH CASTOR From country to kitchen, we take a deep dive into the inner workings of Saltwell Farm Kitchen in Overbrook, KS with its ever-evolving menus and personable staff enveloping patrons in the comfort of antiquity. Due to an abundance of (edible) glitter, livestock, and clever cocktails, Saltwell rises above the standard of community cooking.

28

CULTURE

Story Developing

BY CHASE CASTOR Photography is an art, but we often forget that in the age of iPhone cameras and instant images. Travis Young started FilmX as a passion project, and the company has since expanded, allowing artists who use film photography to create content with strong innovation and without limitation.

7 LETTER

22 FOOD & DRINK

28 CULTURE

8 POLITICS

24 FOOD & DRINK

32 MUSIC

Punk Rock Sumer Sips Big Mood Natural Wine Offers Nature’s Pure Designs

BY LIZ GOODWIN

It’s a Bittersweet Symphony, That’s Life Social Symphony Is Instrumental To Growing up

BY EMILY COX

25 Mise en Place

34 MUSIC

Letter From The Editor Complicated Calculus Of Meat Math

BY BROCK WILBUR

Pop-Up Politics Local Vendors Fight To Claim Their Space In The Metro

BY LIZ COOK

10 EVENTS

The Official Pitch Summer Guide

BY STEPH CASTOR, MICHAEL CRIPE, EMELINE HUTTON, BROCK WILBUR

20 GAMES

Tourists in their Hometown Welcome To The City of Hearts: The Pitch’s Scavenger Hearts

BY SARAH SIPPLE

Glitters and Goats Off-The-Grid Offerings From Saltwell Farm Kitchen

BY STEPH CASTOR

Black Stag’s Mark Jones On Culinary Freedom, Great Steak, And Soulful Plates

BY LIZ GOODWIN

26 FOOD & DRINK

Craft Singles Seven Breweries You Need To Hit This Summer

BY THOMAS WHITE & ADAM WILBERS

Chase Castor

Story Developing FilmX Is Getting Physical With KC

BY CHASE CASTOR

Our Love For These Tracks Will Be Strong After The Noise of Summer Has Gone

BY NICK SPACEK

Cover by Miroslav Pavlovic

36 SEX & LOVE

Keep Them Coming Vacation Sex Is Vital

BY KRISTEN THOMAS THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

5

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Purchase tickets online at Ticketmaster.com SATURDAY, AUGUST 20

FRIDAY, AUGUST 19

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12

SUNDAY, AUGUST 21

FRIDAY-SATURDAY, AUGUST 5 & 6

SATURDAY, JULY 16

THURSDAY, JUNE 23

June 2022 CONTENTS THEPITCHKC.COM

8

37 SEX & LOVE

POLITICS

Pop-Up Politics

BY LIZ COOK Pop-up businesses attempt to abide by the city’s unbending regulations but face difficulties in securing permits to legally operate. The rigidity has caused vendors to shift locations across state lines, scale down, or face fines or shutdowns from Health Department officials.

Savage Love Real Worries

BY DAN SAVAGE

38 KC CARES

Variety KC

BY BETH LIPOFF

Director of Marketing & Promotions Jason Dockery Assistant Editor Steph Castor Community Manager Sarah Sipple Music Editor Nick Spacek Film Editor Abby Olcese

A Bread Friends pop-up. Photo by Ty Sechler

Letter from the Editor

Little Village Creative Services Jordan Sellergren House Designer Miroslav Pavlovic Contributing Writers Emily Cox, Liz Cook, Barbara Shelly, Liz Goodwin, Justin Burnell, Beth Lipoff, Michael Mackie, Tyler Schneider, Kristen Thomas, Elliott Lee Scott, Kala Elkinton, Michael Cripe, Adam Wilbers, Thomas White, Megan Ganey, Jordan Baranowski, Kelcie McKenney, Adrian Torres, Patrick Moore, Alana Broyles, Abby Monteil, Orrin Grey, Cameron Capers Contributing Photographers Zach Bauman, Chase Castor, Travis Young, Jim Nimmo, Chris Ortiz, Chadwick Christopher, Chris Manning, Angela Stokes, Destiny Frack, Barry Meitler, Archana Sundar Contributing Designers and Illustrators Alex Peak Turley, Jake Edmisten

COMPLICATED CALCULUS OF MEAT MATH Howdy, dear readers. Welcome to the June issue of The Pitch—our traditional map to summer fun and heatstroke adventure in the metro area. Outside of our handy guide to all the best ways to spend your days between now and the fall, we’ve got excellent stories about the politics of pop-ups, pop playlists for your perusal, and a place off the beaten path where goats, grand pianos, and generosity co-exist. We hope you dig it, and absolutely get hyped for next month’s music-themed mag. We are currently going hard in the paint, and we’re thrilled that you’re here to join us.

Before your marathon through the following glossy pages, I thought I’d share the moment from May where summer officially kicked off in my soul.

A batch of us from The Pitch crew were invited to the annual Kansas City Barbecue Society’s annual Media Pro-Am, wherein KC’s media outlets were matched with master grillers in a day-long competition. As someone who cannot cook to save his life but daydreams of “plating” something seen on The Great British Baking Show, this drafting for duty was a delight.

Then I had to wake up at 5:45 a.m. on a Sunday. A terrible start for yours truly and absolute madness hours for a habitual night owl.

In a parking lot across the street from Boulevard Brewing, we paired off with competitive meat masters from across the region and spent the next eight hours sparring for the honor of blue ribbon ribs. And, of course, a separate but no lesser battle for “Best Bloody Mary.”

Before my eyes were fully open, I sat down with Dan and Angela Boles, better known by their team name, All Forked-up

Editor-in-Chief Brock Wilbur President & Chief Operating Officer Andrew Miller

for Q. The couple from Lee’s Summit, along with extended family and friends, joined us in a little tent with various slabs of red meat, secret rubs and sauces, and 360’s signature BBQ-flavored vodka.

Over the course of the day’s events, I learned a lot about the touring competitive BBQ world. The night before, there had been an event in Topeka wherein the Forkedup couple’s mastiff had been saved from a tornado by another competitor. I learned how participants manipulate a 10-minute window for turning in their concoctions to screw over other participants. I learned how delivering the best possible version of your meat pile can involve taking tweezers to surgically remove small imperfections, which in practice looks like a delicious version of CSI. I also learned about the point system.

Set to a blasting soundtrack by the folks at Grinder’s who’d camped out near the event’s entrance, I was informed of how the competitive BBQ world involves judges who participate in six-person panels and sample each piece of food submitted, then rank it on a six-category weighted system based on a nine-point scale that—a lot of algebra later—results in a score for each meat out of a possible 180(?) points. You know, a pretty standard scale on which to judge things.

Somewhere between one and 180. But also with coin-tosses, tossed-out scores, and other bizarre sub-ranking systems.

What I’m saying is that there’s a lot more meat math in competitive BBQ than I expected. I walked away convinced that I fully understood it, but when I tried to explain it to my wife that night, it became clear that I just sound like my own madness machine.

The Bloody Mary concoction we put together netted us second place in the competition, with big kitschy ribbons to bring home. We took fifth in ribs—a ruling that I consider nothing short of highway robbery.

I sampled from some of the other competitors after tasting our own and…again, without throwing too much shade…

Both awards now hang on the office fridge door—proud trophies of (semi) victories we shall celebrate for years to come.

Two members of The Pitch team have already signed up for competitive BBQ judge accreditation. We’ve been warned it involves scarfing to two pounds of various meats in any one sitting. We think we’re ready to pass that test. Nom nom.

Pitch in, and we’ll make it through.

Editorial Interns Emeline Hutton, Hannah Scott, Lauren Textor

VOICE MEDIA GROUP National Advertising 1-888-278-9866 vmgadvertising.com

DISTRIBUTION The Pitch distributes 20,000 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.

COPYRIGHT The contents of The Pitch are Copyright 2022 by The Pitch LLC. 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: andrew@thepitchkc.com or 816-218-6792

THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

7

POLITICS

Pop-Up Politics LOCAL VENDORS FIGHT TO CLAIM THEIR SPACE IN THE METRO

By Liz Cook

S

croll through Instagram for a few minutes, and there’s a good chance you’ll see an ad for a pop-up food business—some kind of nomadic restaurant, bakery, or shop operating with variable hours outside (and sometimes inside) other businesses. Although the business model has been around for decades, pop-ups surged during the pandemic, with plenty of news coverage and magazine articles clocking the rise.

If the last couple of years proved anything, it’s that the pop-up business model offers a host of benefits besides pandemic-friendly ventilation. Pop-ups are cheaper to launch and cheaper to operate, requiring less upfront investment in real estate, equipment, and staff. Many pop-up vendors also save on traditional advertising, relying on Instagram to spread the word about their businesses and hours.

But it can be hard to quantify the number of pop-up businesses in KCMO for one reason: most of them are operating illegally.

The city’s permitting infrastructure neither predicted nor adapted to the rise of the pop-up, leaving entrepreneurs scrambling for solutions. Sav Brady, owner of The C Word Cakery, is one of many pop-up vendors fighting for a better regulatory regime. During the pandemic, she launched The C Word out of her home, selling vegan cupcakes and layer cakes decorated with fresh flowers, intricate piping, and off-color messages like, “Happy fuckin’ birthday,” or, “Hope your baby doesn’t turn out to be a murderer.” Baking for The C Word was her

dream job. Thanks to pop-ups, she was able to make it her full-time job, too.

“I started popping up around the city, which helped me make a lot of really cool friendships and start new relationships with businesses and other vendors, and that got my client base going,” Brady says. “I don’t think I would be where I’m at now if it wouldn’t have been for pop-ups, and I think that’s how it is for a lot of businesses.”

After hearing about another pop-up vendor being shut down for operating without a permit, Brady called the KCMO Health Department to ask how she could operate legally. “It was really hard to get a straight answer. I don’t even know if it’s necessarily the health department’s fault, there’s just a lot of gray area.”

Currently, pop-up restaurants and food vendors don’t qualify for a KCMO “food establishment” permit, which is the annual permit that allows most brick-andmortar restaurants and bakeries to operate.

Nor do they qualify for a “mobile food unit” permit—unless they already own a food truck or trailer with mechanical refrigeration and a hand-washing station.

And most vendors don’t operate that way. Many choose the pop-up model for its low barrier to entry as they may not have sufficient capital to invest in a food truck and equipment right away. So, they set up a table or tent outside a bookstore or brewery to test the waters and

make sure there’s a market for their product.

For these vendors, the only legal path to operation is to apply for a temporary event permit—a one-day pass that allows them to sell at a public event after a Health Department inspection. But if the “public event” isn’t sufficiently event-y, the permit still might be denied. In the city’s eyes, an event is a wedding. A bat mitzvah. A food festival. An event is not “selling cakes.”

Brady has stopped running pop-ups entirely while she awaits a safe and legal solution, and her business has taken a hit.

She estimates thousands of dollars lost from shutting that part of her business down. In late April, she started an online petition encouraging the city of Kansas City, Missouri to create a permit for pop-ups. At the time of this writing, about 650 people had signed.

Jhy Coulter, the owner of the pop-up pizza shop Devoured, has faced similar challenges. When she first launched her pop-up a year ago, she tried to do everything above board—she, like Brady, called the KCMO Health Department and even visited the office in person.

“They [the Health Department] didn’t really understand what pop-up events were or what I was trying to do,” Coulter says. “I got a lot of no’s. I got a lot of confusion. A lot of times, they’d say, ‘Oh, we just don’t have the staffing to approve your event.’”

Coulter came away with the impression that the explosion in pop-ups during the pandemic—and the associated explosion in people like her applying for temporary event permits—had stretched the city’s

Coulter came away with the impression that the explosion in pop-ups during the pandemic—and the associated explosion in people like her applying for temporary event permits— had stretched the city’s inspectors thin. inspectors thin.

Last summer, Coulter tried to stage a pop-up at the Crossroads cocktail bar SoT on two consecutive weekends; she applied for a permit both times. Her first application was approved. Her second, identical application was denied. When she asked for an explanation, she was told an inspector wasn’t available that day. (Although no Health Department officials were available for an interview with The Pitch, Deputy Director Naser Jouhari told Coulter at a public meeting that no permits should have been denied due to staffing shortages).

Jhy Coulter of Devoured tosses dough at Overland Park Farmers’ Market. Photo by Jason Ebberts

8

THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

Coulter decided to hold her pop-up at SoT anyway; she says the Health Department reprimanded both her and SoT for proceeding without a permit. The experience was frustrating enough that she eventually decided to move Devoured across state lines to Johnson County, where she says she can pay an annual fee for a permit that allows her to operate in a variety of areas.

This summer, she plans to sell her pizza every Wednesday and Saturday at the Overland Park Farmers Market. She’s joining a community that’s developed a reputation as a small business incubator. Taco Naco started there as a pop-up before opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant; so did Buck Tui BBQ. Both are now successful permanent businesses—and both stayed in Overland Park.

If the permitting process in KCMO remains convoluted, the city risks losing more small businesses to Kansas (or worse, stifling them before they get off the ground).

Still, Coulter is cautious about playing into “border war” tropes. She’d like to serve her pizza around the metro without worrying about the ZIP code.

“I just want to make pizza for people.

I’m not trying to start a war between Kansas and Missouri. I want the Health Department to know that. We’re not trying to fight with you guys. We’d just love to serve people and do cool shit around the city.”

In the absence of guidance from the city, pop-up business owners have taken a few different paths. Some of them, like Coulter, have moved across state lines.

Some, like Brady, have stopped their pop-up events entirely. And others have chosen to keep operating illegally, knowing they could face consequences, including fines.

