The Pitch: August 2023

Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar is a classy addition to the KC brunch scene

A look into Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar’s brunch menu. From its elegant atmosphere to its extensive offerings, we try the seafood hub’s newest dining experience. Is it worth a stop on your weekend bucket list?

Decide for yourself.

6 LETTER

Letter from the Editor Dead trees and the dirty ground

BY

BROCK WILBUR

8 CULTURE

Body Work

Converge invites KC to understand and applaud local contemporary dance

BY BELLE YENNIE 10

On Track

Josh Jones speaks out about his experiences working with the Kansas City Symphony

BY NINA CHERRY

12

Above Average

Actress Cynthia Kaye McWilliams on BET’s Average Joe, true crime, and her KC roots BY

JACQULYN SEYFERTH

14

Critical Mass

KCFCC frames the joy of the flicker

BY BELLE YENNIE

15

FOOD & DRINK

Where The Wild Things Are Wild Child brings low- and no-ABV sensibilities to craft cocktails

BY JORDAN BARANOWSKI

16

Watering Whole Johnny’s Tavern’s extended family looks back on the first 70 years

BY EMMA HILBOLDT

20

MUSIC

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is a deliciously nostalgic link to adolescence, reimagined for adulthood

Taylor Swift’s release of the re-recording of her 2010 third studio album brought a wave of nostalgia ahead of her July 7 show at Arrowhead. The highly anticipated Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is Swift’s third reimagining in her project to reclaim her masters after they were sold out from under her in 2020. A wistful reflection of the tribulations of growing into young adulthood, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is a testament to her genius talent of creating a magical time capsule attached to her music with timeless messages. Swift’s version includes six tracks from The Vault, with special features from Fall Out Boy in “Electric Touch” and Paramore’s Hayley Williams in “Castles Crumbling.”

T-Day: Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour swept the city Kansas City pulled out all the stops for Taylor Swift’s soldout Eras Tour dates at GEHA Field July 7 and 8. Arrowhead Stadium was full of Swifties (many clad in Speak Now-style purple sequin dresses) who teemed with unparalleled energy throughout the entire three-hour set spanning her 10-album discography. Swift declared her KC stop a Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) album release party, packing the weekend with surprises, including her tour debut of “Long Live” on her famous koi fish guitar and a music video release featuring special guests Taylor Lautner and Joey King.

Meeting of the Mindz

A new book by Geoff Harkness covers the greatest rap group you’ve probably never heard of

BY TYLER SCHNEIDER

22

Krautrockin’ in the Free World Berlin’s Terri Nunn on 40+ years of riding the New Wave

BY MICHAEL MACKIE

23

In Mixmorium

Eulogy by way of road trip reflections

BY NICK SPACEK

24

Good and Weary

BY KRISTEN THOMAS

KC CARES

KC Cares

War Horses for Veterans

BY BETH LIPOFF

BY SARAH SIPPLE

Drink This Now Borboleta at Black Dog Coffeehouse

BY SARAH SIPPLE

Mise en Place Taylor Petrehn crafts decadent, yeasty treats at new LFK donut staple

BY KATE FRICK

Internet Dating talks isolation on the road, community, and the new EP BY NATHANIEL

KENNON

PERKINS

26 EVENTS

August Events Calendar

BY THE PITCH STAFF

Cover by Hugo Juarez-Avalos, Jacqulyn Seyferth, Brooke Tramel

Creamy hollandaise, perfectly scrambled eggs, and crispy bacon combine to brunch-ify Jax’s next-level lobster roll. Lauren Textor

Courtesy image

Taylor Swift.

Chris Ortiz

Editor-in-Chief

Brock Wilbur

President & Chief Operating Officer

Andrew Miller

Director of Marketing & Promotions

Jason Dockery

Associate Editor

Steph Castor

Community Manager & Food Editor

Sarah Sipple

Sales Executive

Erin Carey

Music Editor

Nick Spacek

Film Editor

Abby Olcese

Little Village Creative Services

Jordan Sellergren

Art Director

Cassondra Jones

Contributing Writers

Liz Cook, Michael Mackie, Barb Shelly, Beth Lipoff, Kristen Thomas, Jordan Baranowski, Lauren Textor, Caroline Rose Newman, Adrian Torres, Kate Frick, Scott Poore, Hannah Strader, Tyler Schneider, Ashley Lindeman, Nathaniel Kennon Perkins, Nina

Cherry

Editorial Interns

Emma Hilboldt, Jacqulyn Seyferth, Brynn Winkler, Belle Yennie, Sofia Mongillo

Design Interns

Brooke Tramel, Hugo Juarez-Avalos, Jacqulyn Seyferth

Contributing Photographers

Zach Bauman, Chase Castor, Jim Nimmo, Chris Ortiz, Maura Dayton, Isabella Galvan, Allison Scavo, Pilsen Photo Co-op

Contributing Designers and Illustrators

Alex Peak, Jake Edmisten

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DISTRIBUTION

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Application to mail at second-class postage rates is pending at Kansas City, MO 64108.

COPYRIGHT

The contents of The Pitch are Copyright 2023 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.

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Letter from the Editor

DEAD TREES AND THE DIRTY GROUND

By Brock Wilbur

The dead tree really tied the whole thing together. We didn’t know it was dead when we moved in, just as we didn’t know the walls of our home would contain electrical wiring jerry-rigged by home improvement enthusiasts building a labyrinthian and threatening system of cables. Part of the joy of anything old is finding out how it got that way or, in the absence of easy explanations, filling in the details necessary to substantiate the situation with plausible solutions.

When it came to the dead tree in the backyard, its deadness didn’t make much sense on account of how it was visibly teeming with life.

A majestic oak towering 50 feet, it easily presented itself as 70 or more. It had the confidence of an even taller botanical behemoth. There was only a single branch on it, more than two-thirds of the way up, adding a slenderness to its form. It was more like a large radio tower that just so happened to have a bonus Christmas tree atop. There was also one gigantic arm branching off from the very center that extended out easily another 15 feet before branching off into a Tim Burton-esque hand—a claw dangling menacingly above our neighbors’ home.

After a few seasons and some close calls, we recognized that at least the claw would need to go. For safety. When the tree fellas came to inspect her, they informed us that the entire tree would need to go.

The assessment was perplexing because the tree was covered in greenery. Squirrels and birds had built perhaps full civilizations within its massive trunk and branches. Certainly, nothing could be more alive. And, as the only tree in our entire backyard, it stood as the lone focal point of space. Its placement always felt purposeful, timeless, and permanent.

Then, on a Tuesday, I went to work. Men came to my house with a truck. When I returned from work, the men had gone and taken the tree with them. An 8-foot diameter stump remained central and pivotal to the backyard.

When the storm of mid-July tore through Kansas, leaving a trail of powerless homes from Abilene, KS, to the far, far eastern suburbs of the metro, it was the first and only time thus far I’ve been thankful that the dead tree no longer cast its terrifying jagged gorgeous haunting shadow over our home and several of our neighbors’ vehicles. In 100 mph winds, it surely would have taken a life.

But in a vacuum, not a day goes by that I do not actively miss what we once had. Its absence is so actively felt, and I wish I had appreciated it more when I had the chance.

Some of the oldtimers here at The Pitch will ask me whether a story has the weight and reach to be published in the physical magazine instead of just running online. I was unfamiliar with the phrase when I started here, but I understand it now: “Is this worthy of dead trees?”

The question, of course, relates to whether or not the article can make it to the printed pages of our 43-year-old publication, and I have some increasing doubt in my answers to this inquiry. The physical paper that The Pitch is printed on is caught up in the unending uncertainty of supply chain issues. While I know how excellent the quality of the incoming stories will be, managing whether we can afford the cost of the imported dead trees that become tens of thousands of issues each month is, well, a variable cost—whose uncertainty rarely aligns with the value we feel each and every story we publish is worth.

Cassondra Jones

The physical paper itself is less evergreen than the words, tales, ideas, and joy that we seek to share with you, month after month.

This August, our issue features a fascinating slice of life from across our city’s tremendously complicated ecosystem. We have stories of those who are breaking through in their success, those whose success is on a track that itself is broken, and those daring to ask what they can break next. It is week after week, month after month, and year after year, an undeniable honor to have such grand spectacles of human triumph, creativity, and resilience to share with you.

With the magazine you hold, we feel there is little that could replace what this compendium delivers as we gather together so many concepts to share across so many individual journeys. We’re just trying to say we’re thankful to you for picking this up, for letting us into your lives, and for your endless support and belief in what we come here to do, time and time again.

The dead trees really tie the whole thing together.

Pitch in, and we’ll make it through,

From locals to legends, emerging artists to global superstars, discover the sound of Kansas City on 90.9 The Bridge.

Body Work

CONVERGE INVITES KC TO UNDERSTAND AND APPLAUD LOCAL CONTEMPORARY DANCE

By Belle Yennie

“Never miss a chance to dance.”

But only until you’re 18, and only if you’re in a coastal city.

Dancing in the Midwest isn’t easy, but even more so for contemporary performers. It’s difficult to gain support for an art form that can’t actually be defined. Ballet dancers strike their arabesques with grace, holding their chins high. The tappers shuffle and scuff around the stage while their arms float for balance. Even cirque performers receive jaw-dropping reactions for their splits and contorted shapes.

With contemporary, every movement with a technical name is scrapped. Using an arm, they slice, and their chest clicks with an audible exhale. In another moment, dancers swoosh their upper bodies in a circular motion. And soon after, they explode in a jump. Unique to the other art forms of dance, anything can happen, but we are still afraid of what we cannot define.

We don’t have to be.

Co-directed by individual dance company owners Tristian Griffin and Regina Klenjoski, the Converge dance performance featured a combined showcase of five stand-alone pieces on togetherness. They say most dance companies operate independently, but the two unite their connections to maximize the show’s quality. Newman University, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Arts, and Lawrence Arts Center hosted the combined dance performance. Converge already plans to return next year for additional shows.

“We heard comments like, ‘I don’t have to go to New York because that’s here now,’” says Klenjoski.

With limited dance opportunities in the Midwest, Converge meshes efforts to provide an artistic performance with “big city” quality and open the door for more contemporary dance opportunities. The show included pieces by the two directors and university dance instructors Gary Abbott, Sabrina Vasquez, and Chad Michael Hall. At the end of the show, choreographers bridge the gap between performers and audience members with a discussion of their pieces. By highlighting the diverse dance backgrounds and educational approach choreographers bring, they are raising the expectations of the Kansas City stage.

“We’re pulling from the different things that are in each work in correlation with the themes of Juneteenth, like freedom, celebration, diversity, identity,” says Griffin. “We’re giving a moment to discuss those points so it’s very clear for the audience to understand how ‘Pale Blue Dot’ relates to

identity or ‘The Art of Letting Go’ is about forgiveness and moving forward.”

Some dancers and choreographers received training in Nebraska, Ohio, and other locations that aren’t heavily known as dance-centered areas. Some others include experience in larger cities like Los Angeles and Chicago. Rather than two Kansas City companies competing, Griffin and Klenjoski prove how sharing connections and ideas benefit dance performances.

“As a small, contemporary company, we have to have a limited capacity to what we can do with venue selections and who we hire in,” says Griffin. “With us coming together to share our resources, it’s starting to become possible.”

Dancer Josué Villeda traveled from his home country of Guatemala to search for more dance opportunities in the United States. Before Griffin’s request to perform

talented dancers stop dancing right before college because of their lack of dance opportunities. Despite living in the U.S. for only eight months, he says the Midwest has many great choreographers and artists. He expresses his gratitude for Converge, but making a space for contemporary dancers could help further their momentum.

