the 2024 election is almost upon us, no matter what Politics. It keeps happening. In the time between when we send this magazine to print and the time you finally get it in your hands—well, who knows how many October surprises have already hit. Using the QR code here, you can follow along with all of our breaking news and features, especially our profiles on dozens of local races and politicians who are hoping to earn your vote and make their mark. Stay in the know before it’s time to go pick our country’s path for 2025.
Letter from the editor
Diagrams and charts mending broken hearts BY
NeWS behind the bud Show-Me Organics’ cannabis connoisseurs are your friends and neighbors reinventing the Missouri market BY
JOE ELLETT
tangled Up In blue
Dems down the ballot push against unbeatable odds BY
BARBARA SHELLY
cULtUre
A rare Medium
An ode to the late and highlyacclaimed spiritualist Steffany Barton BY
MICHAEL MACKIE
Hallmark’s Kelce/Swift holiday flick made Kc a co-star
This summer, the Red Kingdom city had a sprinkle of green as filming took place for Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. The Hallmark & Chiefs partnership filmed on location throughout Kansas City, using locals as extras and taking advantage of the holiday backdrop of Independence Square’s Christmas in July celebration. One of the first calls from LA was to Natalie Cordray, a KC-based Production Supervisor with her own company, Rowdy Productions. The Pitch sat down with her after filming wrapped to get the scoop on what it meant for KC and its citizens.
Secret Sauce
Burnt Ends takes readers on a Kansas City bbq-based Midwest Mystery BY KAYLYNN MULLINS
FOOD & DrINK rum, Don’t Walk Kon Tiki and Conchita Tacos blend island-style booze and bites to the Crossroads BY JORDAN BARANOWSKI
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eat this Now Slow Rise doughnuts BY SARAH SIPPLE
Drink this Now Cocktails at Mitch e Amaro BY SARAH SIPPLE
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Mise en Place Jeff “Cheffrey” Workman on the James Beard aftermath BY SARAH SIPPLE
Jhy coulter’s new venture Orange by: Devoured bites into Martini corner
The story of Orange By: Devoured begins not in a restaurant, but in chef Jhy Coulter’s own backyard. Amidst 2020’s COVID-19 pandemic, she launched Devoured Pizza—a pop-up concept that began in her backyard. The concept, initially called “Backyard Specials,” quickly became a hit among friends and family, and with the boost of winning an Instagram contest, you’ve got the origins of Martini Corner’s newest must munch.
18
MUSIc
Just Like Heaven
Main Street Saints’ lone full-length album gets wax treatment for 25th anniversary BY NICK SPACEK
22
SMOKe SHOW
Delta Forced
Missouri wants to protect children via cannabis ban, but small businesses will need a band-aid BY JOE ELLETT
23
ADVIce
Keep them coming
Familiar Stranger: How different forms of role-play can help spice up your sex life BY KRISTEN
THOMAS
24
eVeNtS
October events calendar BY THE PITCH STAFF
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Kc cAreS
Housing History
Black Archives of Mid-America showcases some of the most notable events and people in African American history BY BETH LIPOFF
Cover Photo by Zach Bauman Design by K.D. Hudspeth
Photo Courtesy of Hallmark Media
Photo by Anna Spoerre
Photo by Tiffany Watts
Editor-in-Chief
Brock Wilbur
President & Chief Operating Officer
Andrew Miller
Director of Marketing & Promotions
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Music Editor
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Film Editor
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Little Village Creative Services
Jordan Sellergren
Art Director
K.D. Hudspeth
Contributing Editor
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DISTRIBUTION
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Letter from the Editor
DIAGRAMS AND CHARTS, MENDING BROKEN HEARTS
By Brock Wilbur
Welcome, dearest readers, into the fold of the October 2024 issue of The Pitch—a product homegrown right here in Kc As you can tell from our cover story, homegrown is certainly a theme for this month’s issue. The narratives you’ll find us tackling in these pages all share a common thread of who in the metro is crafting what comes next—and why we’re stoked to let them cook.
While we’ve got discussions of the afterlife, murder, and more, there is probably little scarier right now than the pending election. We’ve saved you the torment of “grotesque masks of presidential candidates” cover, but we’re all aware that looming November day is the most existentially threatening part of this Halloween season. To its credit, this year, the politicians up and down the ballot have provided us with near-daily jumpscares, so credit where credit’s due for being the living embodiment of horror—the Friday the 13th franchise has nothing on CNN’s Tuesday the 5th feed ahead of the big day. A real monster mash of weird people and bad ideas is chasing us through a field out there, and I’m running out of places to hide.
All I’m saying is that if this year’s Halloween festivities looked more like a night in The Purge, I would understand how we got there. [As an aside, why do people treat Purge Day in those films as just an opportunity to do murder? If everything were legal, I feel like more Americans would engage in grand financial crimes, acquire exotic pets, or really, really upgrade their automobile by borrowing from a nearby car lot or museum. Just comes off like a lot of untapped potential for American ingenuity.]
As this year’s spooky season starts to overcome my nightly background film schedule, I’m coming to understand why I like/love/hunger for the kind of scary flicks that speak to me. I was revisiting The Blair Witch Project and became enamored by the
eureka Springs projects new screams on screen at ‘Nightmare in the Ozarks’ film fest
Academic researcher, horror enthusiast, and recently-minted bedand-breakfast owner Coltan Scrivner moved to Eureka Springs a year and a half ago. He’s already working on turning the place into Halloween Central through Nightmare in the Ozarks, a new film festival pairing up-and-coming horror movies with live events including paranormal investigations, a zombie walk, and even an academic conference. Read Abby Olcese’s interview with Scrivner at the QR code right here:
disconnect of knowledge itself buried in that flick. It opens on documentarians who are, in a subtle way, dunking on small-town folk for believing in something obviously fictional. We’re setting up the main characters’ own delusion that they’re too smart for this. So when they find themselves inexplicably lost in the woods—a traditionally relatively simple problem, yet one they cannot solve—it lands hard that no one here could have outsmarted a situation bigger, crueler, and cosmically unbound from their existence.
The knowledge disconnect has been key to my lifetime obsession with mad scientist movies, or even regular scientist movies where just a tiny sprinkle of hubris sends them out of their league. Any situation where ambition and hubris come together to, say, create a murderous robot, unleash killer aliens, or (especially) open a lil ole portal to Hell—That’s my sweet spot. I love watching smart people make untethered decisions that lead to absolute madness.
That’s why this issue stings a bit because it is our final go-around with our personal Mad Scientist in Residence: Cassonda Jones. Cass has been our designer for exactly two years now, and while she’s moving on to greener pastures (actual money, benefits, things journalism rarely provides), we’re going to feel the loss of her manic energy in the office. In the last few years, you’ve probably noticed a hard shift into maximalist energy and a connected, yet, otherworldly smattering of colors, shapes, arrangements, and concepts that have helped redefine how we tell the stories of the city. That’s been Jones, hard at work.
The delightfully named Ron Cobb served as the set and costume designer on Ridley Scott’s Alien. One of the things that makes the original 1979 film so enduring is the way everything on the spaceship setting looks and feels. That guy didn’t just draw ideas for computers, control panels, spacesuits, or airlocks—He created blueprints and charts, showing how each of these mundane background details would actually function in the real world and why they needed to look the way they looked. It was a degree of detail obsession that few would ever hear about, even though you can take the feature film in, and, somehow, that dedication sticks with you, and makes the entire thing work.
Cassondra Jones has been our Ron Cobb. In February of 2023, I was frustrated that our design for a Valentine’s Day issue—featuring skeleton astronauts floating through a void of candy hearts, obviously— was taking too long to come together on the page. I’d seen sketches weeks earlier and thought they were great, yet the cover still seemed miles away. It was only then that I discovered Cass doesn’t just do “art”—She puts in the work to build realities. These space skeletons didn’t just exist, they needed backstories. Their universe needed rules. Their bodies needed character models and technical functionality. When I thought Cass was right at the finish line, she was not because Cass was storyboarding an entire Pixar movie for no one, just to get to the right final position.
Truly, mad scientist shit. God, we are all gonna miss finding out how deeply, troubling obsessive she was. Godspeed to wherever life takes you, Jones. Thanks for experimenting on us.
And with that… on to the October issue. We hope you enjoy everything we’re putting on the platform today. Between Cassondra and the folks whose tales we tell, please keep the inspiration with you: go nuts out there. There’s never a bad time for weird science.
Pitch in and we’ll make it through,
Photo by Cassondra Jones
Photo by Edward C. Robison III
BEHIND BUD T H E BEHIND BUD T H E
bles—under their umbrella, along with their dispensary line, Blue Sage Cannabis Deli. If you have become familiar with the Missouri cannabis market since recreational legality passed, surely you have come across one of these brands that Show-Me Organics is producing.
Vivid—the most popular brand under Show-Me Organics—was recognized as a top brand in the state by Greenway Best of the Industry 2024, receiving multiple accolades as Best Flower Cultivator and Best Pre-Rolls for its Florida Kush. Vivid also won Best Tincture for its Goodnight Grape Tincture 1:1. On top of Vivid’s honors, Missouri’s Own Edibles won Best Edible Snacks for its Red Hot Riplets. The decorations speak for themselves, but those with boots on the ground, growing the green, commonly go unnoticed.
With a staff of hundreds of highly trained and knowledgeable professionals from all walks of life, Show-Me Organics is churning out products night and day. The Pitch had the opportunity to take an extensive tour of the company’s cultivation facility, taking a glimpse at how your neighbors make a living growing some of Missouri’s most acclaimed weed.
In the Weeds
Like any dispensary, there is a line of security before stepping behind the scenes of the production. After passing through multiple sets of heavy-duty doors, suiting up in a biohazard-style suit, boots, and cap, and stepping through numerous ‘baths’ of a distilled isopropyl solution, just then are employees and visitors allowed into different sectors of the building.
grows is by eliminating any potential pesticides or other substances from entering the building from other cultivation facilities or outside entities.
“I feel like we do have one of the cleanest facilities not only in Kansas City, but in the entire state,” Mother Room Supervisor Maddie VanDien says.
