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CONTENTS
THE PITCH
Publisher Stephanie Carey Editor in Chief David Hudnall Digital Editor Kelcie McKenney Staff Writer Emily Park Contributing Writers Traci Angel, Liz Cook, Riley Cowing, Karen Dillon, April Fleming, Roxie Hammill, Libby Hanssen, Deborah Hirsch, Dan Lybarger, Eric Melin, Aaron Rhodes, Barbara Shelly, Nick Spacek Little Village Creative Services Jordan Sellergren Jav Ducker Contributing Photographers Zach Bauman, Chase Castor, Joe Carey Graphic Designers Austin Crockett, Jake Edmisten, Lacey Hawkins, Jennifer Larson, Katie McNeil, Danielle Moore, Gianfranco Ocampo, Kirsten Overby, Alex Peak, Fran Sherman Director of Marketing & Promotions Jason Dockery Senior Multimedia Specialist Steven Suarez Multimedia Specialist Becky Losey Account Manager Rebecca Watson Director of Operations Andrew Miller Multimedia Interns Itohan Amayo Hannah Strader Design Intern Jon Tinoco
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The contents of The Pitch are Copyright 2019 by Carey Media. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without the express written permission of the publisher. The Pitch 1627 Main St., #600, Kansas City, MO 64108 For information or to share a story tip, email tips@thepitchkc.com For advertising: stephanie@thepitchkc.com or 816-218-6702 For classifieds: steven@thepitchkc.com or 816-218-6732
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THE PITCH | NOVEMBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com
12 ZACH BAUMAN
8 NEWS
25 FOOD
38 THEATER
12 FEATURE
26 EAT
40 MUSIC
16 PHOTO ESSAY
23 DRINK
Awareness Kansas City offers an increasing supply of resources for the transgender community. Here’s where to find them. BY EMILY PARK
How Do You Do, Fellow Kids? Johnson County bets big on millennials. BY ROXIE HAMMILL
Medieval Times At the 43rd annual Kansas City Renaissance Festival. BY CHASE CASTOR
mKCrib is Back Hogshead’s ode to McDonald’s iconic seasonal sandwich started as a joke. Now the restaurant is selling 300 a week. BY LIZ COOK
Eat This Now The Georgian Soup Dumplings at the Antler Room BY APRIL FLEMING
30 ARTS
22 FOOD
34 BOOKS
The Classics We’ve got a declaration of Independence for you: The city is full of charming places to eat and drink! BY APRIL FLEMING
Smell that Smell The Whiffs return with a fresh bouquet of basement power-pop. BY NICK SPACEK
Drink This Now The Plum Tree at Swordfish Tom’s BY APRIL FLEMING
18 CAFE
Hot Jazz Soirée Steak and Oyster House auditions on 18th and Vine. BY LIZ COOK
Next Stage New artistic director Stuart Carden’s plans for the KC Rep: more musicianship, more new works, and more “in-the-roomness.” BY LIZ COOK
Art History At the Kemper, Hew Locke interrogates the complex legacies of British imperialism. BY EMILY COX
Fuck ‘Fuck Cancer’ Poet Anne Boyer’s latest is a fierce memoir from inside America’s rotting medical industrial complex. BY DAN LYBARGER
“ROCKIN’ THE SUBURBS,” Corey Danks
CONTENTS
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22 SISTER NOV
HAZEL 8:30PM | STAR PAVILION
”ALL FOR YOU,” “LIGHTER IN THE DARK” AND “UNPLUGGED FROM DARYL’S HOUSE CLUB” ARE JUST A FEW OF THE CHART TOPPING SONGS YOU’LL HEAR PERFORMED BY THIS INFLUENTIAL GROUP. Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com or the Ameristar gift shop for $5 off the standard ticket price with your B Connected card.