“I don’t know of any permit I can get to make what I’m doing today completely legal,” says Dan Duncan, owner of the bagel popup Bread Friends.

Duncan had been baking for years before he hosted his first pop-up. He went through a sourdough phase long before it became a pandemic punchline. But he stumbled on a hit when he started making Montreal-style bagels—smaller than New York-style bagels and baked over a wood fire.

In 2021, he scheduled his first bagel pop-up at Guevel, a men’s clothing store in the Crossroads. He’s since popped up at women’s clothing store Dear Society, PH Coffee, and Big Mood Natural Wines. No matter where he goes, he always sells out.

But he knows he’s on thin regulatory ice.

Missouri cottage food laws allow him to sell bagels, but not the sweet chili or wasabi honey cream cheese he serves alongside— and who wants a bagel without schmear?

Duncan says he takes food safety seriously and does the best he can on his own.

POLITICS

You Belong At...

A fresh sesame bagel from Bread Friends.

Courtesy of Dan Duncan

ing organizational meetings about them.

Brady, Coulter, and members of the popup Tacos Valentina have used Big Mood as their de facto headquarters as they discuss challenges, contact city officials, and research potential solutions.

In early May, the group met at Big Mood to discuss some of their challenges and ideas with Jouhari. The meeting was requested (though not attended) by city manager Brian Platt.

During the meeting, Jouhari seemed committed to helping pop-up vendors find a solution. But he didn’t hide his concerns.

“You cannot operate whenever you want, wherever you want on a sidewalk,” he tells them. Operating restrictions are there for a reason. The CDC estimates that 3,000 people die from foodborne illness every year—a statistic Jouhari can (and does) recite by heart.

“What’s the difference between us and a hot dog cart on the sidewalk?” Coulter asks.

“We have hot dog carts,” Jouhari says.

“We have 480 permitted hot dog carts. Get a cart.”

Get a cart. The pop-uppers are unmoved. Nor do they seem convinced when Jouhari urges them to pursue “ghost kitchens” instead. Many vendors can’t afford to rent a commercial kitchen to prepare their food any more than they can afford a food truck or cart; others, like Coulter, need to able to assemble and cook their food on location (and in a specialized pizza oven).

The meeting ended after an hour and a half with little in the way of solutions but a commitment to continue the conversation.

The vendors agreed to work on a rough draft of a new permit for Jouhari to consider and target a follow-up meeting at the Health Department after June 1, 2022.

If they create a new permit, at minimum, the City Council will need to debate and vote on it, which means vendors may not see a resolution before the summer. But they’re hopeful. At the very least, they’re willing to try.

Before Jouhari left, he handed the popup vendors a stack of printouts of the city’s current permits for them to draw from.

“I want you to serve the city, generate more revenue, be a successful business,” he says.

On that much, everyone agrees.

Duncan says he takes food safety seriously and does the best he can on his own. He has his food handler’s permit, sanitizes his equipment, and monitors his coolers closely to make sure his schmears stay at a safe temperature.

He has his food handler’s permit, sanitizes his equipment, and monitors his coolers closely to make sure his schmears stays at a safe temperature. He hasn’t had any run-ins with the Health Department yet. But the risk has kept him from scaling his business up even as his client base grows.

“I just want to be able to operate safely and legally and not have to worry about whether the Health Department is going to shut me down.”

It doesn’t seem like an impossible ask. Duncan points to Chicago’s Pop-Up Initiative, which created semi-permanent licenses for both popup operators and the businesses that host them.

“I think there’s a really strong case to be made to the city that offering this sort of path to legitimacy is ultimately a boon for the local economy. It gives us a chance to test our product, make sure there’s a customer out there. And once we get to the point where if we want a food truck and want a location, then we’re more likely to succeed and more likely to be a net benefit for the local economy and the community.”

Brick-and-mortar businesses that host pop-up vendors are already seeing some of these benefits. Richard Garcia, owner of Big Mood Natural Wines, collaborates with pop-up vendors almost weekly. He’s worked with Duncan, Coulter, and Brady as well as the vendors behind Stag Pizza, Tacos Valentina, and No Coast Creamery.

“The initial reason for even hosting pop-ups was to share my space and platform and help other small business owners come in and get their thing off the ground a bit,” Garcia says.

But the pop-ups have been good for Garcia’s business, too. Big Mood isn’t just a bottle shop, it’s also a bar where customers can purchase wines by the glass.

“It’s nice to have food available for people to come in and grab something to eat while they drink here.”

In recent months, Garcia has expanded his focus from hosting pop-ups to host-

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THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

9

W

elcome to the wonderful world of pandemic recovery. Since we’ve all been reeling from hand sanitizer stress, face mask maintenance, and vaccine vendors, it’s time to bring some fun back to our, now greatly appreciated, lives. Despite all, never fear gentle readers, for The Pitch is here. Now, get out of this introduction and check out all of the cool events, exhibits, shows, and media spectaculars in the Summer Guide.

Let’s go hard in the paint, together.

EVENTS J U N E 1 0- 11

Sugar Creek Slavic Fest Sugar Creek, MO

J U N E 18

Kandy Land Car Show 1800 Genessee Street BY: STEPH CASTOR, MICHAEL CRIPE, EMELINE HUTTON, BROCK WILBUR

JUNE 21

International Make Music Day Lemonade Park

J U N E 25

Oddities & Curiosities Expo Kansas City Convention Center

Kansas City Storm Championship Weekend TBD

Strawberry Swing Indie Craft Fair Kansas City Museum

F I RST F R I DAYS

Crossroads Art District

The art-focused gathering takes place on the first Friday of every month. Highlighting up-andcoming artists, installations, and galleries, First Friday is a great opportunity to dive into local art demographics. Not going for just the art? That’s fine. Enjoy some local eats and drinks during your visit. With all your basic human needs fulfilled, First Friday is never an event to miss.

AU G . 2 2

in the air, there will be plenty of activities down on the ground. With local food vendors and live music, the affair will cater to all age groups.

Although the skies are typically inhabited by jets coming in and out of KCI Airport, on Aug. 22 hot air balloons will be taking priority. The National WWI Museum and Memorial will be hosting its annual Great Balloon Glow. Even with the main attraction

SEPT 15

Kansas City’s National WWI Museum and Memorial KCMO

10

THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

Chiefs First Regular Season Home Game Arrowhead Stadium

JOIN TEAM TEAM NINJA NINJA JOIN

Level up your skills at our Ninja Training Camp

MAY 19 JUNE 30

BOOK NOW LEGOLANDDiscoveryCenter.com/Kansas-City

J U N E 11

Juneteenth Celebration The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is opening its doors to celebrate Juneteenth, and it isn’t letting a second go to waste. The event is poised to be an all-out examination of art and culture that holds a lens to work like Charles White’s Goodnight Irene. Artist Anthony High will also be on location to discuss the artistic process as others create Juneteenth crafts and explore additional related resources.

JUNETEENTH JUNE 3 J U LY 1 AU GUST 5

Juneteenth KC First Friday Celebration

JUNE 18

Juneteenth Celebration with BlaKCK Market

18th & Vine

Lewis and Clark Park at Kaw Point

JUNE 4

JUNE 19

Juneteenth KC Cultural Parade

Begins at Benton and 18th Street

J U N E 14

The top-level activities are appetizers for a main course of performances from the likes of Shinique Smith and the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey.

The latter will perform I Want to Testify, an act choreographed in part by Tyrone Aiken, while the former has created a performance comprised of local talent.

Admission to the Nelson-Atkins Museum is free of charge, but non-members must reserve tickets in advance.

Lawrence Juneteenth Celebration Lawrence, KS

Juneteenth KC Heritage Festival 18th & Vine

JUNE 4

PRIDE

Queer Bar Takeover J. Rieger & Co.

JUNE 4 -AUG . 2 1

JUNE 9

Out With the Royals Kauffman Stadium

Pride Night W/ DJ Carma

Making History: Replay Lounge Kansas City and the Rise of Gay U N E 11 Rights - an Exhibit JKC PrideFest and a Response Parade Kansas City Public Library Westport

JUNE 5

PrideFest Pride Youth Mixer KC Theis Park The Black Box

Plymouth Pride Party

Plymouth Congregational Church (UCC), Lawrence, KS

JUNE 12

KC PrideFest Theis Park

Pride Bar Crawl

Begins at John’s Big Deck The 5th annual Pride Crawl is sponsored by Crawl With US. Check-in is at 4 p.m. at John’s Big Deck, where participants will receive vouchers for free drinks, shots, food, limited souvenir cups, and more. Venue stops include Double Tap KC, Grinder’s Pizza, KC Wineworks, Lifted Spirits Distillery, Tannin Wine Bar & Kitchen, and Up-Down KC. A portion of the proceeds will go to The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ people.

J U N E 25

KCCI’s Queer & Bazaar

Kansas City Public Library North East Branch

S EPT E M B E R 1 7

Pride in the Park

Sar Ko Par Trails, Lenexa, KS

JUNE 24

J U LY 1

Stump Park

Lee’s Summit, MO

PARKED! Festival

J U N E 18

Legacy Blast 2022

JUNE 25

J U LY 2

Osawatomie, KS

Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm Olathe, KS

Osawatomie’s Lights on the Lake

1860s Independence Day Celebration

Greenwood Freedom Fest Independence Day Greenwood, MO Celebration and Parade Weston, MO

Flags for Freedom Merriam, KS

Stars and Stripes Picnic National WWI Museum and Memorial KCMO

J U LY 3

Liberty 4th Fest

Capitol Federal Sports Complex of Liberty Liberty, MO

Old Fashioned July 3rd Picnic at the Mission

Shawnee Indian Mission Fairway, KS

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THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

Opens July 9 4525 Oak Street, Kansas City, MO 64111 | nelson-atkins.org

Organized by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, Thurman Rotan (American, 1903–1991). Skyscrapers, 1932. Gelatin silver print, 7 11/16” × 9 13/16” The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO. Gift of Hallmark Cards, Inc., 2005.27.4331.

THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

13

JULY 4

VillageFest 2022 Prairie Village, KS

Lenexa Freedom Run, Lenexa, KS

4th of July Celebration at Worlds of Fun, KCMO

Community Days Parade, Lenexa, KS Louisburg Freedom Fest, Louisburg, KS

Red, White & Blue Springs, Blue Springs High School Blue Springs, MO

4th of July Celebration, Platte City, MO

Independence Day Festival: Gardner, Gardner, KS

Parkville 4th of July Parade, Parkville, MO

Olathe’s July 4th Fireworks, Olathe, KS

Beach Fest: Olathe, Olathe, KS

J U LY 7

Parkville 4th of July Celebration, Parkville, MO

S TA G E S JUNE 9

PUP, Granada

J U N E 15

Bon Iver, Starlight

JUNE 21

Fitz & the Tantrums / St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Grinder’s KC

JUNE 3 0

Third Eye Blind / Taking Back Sunday, Starlight Theater

ALL OF J U LY

Family Fun Nights - Fireworks: 1860s Style, Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm Olathe, KS

hand there’s the former—a sextet of musicians dedicated to earth-moving rock and Americana that’s carried on the back of low vocals. Murder

By Death postures itself as a band for people who like “eerie, old things,” but that has never stopped it from attempting to push its preferred genres forward.

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Three years ago, Kansas City garage rockers The Creepy Jingles released its self-titled debut EP with local label High Dive Records. In the intervening time, the band has become a staple of live shows around the region, playing on bills with artists as disparate as rapper Cuee and country singer-songwriter Jenna Rae. They even opened the release show for Frogpond’s comeback album, TimeThief. Now, The Creepy Jingles have put out its debut full-length album, entitled Take Me at My Wordplay, also on High Dive, and it’s a massive step forward from the band’s first recordings. Both the band—Nick Robertson on drums, Travis McKenzie on guitar, and Andrew Woody on bass guitar—and frontwoman singer-songwriter Jocelyn Olivia Nixon’s music and lyrics sound bigger and more confident.

JULY 7

Then there’s Amigo The Devil, a project that has metal and country holding hands in a way that perfectly complements Murder By Death’s atmosphere. The artist—driven solely by the twisted mind of Danny Kiranos—brings tantalizing tunes that often border on downright spooky, but they remain as foot-tappers all the same.

JULY 8

Tickets start at $32. The “doors” open at 7 p.m., with the show set to follow 30 minutes later at 7:30 p.m.

Candlelight: From Bach to The Beatles, The Gem Theater

Josh Groban, Starlight Theater

J U N E 10

The Creepy Jingles recordBar

J U N E 16

CHVRCHES, Uptown Theatre

Alice in Wonderland, The Coterie

JULY 1

Bright Eyes, Uptown Theater Chris Isaak / Lyle Lovett, Starlight Theater Machine Gun Kelly / Avril Lavigne, T-Mobile Center

S E P TE M B E R 2

IDLES, The Truman “Weird Al” Yankovic, Muriel Kauffman Theatre

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Sleigh Bells, The Truman

Kansas City Symphony performs Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Kauffman Center

S E P TE M B E R 9

Sheryl Crow, Grinder’s

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JULY 22

The Comedy Club of Kansas City

Wet Leg

From live-action appearances in shows like A.P. Bio and Black-ish to lending his voice talents in Bob’s Burgers and Adventure Time, Ron Funches has built a comedic career strong enough to make his upcoming weekend at The Comedy Club of Kansas City a must-see. His stand-up performance is scheduled to keep things light with shows starting Aug. 11 and ending Aug. 13. Funches offers more than a pretty face (and voice), though. With writing credits on The Eric Andre Show and Nick Kroll’s Kroll Show, Funches’ comedic talents have been more than proven.