“I think there are so many people that have cool ideas, but there’s no place,” says Villeda. “If you want to perform or create something new, you need to pay for a theater or a space. And I think it is important to have spaces where people are just starting.”

When Katilyn Gardner informs others she’s a contemporary dancer, people often ask her what that means. To explain, she compares The Office and Friends to Interstellar and Black Mirror. With other dance genres, a storyline or plot is provided for entertainment. With contemporary, the more

Contemporary choreographers’ crafts are completely different from one another, and the same individual can present a performance that is nothing like their previous show. In addition to her performance career, Gardner is also a dance teacher at Stars Unlimited in Liberty and Dance Fit Flow in the Crossroads. In her classes, Gardner helps both children and adults express themselves through improvisational dance, connecting them with movement language.

“We don’t open our mouths and say any form of language, but our body is speaking it,” says Gardner. “A performance could be loved by many but also hated by many. It’s so subjective, so they have to keep coming and seeing it.”

in Converge, Villeda heard of KC but never imagined himself dancing here. However, he didn’t know about the hidden dance opportunities it held. After receiving positive feedback from several sold-out shows, Villeda says it’s up to the support of the people to continue the spark in KC.

“Dancers don’t have to leave for New York or LA or other places to try to find a job. They can have it there if there are people supporting,” says Villeda. “Converge, for me, was a magical experience.”

Villeda provides contemporary dance instruction and master classes for dance competitions, recitals, and smaller contemporary companies. In Guatemala, fierce,

engaged the audience is, the more they will receive from its message. In addition to this, contemporary dance audience members can interpret their own meaning with no correct answer.

“I think what drives people away from contemporary dance is the audience not knowing that whatever words or feelings that pop into their head while watching it—that is what it’s about,” says Gardner. “I think they feel out of the loop sometimes. So then it’s up to the choreographer to make sure there is some sort of loop to be in.”

Contemporary dance may not be everyone’s favorite entertainment, but Gardner advises audiences to return for more.

The five pieces in each show included Klenjoski’s “Rank of Angels,” Griffin’s “The Art of Letting Go,” Vasquez’s “Pale Blue Dot,” Abbott’s “Tarantism,” and Michael Hall’s “Uncanny Valley.” Next year, different choreographers and artists will bring pieces for the second Converge performance.

Contemporary dance is a misfit among other forms of entertainment, but that doesn’t mean it can’t thrive. It just needs the applause from its audience.

“Dance is underrepresented in this area, especially in the middle of the country. And if there’s anything I can offer to your audience, it’s that you will not be disappointed,” says Klenjoski.

Converge contemporary dancers perform on stage. Ryan Bruce

Contemporary dance is a misfit among other forms of entertainment, but that doesn’t mean it can’t thrive. It just needs the applause from its audience.

On Track

JOSH JONES SPEAKS OUT ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES WORKING WITH THE KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY

By Nina Cherry

In September 2020, percussionist Josh Jones became the first Black tenure-track musician in the history of the Kansas City Symphony (founded in 1982). Jones was denied tenure earlier this spring, sparking outrage not only among Kansas City’s local music scene but the orchestral community on a national level. Jones sat down with The Pitch to speak about his encounters working with the organization.

Upon winning the highly competitive audition process for the Kansas City Symphony’s (KCS) new principal percussionist, Josh Jones moved to the metro during the height of the pandemic for the orchestra’s 2020-2021 season. His first season was an unprecedented one, consisting of socially-distanced outdoor chamber performances and creating online content.

In June 2021, Jones received an invitation to an organization-wide party. Hosted by music director and conductor Michael Stern, the gathering was one of Jones’ first with the orchestra to celebrate the previous season’s accomplishments.

After Jones’ partner looked up the venue’s website, they learned the party would be held on a former plantation outside of Liberty. In 1860, 33 enslaved people lived at Everglades Plantation, now known as Ever Glades Farm, according to Clay County Federal Census records. The property is now the home of a prominent donor.

Jones expressed his discomfort to the orchestra committee and requested that musicians and staff be notified of the venue’s background. The committee left it to Jones to decide whether or not to notify the administration. New to the organization and early into his tenure process, Jones ultimately declined to bring the matter up to upper management.

Instead, he heeded the advice of several teachers to lay low during the probationary period: Do your job, make friends, and go home.

“You don’t want to be seen as the troublemaker or the whistleblower or hard to work with,” Jones says. “It was extremely uncomfortable to be present at this celebration with no acknowledgment of or respect for the venue’s history.”

Nevertheless, Jones remained excited about his new role.

“I’m an optimist. I was hoping it was just one thing—nothing else could happen, probably,” Jones says. “But I guess when people show you who they are, you should believe them.”

Security struggles

On multiple occasions, Jones had difficulty getting through security for performances at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

“It’s always expected that we perform at a high level,” Jones says. “But it’s never taken into account what we have to do to weed out distractions.”

Still unfamiliar to many security guards, Jones followed a strict routine for performances, entering from the same stage door. According to Jones, one evening, security asked him if he had entered through a different door. Jones replied no.

“They then showed me a photo of a Black person wearing a hoodie and jeans at the parking lot entrance and said, ‘This isn’t you?’ And I again said, ‘No, I don’t even drive,’” Jones says.

On another evening, Jones arrived with his partner and instead used the box office entrance to retrieve her ticket. Despite showing his official ID and being in concert black attire with a stick bag in hand,

Jones says the ushers insisted he was not an employee of the orchestra and that he went through the metal detector.

“Musicians never have to go through metal detectors. That’s not a thing,” Jones says.

After several back-and-forths, a staff member recognized Jones and confirmed he was a member of the Symphony.

“I had to get myself back into a state where I could play calmly and be emotionally available,” Jones says.

In contrast, when Jones began as assistant director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s percussion scholarship program in 2010, he says his supervisor sent an email

Percussionist Josh Jones clutches his mallets.

Courtesy Greg Mackay

in advance to all staff, security, and volunteers in the building with his name and photo. He had no issues getting through security and says they even remember him to this day.

“When people make an effort to make sure you’re seen, you usually don’t have problems,” Jones says.

Tenure and contract

Jones’ artistic merit is difficult to contest: He won three orchestral auditions in under four years, which is a rare feat in the field. His arrival in Kansas City brought excite-

sion.”

Howard cited Jones’ method of organizing and assigning music at an international percussion conference in November.

“My system is the standard system that is used by all top five orchestras in America,” Jones says.

As the former principal percussionist of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO), Jones has successfully gone through the tenure process before, although it didn’t come without major challenges.

During CPO’s tenure process, he claims one of the section percussionists alleged they never received music after Jones

cided to withhold tenure,” Jones says.

Given the widespread outrage over Jones’ denial of tenure, I asked the Kansas City Symphony if a third-party investigation would be conducted.

“The tenure evaluation process and ensuing decision were thoroughly reviewed by members of leadership not involved in the tenure process,” Beckley says.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

In an initial interview with KCS in May, Beckley stated that the organization’s DEI initiatives were “in a very early stage.”

One of the first times Jones heard about an organizational DEI program was in November 2021 during a musicians’ meeting—over a year after he started.

“One of the things they said is that it would run for a couple of seasons,” Jones says. “It was another one of those ‘is this really going to work out?’ moments.”

Jones couldn’t determine if the Symphony meant that the DEI program at large would only run for a couple of seasons or just the task force composed of musicians.

After Jones was denied tenure, he claims his tenure committee chair exhibited aggressive behavior towards him.

During a performance with the Kansas City Ballet, Jones’ colleague was playing a snare drum in need of minor tuning—it didn’t sound as good as the previous performance. Responsible for instrument maintenance, Jones mentioned he would tune it during intermission after the drum would no longer be used for the remainder of the show.

Jones’ tenure committee chair approached him to ask what he was doing while tuning. According to Jones, the tenure committee chair began raising his voice— onstage, in the pit—after his explanation.

“He then began to use a nasty and aggressive tone with me, stating, ‘The courteous thing to do would be to ask the subs if it is okay to tune the drum and not just tune the drum. You’ve had four rehearsals and a concert, and now you decide the drum doesn’t sound good? Think!’” Jones says. “I felt terrible.”

ment, hailed by longtime local art critic Paul Horsley as “one of America’s finest” in an article for The Independent Kansas City Symphony CEO Danny Beckley stated that “the principal role is really a leadership role, and it requires communication and organization and advanced planning.” According to Jones, the organization’s collective bargaining agreement states that tenured musicians cannot be dismissed on non-musical grounds.

Some of the job duties are unclear.

“There’s nothing written usually in the contract or collective bargaining agreement about what the specific duties of a principal percussionist are,” Jones says. “The duties are assumed.”

While it’s common practice for principal percussionists to be responsible for part assignments, set-up charts, and facilitating and maintaining an array of instruments, the contractual gray area and ambiguity of his role led to miscommunication and an unhealthy power dynamic that ultimately worked against his tenure process.

Jones believes the collective bargaining agreement is set up in a way that affords the orchestra and tenure committee far more power than its probationary members—a sort of hazing process.

“Certain demands can be made, so you have to do whatever they tell you to do,” Jones says.

Doug Howard, a former principal percussionist of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, is skeptical.

“To deny tenure to such a gifted musician on the basis of some unsubstantial and, frankly, unconvincing reasons seems highly suspect,” Howard wrote in an open letter. “Any shortcomings in the ‘management and organization’ area would need to be really egregious to justify such a deci-

had handed it out.

“It turns out they actually did have their music, but they were just lying about where it was,” Jones says.

With text receipts to back his claim, Jones brought the issue to management’s attention.

“There was no disciplinary action taken, and upon my next review, that person was also consulted about my performance, knowing that they actively tried to sabotage one of my assignments,” Jones says. “Questioning and challenging authority is common for African Americans in leadership positions.”

In KC, Jones again felt undermined by a colleague. On multiple occasions, a member of Jones’ percussion section at the Kansas City Symphony reassigned parts without consultation to “give himself more time off.”

“I brought this up to the personnel manager, my liaison, and the tenure committee chair,” Jones says. “Because of a failure to set up a meeting between myself and the assistant, which I requested, he did once again make a change without my permission.”

KCS allows non-tenured musicians to be consulted about their colleagues’ tenure process. This section member—also a probationary member—was consulted about Jones’ performance, but Jones says he was not consulted in return.

Ultimately, the decision came down to the votes of the committee with final approval from Michael Stern.

Jones is concerned about the accuracy of the tenure documents.

“The tenure committee presented flawed information to the music director, and then before allowing [me] to respond to that information, the music director credited the tenure committee’s account and de-

“But even still, I feel like there should always be a committee of musicians engaging with that initiative,” Jones says.

Beyond the issues getting through security, Jones claims he encountered several more microaggressions during his time with the organization from fellow musicians— including his tenure committee chair—and Michael Stern.

During a rehearsal for the Kansas City Ballet’s production of The Wizard of Oz, Jones’ tenure committee chair told him one of the movements in the choreography reminded him of Sambo, a pejorative Black caricature.

“In a run-through, afterwards, when we came to the section he was referring to, he made the suspender gesture relative to the character,” Jones says.

Backstage during a performance alongside the Kansas City Symphony Chorus, a choir member approached Jones as he took a seat in the lounge. Both dressed in their concert attire, Jones says the singer declared that they both looked like Men in Black, characterizing Jones—one of very few Black performers on stage—as Agent J.