When it comes to the actual work, the staff is just as meticulous in their scheduling and due diligence in maintaining and nourishing each plant. Large whiteboards used as data sheets with dates, number of plants, strains, and other critical information are posted outside of each room, allowing clear communication between the staff of where each area of plants are in their respective life span.
“Keeping a tight schedule is very important,” Lab Manager Aaron Berger says. “Everything produced has a shelf life, and you want to ensure the freshest, highest quality product is being put out to the consumers. The testing of the products is also a vital part of the equation and helps maintain safe products for consumers.”
There are eight different flower rooms in the facility, each space within the facility holding hundreds to a thousand plants at different stages within their lifespan. The “mother” room is where the plant’s life begins, whether as a clone from a previous cannabis strain or as a newly found lineage that will serve as a basis for future grows. Nine months later, the plant’s benefits are in your body.
SHOW-ME ORGANICS’ CANNABIS CONNOISSEURS ARE YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS REINVENTING THE MISSOURI MARKET
By Joe Ellett
Most people remember their first time buying weed. Or, maybe not the first time, but that really sketchy time. Or perhaps a time when that one guy shorted that eighth. Whatever it may be, most average cannabis users would probably say that they’ve had a memorable experience when obtaining the substance.
It’s no secret that a lot of these ‘too close for comfort’ cannabis deals have gone out the window. While black market dealers still exist in the community, many have been etched out as recreational weed was legalized.
Now, walk into a dispensary, provide information, chop it up with a budtender, and you’re out the door. Simple, quick, and overall convenient, although at times can be pricey. It’s great, and it’s a completely different world we live in compared to 20 years ago.
While you may not consider it when
purchasing your canister of gummies or eighth of flower, there is a very methodical and thorough process that brings these wonderful buds to dispensary counters. Behind the process are human hands and faces. Day in and day out, they are planting, nourishing, maintaining, cutting, trimming, extracting, manufacturing, and so much more.
Similar to how we like to know who farms our food, it is important to understand and be familiar with the people growing our weed. After all, this is a substance— which was recreationally illegal in the state just a couple of years ago—that your human body is ingesting. Wouldn’t it be nice to see a face behind the flower?
Meet Your Local Pot Growers
Show-Me Organics is a licensed Missouri cultivation facility with three brands—Vivid, Buoyant Bob, and Missouri’s Own Edi-
Throughout the entirety of the building, the isopropyl baths are found on the floor in the hallways of their rooms containing plants, which individuals are encouraged/required to step through at each passing. In addition, there are spray bottles filled with the solution outside of each room that must be sprayed on the shoes before stepping foot in the respected space.
“Most people who tour our facility are very surprised to see the level of biosecurity that we practice. In our opinion, the medicine cannot be too clean,” Director of Cultivation Josh Brown says.
“I’ve seen hospitals that are dirtier than this facility,” Director of Post-Harvest Robert Orr says. “I have seen some of the worst stuff in cannabis operations or facilities, not here. This is one of the cleanest ships I’ve ever been on, and I personally think that’s super important.”
This isn’t your average black market dealer’s basement grow; These rigorous health and safety steps ensure that a quality product is provided to Missouri consumers. One of the ways that this process helps the team at Show-Me Organics control their
“The aim of the game here is to maximize the amount of cuttings that we can get through here, and that’s through special things called topping from manifolding. Essentially, we’re going to come in, remove this top, and then it’s going to shoot a little bit of root growth hormone down, it’s going to creep these plants out, and they’re going to be like, ‘Awh I’m gonna die,’ so they just keep growing up,” VanDien says.
Show-Me Organics’ mother room is ex tremely important to their operation, pop ulating all of the veg and flower rooms throughout the facility. They are a clone to kill grow, and all of the nourishment and safety precautions that they pump into their plants to protect them from fungi, gnats, or other harmful entities come from natural ingredients such as bene ficial bacteria, beneficial nematodes, and other naturally growing in gredients that act as a safe ty shield from potential threats to the plant.
The exercise of pro ducing a quality plant is long lasting, and for the ShowMe Organics’ team, everlasting, constantly replacing old with the new as plants progress down the line.
“A clone comes in, eight weeks lat er, from that plant, we’ll get about 20 really high cuttings that are exactly the same. So
then, those cuttings will go into crop, those will go into veg for flower, and then, a small percentage will come back to be the next generation,” Director of Science Montana Dickerson says.
Moving from each section where plants are held, the team has carefully sought out the different nutrients and care that must be provided at each point of specific groups of plants’ lifetime, with control variables allowing them to understand if their process is being executed to their standards.
“I thankfully had the privilege of actually doing the production planning. So it’s really nice being hands-on in the mother room, knowing what’s going on here, and then getting to relay that into a nice little Google Doc. If there wasn’t a production plan, this place would fall apart very quickly,” VanDien says.
While it may seem basic, this type of transparency and thoroughness is extreme-
strenuous and thorough the growth of each singular bud is would be almost like learning a new language. Since the plants are continuously evolving, each day is different for the staff as far as what each stage of plants needs that specific day. The overall time spent maintaining the development is rigorous, to say the least, but mandatory for a successful cultivation business within the state.
As the tour progressed, the plants did as well. It is clear when hopping from space to space that the team’s work is paying off, as buds begin to bloom and the nasal ingestion becomes more potent.
Moving down the line, once the plants have grown to their full potential, the team takes the product to the next specific space, maintaining certain temperature and humidity, where the plant will await further procedures, ending its life and preparing it to go to consumers.
“After the product is harvested, in the flower rooms, anywhere that the flower is going to be, whether that’s this hallway, the dry room, the cure room, where it’s getting trimmed, where it’s packed, the vault, everything is 65 degrees Fahrenheit, 55 to 60 percent humidity,” Dickerson says.
“Spring and summer, especially here in Missouri, we know we’re going to see high humidities, so we’ll start front loading our rooms, taking out as much humidity as we can before we start to see this time of year as opposed to winter time,” Orr says.
Once the plant is off its roots and running, the Show-Me Organics’ team already has the final product visioned and ready to roll. Whether they will be using the cultivar for jars of eighths, pre-rolls, larger quantities of shake, gummy edibles, or certain concentrates, is all something that they had in mind when they began and is now ready to see the light of day.
ly important, considering this team is producing consumables for hundreds of thousands of Missourians, along with out-of-state customers.
“I love the fact that the hard work that myself and my team put forth each day directly translates into improving people’s quality of life,” Brown says. “Whether we are helping someone with chronic pain, insomnia, or just putting a smile on their face, it is very satisfying to know that we are making a positive impact on so many people.”
To get into the weeds (no pun intended) of how
same thing.”
Similar to some cannabis users, the personnel at Show-Me Organics have a deep-rooted passion that comes from personal experience with the plant.
“I became very passionate about the plant in my early 20s,” Brown says. “Due to a neck injury sustained from a car accident, my mother suffered from severe migraines throughout my entire childhood. Her headaches were so debilitating that she would spend entire days confined to her bed. She began using cannabis as an alternative to opioids, and it helped her immensely.
“Around the same time, I saw Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s coverage of Charlotte Figi, a young girl who suffered from terrible seizures that were practically cured using CBD. Something about seeing this documentary on CNN, a legitimate national news network, told me that this was a real medicine and deserved to be taken seriously,” Brown says.
As many are aware, there has been a long-lasting stigma surrounding cannabis users, even within our legal state today. “They’re too lazy” or “That plant is making them stupid” are negative notions that are commonly thrown out from closed-minded individuals. Through personal experience and a gained passion for the plant’s medicinal benefits, the team is a part of the ever-growing community trying to combat these stereotypical chracterizations.
“It really just opened me to the possibility of like, ‘Dang, this really isn’t what it seemed or how it was presented to me,’” Dickerson says about his introduction to consuming cannabis.
Employees within the sector are optimistic that misconceptions will eventually vanish as the industry and awareness grows within the state and country as a whole.
that’s being sold. You might find similarities or connections to the people producing that share a similar story to your own, and thereby want to support those people’s journey. The character of the individuals determines the outcome.”
“I believe it is always good to know where you are sourcing a product, especially if it is a product you intend to consume into your body,” Brown says. “Knowing the people or entity behind a product can help you make a more informed decision on whether or not that product is really correct for you. At SMO, we pride ourselves on being ‘hospital grade clean,’ and people know when they buy our products that they are getting something that is clean and safe.”
Growth in the Green
Montana Dickerson built the company with his brother Boston Dickerson, who is the CEO of Show-Me Organics.
“I’m really hyper-focused on day-today operations and technical things of how we can improve, whether it’s our process for stickering pre-rolls, growing plants, or whatever it might be,” Dickerson says. “He is a little bit more involved in sales, marketing, and making new deals. Our skill sets work really well together.”
The yield that Show-Me Organics consistently produces has gained solid traction within the state, and hopes to continue to maintain their standard of high-quality pot. But none of that comes without a committed team.
“I sleep great at night because I know that we have a team of people here that makes the product what it is, all credit to them,” Dickerson says.
“Most people probably are not aware of how many products we can make from the flower. There is constantly new innovation being introduced to the industry, so it takes the passion of the people to keep up and implement these developments,” Berger says.
The Hands in Herbs
It’s obvious that there are many moving parts for this cultivation team to oversee, and simply just impossible to put into words the amount of procedures and precautions taken in their daily work.
Similar to pharmacists, doctors, and others in the healthcare field, these tasks are overwhelmingly information-heavy to the average person, but the scrupulousness is easily recognizable.
“At the end of the day, this is a job. Just like everything else, we are expected to act professional,” Orr says. “But you’re also in a culture, in an environment where you don’t have to keep hush, hush about it, because you know your neighbor smokes weed, your boss smokes weed, we’re all here to do the
“I have been passionate for the last 25 years when it comes to cannabis, so when the state passed the medical program, I jumped at the opportunity to be a part,” Berger says. “The passion comes from my experience with the plant. I have always prioritized my personal experience with the plant versus the negative press that used to be attached to it.
“One of my favorite memories from my time in the industry was the day we started filling rooms with plants and not having a fear or a need to keep my head on a swivel. It was at that moment that it became real,” Berger says.