Soft-spoken indie rock duo Wet Leg is hopping across the pond to pay a visit to The Truman September 9. If you’re unfamiliar with Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers’ off-kilter act of fun jams, it might be because their first single, the muffin-buttering “Chaise Longue,” is just barely a year old. A full-on, 12-track, self-titled album eventually launched in April of this year, revealing the group’s audacity to the world. Every song is its own peek into the minds of two England artists bonded together by the very friendship that graces the record’s cover.

Thursday tickets start at $18, with Friday and Saturday tickets starting at $22 and $25, respectively. Each night has shows at 7 p.m., while Friday and Saturday also feature shows at 9:30 p.m.

Later this year, Kansas City has a chance to join in on Wet Leg’s introduction to the world. Tickets start at $22 if bought beforehand but cost at least $25 the day of the show. The doors open at 7 p.m., with Wet Leg set to take the stage at 8 p.m.

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Andrew Dice Clay, The Comedy Club of Kansas City Anthrax / Black Label Society / Hatebreed, Midland Theater

The desert horror fiction podcast, boasting millions of listeners and 10 years of successful broadcasting, is coming to KC for a live show at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 18 at Liberty Hall. Fear is a reasonable response to life, but not a reasonable response to waiting until the last minute to buy tickets.

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THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

Jack White, Starlight Theater

S E P TE M B E R 7 - 11

JULY 19

AUG UST 5

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Toni Stone, Unicorn Theatre

Drive-By Truckers, Knuckleheads

Welcome to Night Vale Liberty Hall

Alicia Keys, Starlight Theater

S E P TE M B E R 7

JULY 16

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Alice In Chains / Breaking Benjamin / Bush, Azura Amphitheater

Roger Waters, T-Mobile Center

Mandy Moore, Uptown Theater

JULY 21

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S E P TE M B E R 3

JULY 10

Def Leppard / Mötley Crüe / Poison / Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Kauffman

Incubus / Sublime with Rome / The Aquadolls, Azura Amphitheater

Breakaway Festival, Azura Amphitheater Father John Misty / Suki Waterhouse, Arvest at Midland

Murder By Death / Amigo the Devil Lemonade Park

Murder By Death and Amigo The Devil are coming to Lemonade Park Aug. 9 for an evening of music that will shake your soul and push you through the rest of the week. On one

Ron Funches

Cabaret, Music Theater Heritage

Twenty One Pilots, T-Mobile Center The Truman

The National, Grinder’s KC

▶ Beautiful pavilion with park and trail access ▶ Free and convenient parking

SATURDAYS

MAY – SEPTEMBER

7 a.m.

TO 1 p.m.

MERRIAM MARKETPLACE 5740 Merriam Drive, Merriam, KS

NEVER MISS A BEAT WITH CONCERT NEWS Subscribe Today bridge9009.org/subscribe

Your Local Alternative to Commercial Radio THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

15

Brian and Charles, Theatrical Polyester, Stray Cat Film Center

JUNE 19 Civil, Netflix

MOVIES JUNE 3

Next of Kin, Screenland Armour Theatre Starship Troopers, Screeland Armour Theatre Memoria, Screeland Armour Theatre Crimes of the Future, Screeland Armour Theatre

JUNE 4

Pink Flamingos 4K 50th Anniversary, Screeland Armour Theatre You I Knew Yesterday, Stray Cat Film Center

JUNE 5

David Cronenberg’s Videodrome, Screenland Armour Theatre

JUNE 8

Hustle, Netflix Ms. Marvel, Disney+

JUNE 20

Tampopo, Stray Cat Film Center

JUNE 23

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Nope, Theatrical Jordan Peele is up to his directing mastery once again with the upcoming release of Nope. Better known for cinematic greats like Get Out and Us, Peele has yet to disappoint theatres. On July 22, viewers will be thrown into a mix of sinister cinematography, as the movie follows the caretakers of a house and their devious discoveries. For some, the

The Regional, June 3-Sept. 11

JUNE 24

The Black Phone, Theatrical

All right hound dogs, throw on your blue suede shoes, and mentally prepare for burning love. In this upcoming biopic, the King will finally make his return to Hollywood and our ear canals. Also making his return is Baz Luhrmann, director of The Great Gatsby and Moulin Rouge! Actors Austin Butler and Tom Hanks, are sure to garner even more attention for the film as if the title Elvis wasn’t enough. Covering Elvis’ rise to fame, the film will hit theatres on June 24.

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movie might really make you say nope however the director’s fans are already screaming hell yeah.

The Gray Man, Netflix

J U LY 28

House Party, HBO Max

J U LY 29

Secret Headquarters, Theatrical

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Me Time, Netflix

After Blue: Dirty Paradise, Stray Cat Film Center

ARTS & EXHIBITS

J U N E 14

“Rhythm and Reveal,” July 1-Sept. 22

Bargain Bin Film School’s relative claim to fame is that it’s the only non-accredited film school in the Greater Kansas City area and it is led by someone who has taken a singular film class. What better way to explore the absurdist Daisies than alongside a class of amateur film students? The showing is at 7 p.m. June 15 and proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test within the past 48 hours is required.

Samaritan, Theatrical

B UT TO N W O O D A RT S PAC E U N I O N STAT I O N

MAYA: The Exhibition, Opening July 13

J U N E 16

Father of the Bride, HBO Max

J U N E 17

Lightyear, Theatrical The Lost Girls, Theatrical Official Competition, Theatrical

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THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

JULY 1

KAN SAS C I T Y A RTS C O A L I TI O N

Carolina Cuevas, July 8-29

Adam Crowley, Aug. 5-26

Bullet Train, Theatrical

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Daisies, Stray Cat Film Center

Signs: Photographs by Jim Downs, May 7-Oct. 9

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Poltergeist 40th Anniversary, Screenland Armour Theatre

J U N E 15

N E LSO N - ATK I N S M U S E U M O F A RT

Sumer Brooks, July 8-29

Day Shift, Netflix

Halftime, Netflix

A New World—Women to Watch 2024, June 24-Oct. 16

DC League of Super-Pets, Theatrical

Jurassic World Dominion, Theatrical

Neon Demon, Screeland Armour Theatre

Magic Tree House: Space Mission

KEMPER MUSEUM OF C O N TE M P O R ARY A RT

Menudo: Forever Young, HBO Max

Elvis, Theatrical

A RV I N GOT TL I E B P L AN ETA R I U M : J U N E Seasonal Star Tours

G.I. Joe: The Movie 35th Anniversary, Regal Southwind

Marcel the Shell with the Shoes On, Theatrical

facts and their history, well at least until 5 p.m. While boasting over 300 items, almost any object is more than likely to pique interest. Adult tickets start at $19.50, while children’s are $14.50, and group admission ticket prices can be found on Union Station’s website.

Union Station hosts MAYA: The Exhibition.

Opening July 13, the collection highlights the innovations and legacy of the ancient civilization. Starting daily at 10 a.m., visitors are free to immerse themselves in the arti-

Elizabeth Moore, Aug. 5-26

KCAI

Summer Programs: Pre-College ArtLab (PCAL), July 17-29 (for high school students) Educators ArtLab (EAL), July 10-15 (for art educators)

JO H N SO N C O U N T Y M U S E U M

Redlined Exhibit, now until Jan. 7, 2023 The Johnson County Museum’s latest special exhibition, Redlined, offers an in-depth analysis of a 90 year-old racist practice and how it still affects Kansas Citians today. Johnson County Museum Director and Historian Mary McMurray says Redlined’s message is crucial for those who hope to have a better grasp on the history that surrounds us.

Minions: The Rise of Gru, Theatrical

JULY 6

Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between, Netflix

JULY 8

Thor: Love and Thunder, Theatrical The Sea Beast, Netflix

JULY 15

Persuasion, Netflix

“Our dream for the museum is to spark an interest in any part of our history and leave people inspired to want to learn more,” McMurray says.

Redlined is available to experience until Jan. 7, 2023.

Adult tickets start at $6. The Johnson County Museum will also soon host several “free days,” where anyone is welcome to visit at no cost. The currently scheduled 2022 free days are June 11, Sept. 17, and Nov. 23.

T SCAN HERE TO SIGN UP YOUR FOURSOME !

Email sales@thepitchkc.com for sponsorship info

A portion of the proceeds benefitting Harvesters

THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

17

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Cowboy Up Triathlon, Smithville Lake, MO

A L L S U M M ER

Exploring Roots Summer Adventure Challenge, Heartland Conversation

FOOD & DRINK

KA N SAS C IT Y P U B L IC LIB RARY

I MM ERSIVE VA N GOGH EX HIBIT (now until Sept. 5) Lighthouse ArtSpace

Featuring an artist who has become so beloved he’s now considered “mainstream,” the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit uses colored lights and a swelling soundtrack to walk viewers through some of the artist’s most impressive paintings during its approximately 35-minute runtime.

Great Lenexa BBQ Battle, Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park

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This is a 5K marathon from Caregivers on the Homefront, and it has one primary goal: raise awareness of veteran and first responder suicide. The fourth annual walk takes place June 18 both in person at the WWI Memorial and virtually, with those who sign up receiving a race t-shirt, race bib, and medal.

J U N E 11

J U LY 30

KC Charcuterie Fest, KC Wine Co

AU G. 1 3

JULY 20

Still grooving seven years later, with craft beers and delectable food sampling, Boulevardia will celebrate its annual event throughout downtown Kansas City from June 17-18. With over 60 performers, headliners will hit the main stage and consist of singer and songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff, Dashboard Confessional, Jenny Lewis, and Dayglow. Additionally, a number of local beloved acts like Hembree and Black-

JUNE 18

Will You Walk With Me, WWI Memorial

Free HIV & Hep C Testing, Kansas City Center for Inclusion

WELLNESS JUNE 4

AUG UST 6

IV Hydration therapy for:

wellness

•

vitamin booster

• • hangovers • migraines • jet lag • fatigue • athletic the flu

performance

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THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

J U N E 24- 25

Kansas City BrunchFest, Berkley Riverfront

JULY 3 0

Hospital Hill Run, Hospital Hill

With a variety of different packages to choose from, two-day passes begin at $60, and individual day admission starts at $35.

JUNE 5

Evicted, May 7-July 17 ‘Nearest by Air to Everywhere’: A Tour of Kansas City’s Aviation History, June 22-June 1 2023

starkids also have prime placements in the daily lineups. And even if you’re not much of a music lover, Boulevardia will feature an array of foods and beverages to enjoy.

WIN for KC Try-athalon, Sailboat Cove Spencer C. Duncan 5K benefiting The Battle Within, New Century Airport

Everbody’s Favorite BBQ & Hot Sauce Festival, E. H. Riverfront Park The Flavor of Lee’s Summit, Crestview Dairy

J U N E 1 7-18

Boulevardia, Boulevard Brewing Co.

Kansas City’s Lawn Party 2022, NelsonAtkins Museum of Art Hot Dog Festival, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Smoke n Seoul, KC Wine Co

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BBQ & Fly-in on the River, Excelsior Springs, Mo.

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Reggae Fest KC: Whine & Vibe After Party, Soiree Steak & Oyster House

ballgame + barbeque Q39 the fan-favorite barbeque for dine-in, carry out or catering

VISIT Q39KC.COM

THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

19

Scavenger Hunt THE PITCH SPRING

EVENTS

Tourists in their hometown WELCOME TO THE CITY OF HEARTS: THE PITCH’S SCAVENGER HUNT

By Sarah Sipple

During the mostly-sunny days of May 12-15, 30 teams in The Pitch’s Scavenger Hunt enjoyed a preview of some of the fun things that Kansas City has to offer this summer. Participants solved poetic riddles to visit 24 local hot spots ranging from businesses to museums, Lee’s Summit to Parkville, and dispensaries to disc golf courses.

We have photographic evidence of each team’s Kansas City expertise, but The Kingsleysmen took the top prize of $500 and a prize pack from our sponsors! The Pilot clenched second place and enjoyed finding some hidden gems.

“The view from the Town of Kansas Bridge overlooking the Missouri River was beautiful. I’d never been there before.

Also, what a great little place the Iron District is!” says Douglas Fry, a.k.a. The Pilot.

Other teams like Center Girls, Good Will Hunting, and Midwest Transplants sleuthed their way to winning a prize pack from sponsors by cheersing at Crane Brewing, checking out the special caramels at American Shaman, and posing at the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival headquarters.

The hunt was far from grueling. In fact, Feral Fridays enjoyed a mid-game picnic at Little Blue Trace Park, and the KC Gossip Girls paused for a sweet treat at Morgana’s Gluten Free Bakery. Team It’s Always Saucy in KC (with matching team shirts) took a playful break at Brookside Toy and Science.

“Thanks again to The Pitch for this opportunity to rediscover some of our favorite spots across town. This has been so much fun,” says Nicholas Morris from winning team The Kingsleymen. We invited the teams to be tourists in their own hometown, and now we extend that invitation to the rest of Kansas City, with this Summer Guide.

THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

21

FOOD & DRINK Chef Rozz turns edible glitter into pixie dust and prepares hand-stuffed ravioli. Chickens forage for lunch near the Hen Den. Shantel Grace gives a toast during Golden Hour, and Delaina Petrozz watches by candlelight.

Photos by Steph Castor

es weekly, and no two dinners are ever the same.

No Salt Needed

Glitter and Goats

OFF-THE-GRID OFFERINGS FROM SALTWELL FARM KITCHEN Words and photos by Steph Castor

A wood-burning stove glows nightly and hisses out an occasional ember, akin to the edible glitter flecks floating across spilled sunlight on the copper bar-top. At dusk, the candles begin dripping down glass bottles, the last table is seated, the chatter of the cocktail shaker slows, the breeze trickles through the hand-cranked windows, and the first wine is poured. A Mount Fishtail Sauvignon Blanc flows into glasses to marry a Green Goddess salad dressed with bacon, feta, cold sweet potato, and heirloom nasturtiums.