At a rehearsal, Jones wore a pick in his hair, a well-known symbolization of power and resistance among the Black community.

“Michael Stern asked if I knew that I had a comb in my hair in front of another staff member,” Jones says. “They assured him that that was the point, and he responded that he didn’t know if I had forgotten it was there.”

Once again, Jones didn’t feel comfortable bringing these issues to light.

“I just held back,” Jones says. “I’m definitely not going to call [my tenure committee chair] out because they have my tenure in their hands.”

On June 12, the Symphony officially created a DEI task force. Task force chair and board member Gena Williams did not respond to an interview request.

“I’m still getting calls from Pittsburgh and Detroit about the things they could do better in their DEI and fellowship programs,” Jones says. “To see Kansas City so behind, it’s disappointing.”

What’s next?

Born and raised in Chicago, Jones spends his summers back home as the principal percussionist of the Grant Park Music Festival, a 10-week season in the Loop. Currently going through Grant Park’s tenure process, Jones is also an avid educator and has been diligently finishing his sixth percussion method book.

Now, Jones says he is still trying to get his job back with KCS due to health complications. With less than a year left in his cancer treatment, an enlarged lobe was recently found in Jones’ lung.

“With no healthcare, it could be a crippling expense,” Jones says.

For now, Jones is in a holding pattern, waiting for a far and few between full-time orchestral opening or a change of heart from the Kansas City Symphony.

“They are aware of the inconsistencies in the information they received, but Michael [Stern] still thinks it was the right decision,” Jones says.

While Jones feels the Kansas City Symphony has failed the community, his experience is indicative of the widespread discrimination and lack of diversity among American symphony orchestras. And he has advice.

“They should be invested in obtaining and retaining people of color in their orchestras,” Jones says. “Be open to the change the community wants.”

“It’s always expected that we perform at a high level. But it’s never taken into account what we have to do to weed out distractions.”

Above Average

ACTRESS CYNTHIA KAYE MCWILLIAMS ON BET’S AVERAGE JOE, TRUE CRIME, AND HER KC ROOTS

By Jacqulyn Seyferth

Kansas City actress Cynthia Kaye McWilliams’ portfolio ranges from voice acting in Marvel animations to dramatic performances with Samuel L. Jackson. She is known for being a series regular on Real Husbands of Hollywood alongside Kevin Hart, as well as her recurring role in Prison Break. McWilliams has also starred in Netflix’s Prince of Peoria. McWilliams’ latest role is in BET’s dark comedy Average Joe, a tale of a blue-collar plumber who finds himself in high-stakes circumstances in the wake of his father’s death. McWilliams plays true-crime-obsessed Cathy Montgomery, a member of Joe’s circle of friends.

Average Joe’s suspenseful twists tempered with lighthearted humor have earned positive critic reviews from the likes of The Wall Street Journal and The Hollywood Reporter. The first season of Average Joe is available to stream on BET Plus.

The Pitch caught up with McWilliams to discuss her role in Average Joe, true crime, her KC roots, and so much more.

The Pitch: Was there a specific moment you had where you knew acting was what you wanted to pursue?

Cynthia Kaye McWilliams: I would say there were two really specific moments. I worked in a library when I was a young girl, and I was the one who put the books in the stacks. I sat down in the aisles and read plays, which fascinated me. So when I first started doing theater, I did so as a playwright. I submitted to two different local theater companies, and one of my plays was produced. I had an actress who got sick one day. I knew all the lines, so I went up for her, and that was when I started to know this is what I wanted to do.

What was the transition like from growing up in KC to pursuing a career in Hollywood? I had to make the decision to leave KC and take the leap. I decided that I wasn’t going to go directly from high school, so I went to DePaul’s theater conservatory in Chicago. Then I went to California to try to make a career out of what I had been studying. It was about the courage and the tenacity to keep trying again and again. I did not succeed immediately by any means, and I’m still working every single day to keep growing and improving as an actor.

Your latest role is in BET’S Average Joe, which is based on creator Robb Cullen’s life. What was your experience acting in a story based on someone’s life when they’re so closely involved in the project? He wrote this incredible story based on his life, but he was so gracious once he gave it to us. He was like, “We chose these actors for a reason, and we want you all to bring yourself to the story.” He had the utmost confidence in us, and he gave us all complete authority over the voices of our characters.

Your character Cathy is obsessed with true crime, which is a hobby that can lead to a lot of paranoia. How did you draw inspiration for her character? I actually love murder podcasts. I think people are fascinated with the idea of people who cross lines, go too far, and do the unthinkable. Whether that’s in a terrible way, like murder, or in just an unexpected way. What are the things that would to happen in your life to lead you to something out of character? These are questions we all have about ourselves in the quietness of our dark thoughts. This show gives everyone an opportunity to ask the question, “What would I do in that situation?” So that’s a jumping-off point for me.

Speaking of doing the unthinkable in certain situations, Cathy’s devotion to her husband kind of goes to the point of breaking the law seriously, which reminded me a lot of your character Kacee in Prison Break. Is this fierce loyalty something that you personally relate to? The essence of who you are sort of follows you into all of your characters. It’s in everything you play, no matter how much you try to search for characters that are different from you or wildly different from the last character you just played. That’s something I have thought about a lot and something my friends and partner joke about. My partner will tell me, “You’re a fiercely loyal love.” If I had to choose a trait that transcends all my characters, that would be it.

Are there any changes you had to make in your approach to Kathy’s character from first reading the script to the filming process? Every week there were changes that had to be made. When you get your first script, you can imagine where you think the story will go. Every single week at the table reads, we sit down as a group and go over what the writers have created for us. We find out surprises, so there were many times when I would read something and say, “Oh, that’s not where I saw her going at all.” We get to adjust and find a new direction or new layers. That’s a cool part of doing an episodic television show—every week, you’re as shocked as the audience will be while watching.

Is being on BET a goal you’ve had since

the start of your career? Oh, no, not at all. I don’t think I’ve ever thought that I want to work with this particular network or group. What I love about BET is that they’re fiercely loyal to storytelling through the Black lens and through the voice of Black artists. What I love about this project is that Robb Cullen, a white guy, has written this really cool story that was given to a Black family as the lens through which the story is told. I love that when we get more diverse in our storytelling, we add more perspective, so the story becomes more authentic and more layered.

What is it like for you to represent the Black community of Kansas City through national television? I’m always so happy. I am so proud of the fact that I came from one place, went to another, and dared to dream. I really love that I can be an example to someone of just a very simple concept of trust. I just hope that that’s an encouragement to someone. One of the things that I value about being from Kansas City is the music scene, jazz, the small theater scene, and the larger performances on the big stage. I think KC has become its own little artistic hub over the years. I think we’ll see more and more people coming out of Kansas City and surprising everyone on the Hollywood and New York scene.

How do you feel about the current level of diversity and representation in TV? I think that when we stop talking about the need or the level to which representation you know is being achieved, then we will actually achieve representation. It should be a situation where we’re telling stories, we’re looking around at the mirror reflection of us as a culture, and the story should reflect that mirror. So until that happens, we just have work to do.

There are still very few women be-

hind the camera as directors or producers. There’s diversity that needs to happen in the sense of distribution, executive producers, and studio and network-level executives.

We do see more diversity in actors, particularly seeing lead actors and stories that aren’t presented in a way that we’re supporting a story that is more white.

Unfortunately, what happens is we can only tell stories that are based on seeing that group. We can only tell a story about being Black if you’re Black, or if you’re Asian, you only tell an Asian story, etc. What if we just told totally awesome stories and let anybody who was qualified be the actor portraying it? Then we begin to see that people of color don’t only support the white narrative, and white actors can support the Brown narrative as well.

I’m not interested in shifting inequity. I’m interested in seeing actual equity. Equity is when we look around and embrace the fact that there is so much diversity. That means every person included in that diverse perspective is valued and not told what they get to represent.

Do you have any advice for young aspiring actors making their way in the industry? Learn yourself. Know yourself. Trust yourself. As an actor, make sure that the reason you want to do it is because you love it. Not because you want to be famous. Not because you think it’ll get you money. Not because you think it’ll make you important, valuable, or seen. If those are the goals, I encourage you to find out how to make yourself feel important, valuable, and seen on your own first. Nobody else is going to love you like you can. Don’t wait for someone else to do it.

Cynthia Kaye McWilliams. Tisha Brenee

C ritical Mass

KCFCC FRAMES THE JOY OF THE FLICKER

By Belle Yennie

The term film critic seems to have an overbearing connotation. Some may depict them as conceited reviewers, carefully analyzing screenings to only nit-pick every minute detail. However, is this how we actually receive the news of the greatest or worst movie of all time?

Unlike the gaudy image of a critic snob, passionate movie-goers comprise the criticism ecosystem. As the second oldest film critique group in the country, Kansas City Film Critics Circle names the year’s best film contributions.

President of KCFCC Adrian Torres loved watching movies as a kid, partly because it was the only form of entertainment in the hospital. Frequently in and out, he absorbed the movies in physical therapy, waiting rooms, and anywhere else with a television. From a young age, Torres evaluated what makes a good film, and it’s still a passion today.

“When everyone else was young, and they said that they wanted to be an astronaut, or a firefighter, or police, I said I want to be a newspaper critic,” says Torres. “Films have been something that’s always a part of my life.”

KCFCC’s members gather bi-annually to select their board executives and films of the year. In December, the group votes for their top-nominated movie with a raise of hands. Upon selecting Jackass Forever for “Best Documentary,” film critic Patrick Moore uploaded a photo to Instagram, where it received a like from cast member Rachel Wolfson. Torres says KC is overlooked as a smaller, underdog city but still contains a huge appreciation for film with every B&B and AMC theater that is passed in a 20-minute drive. KCFCC plans to eventually host an awards ceremony to celebrate the city’s film dedication.

“We often get kind of swept under the rug because everybody considers us a smaller market,” says Torres. “Everybody thinks of barbecue, and yet the same passion that people have for barbecue in the Kansas City area, people have for film. They will come out in droves.”

KC hosts a variety of big and small film festivals along with film organizations. Some viewers may enjoy the niche of SciFi and horror films at Panic Fest, while others look for something new at the Kansas City Underground Film Festival. People who produce these movies are also unique to their experience, ranging from directors just starting in film to film professors who go on to win Academy Awards. Torres says

every single KC showing is packed.

“You’ve got a thriving hub of not just film critics but also people who are wanting to make films in the area, and then those films go on and receive lots of attention,” says Torres.

The impact of KC film critics is also an underground topic that increases community traction. The first woman KCFCC member Marie Asner began her film critique career in the Shawnee Journal Herald with a film review column. No colleague had an interest in taking it, and with a

ble and having a cup of coffee.”

With her published film reviews, Asner paved a path for other women film critics to emerge in the KC area. Despite years of trying to get in, once she had her editor recommend her for the group, she finally received a position at KCFCC. Upon joining in the ‘90s, the men were still not fond of a woman’s opinion, excluding Asner by telling her the incorrect times for a monthly lunch. Standing her ground and continuing her work, today, Asner receives emails and requests from women to eval-

Unique from writing film critiques, Moore adjusts his segments for television, sometimes compacting reviews shortly before going live. Known for his eccentric outfits, Moore appears on set with a coordinating costume for the film, sometimes dressed as the Flash, Elvis, or in a dinosaur inflatable for Jurassic World Dominion

“Sometimes, you wonder why you’re doing this when you see Transformers 7,” says Moore. “But it’s still a lot of fun.”