Understanding that these negative connotations still exist, even within our legal state, the staff believes that knowing who is growing your pot not only ensures you a safe and quality product, but also helps put an end to the lingering stigma surrounding cannabis users and industry workers.
“I absolutely think the people and faces should be a part of the product,” Berger says. “I tend to invest in products that I can feel a connection to. It’s like when you become a fan of a band or sport team—there’s more to the story than the final product
The team at Show-Me Organics is obviously incredibly dedicated to repetition, cleanliness, and producing top-notch marijuana to the market, and thinks that it is important for consumers to be aware of the many cultivation facilities, which leads them to making a more knowledgeable decision at the counter.
“This is something—in the rawest form—you’re lighting it on fire, and you’re inhaling the smoke that’s coming off the top of it,” Orr says. “I’ve smoked bad weed, smoked moldy weed, I’ve smoked gross weed, and I’ve seen some situations. I want to have a clean product. I want to be proud of what we do here.”
Without these dedicated teams, the Missouri cannabis market would be obsolete. Next time you purchase some of Vivid’s Florida Kush, some Missouri’s Own Edibles’ Red Hot Riplets, or a Buoyant Bob’s Blue Dream Vape Cartridge, keep in mind that these are the working arms, legs, and brains behind your fix.
It’s no secret that the Show-Me Organics team is passionate about their careful craft of cannabis. It’s their duty to supply a safe and quality substance, and consumers’ duty to burn it to the ground.
Photos by Zach Bauman
Tangled Up In Blue
DEMS DOWN THE BALLOT PUSH AGAINST UNBEATABLE ODDS
By Barbara Shelly
About 20 people gathered on a Saturday morning in a strip mall storefront that operates as the office of the Platte county Democrats.
Some are fresh faces but most are core volunteers who understand that, in Missouri, the surest way to make a difference in politics is to bolster Democratic representation in the state legislature.
This is a concept that flies under the radar. It seems like half the people I know are scribbling notes on postcards urging voters in swing states to vote for Kamala Harris. Others are wondering if a donation to Lucas Kunce might somehow help Missouri oust Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley.
I get it. Missouri’s Electoral College votes will go to Donald Trump, regardless of how many Democrats vote for Harris. National and statewide offices are also a tough sell, and frustrated Democrats are looking for ways to engage.
However, the swing states that will decide the presidential election are getting plenty of attention. Meanwhile, swing candidates at the state level are pleading for help. If successful, they can continue to erode the Republican dominance of the Missouri legislature that has given us an abortion ban, dangerously lax gun laws, a continued attack on public schools, and copious amounts of other issues. But it’s hard to get people to pay attention.
In Platte County, state Rep. Jamie Johnson addresses the volunteers. Johnson—a program leader with the Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri—was an unexpected winner two years ago in House District 12, which includes Parkville and Riverside. She flipped her seat from Republican to Democrat and became the first Black legislator elected in Platte County.
ocrats’ “blue wall”—the swing states whose votes are needed to hold the White House. In Missouri, the blue wall in 2024 was nine sleep-deprived Democrats in the state Senate, standing and talking for 50 hours straight in a filibuster that saved the state’s initiative petition process. Because of them, we get to vote on Nov. 5 to overturn the abortion ban.
One Door at a Time
What does it take to flip a legislative seat? A minimum of $100,000, candidates say. And good walking shoes.
In 2022, Kemp Strickler—recently retired from a job as senior data analytics manager at Hallmark—ran for House District 34 in Lee’s Summit. The district had been Republican turf since at least 2006, but redistricting had improved Democrats’ chances. Plus, the last occupant—Republican Rick Roeber—had been expelled from the House following credible charges that he had physically, emotionally, and sexually abused his own children.
who are believed to be undecided or leaning Democratic. They disperse to far-flung neighborhoods.
We followed Johnson, who teams up with Elisa Neilson—a friend and the regional coordinator for Elad Gross—the Democrat running for Missouri attorney general. Their destination is an upscale Parkville neighborhood, Thousand Oaks.
Earlier, Johnson had told us that enthusiasm among volunteers hasn’t yet seeped down to her campaign.
Voters are fired up about Kamala Harris, the constitutional amendment on Missouri’s ballot that could set aside the state’s abortion ban, and Crystal Quade—the Democratic woman running for governor.
Johnson is grateful for a loyal core group of volunteers. But, when she sends out text messages and emails asking others for help, “sometimes people show up, and sometimes they don’t,” she says.
Not surprisingly, Johnson’s success grates on the Missouri Republican Party.
“I am at the top of the Republicans’ target list,” Johnson says. Her opponent is Mike Jones—an Air Force veteran and political newcomer who owns a painting company.
A few of the volunteers whoop and clap as Johnson laughs. “I’ve never been so excited to be someone’s priority,” she says. “Because that means I am doing something right. I am pissing people off and I am absolutely fine with that.”
Ashley Aune—the Democrat who represents District 14 in Platte County—tells her small audience that outnumbered Democrats are just one good election away from cracking the Republican supermajority—the number of votes needed to overturn a governor’s veto and wield absolute control of a chamber.
That would mean holding on to all endangered House seats, including Johnson’s, and taking three additional seats from Republicans. In the Senate, Democrats need to pick up two seats.
Aune has won her seat in Platte County’s District 14 in two straight elections, but margins have been close. Before 2018, the seat was held by a Republican. This has resulted in relentless campaigning from Aune. She tells us she and her supporters have knocked on more than 22,000 doors so far this election cycle.
In Missouri, Democrats are outnumbered by Republicans 52 to 111 in the House and 10 to 24 in the Senate.
Although still bleak, Democratic numbers have ticked up over the past few election cycles. And the candidates who win have made the most of their representation in a legislature marked by Republican infighting.
We hear a lot about the national Dem-
Strickler and his wife, Kristy, started knocking on doors in April. They hit the streets nearly every day. His opponent J.C. Crossley—a retired HVAC business owner—was much less visible.
By the time the November election rolled around, Strickler, his wife, and volunteers had knocked on more than 15,000 doors.
Strickler won the election by 42 votes. That’s how hard it is to flip a seat.
Now, Strickler is currently locked in a rematch with Crossley.
“There is nothing more important to a candidate than having people who are willing to knock doors for you,” he tells The Pitch.
Right behind that is help with phone banking and financial donations, of course.
Emily Weber is a legislator from Kansas City who chairs the Missouri House Democratic Campaign Committee. She says the party “desperately” needs volunteers to help hold on to at least four seats and to flip five seats in the Kansas City area.
The action is not in the heart of Kansas City, where voter registration favors Democrats, but in Clay and Platte counties, as well as eastern Jackson County.
Democrats are also battling to save the state Senate seat in Independence that was held by John Rizzo the last eight years, and the Northland seat held by Lauren Arthur. Both are leaving because of term limits.
Robbie Sauls—a House member—is running for Rizzo’s seat. Maggie Nurrenbern—who represents a Northland House district—is seeking to move into Arthur’s seat.
“Good Luck with My Neighbors”
Fortified with donuts, volunteers at the Platte County Democrats headquarters pick up “turfs” with the addresses of voters
She thinks there are several reasons why there is slimmer turnout. “We’re not flipping a seat now. We’re holding a seat, which is not quite as sexy,” she says.
Johnson also says, “I think the divisiveness of politics is making people fearful of talking to their neighbors.”
Johnson herself has no such qualms. She gazes at a Trump flag hanging from a porch. “I would love to talk to them,” she says. She enjoys conversing with people who aren’t like-minded to see if she can find some common ground.
But, the Trump house isn’t on her list. Instead, Johnson marches to another door and rings the bell. A man in his 40s answers the call.
Johnson introduces herself. “I’m your state representative,” she says.
The man says he considers himself an independent and that abortion rights are his front-and-center issue. “I vote for people who I can trust,” he says.
Johnson says that abortion rights are her top issue also, along with support for public schools. Neilson makes a pitch for Elad Gross and Crystal Quade and the constituent seems receptive.
“I just want to say that we do align on the abortion issue,” Johnson says as the conversation is wrapping up. “I would just encourage you to look all of the candidates up and see where else you might align with them.”
“Very good,” the man says. “And good luck with my neighbors.”
Johnson laughs and moves on. She thinks she may have gained a vote on that doorstep. But she knows she’ll need more than luck to keep her seat. There are so many doors to knock on and so little time.
To find out about volunteer opportunities, check out the candidates’ websites, the local county democratic committee, or the website for the Missouri House Democratic Campaign Committee.
Photo by Barbara Shelly
Dia MuertoS DeLos
A Rare Medium
AN ODE TO THE LATE AND HIGHLY-ACCLAIMED SPIRITUALIST STEFFANY BARTON
By Michael Mackie
Kansas city’s white light community—a tight-knit group of healers, energy practitioners, and intuitives—found themselves in mourning in late June when Steffany barton passed away unexpectedly. Based in Leawood, Barton, 50, was a revered medium who had made a name for herself throughout the Midwest with hundreds of thousands of social media followers in her celestial orbit.
When asked, many of her colleagues and friends still found themselves having trouble talking about her in the past tense.
“It’s not easy to offer words about someone who is an unwavering, brilliant spirit of light. Steffany carried herself with this ease and calm that just allowed everyone to take a breath and relax in her presence,” says quantum energy coach and healer Angela L. Holmes of Spiritual Alchemy. “She did
not allow herself to be swayed with her spiritual beliefs and responsibilities she chose in this reality of time. I think this is very underestimated in the white light community.”
Barton was the epitome of someone who lived an outwardly public, yet quiet private life and often referred to herself as an “accidental medium.” She would mention in interviews how she began to find her calling in her fundamental teen years when she lost a close friend to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She then discovered she was tapped into, as she called it, “the broadcast band on the heavenly radio dial.”
Later in life, Barton became a registered nurse and began to rekindle the ability to communicate with those who had recently passed on. Over the years, she nurtured that gift, honed her skills, and reinvented herself as a medium, clairvoyant, and energy worker. Think less RN, and more, as she would say, “nurse for the soul.”