The salad alone is an impressive culinary feat, but it’s just the introduction.

Chef Rozz and Shantel Grace met in 2017 when Rozz joined the crew as the general manager at Ramen Bowls. Bowls is Grace’s popular Mass Street noodle spot in Lawrence inspired by her years spent living between the Midwest and Honolulu.

Saltwell Farm Kitchen came to life in spring 2021 when the two ventured out to forage for native ingredients, an activity that would become the foundation for their next project. A rural drive on the Clinton Lake backroads led them to stumble upon the dilapidated 1856 McKinzie Farmstead adjacent to Rock Creek in Overbrook, Kansas.

Rozz and Grace have always been a dream factory. Even among the ruins, their vision of an inclusive, intimate, immersive, and accessible farm-to-table fine dining experience became instantly clear. Despite the efforts of other interested locals, the duo’s offer for the as-is property was accepted.

They hired a team of contractors, camped on the land, and immediately began building a

22

THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

habitable home and dining space. Within a month, they even had Wi-Fi. The once-barren garage is now a rustic parlor and an extension of Rozz and Grace’s own living room where the couple spends weeknights eating pizza and watching Netflix with Grace’s three kids. On weekends, they invite outside guests to get up close and personal with the land while honoring the character in all things repurposed. Visitors make the trek on Friday and Saturday nights to savor an eight-course chef’s dinner, complete with optional wine pairings and premium cocktails.

Mix-matched antique dinnerware, vintage floral tablecloths, fresh-picked bouquets, and etched Fostoria glasses adorn the weathered wooden tables rearranged daily around a baby grand piano centerpiece.

A free-range ecosystem of goats, bunnies, baby cows, chickens, helmeted guineafowl, kittens, puppies, feral herbs, wildflowers, and mushrooms all give the farm its fairytale charm yet to be seen anywhere else on the outskirts of Kansas City. The list of spectacles grows with every visit, the menu chang-

Rozz was born and raised in Illinois and is of Italian and Hungarian descent. He moved to Lawrence in 2009 to pursue the hospitality management program at Johnson County Community College after a short stint in magazine journalism at Columbia College Chicago. While it seems like a sudden shift, Rozz’s time spent in the Windy City wasn’t for nothing. Columbia College is well known for nurturing queerness and became a safe space for him to establish roots in his identity, start his transition, and fully realize his craft. He spent his early 20s working various food service jobs before discovering an affordable and accomplished program at JCCC. “My mom always told me that I should marry a man who could cook, so I became the man who could cook,” says Rozz of his late mother, Delaina Petrozz, who influenced his passion for elevated comfort food and can be seen by candlelight during every dinner service.

The self-proclaimed “sparkle trans baby” has been previously nominated for “Best Chef of Lawrence” and took first place in the 2018 Douglas County Chef’s Challenge. In 2019, he participated in the Chef’s Table: Family Recipes event sponsored by Just Foods with a dish that was an homage to his mother’s Hungarian goulash. He wants to make sure every plate is as authentic as he strives to be and is a respectful nod to his upbringing.

From the playlist to the plate, everything is hand-selected. Everything is practical. Between composting and late-night scraps for Sawyer (Saltwell’s senior farm dog definitely living his best life), nothing goes to waste. Rozz and Grace recently partnered with Crum’s Heirlooms, among other local farmers, to inspire their ever-evolving menu around harvests with excess in “ugly” crops in need of love or produce that is otherwise difficult to sell.

The culinary playfulness of Chef Rozz can be seen at any given moment as he holds a mason jar of Chardonnay or a cosmic and glittery rose gold Negroni while simultaneously hand-rolling pasta for a smoked

wild turkey ravioli, torching parmesan over crusty sourdough for an asparagus-watercress soup, plucking violets to garnish a sous vide ribeye and truffle mashed potatoes, assembling a cocoa pizzelle with [yes, more] edible glitter and 23k gold leaf, or harvesting cattail to test drive a fried amuse-bouche.

Farm Mafia

Saltwell is a chosen family. The rest of the staff could say the same. Though small, the bond is evident as helping hands rotate and duties are shared. High fives and shoulder rubs are exchanged. Inside jokes and belly laughs shake the stacked heirloom teacups. The love is palpable, and the enthusiasm is contagious—rare industry finds in a post-pandemic world of DoorDash and restaurant fatigue.

Rozz and Grace make it a point during their welcoming toast every Friday and Saturday to introduce the staff to the guests

and share a collective moment of gratitude.

The two command the room during Golden Hour, and Grace makes her way down the lineup to showcase the unique talents each person brings to the table. In essence, she paints the family portrait.

Jim King is a career educator, dishwasher, greeter, and resident comedian on the farm. As the team huddles on the front porch for fresh air and a group taster of the

soup course, King is the first to break the blissful silence: “It’s like pigs at the trough.”

Everyone chokes in an effort to contain the laughter and avoid spilling on their personalized dress code ranging from sleek and all-black, to jaunty hand-stitched frocks, to King’s own crisp white button-up and custom tie boasting a collage of his grandson

FOOD & DRINK The evening’s wine pairings are displayed atop the baby grand piano. Chef Rozz and Shantel Grace share a laugh before guests arrive. Photos by Steph Castor

Nathan Friedman’s face.

Friedman is a 14-year-old hospitality protégé who has been helping at the farm, along with his grandpa, since day one. He affirms that all dishes are coming back to the kitchen licked clean and reports on the overall “vibe” in the parlor. With a smirk, he lends an audible pat on the back to Rozz. He is a well-mannered young man with an intense love for food and charisma that could earn a five-star review.

Sheilah Tackett was an original Ramen Bowls employee. She came to the farm in the winter following some cancelled weekend plans on her way up from her parents’ farm in southern Kansas (thanks, Covid).

EAT THIS NOW | DRINK THIS NOW All photos developed and scanned by FilmX

ratives with neighbors and invites strangers to join in. She has built a home with Rozz that thoughtfully redefines hospitality as we know it and sends guests home with bellies full of wine and wanderlust.

“What better way to facilitate this experience and have everyone in the community come together than to do it in our own home,” says Rozz as he smiles at Grace and raises his Negroni in conclusion. “Our main goal here is just to make everyone feel as special as possible because you’re all sparkly, and glittery, and worth it. We wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for all of you. The space is yours for the night. We don’t turn tables for a reason.”

Nightcap

She texted Grace on a whim and worked through dinner service that same night. Her go-with-the-flow nature made her a perfect addition to the Saltwell roster, as she’s been parked next to the Hen Den (aka the chicken coop) and helping out weekly ever since. Tackett manages day-to-day administrative tasks and meticulously polishes and arranges the parlor to assert the fine dining standards that mesh with the “come as you are” mentality, making the experience approachable for any occasion.

Kate Frick is a household name for cocktail connoisseurs. Former owner of the iconic Myers Hotel Bar in Tonganoxie, Kansas, Frick curated the farm’s bar menu.

Her ingredients are just as whimsical as the names for her concoctions—The Gayfeather is a lavender, green tea, and mezcal-based libation, just to name one—and it’s no surprise to hear someone say, “That’s the best Manhattan I’ve ever had.” Frick also works as a farmer for Crum’s Heirlooms on weekdays and helps deliver the haul to Saltwell.

Rozz’s father, Gary Petrozz, is a retired railroad employee and moved to Kansas to be closer to his son. He keeps to himself and visits during the day to mow the grass, patch roofs, and fix problems the farm didn’t it know it had.

None of the magic would exist without Grace, who is the mastermind behind it all.

When they say there is glitter everywhere at the farm, they really mean it. Grace approaches her work as a poet. Her personality is effervescent. She self-edits and revises industry protocol to ensure that her employees, friends, and community feel safe, seen, and provided for. She exchanges nar-

“You know, if you would have told me that I’d leave the Southside of Chicago for an abandoned farm in Kansas, I would have called you crazy,” says Rozz as he dumps watermelon rinds into the goat pen.

From expanding the parlor to include outdoor seating (weather permitting) with live music and cocktail hours, to planting a “goth” garden of rare black herbs and flowers, to installing an industrial kitchen while their “goat guys” Daniel and Dave restore the barn for private events—Rozz and Grace have big plans in store.

Just one year in the making, Saltwell has indeed carefully translated feelings of falling in love, self-discovery, and getting lost into an intentional and sensory experience. At the end of dinner, everyone wraps up at their own pace. It’s not unusual for the juxtaposition of state politicians, renowned painters, magicians, and even a celebrity national champion NCAA basketball coach to be seen at the farm. They mingle with tables, peruse the art on the walls made by queer folks and women of color, flip through poetry books, and tinker around on piano keys.

They bypass differences. They dig out their phones for a momentary selfie. They order another drink.

They are hesitant to leave but don’t hesitate to get back on the books.

Saltwell Farm Kitchen is open for dinner service on Fridays and Saturdays as well as for private events. To make a reservation, visit http://www.saltwellfarmkitchen.com Saltwell Farm Kitchen 214 North 800 Road, Overbrook, KS 66542

THEPITCHKC.COM

The Panang Curry at Thai Orchid

BY KALA ELKINTON Thai Orchid 6504 Martway St, Mission, KS 66202

Tucked into a strip mall that faces the road behind Johnson Drive in Mission, KS is a cozy Thai Kala restaurant with some of the best food in Elkinton the metro. This hidden gem isn’t something you just stumble upon. It’s a place you have to search for or be told about. Honestly, it’s better that way.

The dining room decor is modest, comfortable, and warm, and the staff mirrors this sentiment. The restaurant is perfect for both Thai enthusiasts and newcomers.

The menu is full of classical dishes with thoughtful and clear descriptions so there are no surprises.

The Panang Curry is made with coconut milk, which makes it a sweeter, creamier version of the more traditional fare and comes with mild heat from the use of red chilies. You can request more spice if that’s the way you like to roll. In addition to red chilies, the curry’s flavor complexity can be attributed to a blend of fish sauce, kaffir lime zest and leaves, coriander, cumin, and lemongrass. At Thai Orchid, you can choose your protein (chicken, pork, tofu, beef, shrimp, or duck) or opt for the veggie version, which is loaded with stewed peppers and peas.

The curry is perfectly portioned alongside steamed jasmine rice, and the lunch menu will toss in two crispy and adorably bite-sized crab rangoons.

The French Blonde at Tom’s Town Distilling Co.

BY KALA ELKINTON

Tom’s Town Distilling Co. 1701 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64108

Maybe it’s the high price, or maybe it’s the overuse of random and expensive ingredients added to appeal to said high price. Nevertheless, I often find myself disappointed after ordering a $15 drink.

Courtesy of Tom’s Town Distilling Co. While Tom’s Town Distilling Co. offers a dozen or so seasonal cocktails at double-digit dollars, the French Blonde is one I’d order again and again.

Balance is artfully achieved with this cocktail with its blend of Tom Town’s botanical gin, citrus, allspice, Lillet Blanc, elderflower liqueur, and fresh grapefruit juice.

The Lillet Blanc pairs perfectly with the floral gin as it emphasizes the herbal notes in a light, crisp, and dry way while the elderflower liquor tames the acidic bitterness of the grapefruit.

The soft pink drink is served in a beautiful, Instagram-worthy coupe glass. Grab some rosemary fries to pair with it, sink into one of those low comfy seats, and take advantage of the mood lighting for a dozen or so selfies.

THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

23

FOOD & DRINK

Punk Rock Summer Sips BIG MOOD NATURAL WINE OFFERS NATURE’S PURE DESIGNS

By Liz Goodwin Drink-related defiance has been a movement for centuries. Think Boston Tea Party, the bootlegging days of Tom Pendergast, or teenage indulgence—which “is very bad” as J-Kwon said in his 2004 club banger, “Tipsy.”

For those of legal drinking age, natural wine is the modern take on a sentiment as old as time: flipping the bird to the establishment and the traditional. Richard Garcia, certified sommelier and owner of Big Mood Natural Wines in the Crossroads, makes us thirsty for it.

He’s played similar roles in the restaurant and wine game for nearly two decades, including a position at Novel as wine director. He believes traditional vino is a great introduction, but for those who like to sip on the wild side, natural wine is the way to go.

Natural winemaking relies on both humans and Mother Earth, only using grapes, personal vineyard tending, and native, ambient yeast for fermentation. “It’s very punk rock,” says Garcia. “It’s pro-environment, it’s pro-human because it’s farming and winemaking without chemicals. There are

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[around] 180 additives that can be used in wine. As I found out about all of this, I realized natural wine is just more honest.”

The process may be more natural, but as far as hangovers go, the jury is out on if the final product comes with fewer morning-after symptoms. Regardless, Garcia wants his guests to indulge in just the right amount of out-of-the-box libations. He hand selects every bottle in his shop from a few trusted importers and features local bottles as well as those from far corners of the earth. As long as they fit Big Mood’s ethos, they’re welcome to join the party.

Garcia knows people can feel overwhelmed and intimidated by the assortment, but he doesn’t think it should be taken too seriously. They should instead lean into the playfulness and excitement of something unfamiliar—that’s what he’s there for.

Natural wine is all about adventure, but not every bottle will have strange notes like kombucha, witches brew, or sea brine (although certain choices offer that, for those in the market).

Many are closer to more traditional whites, reds, and rosés.

“They can also be really pristine and reminiscent of your favorite Pinot Noir,” says Garcia. “A lot of people feel like they don’t understand it, but it’s just fucking alcoholic grape juice.”