CY
CMY
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16 CHASE CASTOR
42 For Your Consideration
Ryan Heinlein would like to thank the Recording Academy ... BY LIBBY HANSSEN
44 Bible Verses
Solomon’s debut is wise beyond the Kansas City rapper’s years. BY AARON RHODES
46 Cultural Transmission Must be 21 or older to gamble. Must be a B Connected member to receive B Connected discount. Must be at least 18 or accompanied by an adult to enter Star Pavilion. Must be at least 21 to enter Depot #9. Tickets available online at Ticketmaster.com or at the Gift Shop (service charges and handling fees may apply). No refunds/exchanges unless canceled or postponed. Offer not valid for persons on a Disassociated Patrons, Voluntary Exclusion or Self Exclusion List in jurisdictions which Boyd Gaming operates or who have been otherwise excluded from Ameristar Kansas City, MO. Gambling problem? Call 1-888-BETSOFF. ©2019 Boyd Gaming Corporation®. All Rights Reserved.
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Trim 4.9717”x11.5”_Live None_Bleed .125”_10.14.19
The first-ever KC Latin Music Summit is also a testament to the virtues of community radio. BY NICK SPACEK
47 FILM
Moving Pictures The new Netflix series Living Undocumented features a Kansas City immigrant family’s experience. BY TRACI ANGEL
48 SAVAGE LOVE
Bad Guys A send-nudes “contract”; fear of the word “vagina”; a sex enema obsession. BY DAN SAVAGE
50 EVENTS
November Calendar Music, movements, and more this month.
1900 DIAMOND PARKWAY ∙ NORTH KANSAS CITY, MO 64116 MJEWELRY.COM (816) 453-1111
thepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
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NEWS
AWARENESS KANSAS CITY OFFERS AN INCREASING SUPPLY OF RESOURCES FOR THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY. HERE’S WHERE TO FIND THEM. BY EMILY PARK
It’s been a rough year for the transgender community in the Kansas City metro. Brooklyn Lindsey, a transgender woman, was murdered in June. Her dead body was found on the front porch of a home near Independence Avenue and Spruce Avenue. Prior to her death, Lindsey had been seeking help from the Kansas City Anti-Violence Project, hoping to find housing. She had expressed fear for her life. Ja’Leyah Jamar Berryman, a gender non-conforming man, was gunned down in Kansas City, Kansas, in September. The person of interest in his death is believed to have been in a relationship with Berryman. And in October, a 30-year-old transgender woman named Briana “BB” Hill was shot and killed near 43rd Street and Hardesty Avenue. They’re not alone. At the time of this writing, at least 19 transgender people have been murdered in 2019, most of them transgender women of color. The American Medical Association recently declared the deaths an “epidemic.” Nearly half of the the transgender community will experience sexual assault at one point in their lifetime. In communities of color, those numbers are even higher. “It’s very unlikely that anybody can find a trans person who hasn’t experienced violence in some way—we’ve all experienced it,” says Robin Nazaraen, the organizer of the Kansas City Transgender Day of Remembrance, which will be held November 20 at Community Christian Church on the Country Club Plaza. Each year, people gather at Transgender Day of Remembrance events around the world to remember the lives that have been lost in acts of anti-transgender and anti-gender-nonbinary violence. Nazaraen expects the list will include well over a hundred names that have died worldwide in the last year. But the event will also offer legal and healthcare (including mental health care) resources as well as voter registration. Nazaraen also says there will be educational elements aimed at helping allies learn how to be better supporters of the transgender community. “We really want to change the messaging from being a day to just mourn the loss of our trans brothers and sisters to being a day where we also celebrate their lives, celebrate our lives, and engage people politically to combat transphobia and transmisogyny,” Nazarean says. “I want people to walk away from this event knowing and feeling that there is a strong and thriving community of transgender people in Kansas City, and that we need to work hard to protect that com-
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THE PITCH | NOVEMBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com
munity.” November also happens to be Transgender Awareness Month. Below, a list of some of Kansas City’s transgender-centric organizations, plus a few new businesses serving the community.
Kansas City Anti-Violence Project The Kansas City Anti-Violence Project (KCAVP) is the only domestic violence center in the greater Kansas City area that specifically serves members of the LGBTQ
that, KCAVP has a dedicated program called UpLifT, which is focused on empowering transgender and gender-nonconforming people of color. “We are moving away from more of an anti-violence lens to more of an anti-oppression lens simply because that’s going to address it at the source,” Glasgow says. “Violence is, of course, a product of oppression.” To reach KCAVP’s Crisis Hotline or get more information about its services, call 816-3483665.