“As a lightworker myself, making a difference in people’s lives is priceless,” says Natosha Keefer, an inspirational intuitive life coach artist. “Steffany had a major impact on her clients by making a difference in their lives by giving them clarity and a chance to communicate with their passing loved ones.”
In addition to lectures and stage presentations throughout the country, Barton was an acclaimed author. One of her first books, “Facing Darkness, Finding Light: Life After Suicide,” was written because of her deep cosmic connection with people who had taken their own lives.
“I have a strong desire to bring into words the unexpressed emotions that survivors of suicide may have in the days and years that follow such a traumatic loss,” she wrote. “My desire in writing this book is to speak to those still living, or perhaps, more truly, those struggling, scraping by, existing with the pain and perpetual grief of a death by suicide.”
For someone who deals with things outside the average Joe’s realm of consciousness, many who knew Barton remarked how unbelievably down-to-earth she was. “Steff approached life from the belief that we are spirits here to experience a
human existence, and she had such empathy for all the emotions that come with that. She also didn’t see here and the afterlife as two different places, but very much as one in the same,” longtime friend Gail Helfer says.
“’Your dad is right here with you,’ she might tell me on a call, then give the most impossible detail of that moment that would make me think, how in the hell did you know that? Her ability to ground raw human emotions like grief in such a gentle lightness of spirit was an extraordinary gift.”
A devoted and doting mother of three, Barton often crisscrossed the country with her children as she gave keynote speeches, seminars, and the occasional large-scale psychic reading. She was also a devoted member of Unity Temple in Lee’s Summit where she preached the power of love and compassion.
“If there’s such a thing as an earth angel, then you and I can both say we knew one. She deeply believed that the universal energy that unites us all—whatever name you choose to call it—is love. Pure, radiant, healing, unconditional love,” Helfer says.
“You could hear it in her voice and see it in the spark in her eye. I think that’s the best way we can honor her memory. To model her fierce brand of unconditional love. And in a time where the world feels so divided, wouldn’t that be a gangster move?”
Photos Courtesy of Steffany Barton
HERE FOR THE MUSIC LOVERS
Local. Independent. Commercial-free. 90.9 The Bridge is Kansas City’s source for music discovery. Our memberpowered model makes room for diverse playlists, supports major touring artists and connects Kansas City’s community of music lovers.
Secret Sauce
BURNT ENDS TAKES READERS ON A KANSAS CITY BBQ-BASED MIDWEST MYSTERY
By Kaylynn Mullins
even though mystery author Laura Wetsel only lived in Kansas city for four years, the city’s energy followed her all the way to Washington, D.c More specifically, cravings for our world-famous barbeque have proven to be unshakable. This September, her book, Burnt Ends, hit the stands and offered a delicious spin on whodunnits. The murder suspects are an uber-rich family whose fortune comes from a drive-in BBQ chain right here in the heart of the Midwest.
In 2019, she left KC for a government job on the East Coast, and shortly after, the pandemic suddenly shut the world
hers. After her father’s overdose, his beloved West Bottoms gas station BBQ joint was swept away from her in a frenzy of lawyers and contracts by her uncle, Charlie.
Now, KC’s honorary uncle’s shining reputation is maintained by endless stacks of hush money. Swenson’s intuition leads her to believe that it was no coincidence that her father’s will changed days before his death. When another death happens in the kitchen at Uncle Charlie’s restaurant, she leaps at the opportunity to prove his guilt.
What starts as an investigation into a fry cook’s death unravels into drugs, af-
“My close friend died of an opioid overdose. I feel like a lot of us have had somebody affected by opioids. I was trying my best to be authentic with it because that was one of my main concerns. I wanted to accurately convey this very serious subject matter while also trying to still have humor in it. Trying to balance the dark with the light at the same time.”
down. Lockdown gave a lot of us newfound downtime, and as the idea for her drive-in restaurant murder mystery novel began to take shape, KC was still fresh on her mind. “It felt like a nostalgic sort of place to go,” Wetsel says. “I had positive feelings about Kansas City, so I just wanted to give something to the city.”
The novel follows P.I. Tori Swenson on her unyielding quest to uncover the secrets that hide underneath her uncle and cousins’ picturesque lives. Especially because they’re living a life that is supposed to be
The investigation leads the P.I. through many staple KC neighborhoods like Hyde Park, Westport, and Leawood. Swenson even takes refuge in the Green Lady Lounge for smooth, soft jazz after an especially gruesome day on the job. Even almost pancaking a clueless pedestrian on The Plaza makes its way into the novel. Nods to Walt Disney, Charlie “Yardbird” Parker, and Hallmark make Kansas City an unofficial character in the story.
Within the investigative genre, many of its leading characters struggle with addiction. Though Tori Swenson fits this descriptor, her character isn’t the typical chain-smoking casanova that often pops up in mystery novels. Instead, she’s an opioid addict with very strong feelings, hates the smell of smoke, and only carries a stun gun for protection. Her addiction issues aren’t glamorized. Wetsel’s depiction of Tori shows the true heartbreak of what addiction can do to a person and their loved ones.
“My close friend died of an opioid overdose,” Wetsel says. “I feel like a lot of us have had somebody affected by opioids.” Addiction, especially to opioids, remains a somewhat taboo topic. Shows like Euphoria have brushed on the topic; the line between glamorizing and humanizing is scarily thin.
spot for burnt ends in the city. The spectacular food and Americana feeling of the brick-and-mortar gas station storefront piqued Wetsel’s interest. “Kansas City has always felt like it’s in the middle of the country. It’s emblematic of the American spirit,” she says.
It’s only fitting that the quintessential cuisine of the Heartland found its way onto the pages of this money-hungry family. And who does barbeque better than KC? Burnt Ends balances the sweet and savory masterfully. While eccentric and caricature-like at times, every member of the family has something lethal to hide. Every truth that comes to light only adds to the ever-growing heap of questions.
Taking inspiration from thriller superstar Gillian Flynn, Wetsel hopes the revelations truly shock readers. “The plot has to be intricately designed—like a puzzle,” says Wetsel. She recalls the early stages of her writing process in her 400-square-foot Georgetown apartment overtaken with plot diagrams and notes. Her uncle became a vital part of ensuring she understood the industry inside and out, and who better to ask than the previous Swenson’s owner? “He was quite useful in giving me the real nitty gritty of restaurant life,” she says.
fairs, more mysterious disappearances, and heaps of family drama. The prime suspects constantly change; The minute you think you’ve cracked the case, shots are fired from mysterious figures in Westport, and black Mercedes are chasing Swenson on I-35.
“This book could only take place in Kansas City,” Wetsel says. The sweet spot between metropolitan perks and tight-knit community makes it the perfect place to maintain anonymity, while also recognizing many familiar faces.
“I was trying my best to be authentic with it because that was one of my main concerns. I wanted to accurately convey this very serious subject matter while also trying to still have humor in it,” says Wetsel. “Trying to balance the dark with the light at the same time.”
The investigation began during Tori’s fourth relapse. Scared that rehab would get in the way of her work, she concealed her regression from everyone, including her beloved aunt Kat and best friend Darnell. The protagonist bargains with herself, pretends to have a handle on her consumption of oxycodone, and can’t seem to find the proper window to finally quit. The story then has you rooting for Tori’s victory on the case, but also for a victory over her addiction.
When living here, Wetsel frequented Joe’s BBQ, which she claims is her favorite
This novel couldn’t be made without a deep knowledge of and appreciation for Kansas City, our food, and our rich history. The four cousins all represent their own little corner of this city, with yoga and marketing savvy Annie situated in Overland Park, foodie Emma on The Plaza, Walt Disney-obsessed Chuck in Hyde Park, or busy golfer Toby in his Ward Parkway mansion. Even down to the historic West Bottoms drive-in, it shows the personality and character behind each of this city’s figurative boroughs, making it a beautiful, bloody love letter to our city.
Burnt Ends lets you see Kansas City through a private eye, including the mouth-watering and unsavory bits. This marks Wetsel’s first published work thus far, and though she’s appreciative of the support from her new home in Georgetown, she’s excited for KC to connect with her story.
Illustration by K.D. Hudspeth
Rum, Don’t Walk
KON TIKI AND CONCHITA TACOS BLEND ISLAND-STYLE BOOZE AND BITES TO THE CROSSROADS
By Jordan Baranowski
When it comes to nailing a tiki concept, having positive energy is every bit as important as having good rum behind the bar. That’s what brought about the unofficial slogan for Kon Tiki, which recently opened its doors next to Up-Down in the Crossroads Arts District. For Chad Troutwine and Chris Seferyn—the duo behind Kon Tiki—keeping an eye on that target was crucial for hitting the ground running.
Seferyn serves as a manager and consultant for Kon Tiki, carrying decades of experience with him. He was a driving force in establishing Kansas City’s Martini Corner by opening spots like Velvet Dog and Empire Room. As for Troutwine, the longtime entrepreneur is best known in Kansas
City for being part of the ownership team behind Torn Label Brewing. The two have been friends for many years, and a fond, shared memory led them down the path to starting Kon Tiki.
“Chad and I go way back—We lived in Los Angeles at the same time and used to explore a lot of the bar scene there together,”
Seferyn says. “Tiki-Ti on Sunset Boulevard was one of our favorite places to hang out. It’s been around for decades and always had that perfect combination of design sensibilities, great drinks, and overall vibes.
Recently, we got to talking about bringing a slice of that LA nostalgia to Kansas City.”
Drawing inspiration from Tiki-Ti, Kon Tiki is able to showcase a laid-back SoCal
design aesthetic that helps set the tone for good times. The décor is colorful and exciting without being obnoxious, and the drinks follow suit. Kon Tiki boasts a combination of classic Tiki drinks and original creations based on Polynesian flavors and ingredients.
The classic cocktails that have been the biggest hits so far are the painkiller and the rum runner. Like many Tiki drinks, a painkiller features a combination of overproof rum and citrus. What helps it stand apart is the unique texture that cream of coconut provides, plus a little extra zing from freshly grated nutmeg. Rum runners are essentially Tiki 101—multiple rums and lots of fruit juice for a sneakystrong cocktail that will transcend you straight to the beach.
option if you want something that everyone at the table can grab a few bites of. As of this writing, you have to walk next door and bring food back over to Kon Tiki, but soon they will have the system fully integrated, and you’ll be able to have food brought directly to your table.