Garcia shares the utmost respect for the beverage while trying to emphasize the importance of accessibility to quality wine. “It shouldn’t be harder than that. I curate everything in here, so when people come in and have questions, I try to not be intimidating and just be helpful. I want to point people in the right direction, whether it’s supposed to be paired with the meal, just for a vibe, or they’re curious about something.”

As far as summer wines, varieties are as fleeting as cool morning air in July. Garcia does have a few categorical recommendations, such as skin contact wines, which are essentially white wines made like red wines. The variety is sometimes deemed “orange wine,” but only for its color as it tastes nothing like Tropicana.

“Skin contact means that the juice is left in contact with the grape skins for an extended period of time, which extracts color and texture, also known as tannin,” Garcia explains. “That’s the astringency you notice when you drink a really bold red. It’s what sucks the moisture out of your mouth when you take a sip.”

He also recommends piquettes, which are not

(Left) A patron sits underneath a living display of wine bottles, inhabited by various house plants. (Above) Richard Garcia of Big Mood. (Right) Big Mood’s wine is like fresh produce, delicious and fleeting. Photos by Liz Goodwin

technically wine but are made by reusing previously pressed grape skins and solids. It results in lower alcohol content with a hint of carbonation, making for refreshing and easy drinking.

As food enthusiasts from all regions take a more critical look at their choices—and what those decisions financially support—Garcia says that alcohol should be treated like fruits and vegetables: inspected carefully. For those who are natural wine curious, he’s eager to pour you a glass and tell you all about it.

THEPITCHKC.COM

Mise en Place Mark Jones believes that the key to good cooking is in keeping it simple.

He’s the Wolfgang Puck-trained executive chef of Black Stag, a brewery on Lawrence’s beloved Massachusetts Street where he nurtures his creative instincts in the kitchen and encourages his staff to do the same.

Below, he dives into his journey from West Coast to No Coast, his love for ramen noodles, and always having beer on the brain.

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chimichurri and roasted Japanese sweet potato. It’s made using skirt steak, a lesser-known cut that I love because it’s actually the cut of the primal that’s used to grade the entire cow.

Photo by Chris Ortiz

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BLACK STAG’S MARK JONES ON CULINARY FREEDOM, GREAT STEAK, AND SOULFUL PLATES By Liz Goodwin

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SAVE THE DATE! JULY 18-24, 2022

How would you describe your food philosophy when it comes to cooking?

The Pitch: Tell us more about your culinary background. What led you to Black Stag?

Mark Jones: I’m a classically trained culinary professional who went to school at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles. I worked jobs in [hospitality] and entertainment before and after culinary school—catering, restaurants, temp work, and grocery stores. My journey [began] when I was working at Wolfgang Puck Catering, which I started a few weeks before catering events for the Oscars. Wolfgang Puck really taught me to honor the ingredients and that presentation is everything.

Everything needs to be done with haste and care.

Los Angeles has so much good food, but it’s really packed. I came back [to the Midwest] because I wanted to be closer to my family. Los Angeles is so expensive, and I saw an opportunity to pave my way as a chef. An acquaintance recommended I look into working at Black Stag, and the executive chef at the time mentioned he was really impressed with my resume and experience. I started working there in January and became the new executive chef shortly after Valentine’s Day.

1/2 OFF

What stands out about Black Stag?

What should people order when they visit?

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Mise En Place is a series of questions, answers, recommendations, and culinary wisdom from the food and drink masters that push KC flavor further.

The following answers have been edited for length and clarity.

[It’s] roomy and beautiful. The Founder’s Room is a great place for catered events.

The outdoor patio is nice for fresh air, people watching, and parades. The food goes great with the beer, and it’s fun to watch our brewers make the beer on-site. I enjoy getting a steam bath with our open floor plan.

It’s hard to pick just one dish, but people should definitely order a steak. We use certified Angus beef and butcher our steaks in-house, keeping a purist philosophy in preparing them by using salt, pepper, and butter. We also do steak frites now with

I let the food speak to me. I like to start with great ingredients, and I don’t have to do much but create what is at the center of every plate. I try to create balance with my dishes. Being a “from scratch” kitchen, I encourage the staff by giving them freedom to create “specials,” but with guidance. I love for flavors to play off of each other.

How do you work what’s on tap into your dishes?

I’m always thinking about the entire dish and then talking to the brewers, Alex and John. The goal is to find which of their craft beers might accent or complement the featured dish. I like different textures, and I want those flavors to have balance or contrast. I did a pork chili with the C3PO beer, which has notes of chipotle in it. So, instead of adding a bunch of spices to make a super hot chili, I let the beer do that for me.

What’s been your go-to takeout recently? What do you like to whip up at home?

I love ramen. Lately, it’s been Ramen Bowls.

I get the Tonkotsu shoyu ramen with extra noodles and extra green onion with corn.

At home, I always have bucatini on hand. I love a thick, chewy noodle. I like to add togarashi, good olive oil, and Kosher salt.

Are there any dishes that have been knocking your socks off lately?

The pizza by-the-slice at Fat Sully’s and the brunch, biscuits, and shrimp and grits at Denver Biscuit Company in Westport are excellent. The biscuits and shrimp and grits aren’t just excellent—they’re soulful.

What and where will you be drinking this summer?

I​​ really love the pineapple vodka at the Capital Grille on the Plaza. It’ll get you though.

It’s so delicious that I’m going to infuse vodka with pineapple at home this summer. I’ll also be drinking the Sangria at Henry’s in Lawrence.

THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

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FOOD & DRINK

Craft Singles

Seven Breweries You Need to Hit This Summer

By Thomas White & Adam Wilbers

Kansas City’s craft beer scene has a pint for everyone this summer. Whether you’re into sipping suds on a patio, crushing cans to stay cool, or throwing back oat sodas, KC is chock-full of tasty taps. Narrowing the list to seven is a tall task [journalism is hard work, but we do it for the people]. So, we rolled up our sleeves and ripped some 16-ounce supersets. We finally woke up a week later with this list typed out and safety pinned to our chest.

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Border Brewing Company

When it first opened in early 2015, Border Brewing Company set the trend in the East Crossroads—before the banks, condos, and seemingly every third KC brewery came to the district. Recently, the there-before-it-wascool brewers relocated. They didn’t go far, just a block away to 512 East 18th Street.

Border takes pride in their KC roots. Everything there is local: the beer, the bar snacks—even the wood for the tables, chairs, flight boards, and the bar itself which was sourced from Urban Lumber Company where they harvest local “waste trees” and save them from a trashy demise and transform them into fine pieces of functional art. Somewhere on the Peacock streaming app, Ron Swanson is smiling down on the Urban Lumber Company.

Border’s strength lies in the variety of beer-style options that delight the palates of

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the Coors-drinking craft beer newbie and the wax-mustachioed beer snob.

“If all you’ve ever had is Bud Light, we get excited to help you jump into the world of craft beer,” says Border Manager Jessica Bloom.

“We take big pride in our customer service.”

Their Strawberry Blonde is a crowd-pleaser—featured in a previous “Best of KC” issue—and made with an inhouse strawberry puree. On the first taste, you’ll notice that they use real strawberries.

The tartness of fresh fruit is a dead giveaway; artificial purees are often saccharine sweet.

The Lima Fresca Lager is crisp and goes down almost too easy on those hot days with its thirst-quenching yet subtle lime and salt combination. The brewers dry-hop the recipe with lime zest, and staff members top off the pint with some hand-squeezed lime juice. The flavor blend practically dares you to grab some tacos from a First Friday food truck.

There won’t be a dull moment at Border this summer. The new location has a stage and outdoor seating with urban green space.

There’s live local music on Sunday afternoons, trivia on Wednesday nights, Sporting KC watch parties, and even themed “You’re the DJ” events on Fridays.

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Casual Animal

Casual Animal serves as an East Crossroads indoor beer oasis at 1725 McGee St. Owners Lara and Kyle Gray opened the space in 2018, drawing inspi-

ration from their time absorbing the beer culture in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Kyle Gray’s 12 years as a graphic designer is on display in each brew’s label art and throughout the space’s vivid murals.

Gray’s designs also make for some of the niftiest beer-themed merch in the city.

The taproom has “working on my thesis” vibes with exposed brick walls, hanging plants, sky lights, Edison bulbs, and rugs on cement floors that really tie the whole room together.

“Our vibe and our aesthetic are eclectic. It’s really an amalgamation of all the things we love from the different places we’ve traveled to and breweries we’ve visited over the years,” says Lara Gray.

The brewery focuses on a wide-ranging menu free of flagship beers. Casual Animal runs on a small 7-barrel brewing system which allows everything to be fresh, new, and experimental. But don’t fret—favorites are often brought back seasonally, as the beer list constantly changes. The Local Motive is one of few mainstays, and for good reason: $2 of every purchase goes to a local nonprofit.

Look for a bronze lager called the Bronze Falcon, a strawberry wheat named Koala Berry, or the Shuttlecock Lager for something light and refreshing as you soak up the A/C this summer.

We particularly enjoyed the Experimental Hazy IPA. The brew team at Casual consistently experiments with the hops in this beer, eliciting new and surprising herbaceous notes. On our trip, the Experimental Hazy IPA had an aroma of tropical fruits, a mild malt backbone, and an ever-shifting complexity.

If you’d like a beer and a laugh this summer, the second and fourth Tuesday of the month feature a comedy show arranged by John Cheeser.

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Brewery Emperial

Fashioning as an homage to Imperial Brewing as well as a European-style beer garden, Brewery Emperial has been slinging quality brews in a one-of-a-kind social setting since 2016.

The name comes from two words smashed together: empirical, as in fact—and imperial, as in majestic or royal.

The main draw is the large outdoor bier garden that includes graffiti-decorated steel cargo containers, a solar awning, firepits, picnic tables, and umbrellas. Brewery Emperial focuses on the social expe-

rience and uses an ordering system through the GoTab app so you can have your beer when you want it as well as your conversation—uninterupted. The setup encourages old friends, family, and even pets to pass the time unbothered by TV screens or overzealous servers.

Biscuit is one of their more popular options year-round and is a classic English-style extra special bitter (ESB). Don’t be scared off. In England, if you order a pint of bitters, you get what looks like an Irish red and tastes nothing like the IPAs we are used to. That’s because hops grow better and are more potent in the U.S., and Brits have a different standard for bitterness in beer.

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Cinder Block

Bryce Shafter opened Cinder Block Brewery in 2013 after his wife nudged him into brewing somewhere other than their basement.

Cinder Block was one of the first five breweries to open in the metro. At the time, North Kansas City was lined with m a n u f a c t u ring and industrial warehouses, so Cinder Block chose to cater to their working class neighborhood with both styles and names like Paver’s Porter and Weathered Wit. Their six-hop Block IPA was their initial hit, and its piney and citrus notes can now be found on taps all around town.

Shafter’s wife made him promise to brew hard cider which is her favorite beverage, and thanks to her, Cinder Block produces the only local hard ciders in the metro. There’s an annual rotating cast of dry ciders made in both English and French traditions with local apples, pears, and cherries. During the summer, Cinder Block offers a Cherry Limeade Cider that tastes better (and goes down easier) than sneaking vodka into your Sonic drink.

Check out the North Kansas City taproom’s large outdoor patio. The terrace has picnic tables, rotating food trucks, greenery, giant Jenga, and yard games.

Visit on a Monday to indulge in $3 flagship brews, or check out Firkin Fridays for a true old school experience of how beer used to be served—a wooden barrel placed on a counter where a one-off beer is tapped for that night only. Just think of the tavern scene in Beauty and the Beast.

5

Strange Days

Strange Days Brewing Co. is a bustling brewhouse near City Market and occupies part of the historic Muehlebach Brewery and Schlitz building.

The brewery opened in 2018 with a name to reference the modern strangeness we are all living through and gathers inspiration from their multi-cultural neighborhood while using global styles and ingredients in their processes. Their willingness to experiment with more non-traditional flavors has yielded many unusual combinations such as the Peach Limousine milkshake IPA, the Maple Blueberry Smoothie fruit sour with warm notes of vanilla and cinnamon, and the piña colada-inspired Gold Sand Beaches imperial pastry blonde ale.

Most beers are brewed as one-offs, and Strange Days focuses on heavily fruited recipes, hazy IPAs, and big stouts. However, head brewer Trevor Schlam emphasizes the ability to make lighter lagers and more crushable beers, like the ones brewed for Nighthawk.

Strange Days is a local supporter of the Tottenham Soccer Club and hosts watch parties for European football fanatics. Other summer festivities include live DJ events, food trucks on First Fridays, and an assortment of pop-ups including the Wasteland Society.

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Rockcreek Brewing

Rockcreek Brewing Company is a small scale brewery in Mission, KS founded by two friends at Cerner who enjoyed working and drinking together. The two bonded over a love of craft beer and began a search for the right location and brewmaster for their own vision.

They found their spot in a walkable Mission location with quaint indoor seating and a slightly larger patio. They eventually procured their perfect brewmaster an opened during our first pandemic summer, becoming a pleasant neighborhood spot to decompress—six feet apart.

Rockcreek aims to keep prices low.

Most brews top out at $5 a pint, and tipping isn’t required. But if you do opt for generosity, all tips instead go toward local nonprofits. Rockcreek has donated nearly $90,000

to the community since their grand opening in June 2020.

A typical summer day at Rockcreek might involve a few beers on the patio, an adjacent food truck such as Estrella Azul, Smoke and Seoul, or Taco TA-GO; or even some Charlson popcorn if you just have the munchies.