Kansas City Center For Inclusion Because roughly 90 percent of its clients are members of the transgender community,
center’s executive director. “We are probably the number one resource agency in town.” The Kansas City Center for Inclusion is located at 3911 Main. For a full schedule of events, visit inclusivekc.org/schedule. For more information about the center, contact info@inclusivekc.org.
Equal Trans Support Group Free and open to everyone, the Equal Trans Support Group meets on the third Thursday of each month. The group is geared toward transgender men and women, those who are gender questioning, those who identify as gender non-binary or non-conforming, and even allies who want to learn more about supporting the transgender community. “It’s the only open support group for, like, anybody,” says member Faith Matthews-Cousineau. “You don’t have to be a certain age, certain race, or part of a particular organization or school. Our focus is just having a trans-affirming human space.” Each meeting lasts three hours, and people are free to come and go as they please. Equal is a peer support system, focusing on experience-sharing rather than being led by a trained professional. There’s snacks and drinks, followed by opportunities to speak and sometimes break-out sessions on various topics. Equal meets November 21 from 5-8 p.m. at the Kansas City Center for Inclusion (3911 Main). For more information, contact etsgkc2011@gmail.com.
Transformations
Behind the scenes at Transformations’ upcoming video series.
community. KCAVP provides a variety of services and resources—a 24-hour crisis hotline, short-term housing, food, clothing, hygiene products, and more—for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and hate crimes. KCAVP can also assist in documenting incidents of violence, but will only report it to the police if asked to do so by the victim. CiCi Glasgow, KCAVP’s outreach and education manager, says that queer, trans, and indigineous people of color make up the largest percentage of individuals who seek services from the organization. Because of
JON TROZZOLO
the Kansas City Center For Inclusion is one of the best places for transgender individuals to seek resources for day-to-day experiences such as finding the right health care providers. In 2018, the Center for Inclusion did over 40 outreach events, a number that executive director Samanth Ruggles says has already been surpassed this year. The organization has events on the calendar almost every night of the week. “We help with everything from seeking therapy to seeking advice on name changes to [finding] lawyers that are affirming to health care,” says Samantha Ruggles, the
The only transgender youth social group (12-18 years old) in the city, Transformations meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month. The group works from five essential youth advocacy frameworks: anti-oppression, trauma-informed, harm reduction practices, positive youth development, and transformative justice. All of Transformations’ advisors are also members of the transgender and gender non-binary community. “Our team of advisors are all individual rockstars in the community,” says Merrique Jenson, Transformations co-founder and program director. “Every single person holds their own, and every single person there can lead a panel on this issue.” Jenson says Transformations was intentionally geared toward transgender youth and leaders specifically because she recognized the need for trans youth to hear about experiences from adults who were like them. Each meeting is anchored around peer and social support. It’s a space for young people to connect with one another and
OP E N I N G 1 1 .1 5 .1 9
Discover Queen Nefertari’s tomb, one of Egypt’s greatest archaeological treasures, and the richness of everyday life from 3,000 years ago.
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THE PITCH | NOVEMBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com
Transformations advisor Nyla Foster leads a youth workshop.
MERRIQUE JENSON
learn how to deal with the issues in the transgender community such as coming out, talking with family, navigating the holidays, top-bottom surgeries, and hormones. And there’s a different space for parents to connect with one another while the youth group meets. Transformations also just debuted a group specifically for transgender young girls; it meets on the third Wednesday of each month.
and weddings. Cards from Gender Spectrum Greetings are $4 each and can be purchased through its website, at genderspectrumgreetings. com. Ten percent of profits are donated to the Transgender Children’s Legal Defense.
Transformations meets from 6-8 p.m. at The Bredin-Lee Gallery at 1729 McGee St, KCMO on the first and third Tuesday of each month. For more information about other programming visit transformationskc.org.
him.her.them. Hair Studio
Gender Spectrum Greetings Noticing a lack of greeting cards available for the LGBTQ community, the mother-daughter duo Vicki and Haley Chaffin launched Gender Spectrum Greetings earlier this year. (A close family member is transgender.) The company creates prints and greeting cards for the LGBTQ community and its allies, focusing on announcements, affirmations, chosen families, and educational messages. “There are a lot of things that people have a hard time talking about with family members that aren’t supportive,” Vicki Chaffin says. “We just want to help facilitate those conversations.” For example, one of the Chaffin’s cards reads “It’s never too late to learn new concepts and vocabulary!” and opens to the words, “You can do it!” A gender-neutral baby card simply reads “Hooray Baby!” Currently, the Chaffins are working on designing cards for the holidays and plan to expand in 2020 into cards related to gender confirmation surgery, name-change announcements,
Gender Spectrum Greetings will have a booth at Strawberry Swing’s 9th Annual Holiday Swing at Union Station on November 30.