For anyone who wants to be a part of the film critic platform, Moore says social media’s evergrowing platforms are the perfect places to start. Film fans are already creating their own critiques through TikTok and YouTube, and with quality commentary, and these pastimes become careers without professional training and instead with care. To him, critiquing is evaluating which films are worthwhile.

“It’s informing people how they should spend their time,” says Moore. “When you review enough, you can tell if people will agree with you on a movie or not.”

background in music education and psychology, Anser still gave it a shot. Instead of complicating her reviews, Asner provided what she calls a “short and sweet” critique, easily read by a large audience. With her weekly reviews, Asner helped small theaters in Shawnee attract more business and economic increase. Shawnee gave Anser a Key to the City to honor the positive impact their community received.

“I call my style conversational,” says Asner. “When I’m talking to somebody about a film, I’d say I’m writing to them as though I’m speaking to them across the ta-

uate their film critic work for publishing. What was once a stigmatized part of the film critic industry is now a line of women film critics supporting others.

“It took me forever and a day to get in because it was understood that women could not do film reviews, and I was somewhat of an oddity,” says Asner. “Now, there are many women in the industry.”

Though film criticism can be exciting, it takes practice and dedication to thoroughly examine hundreds of films a week, both good and bad. Patrick Moore earned a spot as a film critic for Great Day KC.

Torres advises you to find a critic you enjoy. Be curious about their writing style, and analyze what draws readers to them. Take a chance and submit work to a local indie website. He cautions the pay is equivalent to peanuts, but the love for film within himself and KC provides all the reward.

“You have to find a way to make what you’re passionate about be important to you more than anything else,” says Torres. “We might not have a name that’s pronounced New York, or Los Angeles, or Chicago, but it’s one of those that we care about film just as much as they do.”

Illustration by Jacqulyn Seyferth

“I call my style conversational. When I’m talking to somebody about a film, I’d say I’m writing to them as though I’m speaking to them across the table and having a cup of coffee.”

Where The Wild Things Are

WILD CHILD BRINGS LOW- AND NO-ABV SENSIBILITIES TO THE WORLD OF CRAFT COCKTAILS

By Jordan Baranowski

Staying at the forefront of cocktail creativity can be tough. If anyone in Kansas City can do it, it’s Jay Sanders. Not only was Drastic Measures a recent finalist for the “Outstanding Bar” James Beard Award (an honor only five bars in the country receive each year), but his latest concept, Wild Child, is aiming for a completely different approach to the beverage game.

Luckily, the two will be easy to compare—Wild Child (11022 Johnson Dr., Shawnee, KS 66203) is literally next door to its older sister.

If you’ve visited Drastic Measures, you’ve probably seen a line of people waiting outside on a few different occasions. Sanders saw an opportunity when the space next door went up for sale, and he knew it was the perfect spot for the next concept he’d been shaking up.

Whereas DM is known for its moody vibe and a rotating list of big, boozy drinks, Wild Child’s central focuses are on a curated wine list and a series of non-alcoholic and low-ABV cocktails.

“Wild Child will still have high-quality drinks at the center of things, but it will have a totally different vibe and style than Drastic Measures,” Sanders says.

For one, the green-light, red-light system of DM is not a part of things at Wild Child. They’ll have a more traditional host and even take reservations over the phone or online—table reservations are in 90-minute increments. The decoration and feel of the space are much bigger and brighter than the darker sister bar. Big windows for natural lighting, colorful wallpaper, rich wood, and a whole lot of plants make the space feel very open and inviting. Also setting it apart from Drastic Measures is the drink menu, which will consist of three different sections of cocktails along with an impressive wine selection.

The first grouping of cocktails is the “full-ABV” section. These cocktails are variations on classics, like an Old Fashioned featuring some bold chili flavors and a smoke infusion, or a Gimlet riff made with a lime distillate and tincture.

“We know not everyone is going to be all about the low/no options,” Sanders says. “That crowd can still grab some drinks they know and love at Wild Child.”

The second section of cocktails is the “no-ABV” drinks. After getting into some

number-crunching, Sanders discovered it was much more cost-effective for Wild Child to make its own non-alcoholic spirits. They picked up a distiller and evaporator, and all the NA spirits for these cocktails are made in-house. Wild Child’s catchphrase seems to be: “Non-alcoholic doesn’t mean it has to suck.” Judging from their NA takes on everything from a Negroni to a Paloma, we’re inclined to agree with them.

The third cocktail section at Wild Child is the most esoteric but also stands to be their signature line: “low-ABV” drinks. Sanders approached local artists with words that elicit a strong reaction—words like “Vibrant,” “Nostalgic,” and “Exotic.” Those artists designed labels based on the word, and then the Wild Child team based the drink on the prompt and artistic direction of those labels. Exotic uses Haitian rum as a base spirit and also boasts a flavor profile that includes clarified carrot, picked apple, mango, Szechuan peppercorn, and lime acid.

These drinks are around the alcoholic strength of a glass of wine, and you’ll be able to order a bottle to enjoy on location or to take home with you. They’ll also rotate a few times each year, giving you even more incentive to come back and see what’s new.

Speaking of wine, Wild Child has even more fun stuff up its sleeve. Sanders prom ises a unique, ever-evolving wine list that will showcase a collection of up-and-com ing wineries and makers as well as high light some more outside-the-box varietals and ideas. In addition to the equipment used to make the bar’s NA cocktails, Wild Child is home to a shaved ice machine. We can expect some seriously fun cocktails to come from that. There is also a small plates menu created by Jeff Workman of The Campground. There are no hot food items on the menu at this point in time, but shareable snacks like savory popcorn, salads, and charcuterie are all up for grabs and a perfect way to keep you at the bar for just one more drink.

During its first few months of opera tion, Wild Child will be open Wed. through Fri. from 5-11 p.m., and Saturday 1-11 p.m. Sanders hopes to eventually extend those hours as word starts to get out and possibly even open another day of the week.

Raise your glass and let your inner Wild Child out.

Wild Child’s “Palomania,” featuring grapefruit, watermelon, chipotle vinegar, acidified pineapple, and salt.

Jay Sanders

SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM

Watering Whole

JOHNNY’S TAVERN’S EXTENDED FAMILY LOOKS BACK ON THE FIRST 70 YEARS

By Emma Hilboldt

Since its opening in 1953, Johnny’s Tavern has been the go-to spot in Kansas City. Whether you’re looking to watch a basketball game, grab a beer, or catch up with friends, Johnny’s is the first on the list for a lot of locals.

This year, they’re celebrating their 70th anniversary at their original location in North Lawrence.

Rick Renfro now owns multiple Johnny’s Taverns since he first purchased the flagship back in 1978 when he was 21 years old. He has seen the restaurant grow and adapt, buying into multiple Taverns as they’ve opened across Kansas and Missouri. What started as a sports bar that served cheap beer, beef jerky, pickled eggs, and pigs feet has evolved into a place with 63 menu items and an casual atmosphere that keeps customers coming back for more.

“If John Wilson, the original owner, heard that we were serving salads and letting kids in here, he’d roll over in his grave,” Renfro says.

Renfro acquired Johnny’s after the incessant nagging from Wilson to buy the bar from him. At the time, Renfro was working at another Lawrence bar, The Eagles Club, as a bartender.

“He kept bugging me to buy it,” says Renfro. “Finally, I said, ‘I don’t know what hell else I’m gonna do, but I’ll do that until I figure it out.’ So I bought it. I can’t believe they even sold me a liquor license.”

Renfro remembers the early days of running Johnny’s Tavern with his partners Doug Hassock and Louie Riederer. They had the downstairs bar that was 18 and over open from 7 a.m. until midnight when they legally had to close. Then there was the private club upstairs that was open from 4 p.m. until 3 a.m. that you had to be a member of to be invited. Things have definitely changed regarding how they run the place, but Johnny’s Tavern has only been growing from that point onward, with 13 venues now open in the area.

Riederer, Renfro’s college roommate and partner in Johnny’s Tavern, saw the value in the restaurant. He took it into his hands when he moved to Kansas City to open up the second Johnny’s at 119th and Metcalf in Overland Park.

“We had the college student crowd, the biker crowd, the North Lawrence Hippie crowd, and we even got a crowd from City Hall, so we had really great business throughout the ‘80s and into the early ‘90s,” says Riederer. “One of our biggest problems

was overcrowding on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, which is why we decided it was time to open another spot.”

For Riederer, the gem of Johnny’s is in the people they employ and allowing them to have a stake in how the place is run.

“Every single one of our managing partners started out as a waitress, hostess, cook, or bartender,” says Riederer. “They’re like our partners. They’re with us. They know the ins and outs of the industry.”

Johnny’s Tavern has been able to adapt throughout all the years they’ve been open, and a big part of that is the employees who have joined along the way. Riederer appreciates that they are younger than those who have pioneered the business.

“We have managers who are younger and more equipped to make decisions and deal with the industry than me and some of the older managers. We recognize that they’re able to handle it, and we support them,” says Riederer.

In the years to come, Riederer hopes that Johnny’s is able to expand more and at a quicker rate than they’re used to. Currently, they’re remodeling the Prairie Village restaurant to make it bigger and better, with hopes of reopening in August.

“Over the last 10 years, we’ve added six or seven locations and every time we open a new one, it helps our brand,” says Riederer. “We hope to be able to grow even outside of the Kansas City metropolitan area.”

With 70 years under their belt, Renfro hopes that Johnny’s Tavern remains a constant in the community and continues to be somewhere people will want to make memories. The anniversary celebration will be held at the original Johnny’s in North Lawrence on Saturday, September 16. On the street outside of the restaurant, there will be bands, food trucks, and a beverage tent with Johnny’s very own Blue Collar Lager brewed by Free State Brewery and a large projector screen for football games scheduled that day.

What started as a couple of college friends running a bar in Lawrence has grown into one of Kansas City’s most prized possessions that locals can always trust. Here’s to many more years and many more locations where folks can continue to enjoy their favorite neighborhood watering hole.

The Johnny’s legacy is alive and well. Brooke Tramel

Make

Halibut at Westport Café

BY SARAH SIPPLE 419 Westport Rd. Kansas City, MO 64111

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Westport Café is one of the ultimate date spots in Kansas City. Is it the intimate setting? The delicately plated dishes? The ambient pops of champagne bottles and flambé desserts made tableside? Yes.

New this year to Westport Café is Chef Thomas Milesi, who drew inspiration for several new menu items from his hometown in the South of France. This seasonal menu is light and agile, with slight tweaks by the week as various local produce comes to harvest.

A star of the “Plats Principaux” (Main Dish) category is the Halibut. A tender filet is steamed and then served with fava beans, pearl onions, sliced radishes, and wasabi aioli. To maintain the halibut’s pristine texture, the dish is bathed in a dashi bouillabaisse only when it reaches the table. The fragrant soup is made with miso, saffron, tomatoes, coconut milk, and a hint of yuzu. Tapioca crackers add a crunch to the delicate fish. The fava beans will soon be swapped for a late-summer option, such as snap peas.

This dish is as complex as it is lovely. The variety of colors accurately represents the range of textures and flavors that come together for each cohesive bite.

To keep the romantic theme flowing, pair this with a Crémant you’ll only find here. Executive Chef Romain Monnoyeur’s family wine, Desire Petit, hits the spot for a sparkling wine that is not too sweet, not too bubbly.

Westport Café is open Tuesday through Sunday, 4 p.m. - 12 a.m., plus a Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended.