Celebrate the company’s anniversary this month with the Cosmic Punch Yeast + Phantasm and the commemorative New England IPA. Or try the In Transit Cream Ale for its silky mouthfeel and hint of citrus. Don’t skip the Zocchihedron Oat Lager, which is Rockcreek’s honorary 100th brew.

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Crane Brewing

Michael Crane was already a famed home brewer in 2015 before upscaling and opening Crane Brewing at 6515 Railroad St, in Raytown, MO. Craft beer culture is often fixated on what’s new and different, so when Michael Crane came to the beer festival scene with a beet-infused Berliner-style sour wheat ale, the lines were comparable to those of Black Friday early birds.

Crane has been known for sours and farmhouse ales ever since, but they feature less intensive offerings like Odd Bird, a corn-based light lager; and Thundergong, a wheat beer brewed with orange peel and just a touch of hops. Crane also offers beer slushies where some of their more fruit-forward offerings are dispensed from a Slurpee machine.

We sampled Hipster Buzzwords, a hazy New England style IPA that’s citrusy, hoppy, and appropriately chewy. It checks all the boxes you and your record collection could hope for. The Strange to Explain is a sour IPA made with Cara Cara oranges; it’s complex and tasty but also, well, difficult to describe.

Crane’s rustic taproom, located just off the Rock Island bike trail, is only enhanced by their rotating food trucks and collaboration with Harp BBQ. A full menu of small-batch barbecue is available from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. every Saturday, and tacos are served on Fridays after 5 p.m. Tyler Harp’s brisket has become one of the most coveted pieces of meat in the city. Harp says that despite supply chain issues driving up the price, they’ll always have it.

Nothing says “Kansas City summer” quite like posting up in a taproom just off a gravel road while eating world-class meats and washing it all down with exceptionally unique beer.

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CULTURE

Story Developing FILMX IS GETTING PHYSICAL WITH KC

By Chase Castor In an age of TikTok and instant dopamine hits, creating and savoring honest art takes practice. There has been a clear resurgence of analog appreciation when it comes to music and vinyl records, but what about visual art?

Film photography offers an authenticity that is unmatched by the digital world.

Creators are starting to band together to re-introduce the lost art form of film development to the community and make it more accessible for everyone involved.

Our photographer Chase Castor sat down with our other photographer Travis Young to talk about…photography.

The Pitch: What’s your history with photography, and how did film and its extended world become part of your work?

Travis Young: My dad was a hobbyist photographer, and he put a camera in my hand as a kid for fun. As the years went on, my dad slowly stopped playing with cameras, and I was riding the inverse curve of that fallout. In high school, I would photograph a lot of my friends’ bands and started doing senior and family portraits. Then weddings.

I got to college and started working for the University Daily Kansan and learned journalism and sports photography. After traveling around photographing KU Basketball, I did a season with the Kansas City Chiefs’

in-house photography department. I’ve been bouncing around ever since.

Film became a huge part of my work after a second attempt on my own life— maybe six or seven years back. I got myself into therapy and realized I spent so much time avoiding my thoughts, emotions, and trauma. I had no verbiage or awareness between my body and my brain. I was trying

to connect ideas to emotions and sync everything up.

For those curious about film photography, what’s so special about it?

Why go through the extra trouble if everyone has a decent camera on their phone?

I think about this constantly. As tech

“Film images are not promised, and any sort of return feels really good, even when the images are bad.”

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Travis Young at work in the FilmX lab.

Photos by Chase Castor

gets better, cameras get exponentially better. The ability for any single person to make a technically correct image gets easier and easier. We start to expect more from cameras and are quick to absolutely destroy images. There’s way less tolerance for images that are too dark, too blown out, out of focus, etc. I think we have less excuses to make bad photos, so we’re quick to call images bad because the gear is so good. Like, “Yo, this shouldn’t be dark or out of focus— this camera is dope. I spent a lot of money for this to not happen.”

Then you have film cameras, which stopped improving in the ’90s. The images we get back are often underexposed, blurry, out of focus—and somehow, these awful photos are the most amazing things ever. It’s always super fun to get these images back.

I think there’s magic that happens when making images becomes a gamble.

Film images are not promised, and any sort of return feels really good, even when the images are bad.

Is it harder to shoot film?

Absolutely not. Disposable cameras exist for a reason. My parents and all their homies used film back in the day. I think the difficulty with film comes with whether or not

3rd Street Dispensary is taking an education-forward approach to selling cannabis in their community There are endless barbs in our cultural vernacular for cannabis users: Pothead. Hophead. Doper. Stoner. Druggie. The list goes on, as bias against users is bred in as many strains as the plant itself.

“We really want people to question judgments and prejudices in everything they do,” says Cheryl Annen, co-founder and director of operations at 3SD in Lee’s Summit. “One of the things we’ve learned is how deep that stigma and shame has gone. Our patients will tell us stuff they don’t even share with their spouses and doctors and we’re honored to earn their trust. But it’s sad to see how real that stigma is, even for users.”

3SD’s operations are geared towards counteracting this ubiquitous bias.

“The only way we can really overcome that stigma is just to try and educate folks,” says Brody Burgdorf, manager at 3SD. He cites seemingly endless uses of cannabis: suppressing nausea so a patient can get food down, blunting the edge of an oncoming panic attack, or helping a patient deal with back pain. The right strains dosed properly can relieve IBS and IBD digestive complications or quiet tics brought on

by Tourette Syndrome. Cannabis can also aid insomnia or soften the sting of depression.

Burgdorf makes marijuana sound magical. But he’s quick to point out that it’s no panacea.

“Everybody thinks, ‘Oh, I can just go take a pill, and my life will be magically better,’ and that’s not the truth,” he says. “Cannabis, too, is a tool for making yourself better, whether that’s mentally or physically.”

Ashley Smithson, 3SD’s community manager, is on much the same wavelength. She began recreationally using cannabis in her 20s and discovered it was a salve for her severe anxiety.

She’s had a successful and varied career in everything from journalism to public policy to working for The Kansas City Chiefs. Yet, she kept her cannabis usage a secret from her friends and co-workers.

“Accepting this position at [3SD] was me coming out to family and friends, and it hasn’t been without stigma,” she says, adding, “I first appreciated the medicinal purposes of cannabis watching my maternal grandmother, Bonnie, battle colon cancer.”

Smithson recalls a family dinner not long before Bonnie’s death, where her grandmother happily packed away a six-course meal while giggling and enjoying time with her family.

“I know cannabis is completely the reason she was able to live several wonderful years past a very aggressive cancer diagnosis,” says Smithson.

“She was the little old lady from Pasadena, and out and proud about her cannabis use. It was through that bravery she was able to break down stigma by changing what people think of as a ‘pothead.’”

Indeed, the folks at 3SD know that every person who walks through their doors has a similar story of how cannabis has improved their life. Whether they’re 18 or 80 years old, the dispensary team is there to validate patients’ experiences, and to share the knowledge they’ve accumulated from lifetimes of cannabis plant passion.

Burgdorf and 3SD’s budtenders coach patients on consumption methods, strains that might address their particular maladies, and the “low and slow” approach to proper dosing. While 3SD’s online blog provides free resources for patients on topics such as responsible cannabis use around pets, their on-site pharmacist is booked open to close on Tuesdays and Thursdays, answering questions about how products might interact with other medications. Currently, they’re in the early stages of production on a free, educational cannabis podcast.

“Education is really the key—to put out fact-based knowledge,” says Annen. “[To say to patients], ‘This is what marijuana can do for you, good and bad.’”

As Annen, Burgdorf, Smithson, and the full team at 3SD put it, the ultimate goal is to help patients “live life good.”

“Just because you medicate every day doesn’t make you a ‘pothead,’” says Annen. “No matter what you choose to take an edge off or to manage your pain—for whatever reasons you medicate, and whatever you choose to medicate [with]—you have to decide if it’s enhancing your life or interrupting it.”

SPONSORED BY 3RD STREET DISPENSARY / WRITTEN BY LILY WULFEMEYER

FILM (Left) Joe Bulger. Cinestill 50D 35mm film.

(Top right) Dean Duvall.

Ilford Delta 100 film.

(Bottom right) Kelby Reck. Kodak Portra 400 120 film.

messed up or not.

And when you have messed up, there’s no fixing it. You just live with it, absorb it, and then trust that you’ll do better next time.

What is FilmX?

you can take a photo and trust the process.

And then you have to do that 36 more times until the roll is finished, which is awesome, but it’s jarring at first. Most of us are wired to make moves we know and can see.

Digital photography is like, “Yo, make your photo! Okay, now look! Oh neat, but maybe it’s a little dark. Try it again!” You correct as you go based on what you see in your photos. The process is incremental, linear, and in real-time.

Film photography is like, “Yo, make your photo! Okay neat! You made a decision! Oh, you only get 36. Also, you paid for this. Oh, also, I’m sensitive to light. So like, be careful. Hope all these decisions worked out for you!” And then it isn’t until a week or month later when you’ve finished your roll and got it developed that you find out if you

STOP WONDERING. GET YOURSELF TESTED. Schedule online for STD testing and treatment: ppgreatplains.org

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THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

FilmX started as a small side project for me. Using a film camera helped me look at my life in a way that wasn’t scary. It helped me acknowledge my own existence in a way that didn’t make me feel broken. I avoided therapy for so long. I just didn’t want to admit to myself that I needed it. Film helped me without ever feeling like anything was out of place.

After seeking help from mental health professionals, I wanted to find an accessible way to spread that feeling. I wanted to share film photography with anyone because it changed my life so much. So, I decided I would just buy a disposable camera every month, give it to a random person, then tell them I would develop and scan it for free.

I just want to help people slow their lives down for a second and acknowledge the very life they’re living. What better way to do that than to make a photo?

After developing and scanning a handful of disposables, I wanted to start curating all of those quiet little moments people have and show everyone that acknowledging yourself in the life you live doesn’t al-

ways have to be obvious or a grand gesture.

It doesn’t even have to make sense.

So, that’s the heart of FilmX. It sort of evolved when I decided to make a dedicated space for the film process. As the space grew and I started dumping my own money into it, a few friends hopped on board, and we formed a tiny collective. We pooled our money to pay for film chemicals and help each other develop and scan film, just for us.

Eventually, their friends wanted us to process their film, and then their friends’ friends—out of nowhere, it just snowballed.

The more support we received, the more we invested in better chemicals and equipment and accidentally became a totally capable film lab. The support has been really neat. I never really had much interest in making it a business, but I did realize that if I had more support, especially financially, the easier it would be to introduce it to more folks.

I guess FilmX is a DIY, punk operation of film nerds helping film nerds.

What’s the journey of the film from drop-off to delivery?

Film gets dropped into a lockbox outside the lab. I bring it inside and put a sticker with a number on it to help me keep track of rolls. I have two film processors—one for

color and one for black and white—and it gets processed on the appropriate machine.

After processing, I hang the film to dry.

That usually takes up to eight hours. When the film is dry, I scan it and turn it into digital files. Film is generally a negative image.

Our software inverts the images into positives. As I’m waiting for the computer to run the inversions, I cut the negatives and put them into archiving sleeves.

I deliver a download link via email, and the physical negatives are archived and ready to be picked up locally or shipped.

Follow along with FilmX’s journey or reach out to Travis on Instagram @filmxlab

Happy Pride Month!

Find Terrapin flower at a dispensary near you.

InstaTerrapin Medical decisions should not be made based on advertising.

Consult a physician on the benefits and risks of particular medical marijuana products.

THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

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MUSIC Daniel McDill directs the Social Symphony.

Photo by Travis Young

It’s A Bittersweet Symphony, That’s Life SOCIAL SYMPHONY IS INSTRUMENTAL TO GROWING UP

By Emily Cox There are so many experiences that we took for granted in our youth. I used to translate Latin poetry every day, do chemistry experiments in a lab, and play music alongside scores of other students in band.

It’s totally normal as a kid to spend hours and hours each week on such varied pursuits. You don’t realize how cool that is until it’s too late, when you’re grown up and expected to devote all your time and energy to some singular focus in a career.

I played flute in school band from fourth grade until I graduated from Lincoln College Preparatory Academy. After graduation I didn’t pick up a flute for 12 years, until I found one at a flea market for $17. It’s not a good flute; it has one broken key and doesn’t like to stay in tune. But I looked up music for Christmas carols and other simple tunes and marveled at making music again. Reveled, really, in how my fingers still remembered where to go. My muscle memory and the music-making part of my brain got a good scratch for the first time in over a decade.

While it was fine fiddling around on the flute by myself, it was nothing compared to playing in a band.

I looked back at my days in band wistfully, amazed at what a miracle it was that I

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got to play in a symphonic band every single school day for years. What a privilege that was—a privilege that I wholly took for granted.

I also took for granted that my music-playing stopped when school did. You can play while you’re in school, but then it’s either pursue professional musicianship, whether playing or teaching, or…stop.

That’s it. That’s all you get.

What if we treated music as worthy of lifelong pursuit, regardless of proficiency?

Why should music education stop? Why should your experience of playing music end just because you’re not doing it as your job—just because you’re not the cream of the crop?

The Social Symphony of Kansas City fills the void in opportunity for musicians.

Founded in 2018, they set out to make a home for people like me, who loved playing music in school but never set out to pursue it professionally and haven’t had an opportunity to play since. Also known, off-paper, as the Drunk Orchestra, we gather every Monday evening in a rented rehearsal space to drink and play together. For the love of the game.