Kate Van Vleck and Jerrin Hawes first opened him.her.them. Hair Studio in 2017. Hawes is a trans man and Van Vleck is married to a trans man, and they both wanted to open a salon where anyone could walk in and feel confident about their style—as opposed to nervous about getting their hair cut due to their gender identity. “Hair shouldn’t be gendered,” Van Vleck says. “I’ve had so many people who have had such negative experiences—humans that present as females going into a place wanting a shortcut but not necessarily wanting it to be ‘girly’ can be told, ‘Well, this is a barber shop, and you look like a woman, so we can’t cut your hair.’” Him.her.them. offers cuts, coloring, styling, and facial waxing. The salon also hosts classes on a for-need basis that help trans and genderfluid people style their hair. They also connect clients with others who provide manicure and makeup services. “Kind of our big thing here is making people feel good,” Van Vleck says. him.her.them Hair Studio is located at 7449 Broadway in KCMO. To learn more about events or schedule an appointment email him. her.them.hairstudio@gmail.com
Whether it’s building a playground at an inner-city school or stocking the shelves of area food pantries, Resurrection members serve throughout the city, positively impacting the lives of our neighbors.
WELCOME
TO THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION OUTWARD-FOCUSED • THOUGHT-PROVOKING BRIDGE-BUILDING • HOPE-RADIATING With five locations spread throughout the Kansas City metro and seventeen different worship services each weekend, we have a place, time and worship style for you! Join us for worship this weekend. cor.org
LEAWOOD
DOWNTOWN
WEST
BLUE SPRINGS
OVERLAND PARK
13720 Roe Avenue Leawood, KS 66224
1601 Grand Blvd. Kansas City, MO 64108
24000 W. Valley Pkwy. Olathe, KS 66061
601 NE Jefferson St. Blue Springs, MO 64014
8412 W. 95th St. Overland Park, KS 66212
Saturdays 5 pm Sundays 7:30, 9:15 & 11 am, 5 pm
Saturdays 5:10 pm Sundays 9 & 10:45 am, 5 pm
Sundays 8, 9:30 & 11 am, 5 pm
Sundays 9:30 & 11 am
Sundays 9:30 & 11 am
thepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
11
FEATURE
A Wednesday morning crowd outside the Wild Way Coffee truck in downtown Overland Park.
ZACH BAUMAN
HOW DO YOU DO, FELLOW KIDS? JOHNSON COUNTY BETS BIG ON MILLENNIALS. BY ROXIE HAMMILL
If you’re a twentysomething or thirtysomething denizen of Kansas City’s metro core, there’s something your Kansas neighbors want you to know: Johnson County, the land of cul-de-sacs and country club conservatives, is becoming cool. Wait—where are you going? Don’t laugh. This is serious. Some of the largest cities in Johnson County are distributing millions in tax incentives to remake themselves into a place that is more cosmetically similar to the Crossroads. There are breweries, there are modern restaurants, there are cute stores, there are pedestrian-friendly streets (sort of), and there are apartment buildings higher than one story. Overland Park even has its own version of First Fridays (it happens on
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THE PITCH | NOVEMBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com
the third Friday of the month). Why the sudden change of heart in these big, beige communities? Because a horrible truth has begun to dawn upon city and county leaders. Johnson County is aging. The median age hovers around 37, but that number will continue to rise unless something changes, as the fastest-growing demographic in the county is senior citizens. The Best Times, the county government’s bimonthly magazine for seniors, pointed this out recently in an uncharacteristically downbeat couple of articles on financially strapped older residents. Quoting the U.S. Census Bureau, the story noted the 65-and-older demographic now makes up 14.5 percent of the county population, com-