As far as original creations, Kon Tiki has plenty of strong choices to offer. Popular drinks include the pele Paloma—a refreshing skinny Paloma with that just-right grapefruit bitterness—and their signature kon tiki—a boozy, frozen blend of multiple rums, peach, pineapple, orange, and cranberry. The golden hour is a strong standout as well—a mixture of banana bourbon, and a combination of coconut, allspice dram, pineapple, and cinnamon gives it a deep, rich flavor profile.
The drink selection at Kon Tiki syncs perfectly with the “come-as-you-are, everyone’s welcome” vibe. “We want to be a photo-friendly destination bar as well as being a casual hangout spot,” Seferyn says. “We have everything from high-end, boozy tiki drinks to slushies and frozen margaritas to yard beers and tallboys. Kon Tiki has a little something for everyone to relax and have fun.”
That extends to the ace up Kon Tiki’s sleeve: Conchita Tacos. Helmed by the same team as Tacos Valentina—who also run the kitchen at Troutwine’s Torn Label Brewing—Conchita Tacos has a limited menu of tasty tacos and asada fries on offer.
There are five varieties of tacos: calabaza (a vegetarian option that’s loaded with herbed squash), camaron asado (grilled shrimp), carne asada (steak), pescado (baja fried fish), and their signature al pastor (slow-roasted, skewered pork). Each taco filling has its fans, but a special shoutout needs to be made to al pastor done the right way. There’s something magical about that vertical, slowly turning skewer, that delicious aroma, and that perfectly tender pork sliced into a soft tortilla. It’s easily the go-to pick here.
The asada fries can be topped with steak, shrimp, or pork, and they’re a great
If you’re planning on ordering a few drinks with overproof rum, you’ll definitely want some tacos to help you wash everything down. Your food even comes in an adorable little box, giving you a tasty and photogenic transportable snack. If you want to get down on this tiki and taco combination, there are a few available options. There’s a large, open-seating bar area, and a walk-in seating available. There are also tables and cabana-style seating that can be reserved in 90-minute blocks, along with a limited number of outdoor seats. In the spring, they plan on building a much larger patio space. Another unique feature of the building is the large event space. “We have some really fun plans in store for the event area,” Seferyn says. “We have a number of local artists in mind to do some themed art events here, and we’ll do some cool stuff for holidays. Halloween will be one of our first pop-ups in that space—Keep an eye on our social media for more details there!”
Whether you’re looking for tacos and drinks for lunch, a fun spot for happy hour, weekend day drinking, or a late-night cocktail, Kon Tiki and Conchita Tacos are a great new spot to check out. With its central Crossroads location, Kon Tiki is easy to pop into while you’re out and about, but it’s also unique enough to be a destination in its own right.
Kon Tiki and Conchita Tacos are located next door to one another at 1922 Baltimore and 1910 Baltimore, Kansas City, Missouri 64108. They are both open from 11:00 a.m.–1:00 a.m., seven days a week.
Photos Courtesy of Kon Tiki and Conchita Tacos
Half price cocktails all week!
EAT THIS NOW: EAT THIS NOW:
Slow Rise doughnuts
Slow Rise can be found at area farmers’ markets and events. • By Sarah
Sipple
If you’ve heard anything about Slow rise, I guarantee that two topics were covered: how quickly they sell out with people lining up for them at 5 a.m. and—to explain the former—how incredible they are.
So, the question from some of you may be: Are they worth it? Lining up at 5 a.m., really?
Slow Rise makes filled sourdough doughnuts and sells them at farmers’ markets and pop-up events. Co-owner Jessica Dunkel is a food scientist by day and baker by night. The meticulous attention to detail that science requires aptly translates into the baking world. Therefore, Dunkel’s San Francisco sourdough starter is fermented for up to 72 hours before the expertly-honed baking process begins. Eventually, the doughnuts are filled with unique, seasonal mousses, jams, and other fillings.
The melt-in-your-mouth dough leads people to rave about them and line up at dawn, but the equally standout element is the creative flavor combinations. For example, the flavors pictured above are pandan coconut and earl grey chocolate. The doughnut base remains the same, but fillings are inspired by in-season ingredients that the Dunkel family often harvests themselves, as well as Southeast Asian nods to Dunkel’s home country of Indonesia.
The longest I have stood in line for Slow Rise is about 45 minutes. Yes, it was worth it, but that is a completely subjective consideration. I had the free time, I was curious, and it paid off. The anticipation didn’t inflate my experience—In fact, I would argue the opposite. I had a “these better have been worth it” attitude, and indeed they were. If waiting in line or camping out at a farmers’ market isn’t realistic for you, Slow Rise occasionally has events with pre-order options.
Armour road in North Kc is a destination in itself, partly due to unique places like Mitch e Amaro. The cocktail supply and amaro bar is a small but tidy shop where you can stock your home bar, sample new spirits or bitters, or grab a drink with a friend.
Near the back of the shop is a bar and an array of high-top tables designed for imbibing with the rotating cocktail menu or tasting specific spirits. On a recent visit, I ordered a white Manhattan and two non-alcoholic cocktails: St. Agrestis amaro falso and a margarita.
The white Manhattan was one of many Manhattan varieties, each $12. This dainty but powerful drink was made with white rye, Lillet Blanc, orange bitters, and an orange peel spiral. The cold rye was bold on the senses but smooth. A hint of citrus lightened the cocktail.
My second sipper—the St. Agrestis amaro falso ($10)—is not exactly a craft cocktail. This fabulous mocktail was served over ice with an orange twist, but it was poured out of an individual glass bottle.
It provided a deep, pleasantly bitter, and well-rounded flavor. I would recommend this over most faux-alcohol cocktails I’ve tried—bottled and fresh. The St. Agrestis bottles are available for purchase at Mitch e Amaro in the non-alcoholic section and make for an eye-catching addition to a home bar cart.
The house margarita ($10) was refreshing and bright but lacked the bite that traditional tequila brings. Requesting tajin on the rim was a good choice to punch it up. This version with n/a tequila, syrup, and lime juice was refreshing and a decent substitute for a light margarita.
Mitch e Amaro is a destination for amateur mixologists and cocktail hobbyists. Books, cocktail supplies and tools, spirits, liqueurs, bitters, alcohol-free options, and more are enticing to browse between drinks. You just may leave feeling inspired to try something new.”
Cocktails at Mitch e Amaro
Sipple
Photos by Sarah Sipple
Mise En Place
WORKMAN ON THE JAMES BEARD AFTERMATH
By Sarah Sipple
Chef Jeff Workman–Cheffrey if you’re close–has honed his skills at several top Kansas City culinary destinations, such as Corvino, The Campground, and now, Tailleur. His Midwestern-leaning dishes and care for his team play no small role in his accomplishments, most recently as a 2024 James Beard Award semi-finalist for Emerging Chef while at The Campground.
Fueled by cereal for dinner, Workman gives insight into his journey from troublemaker to nationally recognized chef.
the Pitch: What is your chef origin story?
Jeff Workman: I didn’t ever plan on cooking professionally. This kind of happened because I found myself in a position where I needed a job. I started as a dishwasher, and I’ve been cooking ever since. It kind of gave me direction at a time when I was kind of a hoodlum, just being a troublemaker.
What sparked that sense of direction for you? I think the camaraderie that comes with kitchen work, specifically. And then the creative side, too. Before I started cooking, I was doing graffiti as my creative outlet, and then I got in trouble.
What’s the first dish you remember making? The first thing I ever cooked was something my grandpa used to make for breakfast. And I’m not sure if he was limited as a cook or if this was his favorite breakfast, but it was just toast with over-easy eggs and ketchup. I still eat it today, but I remember getting in trouble by my mom because I would try to flip the eggs without the spatula, making a mess.
What’s an off-duty go-to meal for you? I try not to cook at home. I’m a sucker for cereal. But usually on our day off, we try to go eat at other local spots. This past year, being off on Mondays, Baccaro Primo has become a staple.
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.
ble. But the other thing from Campground is just a sense of community.
Is there an ingredient or method you’d skip forever if you could? Microgreens—the premixed varieties, because there’s always one that will go bad first. It is an expensive edible garnish, but people aren’t eating it.
What has changed for you since the James beard Award nomination in January? It’s been crazy. My wife jokes about how I’m everyone’s favorite line cook’s favorite line cook—I just happen to be a chef now. But, really it’s just the amount of connections I’ve made to chefs, cooks, bartenders, etc., that are in a different realm of this industry. It’s just opened a lot of doors.
What is one lesson from the campground that you are bringing to tailleur? Organization. I’ve been spoiled in the past with very big operations, but then Campground is very small, so it was like a game of Tetris—figuring out what stuff you’re going to get in on your order, where you’re going to process it, store it. So, now that I have a little more space again, I want to keep that same mindset and try to be as efficient as possi-
If you could improve any issue in the restaurant industry with just a snap, what would it be? I would say mental health and how we handle that with our colleagues. It’s getting better, for sure, but I think there’s still a negative view on it. If you need help in any sort of way, it’s viewed like you’re not cut out for this industry or you need to man up—all those toxic behaviors. It’s just simply not true. I struggle with mental health. A lot of my staff in the past have struggled. We’ve connected and supported each other. I think we need more of that because it is a stressful job.
JEFF “CHEFFREY”
TAILLEUR 3933 Main St Kansas City, MO 64111
Photos Courtesy of Jenny Wheat and Jeff Workman
JUST LIKE HEAVEN
MAIN STREET SAINTS’ LONE FULLLENGTH ALBUM GETS WAX TREATMENT FOR 25TH ANNIVERSARY
By Nick Spacek
In the ‘90s, few genres of music were as omnipresent in Kansas city as punk rock. Thanks to places like Fred P. Ott’s, The Pub (now The Brick), and Davey’s Uptown, along with all-ages venues like The FuseBox, The Daily Grind, El Torreon, and Gee Coffee, you could step out to hear loud, fast, aggressive tunes on nearly any given night.