Alina Sigitova, Randalin Ward-McDill, and Daniel McDill have been best friends

since freshman year of high school, continuing on when they attended Pittsburg State together. The McDills were top of their class with degrees in music education, while Sigitova was a more casual player. “[After graduation] I moved up here— Randalin and Daniel were in the process of moving up here—and I was thinking about something I could start or do in Kansas City because I was essentially up here with no friends,” Sigitova says, laughing. “I liked drinking, and I thought about my hobbies back in college. I thought, ‘Well, what if we started a community orchestra, played at the high school level so that nobody is overwhelmed, and were led by these two amazing true musicians.”

Sigitova shared the idea with Randalin and McDill, who decided to pursue it. Daniel McDill also holds a master’s degree in orchestral conducting and now puts it to work as the Director of Social Symphony.

“When Alina came up with this weird idea, I told her I’d try to do it, and here we are, four years later,” McDill reminisces.

It turned out what Sigitova was looking for in community resonated with a lot of people.

“We started it all off a Reddit post just to see if people would be interested,” says

McDill. “We said, ‘Show up at the Rino,’ and we didn’t know if anybody would show up or not. I walk in and see like 50 people, and I just start laughing because I don’t believe it.

Completely from Reddit.”

Alex Nagle, treasurer for the group, remembers: “At the first or second rehearsal, we started off playing Christmas music.

Towards the end of rehearsal, everything sounded really good, and you could feel it in the room that everyone was like ‘Oh my god, this is a thing, this could really work.’

I remember Daniel even saying something, like, ‘Wow guys, we’re actually sounding really good.’ Almost in disbelief.”

McDill confirms he was, in fact, a bit disbelieving at first.

“I remember we went into that first rehearsal, we had no idea who was showing up, what kind of level of playing they had,” he says. “So we’re just going in completely blind, [thinking that] hopefully we can play a major scale or two and see where we can go. We got through a couple songs and it was like, ‘Okay, we can do this.’”

Erika Goring, self-described “mediocre first violinist,” is a graphic designer by day. She’s been pleased to be able to put those skills to work in designing merch and promotion materials for the group.

“The cool thing about playing high school level music is that a lot of us haven’t played since high school,” says Goring. “So for me, I played from fifth to 12th grade, and then I stopped for, like, 13 years.”

Music is now an essential outlet for her.

“One of the things we emphasize is that it’s for fun,” says Goring. “It’s not really like a job, we don’t have to be good, we just have to be there and do the thing. I’ve realized over the last few years that music is a huge part of who I am. I don’t have to be good at it, I just have to make noise. Having a safe place to do that that’s low stress, low stakes—it means a lot to me. I just don’t know what I would do without it.”

Nagle echoed similar sentiments: “For me, music was grade school, high school, college, then all of a sudden you stop, you graduate, and it’s done. But it’s something that was so core to my identity. So, to find something like that again was a huge boost.

Reconnecting with your instrument [makes you feel like], ‘Oh my god, I need to keep doing this.’”

Once you graduate from high school or college, there just aren’t many options for non-professional musicians to play in large ensembles.

“Even community orchestras play such high level music that you essentially have to be retired or be a good professional musician to be able to play those pieces,” Sigitova says.

“The vast majority of adults don’t have the time to invest in practicing even an hour every week in addition to rehearsals.”

Social Symphony does not require au-

MUSIC

Join our V.l.P. DREAMERS @ KCsmokeshop.com for exclusive deals and rewards! ditions, and accepts everyone so long as they don’t have an excess of your instrument represented.

“As much as I love trumpets, I can’t have 12 trumpets,” says McDill.

The group will place potential players on waitlist in the cases of overabundance.

String players, rejoice.

“We always need more violins and strings, I will never turn away a string player,” McDill continues.

It turns out that people who are playing for enjoyment actually put on a show that is enjoyable, too. Their last concert, during the Christmas season, packed the house at Rochester Brewing & Roasting Co. McDill says, “We always end up putting on a great concert. People love it.”

Social Symphony offers a place for music to continue outside of more formal institutions.

“I do definitely think that it’s important to continue music education into adulthood,” says McDill. “It’s good for mental health and for friendships with people.

Especially with these last couple years of

for it to be worthy of playing (and hearing).

This group is a balm for perfectionism and overactive work ethics.

“Part of having a good life is being multifaceted,” says Sigitova. “[Social Symphony] allows people to be multifaceted in a way that you don’t have to have a hobby that makes you money. In fact, you don’t even have to have a hobby that you’re good at.

You can just come and play.”

McDill adds, “You don’t have to worry about going to rehearsal and getting yelled at by the director because you didn’t practice your part.”

“It’s a no-pressure environment,” McDill continues. “There’s so many people I’ve talked to in the group who were like, ‘Man I just didn’t know if I could do it, but you know, I started playing a couple weeks ago, and it’s starting to come back, I remember this, ooh I might need to practice that a little bit, but I remember this.’ You see these a-ha moments, and you see people’s faces light up, and it’s worth everything.”

In my first rehearsal with the group this January, I was one of those faces lighting

It turns out that people who are playing for enjoyment actually put on a show that is enjoyable, too.

COVID, people spend a lot of time alone.

Now that you’re finally getting back to doing something normal, and having those relationships with people, I think it’s more important than ever.”

There is just as much emphasis on the “social” as on the “symphony.”

“Everything [for the group] revolves around the social aspect of music,” continues McDill. “The social aspect of music isn’t talked about enough. Looking back to high school, everything you did, if you were a band geek, revolved around the band room.

Or the orchestra room. The choir room.

School started at 8 a.m.—for some reason kids were in there hanging out at 7 in the morning. Sometimes it was a safe haven for kids, too. We want to continue that social aspect of music that adults don’t usually get.”

As a result, not only new friendships, but new relationships and even marriages have blossomed within the group. McDill is soon to be a groomsman in a wedding for a couple that met in the Social Symphony.

In our hustle-obsessed society, it is refreshing to gather with 60 or so like-minded individuals to, literally, play. There is no profit motive. There is no demand for excellence. As it turns out, music doesn’t have to be performed at the height of proficiency

up. After years of thinking what a shame it was that I would never again play flute in a large ensemble, there I was, doing just that.

Making noise in collaboration with so many other humans, with my breath contributing to the whole magnificent sound of it, was a unique kind of magic.

“Music really is for everyone,” says McDill. “And when we say music is for everyone, we don’t just mean kids and teenagers and college kids. We’re here in Kansas City—for anyone who is 21 and over—for anyone that would like to continue on that path.”

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For more information about joining Social Symphony, you can reach them at information@socialsymphonykc.org

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33

MUSIC

Our Love For These Tracks Will Still Be Strong

W

AFTER THE NOISE OF SUMMER HAS GONE

By Nick Spacek

hat better way to guide your musical tastes toward some new listens, as part of the titular Summer Guide issue, than this roundup of new releases coming from artists in and around the metro? Whether your tastes lean toward electronic, indie, country, rock, or hip-hop, we’ve got treasure for you here. Let us be the eclectic soundtrack to your backyard BBQ with friends and family.

rhythmonster Beat Punk (Boot Disk and Chill)

There’s a certain delight when a musician reaches out to ask about us covering their new release then finding that the release is maddeningly good. In this case, a fellow named Mick put together a collection of self-described “experimenting with some uptempo stutter-like hyper-soul beats.” It’s the first of what he hopes will be monthly mixtapes throughout the end of the year.

To wit, it is an actual mixtape. A few days after we corresponded, it showed up in my mailbox and proceeded directly to my tape deck. [Yes, I still have a tape deck, and it rules. All you vinyl junkies need to expand your horizons.] What poured from my spreaders was a set of soul grooves shot through with 808 kicks. The whole experience comes across like a lost MF Doom session from the early ‘00s. While a few vocals make themselves at home, this is mostly a collection of beats begging for an emcee to hop on and ride the flow. While minimal in arrangement, the bass comes through like it’s riding an expressway to your skull. As I listened during the middle of an unseasonable heatwave, the slightly smeared tracks seemed to melt just as much as my body did each time I left the house that day—a sonic warmth to match my personal flop sweat.

If you can’t track down a cassette, Beat Punk is readily available on Spotify.

Flora Emerald City (Self-released)

For a project which started as literal bedroom recordings, Flora’s Emerald City works as a metaphor on a few levels. First is the obvious Wizard of Oz nod in the album title and Flora’s outfit on its cover—appropriate due to her Kansas roots and the album’s recording location at a farm. Deeper

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down, this parallels the concept of escaping the world during a pandemic, with a slew of similarly themed videos coinciding with the album’s release.

Much as Dorothy’s journey was accomplished with a motley crew of collaborators, you’ll find appearances from fellow musicians like Jim Barnes of Quiet Corral and Hembree on drums, and the Republic Tigers’ Ken Jankowski doing vocals on two tracks.

The end result is an album wrestling with loneliness and isolation, as most evident on a track titled “Don’t Fit In,” wherein flute and saxophone lend levity to Flora’s forthright and unapologetic vocals.

Conceptually, Flora’s journey through non-Oz comes through in each track, highlighting her personal struggles with high school, learning to drive, and a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Hearing a line like, “Wonder if you’d still remember my middle name,” in “Dumb Little Girl” will make even the most jaded music listener shudder from the rush of reliving their first real break-up.

Flora’s Emerald City is available now on cassette at florafromkansas.com

Thumbs Trunk Wired Shut (Self-released)

Thumbs is a band committed to releasing new music at least once every 40 years, but it is always worth the wait.

When lead singer Steve Wilson fires off social media announcements about Trunk Wired Shut, the new album from the 2016 Kansas Music Hall of Fame inductees, they’re simultaneously self-deprecating and absolutely on the mark. The last Thumbs record hit in 1982, but the new album is, as the blog Wilfully Obscure describes, the band’s “power pop cum bar band pastiche.”

The first two songs, “Meet Me at the Edge of the World” and “Bam a Lam,” respectively demonstrate both sides and kick off the 12-song collection with an energy and verve one might not expect from a bunch of musicians all approaching retirement age.

The album was recorded in 2021 amid the pandemic, so members Kevin Smith, Wilson, Karl Hoffman, Marty Olson, Gary Mackender, and Todd Newman—along with Alex Flores on sax—tracked their parts in various spots across the country including Lawrence, Tucson, Atlanta, and Minneapolis. But it doesn’t feel that way at all.

Trunk Wired Shut is not so much a

reunion record as a continuation of what Thumbs did four decades ago, albeit with the attendant chops and skills acquired in the interim.

Thumbs’ Trunk Wired Shut is available at thumbs.bandcamp.com

Jenna Rae Country Lo-Fi

of its name. It’s from a space far away, and what is committed to the recording will forever convey a sense that she’s performing directly in front of you, and only for you. Who wouldn’t be flattered by that attention and talent?

Jenna Rae’s Country Lo-Fi is available at thelostcowgirl.com

(Lost Cowgirl)

Joel Leoj Priceless

It’s been four years since Jenna Rae’s debut full-length Workin’ Woman hit, but it’s not as though the Lawrence singer-songwriter has been resting on her laurels. She’s played dozens of shows both solo and as part of the duo Jenna & Martin with her partner, Martin Farrell Jr. The pair released Cosmic Western Duets in 2020. Erstwhile, the bluegrass quintet Unfit Wives (counting Rae among its members), put out their debut Live & Unfit. Totally worth noting that, in addition to this escalating discography, all of these releases have come from a label Rae runs herself. With that level of productivity, it makes sense that the musician would take things back to basics with her sophomore outing and aptly-titled Country Lo-Fi. Many of these tracks first debuted on Rae’s YouTube channel, where recordings were first performed in the woods, the desert, and even in a rowboat. For each song, only one extra instrument complements Rae and her guitar—such as the perfectly-suited mandolin addition on the sweetly hopeful “Dandelions Dancin.’” Sometimes you’ll catch a whiff of harmonica or piano on these singles, or percussion crafted from ice cubes, dog barks, and other incidental sounds around Rae’s home studio.

Country Lo-Fi is true to both aspects

(Self-released)

We first caught wind of Joel Leoj when he featured on Cuee’s brilliant 2021 single “Ain’t Going Back,” and now he’s returned with his debut full-length, Priceless. The rapper’s rhymes run the gamut from religious to earthly subject matter without ever sounding off-kilter, making for an album which has already invaded my warm-weather playlists.

Leoj’s sonic approach takes unexpected branching paths. To go from the percussive “Ain’t Going Back” into the Mellotron and acoustic guitar of “Proud Mary” is a big switch, but both of these songs set the stage for what’s to follow on Priceless. Our hero isn’t all intensity and braggadocio– this is a rapper willing to try a little tenderness. The repeated use of plucked acoustic chills out the vibe at points and keeps things from getting overblown. Throw in some chiptune programming on “Lit,” power-ballad-worthy electrics on “Better,” and the organ on album closer “Lights Out”—what you’re left with is an experience that startles the listener with choices but never vibes as if the creator is not in total control.

Joel Leoj’s Priceless is now streaming across most digital outlets.

FOOD & DRINK

THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

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THE PITCH SEX & LOVE KEEP THEM COMING

Photo by Nicole Bissey. Illustrations by Shelby Phelps

Ask yourselves what lessons or experiences you can bring into your daily life once you’re home.

VACATION SEX IS VITAL I’m glad to be welcoming the warmth again and to be helping people use this time to improve their sex life. We typically have more sex in the summer (as I discussed in my December column). Even couples that have been side-stepping intimacy often share with me that they have sex more frequently and without much added effort as the temperatures rise.

Huzzah! But, my darlings, low bars are easy to beat. I want to help you increase the amount of sex you’re having as well as find ways to help you raise that bar off the floor long-term. Let’s talk about how to use a romantic vacation to ramp up the intimacy in your relationship.

The Gottman Institute found that there are 13 things couples who have a great sex life have in common. One of them is that they take romantic vacations. Family vacations can be critical for bonding with your children and making formative memories for them, but you still need one-on-one time away with your love.