pared to 10.9 percent in 2010. With an older population comes a bigger demand for services like subsidized housing and meal delivery. Those services are supported by the taxes of younger, working people. At the same time, cultural and economic trends have been unfriendly to Johnson County’s core strengths. Lavish shopping malls and big box stores? No thanks, the millennials seem to be saying. They don’t want to drive for miles to shop. They have Amazon. If Johnson County wants to compete, some city leaders have concluded, it must begin to shed its image as an uptight haven for the well-off whose biggest worries are whether their neighbors should be allowed to keep chickens. It’s a tall order, but Overland Park City Council member Paul Lyons thinks it can be done. He believes the next generation of residents will come for the apartments and jobs, but stay for the single-family homes near downtown. “Once those folks [millennials] get into an urban area and realize they want to have a little more space and a little more of a safe area to be—an area where they can start
raising children—I think that’s where we’ll be attracting them,” Lyons says. “For our long-term future, we’ve got to make our city appealing to the younger crowd.” •
•
•
Walk around downtown Overland Park today, and you’ll find that what was once blocks of single-story buildings and free-standing stores have been torn down and replaced with high-rise apartments with retail at the street level. Front parking lots have been eliminated so those ground floors can come all the way to the sidewalk, making the whole experience friendlier to pedestrians. There’s an office tower and a parking garage going up, with other apartments in various stages of leasing and move-ins. Meanwhile, Lenexa has its own very different take on the “live-work-play” philosophy of new urbanism. The city has issued millions in tax increment financing for the City Center development of apartments, retail, hotels, and office blocks on what had been hard land near Interstate 435. The center’s building style emphasizes sidewalks and puts parking into vertical garages. Lenexa has also
FEATURE
built a rec center and moved most of its city offices there from its older east side. Because it’s all new, the Lenexa development has a much different vibe than Overland Park’s downtown. Architecturally, there’s a sameness. But the city is betting on its Public Market, a city-subsidized food hall and pop-up business center with a common eating area, plenty of outdoor gathering space, and a new library right next door. Don’t forget about Shawnee. It isn’t as far along in its downtown reinvention, but Realtor.com recently named it in a top ten list of the country’s “hot zip codes,” citing millennials as a big reason. “We have seen a resurgence of people coming downtown for several reasons,” says Julie Briethaupt, communications manager for Shawnee. Two new breweries recently opened up within blocks of each other, and a bakery is coming soon. The old Aztec Theater on the city’s main drag is also being rehabbed and due for reopening in less than a year. The Overland Park Farmers’ Market hosts live music and other performances.
A multicultural mural was the subject of a small controversy earlier this year.
Like Lenexa and Overland Park, Shawnee has begun to pay attention to the role design plays in the way it is perceived. Two years ago, the city embarked on a major reconstruction of Nieman Road, one of its main streets. In an effort to slow traffic, the street was placed on a “road diet” that cut four lanes down to three and added bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. The city also intends to build two small public gathering spaces on either side of the road.
ZACH BAUMAN
ZACH BAUMAN
So far, Shawnee doesn’t have high rise apartments, parking garages, and the multiuse developments seen in other places. But developers have noticed the smaller changes and, perhaps, the Realtor.com ranking. In September, plans were put forward for a $16.1 million luxury apartment complex on Nieman, to be built with $3.1 million in tax increment financing money if the city approves it. Another mixed use project is under consideration, though it’s less am-
bitious: just two-and-a-half levels on two acres. “I wouldn’t say we’re trying to copy what the other cities are doing,” Briethaupt says, “but obviously we’re keeping a close eye on the other cities. We do hear from people saying they want to be somewhere where they can walk to go get dinner and entertainment.” But those same people say they value the “small town feel” of Shawnee as well, she adds.