Whether it was the nasty rock ‘n’ roll of Cretin 66, the Nuclear Family’s pop-punk, or the nasty pogo of The Sex Offenders, there was something for every fan of the genre. One particular subgenre which had a brief but shining moment in the sun was Oi! Also known as street punk, this working-class take on punk rock leaned heavily into the latter part of that descriptor, with lyrics emphasizing the day-to-day toil of the blue-collar worker, along with a healthy dose of letting loose with a few beers after getting off shift.
In Kansas City, no one did street punk finer than Main Street Saints. The four-piece formed in 1994 as bassist Tim Nord joined with guitarist Edu Cerro and vocalist Jason Pollard’s prior band, The Outsiders.
“I met Ed and Jason in Fayetteville, Arkansas, at an [anti-racist action] gathering back in the late ‘80s, early ‘90s, somewhere in there,” Tim Nord says. “They ended up moving here somehow, and then we just became buddies.”
As Nord remembers, first, he tried out to be The Outsiders’ drummer and was “asked not to drum,” but when the band got rid of their bass player, Nord then took on that role.
“The band just dissipated and then reformed,” Nord continues, with the initial Saints lineup being Cerro on guitar, Nord on bass, Pollard on vocals, and another former member of The Outsiders, Matt Cathlina on drums. There would be a steady rotation of drummers until the band finally ended up with Brianne Grimmer on the skins until the band ended in 2000.
During that short but vibrant heyday, Main Street Saints would play shows with a veritable who’s-who of punk rock: British legends The Business, Dropkick Murphys,
Photos Courtesy of Main Street Saints
and Agnostic Front, to name a few.
That wasn’t originally the plan, though, says Nord.
“When we originally started, we didn’t want to play shows,” he says. “We wanted to be like The Wretched Ones and just put out records and then get invited to festivals and stuff, but not actually tour as a band. We just wanted to make our music.”
Nord explained that a lot of Main Street Saints’ success had to do with the era in which they operate. “It was just the time. A lot of great bands were coming out, and we jumped on tours with them.”
Their newly prolific show schedule was bolstered by a rich series of releases. From 1997 to 1999, Main Street Saints would release three 7-inch vinyl EPs of their own, a split 7-inch with Atlanta’s Terminus City, and appear on a Flat Records’ tribute to AC/ DC before finally dropping their only fulllength, Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven … But Nobody Wants To Die, via GMM Records. There’d also be a posthumous release of the band’s final seven songs via a split with The Antagonizers on Street Anthem Records, but it and the fulllength were fairly well cursed, says Nord.
“Originally, when GMM put us out, we had a two-record deal, but then the record label folded, and Ed was getting ready to move away,” the bassist says. “So, we frantically recorded all the music we had left. It’s a good record, except we were cursed with record releases, and they screwed all the song names up, and the artwork on the original CD for Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven got messed up. It was just a tragedy.”
From there, Moody went backward and picked up the material Saints had self-released on their own 13 Luck Records, and it just went from there. As he writes in the liner notes for the vinyl release, “Music matters to people. To me, that’s what this release is about. I got into Oi! sometime in the mid to late ’90s. Main Street Saints were one of the first U.S. bands that clicked for me once I bought in on the genre and subculture.”
As Moody puts it, it’s always bothered him a bit that Main Street Saints aren’t mentioned more often, but, more importantly, it’s bothered him that their full-length never saw proper release on vinyl. He reached out to Nord via Instagram and began the threeyear process of making this reissue come to life.
“About three years ago, one of my buddies was like, ‘Yeah, you should do that,’” Moody says. “I reached out to Tim, and then we went back and forth, and I’ve got a six and a four-yearold. I’m an army recruiter. Adult stuff kept coming and kept me distracted from it.”
However, sometime in April of this year, Moody decided it was time to make this happen.
As the liners note: “That’s all just to say that this happened because the band was cool with it, I wanted to make it happen, and (at the time) I had a low balance on my Discover card.”
To that end, things are being rectified, at least in the case of the full-length. A brand new label—Street Rats Records, out of Versailles, Kentucky—has, as its inaugural release, the first-ever vinyl pressing of Main Street Saints’ Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven in time for the album’s 25th anniversary.
The label’s Dan Moody never actually saw the band when they were a going concern, and came to the band in a way that is likely to be familiar to many folks who were around in that era.
“I was listening to a lot of bands at that time, and Main Street Saints were one of the best to me,” Moody says. “I had their singles and stuff before the CD actually came out. The “Johnny Bomb” single is on Haunted Town. There was a Bruisers single on Haunted Town. I was aware of that label and just kind of kept my eyes out for other releases. Like, ‘What else are they doing?’”
While it’s been a long time coming, the record is now mastered for vinyl by Well Made Music’s Dave Polster and pressed at Gotta Groove in Cleveland on your choice of black or limited-edition transparent blue with black-swirl vinyl. Main Street Saints’ full discography is also streaming via Bandcamp, and Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven has finally made its way to Spotify as well. It’s a bit of a vindication that maybe these cult favorites might finally get a wider appreciation.
Pollard and Nord, along with Moody and countless other fans, can now rest easy that Main Street Saints’ sole full-length will find a home on their shelves alongside their Cock Sparrer and Sham 69 LPs and will be able to drop that needle and feel the way the band members themselves do.
“We have the lacquer that we listened to the other day, full volume, like a couple of kids sitting on the couch drinking tea,” Nord says. “I got a little choked up. I had some quiet moments, and then I listened to it one more time with my kid. Me and my son sat and listened to it, and I was like, ‘This is your dad!’”
CLUSTERTRUCK
SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN CHOPPED SALAD
GREEN DIRT ON OAK
AUTUMN GREENS
MEL’S SPINACH SALAD HARVEY'S AT UNION STATION
JAZZ A LOUISIANA KITCHEN
BLACKENED CHICKEN OR BLACKENED SHRIMP COBB SALAD
ROZZELLE COURT RESTAURANT AT THE NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART
HERBED GOAT CHEESE SALAD
Delta Forced
MISSOURI WANTS TO PROTECT CHILDREN VIA CANNABIS BAN, BUT SMALL BUSINESSES WILL NEED A BAND-AID
By Joe Ellett
back in August, Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced executive Order 2410, prohibiting the sale of any food containing unregulated psychoactive cannabis compounds, as well as prohibiting liquor license-holding retail businesses from selling psychoactive cannabis compounds. The order was originally planned to take effect on Sept. 1, where the DHSS would be in charge of embargoing and condemning any of the respected products that fall under the order.
Although Secretary Jay Ashcroft refused to sign the order, Parson claims that it has not halted the DHSS from investigating nearly 60 facilities containing the products in the state.
Among these raids, one in particular highlights the unhinged, scattershot approach to enforcement the state has adopted in this limbo between announcement and official enforcement.
On Sept. 11, the DHSS decided that it would be appropriate to investigate the Franklin County VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) Post in response to a complaint that the bar was selling a hemp-derived THC seltzer—UR Lit, containing 5mg of delta-9 THC. For a space intended for veterans to gather safely, it is completely unfathomable that the DHSS would even consider conducting the investigation on a day when many citizens, veterans or not, are mourning the loss of thousands of lives—or personal ties—to 9/11.
In a press release that Gov. Parson issued shortly after announcing the executive order, he states that his decision to stop the sale of these unregulated products came from “a recent increase in availability of products containing psychoactive cannabis and the emerging concerns regarding the health effects of these substances, especially among Missouri’s youth.”
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced that the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control will submit actionable referrals to Bailey’s office through a “dedicated electronic repository” to take account of investigated retailers and
decide on further action.
On Aug. 30, the Missouri Hemp Trade Association filed a lawsuit in the Cole County Circuit Court against the State of Missouri after the DHSS issued a memo to retailers on how the order would go into effect.
While the declaration is intended to help uplift and protect Missourians—specifically children—from potential threats from the substances, it could be doing more harm than good.
Many professionals within the hemp industry around the city and state as a whole are having to regroup and consider plans to combat, and/or abide by, the potential changes before they are left with a revenue loss from the product ban, or worse, disciplinary actions for noncompliance.
KC Smoke & Vape—a local retail business that has been in KC for nearly 30 years—will have their revenue directly affected by the executive order, although they claim that their products are privately tested and are not being sold to minors.
“Anything that we carry, for instance, the first thing we do when we get it in is we check it for a COA, certificate of analysis. We check and see exactly what’s in that product. We make sure that COA actually matches the information that’s on the packaging, and then we go from there,” KC Smoke & Vape owner Jason Ballou says. “There’s not a thing that we sell that does not have an actual COA from a federally licensed testing lab that accurately reflects what is in that product.”
Ballou claims that on top of the testing analysis that the products that his business distributes undergo, they also use childproof packaging and veer away from manipulative manufacturing practices.
“All of the packaging that we use are child-safe containers, or they’re specifically designed to make them child-resistant. We also don’t make gummy bears or gummy worms or anything like that,” he says.
At the conference that Parson held in August, he provided examples of manipulative marketing within the hemp industry— delta products that were packaged to look
nearly exactly like popular candy brands, such as LIFE SAVERS, Mike and Ike, and Airheads. Ballou says that KC Smoke & Vape has never sold items of these kinds.
“We’ve been selling these products since 2019, and we’ve never sold a single package like that. I think, from a marketing standpoint, that’s absurd and ridiculous and should not be allowed. But also copyright infringement, moral—everything is wrong about that,” Ballou says.
The Missouri hemp and cannabis industries are very closely related, yet differ incredibly in terms of regulation, which is why Parson’s order came into debate in the first place. Professionals in both the hemp and cannabis industries believe that there must be a better way to regulate the products without banning them completely.
“I really think that the rules and regulations that the DCR (Division of Cannabis Regulation) has posed for packaging, labeling, and all that good stuff didn’t come in a vacuum,” Illicit Chief Marketing Officer David Craig says. “It was from years of research on other legal recreational and medical markets. Those are best practices followed in some fashion across the country, in the 20-some-odd states that have legal cannabis. And so, to basically ignore that because the specific cannabinoid doesn’t fall under their purview, I think it’s really short-sighted.”