Happier and hornier Excitement and spontaneity add nuance to relationships. Esther Perel, world-renowned relationship therapist and author of Mating in Captivity, says that nuance is vital to maintaining eroticism and desire.

Doing things like trying new foods, hiking a mountain, watching the sunset, or seeing a famous work of art together can induce these feelings.

How long of a vacation should you book?

A Finnish study showed that eight days is the optimal amount of time for people to experience the most joy and excitement from their vacation. Maybe you can’t take an entire week, but can you spare a

three-day weekend within a few hours’ drive without the kiddos? Elicit help from grandparents, aunts, uncles, babysitters, or even the neighbors to make this happen.

Planning a vacation together creates something called shared anticipation.

When you are looking at websites together, sending links to one another, or adding things to your Vacation Dreams Pinterest board, there’s a certain happy flutter that stirs up. In fact, you’re likely to be happiest in the weeks and months leading up to a vacation.

Happier couples often have more sex.

Use this time to increase the level of intimacy before you even pack your bags. Try cuddling on the couch while you watch YouTube videos about potential destinations and activities. Touch their leg as you scroll on your laptop together. Make out after you click “Book Your Reservation.”

Intimacy is about so much more than sex.

Mommy came here to relax and get laid If hearing children running down the halls or playing by the pool kills the vibe for you, consider an adults-only location.

This doesn’t need to be a spicy locale like Temptations or Hedonism—any 18+ hotel will do if you worry that you’ll get pulled into “Mom” mode. You can ask the front desk if they will place you at the end of a hallway, far from elevators, and away from families with small children. Act like you’re on a second honeymoon—you might even get a room upgrade!

Thanks to Dr. Emily Nagowski and her book Come As You Are, sexologists and laypeople alike were introduced to the dual-control model. What we understand from her research is that people have exciters and inhibitors, or accelerators and brakes. While I’m a huge fan of compromise, I don’t think vacations are

something to compromise greatly on. If you drag your spouse to an island to go scuba diving when they are afraid of the ocean, it’s going to slam on their brakes.

Perhaps to a point of no return. You won’t be getting the yummy vacation sex you hoped for. Instead, compromise on things like room quality at the resort, which excursion to book, or how long you want your couples massage to last.

How to keep it flowing Put sex on the calendar, as you did on your vacation. I get tons of pushback about this when I first discuss it with clients and friends but hear me out. In the early stages of dating when you had to coordinate calendars for a mutually agreeable dinner, pack an overnight bag (just in case), and sext or tease or flirt about what y’all were gonna do after your date night out—this may come as a shock. You were planning your sex life.

In fact, it’s likely because you stopped planning your sex life that you might be lacking these days. I said what I said. Go put that shit on the calendar now. Research backs me up on this.

Ask yourselves what lessons or experiences you can bring into your daily life once you’re home. Perhaps you got a refresher on how good it feels to fool around in crisp sheets—go buy a new set of high thread count Egyptian cotton. If you had the chance to ride horses or ATVs on an excursion and couldn’t stop feeling the vibration, then spend more time together outdoors. Learn to replicate some flavorful food you both enjoyed so that when you have it at home, memories of that vacation come flooding back and turn you both on.

Vacations are not limited to summer.

Shortly after your trip is over, look at your budget and calendars and plan an off-season getaway. Foreplay begins as soon as the sexual encounter ends. Keep committing to one-on-one time together. Your sex life will thank you for it.

You can find Kristen @OpenTheDoorsKC on Twitter or openthedoorscoaching com. Check out her podcast Keep Them Coming.

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THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

THE PITCH SEX & LOVE SAVAGE LOVE

REAL WORRIES Dear Dan: I’m a straight guy and have been married to a straight woman for 15 years.

Several years back, I opened up to my wife about my fantasies of her sleeping with other men. I was nervous about bringing it up. Her views on sex had always been traditional, and she had always expressed a very strict idea of monogamy and commitment. So, I was extremely relieved when her reaction was intrigue rather than disgust. She was curious about it and wondered if I really wanted it to happen or if it was just something I wanted to keep in our rotation of dirty talk.

Fast-forward to this week, and my wife tells me she is interested in exploring this.

(Note to other guys who want this from their wives: be respectful, don’t pressure, and give her time to think about it. Your patience might be rewarded!) Here is the problem: We both have careers that could be complicated or damaged by the stigma around “cheating.”

I know about all the apps out there, but we live in a large city, and there is a non-zero chance that we might run into someone on the apps we are connected to professionally or socially. Are any of the apps out there geared toward folks who want to go about this carefully? Is it possible to minimize the risk of professional or social embarrassment here, or is this just something we must accept to pursue this lifestyle?

—Hooking Up, Seeking Help Dear HUSH: There are lots of dating apps for people and/or couples looking for casual sex and/or kinky sex (Feeld, 3Somer, #Open, et al), and lots of people—single and partnered—looking for casual and/or kinky sex on regular dating apps (Tinder, OKCupid, Christian Mingle, et al.). But hookup/ threesome/swinger apps, while sometimes perceived as “sleazier,” are a safer bet for a couple like you and your wife.

While there’s no way to eliminate your risk of being recognized on an app, HUSH, anyone who spots you on Feeld looking for extracurricular dick was also on Feeld looking for and/or offering up a little extracurricular dick of their own. The threat of mutually assured destruction—if they gossip about you, you’ll gossip about them—is usually enough to restrain bad actors, as is the threat of the obvious follow-up question, “Wait, why are you on Feeld?”

And most people on hookup apps aren’t bad actors, HUSH, but fundamentally decent people like you and your wife (i.e., singles and couples looking for a little fun, not for an opportunity to hurt anyone). A friend, or a relative, or a coworker who spots your wife in a bar with a strange man—or in the lobby of a hotel, or on her way into your apartment—is more likely to cause you headaches than one of your fellow perverts online.

To minimize your risk of being spotted and outed on the apps, HUSH, don’t post face pics and only share them after you’ve established—to the best of your ability— that the person you’re talking to isn’t a bot, a pic collector, or an extortionist. Again, there’s no way to fully eliminate the risk, but at a certain point you have to trust your gut and take a risk. You also have the option of creating a profile in a city you visit regularly but don’t live in, HUSH. After you’ve found and vetted a few good candidates, get yourself some airline tickets and a hotel room and have those drinks in a bar that a colleague, a fan, or your father-in-law is unlikely to walk into.

Dear MSSUAA: Now for some real worries.

We are weeks away from American women being stripped of a fundamental, constitutional, and human right. And we face the prospect of an out-of-control and illegimate Supreme Court stripping us of a host of other rights: the right to contraception, the right to same-sex marriage, the right to interracial marriage, even the right to have sex for pleasure—you know, the sex most people have most of the time. (In Lawrence v. Texas (2003), the Supreme Court struck down sodomy laws that criminalized not just consensual gay sex, but consensual sex between men and women that wasn’t open to conception as well.)

While it should be enough to hear from women who’ve benefited from safe and legal abortion—and it should be enough to know that women die from unsafe and illegal abortions, and enough to know that banning abortions doesn’t stop women from getting abortions—I happen to agree that cis men who support abortion rights and have benefited from them need to speak the fuck up about reproductive freedom.

“There are millions of men whose lives would have been worse without abortion,” writer Jill Filipovic wrote on Twitter last

week. “Men who wouldn’t have found their big loves, wouldn’t have their kids, wouldn’t have been as successful, wouldn’t have taken big risks” if they had become fathers before they were ready. To those men—to all men—Filipovic says, “This is your fight, too.

Get in it.”

And gay men? The exact same arguments being used right now to strip women of the right to decide when and whether they want to bear a child—abortion isn’t within the “history and traditions” of the United States, abortion isn’t a right enumerated in the Constitution, abortion is a moral question—can and will be used to strip us of the right to have sex and the right to marry.

Republican assholes are passing laws in red states right fucking now that force women to give birth to their rapists’ babies against their will. Don’t for a second think these same assholes won’t pass laws, forcibly ending your gay marriage, or throwing your gay ass in jail for getting your gay ass fucked.

This is our fight, too, faggots.

Question for Dan? Email him at mail@savagelove.net Follow Dan on Twitter @FakeDanSavage. Check out his new website at Savage.Love!

Dear Dan: As you’ve surely heard, the conservative Supreme Court majority plans to overturn Roe v. Wade. While my wife and I were lamenting the state of this fucking country, she mentioned that nobody ever hears men talking about the abortions that kept their lives on track—even though that’s obviously a very common thing that happens.

How many guys shat their pants after a condom failed during sex with a woman they weren’t that into? How many prominent men knocked up their mistresses, assistants, or babysitters? How many Republican boys have pressed a wad of their parents’ money into a girl’s hand because having a baby would ruin his future?

These men need to speak up. I’m not expecting actual Republicans to do so, but perhaps there are men out there who are willing to speak up and admit what we all know: Men benefit from abortion while bearing none of the shame associated with it. It’s time we heard from them. I’m sorry I don’t have a catchy name for this or a cute sign-off. I’m so tired and the world is falling apart.

—Men Should Speak Up About Abortion THE PITCH | June 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

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KC CARES

KC Cares

Variety KC

By Beth Lipoff

When you plan your family outing to go to a playground or catch a baseball game, you’re probably thinking about sunscreen or parking. If your child has a disability, the equation becomes a lot more complicated.

You’ll need a surface a wheelchair can traverse, play equipment he or she can use, and above all, a bathroom that can accommodate a wheelchair or even an adult-sized changing table. Without those kinds of accommodations, families with a disabled member fade out of sight.

Variety KC is always trying to bridge that gap to make everyday things accessible to all.

“I was giving away wheelchairs and walkers, but I never saw kids in the community. And I thought, ‘Where are all these children and people who have special needs?’ Just listening to parents, it’s appalling that we live in a society built with barriers,” says Deborah Wiebrecht, executive director of Variety KC. Wiebrecht has led the non-profit for 12 years, but it’s been around for 87. She’s the only paid staff member, overseeing numerous volunteers. One of the main ways she steers the work Variety KC does is by asking parents, “What would it take to make a difference, to get you to be included?”

Over the last decade, Variety KC has built 12 inclusive playgrounds all over the metro area, from Olathe, to Independence, to Raymore.

Working with venues all over the city such as the Kauffman Center, Children’s Mercy Park, and the Kansas City Zoo, Wiebrecht has pushed to install accessible bathrooms with large changing tables, sensory kits for those who get overwhelmed,

and numerous other helpful tools.

She credits the parents of the kids Variety helps with using their voices to advocate for these changes.

The new KCI airport will feature a Variety KC inclusive play area, as well as a flight simulator and a sensory room, each dedicated to a Variety kid who has passed away.

Sports teams such as the Mavericks and the Royals have partnered with her to offer new opportunities for kids to get out and have fun, such as playing sled hockey, skating with walkers, or having a baseball camp.

It makes a big difference for people like Liberty resident Katie Minnick. Her 7-year-old son Nathaniel uses a wheelchair and is non-verbal.

“I kind of accepted it— the world doesn’t really accommodate my son. Then we moved here. I used to have to change my son in Virginia in the back of the car— no privacy, pouring down sweat,” Minnick says. “Here I know that, if I’m at the zoo, I know where the adapted bathrooms are.

Because of what Variety’s done, they’ve made it so we can go to events.”

Though he loves being active, playing outside, and being around crowds, Nathaniel had never gotten to play on a slide or swings. Having that accessibility opened up to him was huge, and it didn’t stop there.

“At the baseball camp, my kid got to play a sport for the first time in his life, and we loved it. It was the best day out at Kauffman Stadium. You walk in, and they’re blowing bubbles, and they’re cheering your kid’s name,” Minnick says.

One of the biggest impacts on Na-

Aurelia Power, Aubrey May, Mauriel Fields, Juliana Allen, and Maggie Herber gather around pianist Brad Foster as they rehearse for the Spinning Tree Theatre’s inclusive summer camp performance of Starlight Express.

The camp was part of a partnership with Variety KC. Courtesy Variety KC

thaniel’s life has been the adapted bike Variety KC got for him. “[It] has been completely life-changing. My son rides that bike three to four times a week. It’s been so fantastic for therapy. He rides his bike with his sister, who is typical. There is no way I could afford an adapted bike. These things run $10-15,000. Insurance never covers it,” Minnick says.

Variety KC takes applications for assistance to get mobility devices from all around the metro area for those under 21, with references from doctors and therapists.

“A little boy we just voted on this week has no arms and no legs. He just got prosthetic legs, so he’s going to try therapy horseback riding for the first time. So, we’re providing him that mobility saddle,” Wiebrecht says. “It’s an unusual request for us, but because that will help Henry build that trunk support, get his prosthetics going and get his cardiovascular exercise, we approved to fund his saddle.”

But having devices like the adapted bike or the mobility saddle is more than just a way to get out into the sunshine.

“[Nathaniel] gets to ride his bike [and be] with all the other kids, which is something that kids like my son don’t always get to experience because everything is therapy-related. Everything is a lot of work,” Minnick says. “He gets to just have fun, whether it’s on a playground, playing soccer, or going ice skating. There are so many different things that they do and provide for children, no matter what their abilities are.”

To make all these happen, Wiebrecht is constantly fundraising. Even though Variety is a national organization, all the money Variety KC raises stays here to help local kids.

Anytime there’s an event like the opening of a playground, she always needs volunteers of all ages.

“That’s when kids see the biggest change. When you interact with a Variety child, you form that friendship, and you form a bond. You see them for who they are and what their heart is like,” Wiebrecht says.

To sign up as a volunteer, go to varietykc. org/get-involved/volunteer

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