Borboleta at Black Dog Coffeehouse

BY SARAH SIPPLE

12815 W 87th St. Pkwy. Lenexa, KS 66215

Lenexa’s own Black Dog Coffeehouse has a treat that knocks a certain big-name coffee shop’s “Pink Drink” off its pedestal. Order a Borboleta if you want a fun pick-me-up.

The base of this Brazilian Cherry Limeade begins with whole limes, lime juice, sugar, water, and sweetened condensed milk. The creamy base is mixed with sparkling water and ice and

What looks like a sweet, heavy drink turns out to be a bright and slightly fizzy refresher. The Tajín sprinkle doesn’t change the flavor but adds a slight visual contrast and an acidic blip now and then through the straw. Cherry juice blends beautifully with the base for a softer taste that is delicately tart and sweet.

The recipe is not typical of Black Dog Coffeehouse. Barista Ezra Martinez-Haskins first made it when they threw a party to cheer up a friend from Brazil. The limeade base is a nod to a Brazilian treat often referred to as Limonada Suíça. This translates to “Swiss Lemonade” since the sweetened condensed milk usually used is the Nestlé brand.

Martinez-Haskins has a few Black Dog pairings to recommend depending on your mood: “In my opinion, the sweetness and creaminess of the Borboleta is a good compliment to the spiciness of the Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese. However, the tart flavors pair phenomenally with the richness of the Cherry Fudge Brownie.”

No need to choose—take your time and try both. Black Dog is a great place to work or meet up with a friend. In fact, there’s nowhere easier to connect to WiFi. Black Dog Coffeehouse is open from 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. every day.

D essert W eek

MISE EN PLACE

TAYLOR PETREHN CRAFTS DECADENT, YEASTY TREATS AT NEW LFK DONUT STAPLE

By Kate Frick

Taylor Petrehn humbly balances three businesses, including the esteemed James Beard-nominated 1900 Barker Bakery (now with two locations) and Taylor’s Donuts (another gorgeous laundromat remodel), while also parenting his sprinkle-loving daughter Opal who is often behind the donut counter. Petrehn lets us in on industry diversification, bad bread, and a love for crossiants.

The Pitch: Were you a donut kid? Taylor Petrehn: No, but our family had a weird flour mill and made whole wheat bread. It really was not good at all.

Have you made it since? I’ve made it with my mom, maybe once, since I’ve been serious about this kind of thing, and I cringed the whole time.

You’re a self-taught breadmaker? I started with the mindset that if I could learn really good bread, the simplest form, it would travel through all the rest of the products that I’m interested in making. And that, I think, is very true. Our donuts are very similar. It takes three days for them to get from flour sack to fryer.

Are you an inherently patient person? I think so. Most of the time.

Taylor’s Donuts is your second converted laundromat. Are you secretly an urban planner? Honestly, that’s a super special piece of the business. Even downtown has a different vibe. People show up in their PJs here—they just walk out the door because they can smell donuts all the way down the block. That’s super special.

How’s your work-life balance? When I was building this place out, our daughter Opal was still in a pack n’ play. Sometimes I would put her to sleep in a pile of mop heads while I finished laying tile. I usually start my days here, so if daycare’s cancelled, she comes with me. She knows people’s names and has started to get the hang of saying “Thanks for coming in” to customers, which is like, tear-jerking. She knows I go to work at the “Dodo shop.” That’s what she calls it.

What’s your favorite donut? I think my favorite is probably the vanilla glazed. It’s what

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.

TAYLOR’S DONUTS

1827 Louisiana St., Lawrence, KS 66044, (785) 760-7193, taylorsdonuts.com

I gravitate to most of the time because I like simplicity.

Do you still love making croissants? Yes, I don’t get to do it all the time, but I do still love it. The equipment that we have here is Cadillac, and very fun to use. It takes a lot of the physical exertion out, which as the administrator, it makes it easier to train new people, and we’re able to have a more diverse staff of talents.

You’ve built a beautiful baking empire, and you keep getting James Beard nominations. Our last semi-finalist nomination was the year that COVID started. And then the Beard Foundation took a two-year hiatus from their awards. We have not been on it since that break. So, we were nominated from ‘17 through ‘20. Now we’re off the radar, and I don’t expect to get back on it, necessarily. It’s kind of nice not to have the pressure of expecting this big announcement in March. The first year was pretty stressful and amazing. The second year was kind of also amazing. But then the third year was like, “Okay, they’re gonna announce it tomorrow. I can’t think about anything else now.” When I was among the nominations, it felt really special to me because my peers in the industry are making amazing stuff, but at the same time, all the awards came from this boys’ club of bakers. I never felt like I fit into that, per se. I’m happy that it’s diversifying away from that.

Taylor Petrehn and a box of his donuts. Courtesy photos

A

A Meeting of the Mindz

NEW BOOK BY

GEOFF

HARKNESS COVERS THE GREATEST RAP GROUP YOU’VE PROBABLY NEVER HEARD OF

By Tyler Schneider

In the fall of 1999, Geoff Harkness—a former Pitch writer and current sociology professor at Rhode Island College with three books under his belt—was still fresh out of his undergraduate years at KU and had just been hired to cover music for the alternative-weekly arts and entertainment magazine, The Mag, a then-sub pub of The Lawrence Journal-World

On his first day, Harkness had already managed to secure an interview with The Roots’ Questlove. He was also set to review a number of notable acts, both national and up-and-coming, in LFK’s then-thriving live music scene, including a solo stop by the Wu-Tang Clan member U-God at The Bottleneck on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 1999.

Before U-God could even start his set that night, a sharp and infectiously cohesive-yet-multifarious lyrical quartet with minimalistic, lo-fi beats known as DVS Mindz (pronounced ‘devious minds’) had taken control of the crowd with a stage presence that U-God apparently couldn’t later match on his own.

“The opening group was this incredible band, I assumed they were on the road touring from New York. They were a really professional group. The songs were great, the look was great—I thought they couldn’t possibly be a local act. Somebody told me, ‘Yeah, this is DVS Mindz, they’re

from Topeka,’ which just blew me away,” Harkness says.

Two days after the show, Harkness’ review came out with the headline “U-God Outshined by Topeka Group.”

That fateful day at The Bottleneck would spur a two-decade journey culminating in Harkness’ third book, DVS Mindz: The Twenty-Year Saga of the Greatest Rap Group to Almost Make It Outta Kansas—a 376-page treasure trove of regional rap storytelling published in April by Columbia University Press that centers on the before, during, and after of Harkness’ time spent with the collective.

“There was literally no way to hear their music, they didn’t have a CD out. It wasn’t like today, where you could just instantly stream anything. And so, you know, in part, it started as a quest for me to just get a hold of some of their music,” Harkness says.

Harkness Hears A Stu

On Dec. 31, 1999, as the imminent threat of Y2K approached, Harkness was sitting in a Topeka apartment for his first interview with the MCs themselves: Stuart “Str8jakkett” Tidwell, Barry “Killa The Hun” Rice, Daymond “D.O.P.E” Douglas, and De’Juan “DL” Knight.

Harkness would later write that he’d asked three total questions in a session

that went on for over 90 minutes.

“I met these four writers who were very particular about their words and who thought that words mattered. The amount of work and effort that they put into it, how seriously they took their writing—I think that was very inspiring to me as a writer,” Harkness says.

In a short time, Harkness had been initiated into “The Crew”—a collection of the band’s closest family, friends, admirers, and so forth. He also accepted a new gig at an established alt-weekly magazine, The Pitch

By March of 2000, Harkness had dabbled enough in early A/V production to suggest filming the group’s first music video for the song “Tired of Talking.” The relative success of that production, which had been stylistically inspired by scenes from the Bond franchise and gangster films, led to many more multimedia projects.

“Over time, their story became more and more interesting to me. I spent a couple of years hanging out with them, going to the shows, and sitting in on recording sessions with the guys. I amassed a whole bunch of footage in that time—something like 100 hours of video and audio that I shot over three years and just kind of stuck in a shoebox. That was the beginning of it,” Harkness says.

He chronicled all that came before him, as well, learning firsthand how DVS Mindz (Dope Versatile Styles Manifested IN a Direction to Zucceed) was first formed by Tidwell (Str8jakkett) and Rice (Killa The Hun)—childhood friends who met as students at Lowman Hill Elementary while growing up in Topeka.

In 1993, DVS Mindz performed for the first time, with Douglas (D.O.P.E.) having joined the fold to make it a trio. Years later saw the addition of Knight (DL)—Douglas’cousin and a key member of the crew.

With their missing link and secret weapon onboard, DVS Mindz would go on a career tear that included opening for acts including sometimes-rival Tech N9ne, Run-DMC, De La Soul, Digital Underground, Das EFX, Black Sheep, Goodie Mob, and—most memorably for all involved—the Wu-Tang Clan at LFK’s Liberty Hall in August 2000.

Like Wu-Tang, DVS was well known for live acapella performances. They would make it a staple of their arsenal as they built towards their lone full-length release of that period: Million Dolla Broke Niggaz, an 18-track collection of highlights recorded between 1993-2000.

Of those songs, “Niggaz (1137)” and “Tired of Talking” were both nominated for song of the year at the 2001 edition of the Klammies, The Pitch’s former local music awards ceremony, but would eventually lose (as was tradition) to perennial favorite

Tech N9ne. In 2000, they’d lost the “Best Local Release” category to Shiner’s Starless

It was during this two-year run that DVS Mindz also began to unfurl onstage, with several incidents of the group lambasting the still-prominent local journalist, Shawn Edwards. They felt that Edwards had slighted them by spotlighting the group in a review of a show that had, by many accounts, gotten out of control.

Right, wrong, or more likely somewhere in the middle, this rally against The Pitch and the local media signified a crucial point in the band’s trajectory, serving as a prelude to the unofficial split of DVS Mindz in the mid-2000s.

100 Years of DVS

On July 30, 2022, Harkness conducted his final series of interviews with the band for the book. He says the best part “was how honest they were, and how much they trusted me to tell their story” throughout the process.

“They didn’t hold back and could have. There were some points where I even sat down with them, and I said, ‘Look, if you want me to take this out, I will. Because this is going to be here for 100 years—your grandchildren will read this book and read this about you. It’s not worth it to me to have this in the air if it’s going to somehow be harmful to you,” Harkness says. “They said, ‘No, you know what, this is the truth, we want it to stay in.’ Not everybody would do that.”

The final product (available via Amazon, Target, and Barnes & Noble, and preserved in the Library of Congress) was pointedly inspired by Harkness’ work throughout his many years spent in Chicago, where he moved in 2003. In 2013, he published his first book, Chicago Hustle & Flow, about the city’s rap and gang culture.

The time Harkness spent writing for The Pitch, and in particular in his coverage of DVS Mindz, “absolutely influenced what I did when I went to Chicago,” Harkness says. “There is no way that I would have written Chicago Hustle & Flow without that experience.”

The author would also meet and marry his wife, Laura Harkness, in the Windy City before the couple moved to the Middle East for three years. The latter experience brought about Harkness’ second book, Changing Qatar, published in 2020 under the NYU Press.

A New Era

One of the quirks of Harkness’ storytelling that makes his depiction of the Mindz so memorable lies in his tendency to provide detailed descriptions of the styles each band member was rocking as he set a scene. He says that there were two reasons behind this creative decision.

“One is that there is a sort of sociological tradition of this highly descriptive

The Topeka-based rap group known as DVS Mindz. Courtesy photo

analysis of looking at everything,” Harkness says. “Some of that also very much comes from the idea that fashion is really an important part of hip-hop culture. And since we’re looking back to 20 years ago, I wanted the FUBUs, those kinds of names, those brands, to be taking you back in the day. Everybody’s wearing the baggy jeans, not the tight jeans—it’s a different era.”