“We actively support there being regulation, not just on hemp edibles, but any kind of a consumable hemp product, or even topical hemp products,” Ballou says. “But really, those regulations should center around packaging, testing, things like that, so people actually know what they’re getting.”
Among members of either industry, there seems to be a consensus surrounding where the E.O. stems from. Obviously, manipulative business practices are taking place in the state, ultimately putting consumers, specifically children, at risk, but some believe that hemp retailers are conducting moral business while bad actors are bringing the industry down.
“Obviously, reputable stores will enforce the minimum age, but you can go to just random, generic gas stations and buy them at any age, which is ridiculous,” Ballou says.
“There are certainly companies, manufacturers, and all those things who are doing their best to follow the rules to the best of their ability,” Craig says.
If Parson’s order were to follow through pending the delay, changes would obviously be seen within the hemp market, but maybe to an extent further than the average consumer may realize.
“Raw hemp seeds that you may be adding to a salad, or you may be adding to your food, protein, any hemp oil that’s extracted from those hemp seeds—anything that a bagel has got hemp seeds on it, any of those
products potentially have THC in them. But, under the wording of this law, it doesn’t matter if that THC is enough to actually get you high. What matters is whether or not it has psychoactive, unregulated THC and all of those hemp seeds potentially have unregulated, psychoactive THC in them,” Ballou says.
While many may consider them competing industries, professionals in the line of work see them as sister industries that are on the rise together. After all, both are incredibly scrutinized professions that have gradually etched their way into a part of individual’s daily lives.
“We’re huge advocates for hemp because we all kind of went through the same thing, trying to work through these federal restrictions, local state restrictions together,” Craig says. “So, we want to see them grow as much as everybody wants to see us grow. It’s just consumer safety, clarifications, regulation.”
Speculation of the DHSS stepping in to regulate hemp in similar ways that they monitor the cannabis industry is a suggestion that professionals in both sectors have.
“You can do nothing, leave it as is, which we’ve discussed why that’s a danger to the public. You can completely ban it outright, which might hurt some small businesses, which nobody wants to do. And then, maybe there’s a middle ground where it just falls under some sort of regulatory oversight, either with the Department of Cannabis Regulation or some sort of offshoot,” Craig says.
It will be interesting to see where the E.O. takes hemp production in the coming months, but it is important to note that the hemp industry and members of the cannabis market agree that the ban takes too far of a stance on hemp-derived products, and will come at a large cost to local small businesses.
“The idea of just coming in and completely banning a category for reasons that appear based on the actual numbers and statistics to be completely unjustified just seems like complete overreach,” Ballou says.
Photo
FAMILIAR STRANGER
HOW DIFFERENT FORMS OF ROLE-PLAY CAN HELP SPICE UP YOUR SEX LIFE
role-play serves as a gateway between imagination and desire. Your brain is your biggest sex organ, so role-play offers a way to use it to build a highly erotic encounter. Whether you’re in a relationship and you two (or more) work together to formulate a playful time, or you’re single and turning to AI-powered chatbots, erotic role-play is good for your brain and your sex life.
Certified Sexologist Julia Satterlee says, “We often stay stuck in this idea of what sex has to be.” Novelty on a regular basis is good for our sex lives. Taking it a step further and learning to tap into fantasy to build desire and connection helps us have great sex lives.
“Fantasy is part of that creativity and part of that permission we can give ourselves for erotic play, for being different from our normal, responsible adult selves,” Satterlee says. “With consent and communication, we can play out these roles and scenarios that we would never do for real.”
Role-play and fantasy can be very simple, highly scripted, and everything in between. Satterlee says the misconceptions are usually rooted in overthinking. “Clients will say ‘I can’t think what to say’ or ‘I’m not creative,’ even, ‘I can’t stick to a script,’” Satterlee says.
No one is required to flex acting skills
yourself to not have a rigid script,” Satterlee says.
Runyan agrees, stating, “Role-playing allows you to have fun, laugh together, surprise one another, and build anticipation.”
Leave judgment for the nights you watch Drag Race together, not the bedroom. “I like to encourage people to think about
“Role-playing allows you to have fun, laugh together, surprise one another, and build anticipation.”
what you would be like if shame and embarrassment weren’t a factor,” Satterlee says.
Find your comfort level. This is tricky because you need to try something new, potentially a bit outside your comfort zone, without agreeing to acts that are well past your boundaries. Trying something out of the ordinary that doesn’t violate your boundaries will enable you to be confident during role-play, and confidence is sexy as hell. In fact, Satterlee says perhaps you start from ‘nos.’ “Get them out of the way,” she says. “Now, what’s beyond that? What’s a ‘maybe’ even?”
ploring role-play scenarios that allow them to step into entirely new personas, often different from their usual relationship dynamics,” says Runyan.
There are many classic role-play scenarios, many of which involve a power differential. This is seen in boss/employee, doctor/ nurse, and teacher/student dynamics. Other role-play models have partners on more even footing, such as plumber/house spouse or firefighter/someone in distress.
Scenarios can be as simple as you want, especially in the beginning. “Simple everyday things can be fun and easy. Lingerie, a suit, a scarf. A new fly swatter getting used on someone’s bottom,” Saterlee says.
Complexity can be exactly what some couples desire. Perhaps this is where Faithful Fling can come in to provide the tools you need. With over 40 unique role-play dates, a couple logs in separately to see detailed descriptions, including character background, suggested dialogue, and a guide to help you become immersed in your role and set the scene.
You can certainly use tropes from porn, audio erotica, or erotic novels. Take advantage of it being Halloween season by going costume shopping together. Hold up an outfit and ask if they’d like to see it on you. Again, have fun with this! Consider getting or making matching costumes and use the night to embody a persona to extend playtime.
they don’t possess to use role-play for a good time, but many people find this to be a welcome opportunity to create a persona or alter ego.
Kansas City-based Faithful Fling—a platform making role-play easy for monogamous couples—offers help simplifying and enhancing role-play experiences. “It provides an opportunity to step away from the everyday, adding novelty, playfulness, and the thrill of fulfilling some classic fantasies,” Co-Founder Katie Runyan says.
The Runyans found necessity-bred innovation. “When my husband and I first explored role-play dates, we really wanted something to help us create scenarios, characters, dialogue ideas, and ways to implement sexy surprises,” Runyan says. “We searched for a resource to help, but we never found it. So we decided to create it ourselves!”
As with anything, a bit of research and preparation will help you before getting into any type of role-play. There are a few fundamentals for beginners to keep in mind. Always start from a place of sane, safe, and consensual.
Next comes levity. “Be silly with it. It is adult play! It should be fun, you should be able to laugh together. Get creative and allow
If there are some roles you’re uncomfortable with, or one of you needs parameters to feel turned on, please discuss what feels comfortable and what doesn’t. Some fantasies aren’t PC, but for a scene to make everyone involved horny and enthusiastic, make adjustments to the scenario if asked. Play with the possibilities of a theme to find the place where the erotic charge is greatest for all involved.
“Many people have fantasies of being overtaken for sex. It doesn’t mean that we want to be actually kidnapped, right? But, that sort of energy, that sort of fantasy of, ‘Oh, this person wants me so desperately they’re being overtaken by desire,’” Satterlee says. “That’s the type of thing that role-play can do where you can bring in fantasies that are just not real things that you want to do or that you want to have happen, and consensually play them out in some type of way where you get that sensation.”
One of the most common role-play scenarios is pretending to be strangers. “Going and meeting up somewhere out of your house and pretending to get to know each other again is easy and sexy,” Satterlee says. “Because you can play someone else entirely, or you can just play a different aspect of yourself that doesn’t get to come out and play all the time.” This scenario requires no costumes or props—only date night clothes.
“We’ve noticed that couples love ex-
There are some more, let’s say, fringe examples of role-play. This includes consensual non-consensual play, humiliation, degradation, pup or kitten play, and even experiences that involve pain or pushing pain tolerance. Satterlee brought up being hunted.
“Folks that are into primal play might want to go get chased through the woods and hunted down,” she says. “It’s an example of something that sounds kind of horrific. But the folks that are into it are like, ‘Nature and kink together! We’re doing it! Yay!’”
If you want to discuss integrating roleplay with your partner but aren’t sure what they will think, Runyan encourages people not to make assumptions. “You never know unless you ask! So start by having an open and honest conversation with your partner. Express your curiosity and willingness to explore what having a role-play date together would look like,” Runyan says.
“Starting that conversation can be so hard if you haven’t opened that communication door yet,” warns Satterlee. “It’s okay if this feels hard and scary. Dip your toe in, start the conversation. ‘I would like to add more fun and novelty, let’s change things up a bit.’ State your intentions, don’t be critical. Start from good, then ask for ways to add to the mix or make things even better.”
You can find Kristen @OpenTheDoorsKC on Instagram or openthedoorscoaching com. Check out her podcast Keep Them Coming.
Photo by Nicole Bissey.