Even beyond the music and the rise and eventual fall of the group, Harkness’ work is about the people, personalities, and stakeholders who’d lived through the experiences he’d chronicled.

By the time Harkness was following them, DVS Mindz seemed to be perennially on the verge of making it big.

For so many other reasons—including having to balance “their musical ambitions with the realities of single fatherhood,” financial concerns, substance abuse issues, a dash of classic mid-to-late 20s self-sabotage, and being a group of Black men expected to sign record deals that they were justifiably skeptical of—the guys ultimately fell just short of achieving their wildest dreams.

“We definitely created situations that we’ve had to deal with as men—with our children, girlfriends, our wives, houses, bills, and everything else,” Tidwell says. “I think one thing that we connected on was hip-hop. That’s what brought us together. We were able to create and use it as a re-

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lease. Hip-hop is a key part of our culture, and I think the reason why we gelled was because we had that outlet.”

It’s also pretty easy to see how some of the technological and sociological restrictions of the era—in part, but not wholly—may have contributed to DVS’ failure to garner the exposure they deserved. Internet access was, by modern standards, quite atrocious and still in its infancy.

“Not one person had a camera. Nobody was taking selfies. Nobody was looking at a phone. People were smoking cigarettes inside a bar. If you wanted to hear their music, you had to be at the show paying attention,” Harkness says.

Would the guys have fared any differently in the modern age of hip-hop?

“It’s always hard to speculate. Obviously, it’s easier to get your stuff out there now, but there’s so much more competition. But they spent a long time trying to get a major label deal, and in some ways, groups today don’t have to take that path,” Harkness says. “At the time, that was kind of the only road to success, but now there are many other ways to get there. I do think it would be different for them today. They think so, too.”

While Tidwell agrees, the still-active recording artist, producer, owner of his own lawncare business in Grandview, father of seven, and grandfather of two has also come around to see the positive as-

pects of the digital takeover.

“It’s a whole new world. Everybody gets caught up in [social media] at some point in time, but once you get a grasp on it, it’s like, ‘Okay, this is a great networking tool,’” Tidwell says. “There’s a reason why I was able to put out two international projects. I wouldn’t have been able to do that without social media.”

Rhyme and Reason

In the time of DVS Mindz—long before their subsequent 2020 reunion, which produced Modern Warfare 2020 and the top-notch compilation album, The Genesis—hip-hop was already well on its way to dominating the world beyond any reasonable debate. But it wasn’t there just yet.

“It’s easier now that Kendrick Lamar has won a Pulitzer Prize and with the success of Hamilton. People are beginning to recognize that rap music and hip-hop culture are incredibly significant and important. It was largely dismissed up until a point, but I think people understand that now. It’s much easier to talk about [the genre] in a way that people take seriously,” Harkness says.

For Harkness—and the many fans gained by DVS Mindz over the years—the group, straight out of Topeka, represented some of the best rap music the region had to offer at the time. The author himself teases in his book description that they

“might be the greatest rap group you’ve never heard of.”

The experiences with DVS Mindz and The Pitch came at a time of Harkness’ young career when he was at a “formidable stage.”

“I met them at a time where, you know, I was just starting out as a writer and a journalist. So you can kind of appreciate what that’s like—the exhilaration, but also the anxiety—that comes along with that, as you’re just starting to get your stories out there,” Harkness says. “The Pitch was so important to me as a writer, thinker, and music scholar. I’ll never forget it.”

Harkness’ own concluding comments of his book are perhaps a fitting way to wrap our tale of his tale of a tale:

“This book represents not only what I learned about DVS Mindz but what they taught me. I did not spend 22 years studying an obscure band because it was lucrative, I did it because DVS Mindz taught me that the craft is more important than catchy hooks, that it’s okay to go an extra 16 bars if you’re speaking from the heart,” Harkness writes. “In that sense, this book is my version of a DVS Mindz song, with verses that sometimes go on a little longer than they’re supposed to and with slim chances of topping the charts. I’m okay with that. As I learned from DVS Mindz, in the end, you might not make a dollar, but at least you get respect.”

Krautrockin’ in the Free World

BERLIN’S TERRI NUNN ON 40+ YEARS OF RIDING THE NEW WAVE

By Michael Mackie

The last time Terri Nunn and her Berlin bandmates were in Kansas City, they played to a packed, uh, parking lot. It was November 2020, and pandemic restrictions turned Berlin’s Leawood performance into an outdoor, pseudo-drive-in concert. Nunn laughed when I reminded her how the appreciative crowd would honk and flash their high beams at the end of each song.

In fact, Nunn laughed through much of our interview as we took various trips down memory lane. The famed synth-pop ‘80s band—founded by lead vocalist and songwriter Terri Nunn, bassist John Crawford, and keyboard player David Diamond—is poised to hit the road again this summer. The new wave rockers are teaming up with Boy George & Culture Club and Howard Jones on “The Letting It Go Show.”

The national tour kicked off its 25-city run in mid-July, with a stop in Kansas City on Tuesday, August 8, at Starlight Theatre. It’s the band’s first big tour since they tagteamed alongside The B-52s and OMD back in 2019.

Fresh off another recent blow-out performance at the Cruel World Festival, the dynamo songstress says she’s more than ready to reconnect with her KC audience— and not just a wall of headlights this time around.

The Pitch: Can we dish for a minute about Kansas City? The last time you were here was during the heart of the pandemic. You did a drive-in concert at Town Center. It was your first concert back—literally. What do you remember about that?

Terri Nunn: [laughs] I remember it was really hard. And it wasn’t the people who came; it wasn’t their fault. It was cold. And it was in November. And I thought, okay, people

will get out of their cars and bring out their chairs—and I’ll be able to see them and connect. Well, no, because it was fucking cold—so people stayed in their cars.

There was no sound coming from anywhere. I was going, “Hey, how are ya’ out there?!” And, like, literally one person would go: Honk! I’m freezing, and it’s windy, and it’s outside.

I walked off the stage, and I said to my guys, “If this is what concerts are now, I need to get another job.” It was like playing to machines that weren’t alive.

I mean, that’s why I do concerts—to connect, you know? It’s all about connecting with everybody and with the band. That’s the whole point, and that show—you were there. Wow, I’ve just never had that experience before.

Well, thank goodness things are back to normal. You’re back on the road with Culture Club and Howard Jones this summer. And you’re at Starlight on Tuesday, August 8—it’s a perfect ‘80s trifecta. What are Boy George and HoJo like? When I first met him—well, he’s a lot different now. You know what’s interesting is that Boy George is tall. I didn’t expect that. There’s something about making music and getting older that I really like. People in my field are getting out of their egos. We’ve been there, done that. Then, it was all about competition and who’s better than who and all that bullshit. Now, it’s, “Wow, we’re making music—and we get to make music with each other.”

I mean, for me to play with Boy George and Howard Jones, it’s a privilege. They’re icons, their music has stood the test of time— and I get to be there. We get to do this together like a traveling circus. It’s kind of fun to be one of the only girls on [stage] that whole evening.

Is there a particular Berlin song that always brings the house down? Or is every audience different? Yeah, “The Metro.” For some reason, that really hits people—whether they know it well or not. That song really gets to them, and it doesn’t get old. It’s one of those songs that—it’s just its own thing. It’s unique in its way, and I think that’s why I love it. And I think that’s why people resonate with it. It’s very dark, it gets people moving. And it’s deep.

It’s also fun to do it on stage with John Crawford and David Diamond back in the band. The nucleus of Berlin is rejoined.

And, of course, “Take My Breath Away,” because so many more people around the world know that song. We were kind of underground darlings before that. [laughs] “No More Words” put us more on the map, but worldwide it was “Take My Breath Away” that gave us an audience everywhere.

I sat behind you and your hubs on The ‘80s Cruise right before the pandemic, and you were rocking out to Lita Ford. What other female rockers get you amped? I just went to see Shirley Manson and Garbage. That was great.

I also like Metric. If they’re coming near you, that’s a good show. I really like [Emily Haines], and I like their songs.

And then Noel Gallagher from Oasis, his new band, The Flying somethings. [Editor note: High Flying Birds.] I’ve watched them. That’s one reason why I love these multi-band shows. It’s a longer show, and I also get to check out something that’s like, “Okay, well, I don’t really know this band, but I’ll listen to this.” And Noel Gallagher’s band is pretty good. I actually really liked the new stuff.

You’re big on doing stadium cover songs. I’ve heard AC/DC and, of course, Jeffer-

son Airplane. Are there songs you want to incorporate into your playlist? Well, we’re doing one right now that you might like—The Cult’s “She Sells Sanctuary.”

Your signature blonde/black hair is making a comeback with other artists. Hello, Dua Lipa! How do you feel about being an original trendsetter? It’s great— because it’s great for my hair. My hair is kind of boring, dirty blonde. Not really big. So, the color thing works for me. You know, some people have lots of hair—like Stevie Nicks. So, she can have all different kinds of looks. And Madonna, I hear, has lots of hair. That’s not me.

So, the color thing is a better deal for me. Now everybody’s doing color, which is great. You know, when I was doing it, there weren’t a lot of colors that would stand out. They hadn’t really mastered it yet.

Let’s take a trip in the Wayback Machine. Do you have a favorite music video memory from your library? All your ‘80s videos were, like, epic mini-movies.

I really loved that everybody liked my concept for “No More Words,” which was the Bonnie and Clyde idea. I loved that movie with Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. I got my first kiss while watching that movie, and it meant a lot to me. It was very sexy.

So, getting to have a moment to portray Bonnie in that video was really exciting. That was the beginning of my sexual life. You know, when you get your first kiss. Not a day goes by that I don’t hear you on 80s on 8 or First Wave. Forty-plus years later, you’re still everywhere. Is that just bonkers to you? It’s probably a schmaltzy answer, but I’m really grateful for it. There’s no way to know how long anybody’s gonna like anything. And we just celebrated 45 years of Berlin. John started the band in 1977. I think we got lucky in deciding to do electronic music and that it would last and morph.

It’s still at the top of the charts. We don’t sound old. And I think that’s why my daughter actually listens to my music—because I don’t sound so different from Billie Eilish or her style. I don’t have Billie Eilish’s voice, but you know what I mean.

It helped to have MTV sort of conveniently propel you along. MTV—they were fantastic. Oh my God, when they started, they didn’t have enough videos to play. And we were all about videos. Luckily, we signed with a record label that believed in them— David Geffen. We just gave ‘em videos, and they played them all the time. They played Berlin constantly because they didn’t have much else to play yet.

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Terri Nunn performs live on tour with Berlin. Erica Vincent

In Mixmorium

EULOGY BY WAY OF ROAD TRIP REFLECTIONS

By Nick Spacek

At the end of May, my dad texted me: “If/ when you have 15-20 minutes to spare, give me a call. I have something to ask you about that is too involved for texting. Thanks!”

Rather than call him later that night, I opted instead to call him the next morning when I got up. He answered on the first ring, sometime around 8:30. It was not a casual conversation.

My Aunt Cindy had passed almost four and a half years ago. Due to this, that, and the other thing that’s not my business to put out on Main Street, she’d been cremated. When her husband, Bill, passed later that year, so was he. Their ashes had been sitting in my parents’ house since then. Due to the fact that I’d had a closer relationship with her than my siblings, my dad wanted my help in scattering her ashes.