Illustrations by Shelby Phelps
THE PITCH
October 2024
Events Calendar
ONGOING
Oct 4 & 5
Sal Vulcano, Funny Bone Comedy Club
Oct 4-6
Matthias Pintscher
Welcomes Gil Shaham, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Oct 5 & 6
Weston Applefest, Main St Weston, MO
Oct 11 & 12
Michael Blackson, Funny Bone Comedy Club
Oct 11-20
Kansas City Ballet Presents ALICE (in wonderland), Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Oct 15 & 16
Psycho in Concert, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Oct 18 & 19
Lil Sasquatch and Francis Ellis, Funny Bone Comedy Club
Oct 18-20
Cornucopia, Power & Light
Kristin Chenoweth and Your Kansas City Symphony, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Oct 24-26
Dave Smith, Comedy Club KC
Oct 25 & 26
Kountry Wayne, Funny Bone Comedy Club
Oct 25-27
Disney’s Hocus Pocus in Concert, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
eVeNtS
Oct 1
Wilderado, Madrid Theatre
Judas Priest, Cable Dahmer Arena
Nicki Minaj, T-Mobile Center
Oct 2
Ricky Montgomery, The Truman Seether, The Midland Clutch w/ Rival Son, Uptown Theater
Celtic Thunder: Odyssey, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Rival Sons, Uptown Theater
Steven Curtis Chapman, Folly Theater
Oct 3
DJ Shadow, Madrid Theatre Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Liberty Hall
Libbie Higgins and Tina Dybal, Comedy Club KC
Jeff Leeson, Funny Bone Comedy Club
Oct 4
Fontaines DC w/ Been Stellar, The Granada Thievery Corporation, The Truman
The Steel Woods, Knuckleheads
Iliza Shlesinger, The Midland
Marshall Tucker Band, Folly Theater
Oct 5
Foreigner w/ Loverboy, Azura Amphitheater
Taylor Shines, Crossroads Arts District
Andrew Santino, The Midland
Judah & The Lion, Uptown Theater
Suicide Boys, T-Mobile Center
Oct 6
Kaleo, The Midland Twin Temple, The Granada Bad Religion, Uptown Theater
Tasha K, Funny Bone Comedy Club
cornucopia
Start the fall season off right with Kansas City’s annual fall festival, Cornucopia, running from Oct. 18 to 20 in the Power & Light District. This three-day celebration offers fun for all ages with activities kicking off at 4 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. Saturday, and 12 p.m. Sunday. Attendees can enjoy a wide variety of carnival rides, live music performances by local artists, and a family-friendly petting zoo. Food enthusiasts can indulge in seasonal goodies like caramel apples, pumpkin-spiced treats, and fall favorites, alongside classic carnival snacks. Don’t miss the craft beer garden, offering a selection of brews and warm cider. Fun Farm passes are available for purchase and can be used towards face painting, pumpkin decorating, digging for treasure, and the corn & hay maze. General admission to Cornucopia and the Fun Farm is free.
For King and Country, T-Mobile Center
Oct 7
Still Woozy, The Midland
Robert Delong w/ Atlas Genius, Madrid Theatre
Oct 8
Underoath, The Midland
Coco & Clair Clair, The Bottleneck
The Beaches, The Truman Cameron Carpenter, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Oct 9
Briston Maroney, The Truman Gatecreeper, The Bottleneck
Black Joe Lewis, Knuckleheads
Oct 10
Blackberry Smoke, Uptown Theater
Oct 11
Morgan Wade, Uptown Theater
Kansas City Jazz Orchestra
Presents Unforgettable, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Nosferatu: Silent Film + Live Organ
Sink your teeth into a screening of the 1922 silent film Nosferatu at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts at 7 p.m. on Oct. 23. Organist Dorothy Papadakos will accompany the film on the Julia Irene Kauffman Casavant Organ, where attendees can hear a live organ play the original score. Nosferatu was an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1891 novel Dracula and tells the story of the vampire Count Orlok as he preys on a woman named Ellen, leaving her husband, Thomas, to save her before sunrise. The film was banned due to its “excessive horror” and as a result, nearly all copies of the film were destroyed under court order, except for one. The last known copy of Nosferatu continues to be a masterpiece and remains to be a classic within the silent expressionist film genre. Celebrate the Halloween spirit with a screening of one of the first vampire films in cinema history. Attendees are encouraged to wear costumes. Tickets are available on the Kansas City Symphony’s website.
Danae Hays, The Midland
Oct 12
Atmosphere, Voodoo Lounge
Leonid and Friends, Ameristar Casino & Hotel
“The President’s Own”
United States Marine Band, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
David Spade, The Midland Stephanie Miller, Uptown Theater
Cody Johnson, T-Mobile Center
Oct 13
Nilüfer Yanya, The Bottleneck Fred Rubino, Funny Bone Comedy Club
Oct 14
Sixpence None The Richer, Knuckleheads
Oct 15
Gel w/ MSPAINT, The Bottleneck
Chromeo & The Midnight, The Midland
Oct 16
The Dead South, The Midland Mannequin Pussy, The Granada
Gold Over America Tour, T-Mobile Center
Oct 17
Catfish and the Bottlemen, The Midland Sesame Street Live, Cable Dahmer Arena Juanes, Uptown Theater
Oct 18
Korn w/ Gojira, T-Mobile Center
Nelly, Allen Fieldhouse
The Fray, The Truman Small Town Murder, The Midland
Oct 19
Superchunk, The Granada
Halloween Happenings, Merriam Parks and Recreation
Halloween Trunk or Treat, The Luxe Event Space
Great White, Ameristar Casino & Hotel
The Taylor Party — Taylor
Swift Tribute, The Truman
Oct 20
Soul Asylum w/ Juliana Hatfield Three, The Truman King Diamond, Uptown Theater
Zach Williams, Cable Dahmer Arena
Matt Fraser, Uptown Theater
Oct 22
Sofi Tukker, The Midland Daniel Nunnelee, The Bottleneck Andy Grammer, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Oct 23
Dopapod, recordBar Dan and Phil, The Midland
Oct 24
Xiu Xiu, The Bottleneck Intocable, The Midland Hatebreed, Uptown Theater
Oct 25
Porches, recordBar
Beats & Broomsticks, Zona Rosa Town Center
Photo Courtesy of The Kansas City Symphony’s Website
Photo Courtesy of Power & Light District’s Website
Haunted tours and Mini Investigation at DillinghamLewis House Museum
Get in the spirit of the season with a ghost tour at the haunted Dillingham-Lewis House Museum and the Alton Hotel in downtown Blue Springs on Oct. 18 and 19. Come explore the home with ties to Confederate
soldier Joshua Robert Dillingham and his
The home, which later came to be referred to as “The Brownfield House,” is notorious for its shadowy figures and unexplained phenomena that has left the Blue Springs Historical Society baffled. Safe and fun for all ages, bring a friend or the family on this ghostly tour led by paranormal investigators Apex Paranormal. As you walk through both homes, investigators will explain the curious events that they’ve seen. For the first half hour, lights will be left on for attendees, but for the rest of the tour, the lights are out as you explore the haunted home and hotel with paranormal-sensing equipment. Patrons are also welcome to bring their own sensors, cameras, and other ghostly equipment. Tickets can be found on Apex Paranormal’s website.
The Struts, Ameristar Casino & Hotel
Walking with Ghosts: Real Life Hauntings with Amy Bruni, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Oct 26
Alan Jackson, T-Mobile Center
Trace Adkins, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Official Halloween Bar Crawl, Howl at the Moon
Travis Tritt, Ameristar Casino & Hotel
Gabriel Iglesias, Cable Dahmer Arena
Dayglow, The Midland
Oct 27
MisterWives, The Truman Chelsea Handler, The Midland
Oct 29
Kaylee’s Halloween Haunt & Jaunt, Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park
Oct 31
Bobcat Goldthwait, Comedy Club KC
wife Susan Jane Walker.
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SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM
Housing History
BLACK ARCHIVES OF MID-AMERICA SHOWCASES SOME OF THE MOST NOTABLE EVENTS AND PEOPLE IN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY
By Beth Lipoff
the black Archives of Mid-America started as a collection in the trunk of a car. Now, it has its own building with numerous exhibits and files bursting with much more information than can fit on display.
CEO Carmaletta Williams says the archive is an active museum and learning space that encourages schools, families, and community members to come and learn about the stories of Kansas City’s black figures through photos, documents, artifacts, and oral histories.
“The big goal is to make the life and culture of people of African descent real, approachable, and understandable, and to tell the truth about history and educate people on what it is, what it has been, and what it will be,” Williams says.
A focal exhibit of the collection is a cabin believed to have belonged to a former slave named Lucy Willis, found about 25 miles north of Chillicothe. Another is a mural depicting lynchings, surrounded by the dates of lynchings in Missouri, marked with the names of the victims and, in some cases, a jar of soil from the exact spot in question.
Not every exhibit at the archive is about a chilling moment in history. It also hosts a display about the Women’s Basketball Association as well as many highlighting black individuals who made positive changes and developments for people in Kansas City, such as educator Myrtle Foster Cook and publisher Nelson Crews.
One exhibit space changes each month
to keep the collection from becoming static and to give people more reasons to keep coming back. Recently, it hosted a display of black representation through dolls over the years.
“We make sure people understand that they are historic, they are making history, and they are a part of what makes the identity of black people in this area,” Williams says.
A recording studio in the building allows them to keep collecting oral histories from people as they go forward. Genealogy software available for public use also helps people trace their roots.
Archivist Laura Darnell has files filled with newspaper clippings, photos, and even the personal papers of Alvin Ailey. Among the numerous items in storage are things such as railroad porter’s metal badge. The archive does accept donations of papers and objects, space permitting.
“We try to take in everything that’s related to black history, black culture. The only limit really is size,” Darnell says.
People have asked her about topics ranging from church and neighborhood history to the creation of 71 Highway.
Kansas City native James McGee II, now a senior at Morehouse College, helped found the Black Archives Youth Coalition Network and has assisted the archive in doing a lot of social media and youth outreach.
“Dr. Carma was really big on marketable skills we can have when we leave,” he says. His experience with the archive has led him to shift his initial goal of going into politics.
“I realized my passion was working in a community. I will hopefully go into corporate social responsibility at one of America’s Fortune 500, where I’ll be doing some of the work like I did at archives with more resources and provide it to more communities,” he says.
Williams has seen lots of people have emotional responses to the archive’s sentimental and moving displays.
“I remember a little white girl and a little black girl with their arms over each other’s shoulders after they went through our exhibit who said, ‘Nobody can tell us we can’t be friends.’ I said, ‘Has somebody been trying?’ They said, ‘Yeah,’ and we talked about that,” Williams says.
Community involvement is important for the archive, too. To that end, it started the Stop the Violence Basketball Tournament in 2023 to encourage people to engage in positive ways.
“They don’t have to accept all this violence. They don’t have to accept the negative images of themselves. They can transcend that in some kind of way, and that’s what we try to do,” Williams says.
Volunteer opportunities are available for teens and adults, ranging from helping sort donated books to giving tours of the archive.
The Black Archives of Mid-America, 1722 E. 17th Terr., is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and on the weekends by appointment only. Admission is free. For more information on visiting or volunteering at the archive, visit blackarchives.org.