No big deal, aside from the fact that his sister’s favorite place in the whole world was Rocky Mountain National Park. And we had to do it in the next month because my mom’s sister, Karen, with whom we’d be staying, was selling her house and moving in July. It was literally going to be a drive out one day, sleep, drive to the park, scatter her ashes, spend the afternoon in Estes Park, drive back to my Aunt Karen’s house, sleep, and drive back kind of trip.

As I said, no big deal, other than, oh yeah—Rocky Mountain National Park has timed entry from May to October, meaning you need to make a reservation to get in during a specific time frame, and in order to scatter ashes in a national park, you need to have a permit. We were leaving in

slept, got up early, and had a beautiful drive. At most, three vehicles were ahead of us when we got to the park entrance. We drove through the park, arrived where we’d decided to scatter Aunt Cindy’s ashes, did the thing, and it was pretty emotional. On the way out of the park, we saw a moose. A ranger let us take a spin around the campground my dad had stayed at with Cindy and my grandparents on their first trip there in 1966. It couldn’t have gone more smoothly. Not a single hitch.

All told, we were gone for 56 hours, drove over 1300 miles, and since then, I’ve been pretty out of it, to be completely honest. In my 40+ years on this planet, I’ve been to plenty of funerals, but this might be the most personally connected I’ve ever been to someone’s passing. My dad trusted me to spend all that time, basically just he and I, and to help make sure that his sister ended up somewhere that meant something, not only to her but to him.

Aunt Cindy took me to my first real

hearing protection definitely made one hell of an impression.

Cindy would buy me cassettes for my birthday and Christmas, I think, in a way of trying to connect my musical tastes to her, which is how a 10-year-old ended up with Queen’s The Miracle and The Disregard of Timekeeping by Bonham. Still, there’s something to be said for getting exposed to a vast swath of weird music I don’t think I ever would’ve discovered on my own, to say nothing, getting to ride in her car while she blasted the Pointer Sisters.

Plus, she gave me the Doobies’ best-of album the Christmas after we saw them at Sandstone, so that meant the songs I heard them play live then translated into recordings, and I wore that sucker out playing “China Grove” over and over and over again—which is, again, a weird musical choice for a 10-year-old, but there you are.

She was frequently a difficult woman, and despite numerous doctors’ advice, she didn’t take care of her health the way she should’ve. She pretty much ignored the fact that my sister, Lauren, even existed, focusing instead on my brother Steve and me. My mom told me a story about how Cindy called her when my mom and dad were first married to explain how my dad

liked certain things cooked.

Childhood memories are a powerful thing, though, and despite all her problems, Cindy loved her family, and I know she cared about me a bunch. It says a lot when you’re 17 and a freshman in college, and your aunt and uncle come out, take you to lunch, and buy you an Uncle Tupelo CD (No Depression, for the record) to boost your mood when you’re away from home for the first time.

All of this to say is that for the last few weeks, I’ve been listening to the odd assortment of CDs I inherited when Aunt Cindy passed, and I don’t quite know what sort of headspace I’m in right now. There’s something really weird about having a collection of albums I don’t think I’d ever buy on my own, just floating around the house and car. I can’t think of any reason I’d ever break out Fleetwood Mac’s The Dance other than the fact that it might help me make sense of some difficult emotions, but here I am, still marveling at the fact that “Tusk” live with the University of Southern California Marching Band does, actually, sound better than the studio version.

A stack of mixed CDs inspired by Aunt Cindy. Nick Spacek

Good and Weary

INTERNET DATING TALKS ISOLATION ON THE ROAD, COMMUNITY, AND THE NEW EP

By Nathaniel Kennon Perkins

Deano Erickson was living in the back of his 1997 GMC Silverado during the first recording sessions of Weary, the new EP from Internet Dating, the name under which he performs and releases music. In addition to being his home, the truck also served as a recording studio, and it was there he began constructing the complex and emotional songs that would gel into the artist’s fifth release.

The outcome is four sincere offerings reverberating into a peaceful assemblage of indie, folk, and art-pop. From bowed upright bass and finger-picked acoustic guitar to celestial vocal harmonies, the tape (also available for digital download and streaming) is a heartfelt celebration of texture and tenderness, carrying listeners through the highways and landscapes of America.

Talking about the time in which the album was written, Erickson says, “I was going to go work in a café in Maine for the summer, and it was way cheaper to live in the truck and drive out there than rent a spot because everything on the island where I was staying is super expensive. I was just writing as I was going—like, find a chill spot and sit down to write a riff or some lines. It’s interesting to look back and think, ‘This part was written in New York,’ or, ‘This little part was written in Michigan on the way back.’”

The limitations on time and space that accompanied such a lifestyle had a profound impact on the ways Erickson was able to compose and record. He had to get creative, using different instruments than he normally would have and incorporating

field recordings of truck sounds, such as squeaky belts, grinding rotors, and slamming doors.

“I used half-scale acoustic guitars so that I could sit in the front seat,” he says, laughing.

Being on the road, away from friends and community in his twin hometowns of Kansas City and Minneapolis, also influenced the focus of Erickson’s lyrics. Occasional periods of isolation pushed him to consider the nature of interpersonal communication, its breakdowns, and the way it affects relationships.

“I would spend a few days in different towns where I didn’t know anyone at all and wanted to meet and talk to people,” he says. “Then I’d start overanalyzing longterm friends and long-distance communication I’d had, miscommunication—all that.”

These themes constitute the EP’s major spiritual throughline. The lyrics in “Misread” appear to lament a relationship that ended because of a communication breakdown, stating: “If you hadn’t left me on misread, we’d be together instead of pretending we’re impervious / like we’re

prepared for this kind of impermanence.”

Later, in “The Real,” he advocates emotional honesty, singing: “We all need these forms of intimacy / through shared transparency.”

Finding himself temporarily removed from some of the important people in his life provided new insight into the nature of Erickson’s interactions with them. The realizations that emerged formed the message that he thought was important to share on Weary

“I feel like good communication can solve most problems,” Erickson says. “It’s not often in life that you get to find people where you can say what’s on your mind and be well received. Good communication is the best way to learn things with each other.”

Erickson’s social life shifted when he returned from the East Coast that fall, and with it, so did the nature of the EP. It transitioned from a solo project to a collaborative effort built upon the community-based scaffolding that he had already put into place. Instead of the more stripped-down sounds that appear on Complete Control, Internet Dating’s previous release that

came out during the height of the pandemic, this tape offers a fuller soundscape aided by contributions from a crew of guest musicians. Cassidy Wall and Claire Hannah Festa provide ethereal vocals, while Trevor Aarsvold plays bass.

Weary also differs from past releases in being the first record that Erickson recorded himself, an ultra-DIY approach largely necessitated by the realities of living out of the back of a pickup and being far from home.

“On a lot of the other releases, I would record the main instruments with somebody in a studio. Just show up and be like, ‘Here’s the part,’ and record it and watch them take it from there and turn it into a song,” Erickson says. “For the first time, I got a laptop where I could record because before, I’d had super cheap laptops that were only good for searching the internet and basic word applications. It was really fun to get into learning how to do it.”

Internet Dating often performs in Kansas City and across the Midwest. Follow the project on Instagram at @internetdating_ to stay up to date on shows.

Internet Dating performs live. Mello Mpls

August 1-6

Jagged Little Pill: The Musical Starlight

The Tony- and Grammy award-winning performance is coming to Starlight August 1-6. Featuring music from Alanis Morrissette and directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Pippin, Waitress, and the upcoming 1776) with a Tony-winning book by Diablo Cody (Juno), and a Grammy-winning score, this electrifying production of Jagged Little Pill: The Musical “vaults the audience to its collective feet.” Tickets range from $15-$97 and are available on Starlight’s website. Gates open at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m.

August CALENDAR

By The Pitch Staff

ONGOING/MULTIPLE:

August 4-5

Matilda the Musical, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

August 10-12

Sarah Colonna, The Comedy Club of Kansas City

August 18-20

Ethnic Enrichment Festival 2023, Swope Park

August 25-26

Kaw River Roots Festival, Downtown Lawrence

EVENTS

August 2

The Front Bottoms, Grinders KC

Malibu Dream Bar: Boy Band Edition, Vignettes

Jeff Crosby, Knuckleheads

August 3

Miller Lite Hot Country Nights: Pecos & The Rooftops, Kansas City Live Block

Darrell Scott, Josh Garrett Band, Knuckleheads

August 3-5 Innovation Festival

Crown Center

Crown Center is once again hosting this year’s Innovation Festival from August 3-5. Get a first-hand look at the region’s forward-thinking in science and technology and apply to present your own innovations on the event’s website. The Innovation Festival is a great opportunity for students and those early in their careers to network with companies and other people in the innovation community. Registration ranges from $200-$750, depending on if you are a student or a professional. Registration can be completed online prior to the event or onsite the day of.

August 8

Boy George & Culture Club, Howard Jones, Berlin, Starlight Nathan Kalish & his Derechos, Fritz Hutchison, miniBar

August 4

toasterbath, Lavender Bride, late night, Replay Lounge

Sam Hunt, Azura Amphitheater Ween, Grinders KC

August 5

KC Current Game Day with Red Shoe Society, Children’s Mercy Park Spine “Raíces” LP Release, recordBar Drugs & Attics, Jack Offs, Too Into It, Replay Lounge

Arson Class, New Rocket Union, Still Ill, miniBar

Ed Sheeran: +-=÷x Tour, GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium

Risqué Revelry Romp ‘n Roll, The Arts

Asylum

August 6

FINKEL, Lando Chill, Replay Lounge

The Speakeasy presents Effy Winter and James Benger, Swordfish Tom’s Keelon Vann, Lee Samson, miniBar

August 7

Mike Brown, Sugarfoot Detour, Buck Creek, Replay Lounge

August 9

Blankslate, Saving Miles Lemon, Oxford Remedy, miniBar

Katee Robert: Radiant Sin Tour, Venue

1235

Wildermiss, Encore Room

August 10

Spitalfield, recordBar

August 11

Sandbar Block Party 2023, The Sandbar Q104’s Yallapalooza 2023 starring Parker McCollum, Azura Amphitheater

Galactic Empire - 1313 Mockingbird

Lane’s 5 Year Anniversary, Granada

Backyard Band Series: Quite Frankly the Band, Venue 1235

August 12

Maddie & Tae, Uptown Theater

Bully, The Bottleneck

Fran Cosmo Band, Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City

SUMMERFEST Day Party, Tin Roof

Hip Hop 50 KC, The Gem Theater

OxyToxin, Sour Apple Surgery, GDB, Replay Lounge

August 13

Lee’s Summit Symphony 20th Anniversary Celebration Concert:

America Meets Paris, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Levee Town Celebrates the Life of Donnie Miller, Knuckleheads

Starhaven Rounders, Replay Lounge

August 14

Pooch Plunge 2023, Lawrence Outdoor Aquatic Center

August 15

Raven Black w/ Living Dead Girl, Owls & Aliens, VIVO Live Events

Farewell Foosball League, Farewell KCMO

August 16

Seven Kingdoms, The Bottleneck

ZZ Top, Starlight

Hulvey: The Beautiful Tour, Encore Room

August 17

The Wallflowers, Uptown Theater

Miller Lite Hot Country Nights: Dylan Scott, Kansas City Live Block

August 18

Summer Concert: Elton John Experience, Riverfest Park

KIDZ BOP, Starlight

Daniel Champagne in Kansas City, The Black Box

August 19

Incubus, Azura Amphitheater

Billy Joel & Stevie Nicks, GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium

MoonShroom, Eureka Strings, Whiskey Mash, The Warwick

August 10 Ben Folds Uptown Theater

Singer-songwriter and pianist Ben Folds is taking his What Matters Most Tour to KC on the heels of the June 2 release of the namesake album—his first studio album in eight years. Formerly of the ‘90s alternative rock trio, Ben Folds Five, Folds is known for his genre-bending music and unconventional instrumental approach. The extensive tour includes a blend of full-band, orchestra, and solo performances. The show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets run from $60-$70.

August 25

Weyes Blood The Truman

LA-based Natalie Mering, better known as the folk-pop artist Weyes Blood (sounds like ”Wise Blood”), is bringing her transcendent and wistful sound to The Truman on Friday, August 25, with support from Nick Hakim. Mering grew up singing in choirs before picking up her guitar at age 8. Her songs tell stories of ancient and modern myths with stunning nuance and ease. Tickets range from $25-$50. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m.

Trey Kennedy, The Midland Girl Ultra, Granada

August 20

Soulja Boy, The Truman Sub-Radio, Encore Room

August 21

The Skatalites, recordBar

August 22

Johnny Booth, Encore Room

Kings Kaleidoscope, The Truman Smile Empty Soul, VIVO Live Events

August 23

Strings on the Green: Eboni Fondren Quartet, Chaz on the Plaza

August 24

Dead Register, The Bottleneck Crusty Mustard Improv, The Black Box

August 25

Sir Chloe, The Bottleneck The Black Keys, Starlight

August 26

Taking Back Sunday, Kansas City Live Block

N.D.V.S.T. Presents: Los Nuevos Reyes Del Reggaeton, The Madrid Theatre

Jelly Roll, T-Mobile Center

Charlie Parker Tribute Concert featuring Tia Fuller, Musical Theater Heritage Crown Center Turnpike Troubadours, Azura Amphitheater

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cleveland Browns (Preseason), GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium

August 27

Goo Goo Dolls, O.A.R., Starlight

August 28

RAW Storytelling, The Black Box

August 29

The Chicks, Ben Harper, T-Mobile Center Amanda Hughey, Sail Away Wine

August 30

Cannons, The Truman

The Mega-Monsters Tour: Gojira & Mastodon w/ special guest Lorna Shore, Azura Amphitheater

Zach Bryan Trampled by Turtles, JR Carroll, T-Mobile Center

August 31

MUSICOLOGY w/ NOVELT, Replay Lounge

The Resident Rogues, Gaslight Gardens Curtis Salgado, Knuckleheads

Stay in the know about KC’s upcoming events on our interactive online calendar!

BEYOND ROUTINE

It’s not uncommon for couples to look at each another one day and realize they are in a bit of a dry spell, sexually speaking . Perhaps they haven’t been touching as much, schedules have been hectic, or a medical issue arose that put a pause on all sorts of sex acts. You both agree that you want more sex, but despite your best efforts, no more sex is being had. What do sexologists recommend for this kind of couple?

One of our top suggestions is almost painfully simple and backed by research while also being of the top sigh-inducing conversations in my office when it’s offered.

Scheduling sex could truly change your sex life. Research suggests that people who have great sex lives prioritize intimacy. What better way to prioritize sexy times than to schedule them?

To be clear, let’s consider “sex” as an umbrella term that many acts fall under. We don’t actually want you to schedule intercourse, but rather, schedule times where you both focus on having physical and emotional closeness and then that makes conditions more conducive to having some kind of sex.

Las Vegas-based Sex Coach JO suggests, “Even though we’re setting aside this time, the way most people think about ‘sex’ being ‘intercourse is the goal,’ it’s really about connection.”

In fact, calling it something other than scheduling sex could help you both feel more at ease.

“Rather than using the phrase ‘scheduling sex,’ I actually use phrases like ‘no-pressure sexy time’ or ‘no-pressure connection time,’” says JO.

The concept of scheduling sex or connection time for couples is often brought up within the context of sexless or sex-lacking partnerships. However, scheduling sexy time isn’t reserved only for couples that aren’t banging. It also isn’t just for the unimaginative or super busy. It can be a gateway to unlocking a whole new level of passion and connection for couples. In fact, just under 50% of all couples schedule sex, so it’s more common than you may think. Why are so many couples turning to setting a sexy date on their calendars?

“Spontaneous sex is difficult. If we rely

too heavily on sex that kind of ‘just happens,’ we may never find time, and we may never set the intention to have sex. I like to think about ‘planned spontaneity,’” says JO.

She made a point that if you and your partner take a drive where you have nothing planned and see a park and decide to stop for a picnic—that doesn’t just happen.

“You probably have blankets, a picnic basket, maybe you have some sunscreen already in the car. So the same rules apply,” says JO.

It’s a dose of preparedness balanced

Shared anticipation is a common joy couples experience with planning a vacation. Learn to use that same energy for your no-pressure dates. Send an alluring text. Email your partner and let them know how excited you are for later. Take charge and add a little something extra, like a surprise gift or ice cream for your after-sexy-time snack. The minutiae of the day-to-day will absolutely wreck your sex life if gone unchecked. People prioritize plenty of things to improve their lives and strengthen their connections, like taking a morning walk to-

with openness to the possibilities. Removing the ties to outcomes, or specific acts, is also helpful.

“I think getting too wrapped up in any one particular activity or any one particular outcome in life, but especially when it comes to sex, can leave us feeling dissatisfied,” says JO.

Your sexy connection date may not be the only time in the week or month you have some form of sexual contact—it should be considered the minimum. It’s a place to start.

Once you are ready to give scheduling no-pressure sexy time a try, you two will need to collaborate on your parameters.

How often will this date be? Will it float or be static on the calendar?

What steps will you take to eliminate distractions and minimize barriers that have gotten in the way before?

How will rain checks work? If one of you doesn’t feel great or plans fall through with a babysitter, what will you do?

Will this be on your shared digital calendar? Will you two make it on the same day and time so it’s easy to remember?

Will it actually work?

It can, but your success will be determined by two main factors: your dedication and your attitude. If you want to resist because “it’s not spontaneous enough,” or you blow off the commitment to the date night every time, or you negatively call it “maintenance sex,” then you’ll likely hate it and fail.

Think of your rainchecks as a “not now” rather than a “no.” Research shows that couples who schedule sex are highly likely to have sex within 24 hours of that time.

gether or kissing goodbye. Your sex life deserves the same level of commitment.

While scheduling sex is often discussed when couples are trying to repair and reconnect, I would suggest giving this strategy a try before they are having less sex than they both want. Couples that maintain sexual frequency at least once a week (as discussed in my March column) have the greatest self-reported levels of relationship happiness. It’s much easier to stay connected than try to fix things later.

Still don’t believe this will work? Think about when you and your partner were first dating. Remember how you would see each other for a date, perhaps only once or twice a week? At a certain point in your relationship, you understood that when you saw one another, something sexual was likely to happen. Remember that anticipation and excitement when you knew you we going to see them?

Baby, you were scheduling sex! In your New Relationship Energy phase, you were inadvertently scheduling when you’d see each other, and therefore, each time you got it on.

Every relationship is unique, and what works for one may not work for another. It’s important to find an approach that suits your unique dynamics and preferences. Open communication, flexibility, and a shared commitment to intimacy are key factors in making scheduling sex a positive and enjoyable experience for both partners.

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

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

Photo by Nicole Bissey. Illustrations by Shelby Phelps

Research shows that couples who schedule sex are highly likely to have sex within 24 hours of that time.

War Horses for Veterans

By Beth Lipoff

Most of the people who come to the War Horses for Veterans farm in Stilwell, KS, don’t have any experience with horses, but by the time they leave, they know everything from how to groom a horse to riding one at a trot and roping a plastic target.

The real magic of the setting isn’t so much learning horsemanship as it is learning ways to calm yourself. Jacob Greenlief, director of veterans outreach and equine management, says a horse can tell your heart rate from as far as 4 feet away, so they teach things like learning to control your breathing and relaxing your posture as part of the programming there.

“We like to say the horse is the mirror. If you’re giving a horse anger, it’s going to give you its own version of anger back. If you’re being passive with the horse, it’s going to reflect that reaction back to you,” Greenlief says.

Participants take those techniques home with them and use them to cope with situations in life, especially those where they would have reacted with anger previously. It’s a program that’s open not only to veterans but to first responders as well.

This quiet environment, populated with others who have similar experiences, becomes a safe space for many participants.

“We don’t force anybody to talk to anybody, but everybody that works here was either law enforcement or military, so we kind of know the struggles, and that’s kind of what allows these people to come here,” Greenlief says. “We just let them relax. We let them let it go because it’s always just built up inside.”

They spend their days working with the horses and spend the nights in a nearby bunkhouse. Transportation, meals, activities—everything’s included in the experience, and the veterans don’t have to pay a cent. It’s all funded by donations. Their biggest fundraiser happens each year in May.

Greenlief estimates that about 400 people participated last year. Some are first-timers, but many people come back over and over.

There are week-long programs as well as shorter one-day programs, and people come from all over the country to take part. Greenlief himself started as a participant when he was living in Illinois. He’d been in the Marine Corps for nine years before getting discharged due to injuries.

“I wish this would have been in my life a lot sooner. I mean, it would have helped with a lot of pain and troubles within my own life and marriage,” Greenlief says. “I’m a father of three, kind of struggling not only with physical injuries but the mental struggle of leaving the military. I never thought I would, and then all of a sudden, you’re out the door, and you’re in an unknown world. Being back around like-minded people and able to connect these people with other veterans or other organizations to help them with the transition is a big part of what we’re doing.”

Ben Thomann is a former Army Green Beret who retired from the military to Peoria, IL, in 2021. Coincidentally, when he came to War Horses, he found that he had interacted with all of his fellow participants in the group at some point during his military career.

“It was honestly kind of comforting, realizing I’m not the one going through all this stuff,” Thomann says.

He was struggling with both family issues and with post-traumatic stress from his military work. War Horses gave him the space to find a little peace.

“One of my new favorite things to do is go clean the stalls, and I learned to practice being present, trying to appreciate some of the small things around me. I love to go down to the barn in the morning,” Thomann says. “The air is nice and cool, you hear bird chirping, and you’re moving around the stall with this 1,200-pound animal. You hear them breathing and moving, and you block out everything else in your mind, and you

focus on, ‘Hey, this is what I’m doing now. I’m here to shovel shit.’”

He’s seen just how much his emotional state affects the horses.

“I had to develop ways to just focus on my task, focus on the horse, and block out everything else around me and just breathe—rhythmic breathing, controlling my heart rate, focusing on the horse, building that bridge of communication and that bond with the animal. Having them respond to you—in some cases, it was a very dramatic shift from when I wasn’t in control and when I was. It really opens your eyes to what your body’s doing,” Thomann says.

Thomann likes that the program gives him something new to learn, and he’s been back several times whenever he needs to re-center himself.

“What they put the special operations people through, it’s a challenging course. It’s not ‘pet a horse and feel better.’ You learn real cowboy skills, and I think that speaks directly to people like me. We don’t want to be coddled. We want to learn something and learn how to deal with it in a way that’s going to be fitting for our personality,” Thomann says.

Now, when he comes back to the farm, he’s not just a participant but a mentor, starting conversations and helping make that safe space for others.

For more info about War Horses for Veterans, visit warhorsesforveterans.org

A participant in a War Horses for Veterans program tries out some cowboy skills at the horse farm in Stilwell, KS. Beth Lipoff