The changes that might attract younger people to the suburbs go far deeper than a few brewpubs and some streetscaping. Adam Hamilton, pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection and member of an Overland Park visioning steering committee that seeks to lay out what the city should look like in twenty years, says neighborhoods without kids are “writing on the wall.” He argues that the city needs to attract a more diverse population. Hamilton cites, in part, his own daughters to illustrate his point. “They don’t want to live in Johnson County,” he says. “They start talking about ‘Johnson County beige,’ and that’s not just the color of our houses but it’s often the color of our skin and the way we do things. They both say diversity is really important, and they’ll defend with the last strength they have their friends who are gay and lesbian and are getting picked on by other people.” Several JOCO cities have recently taken the opportunity to prove themselves on that last point; 2019 may be remembered as the year of non-discrimination ordinances, as municipality after municipality— OP, Shawnee, Prairie Village, Leawood, Lenexa—did what the Kansas Legislature would not and wrote legal protections for LGBTQ citizens. It hasn’t been without controversy or pushback. Most of those ordinances received quick approvals, but the Northwest Johnson County Republicans and some residents opposed to the NDO—including, notably, long-time area meteorologist Mike Thompson—packed Shawnee City Hall in August to argue that the measure intruded on the religious freedoms of others. (The measure passed, 5-2.) Other efforts to prithepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
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FEATURE
Shawnee’s Aztec Theater is getting an upgrade.
oritize diversity have faced considerable opposition as well. Earlier this year, an overflow crowd turned out to object to a plan for an Islamic community center in Overland Park, ostensibly because of concerns about traffic and disruption of the peace and quiet. And a generation that moved to the suburbs precisely because it wasn’t a downtown has gone on the warpath in Overland Park. Neighbors living around downtown Overland Park have resisted all manner of changes, swarming the city council on a semi-regular basis with complaints about everything from parking shortages to a redesign of the downtown park that included the removal of a 1980s era replica gazebo. Recently, they objected to murals on the walls of downtown businesses, saying the art—some of which depicted indigenous women from around the world—was out of character with the historic area. One of those neighbors, Ralph Beck, says new urbanism is at odds with all the reasons people love suburbia. “My feelings are, you don’t walk into a neighborhood with an older downtown that has basically a one-and two-story character and start throwing up massive buildings that just overshadow the character of everything else,” Beck says. “To suddenly change it from a suburban community with a small town feel into an urban, downtown Kansas City, Missouri—it’s just not what we’re
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THE PITCH | NOVEMBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com
ZACH BAUMAN
about. It’s not why people want to live in the community.” •
•
•
Looming in the background of these anxious aspirations is one very significant cause for hope in Johnson County, which is that Kansas City proper is getting expensive. That’s, of course, bad for aspiring city dwellers. But it is potentially good news for Johnson County, which can market itself as a more affordable place to live. Jared Campbell, president of Kansas City’s Downtown Neighborhood Association, acknowledges as much. “It’s [affordable housing] definitely an issue of growing concern,” Campbell says. He’s most concerned about the hollowing out of the middle in rental rates in KCMO. Plenty of luxury apartments are being built, and there are also some low-income units. But the typical young college graduate teacher or non-profit worker may be close to being priced out, Campbell says. Tommy Wilson of the Downtown Council of Kansas City says young renters may be starting to get disillusioned with rent prices. He thinks the city needs to continue to look at affordability. “Although,” Wilson adds, “I also believe there is affordable housing down here and people just don’t realize it.” He cites Mulber-
A GENERATION THAT MOVED TO THE SUBURBS PRECISELY BECAUSE IT WASN’T A DOWNTOWN HAS GONE ON THE WARPATH IN OVERLAND PARK.
ry Lofts, the New England building, and the New Yorker as more affordable places, using the city-set $1,100 or lower per month as the definition. “But we always need more.” At first glance, comparing rental averages between Kansas City and some Johnson County cities makes JOCO look very reasonable indeed. Rent Café, an internet listing service, lists monthly rent averages from a low of $933 in Shawnee to $1,076 in Overland Park, with square footage ranging from 1,042 in Shawnee to 970 in Overland Park. By contrast, KCMO, came in at $1,004 for 899 square feet. But that search includes places that may be far from the hipper downtowns. A closer look at specific apartments doesn’t paint as pretty a picture for Johnson County. KCMO’s The New Yorker, for example, showed a Zillow listing of $950 for a one bedroom apartment of 745 square feet. Avenue 80 in Overland Park is charging $1,195 for a one bedroom apartment of 625 square feet. In other words, many of these new JOCO high-rises are charging KCMO prices—an approach that seems unlikely to attract very many millennials fleeing urban KC’s steep rents. Notably, though, these developments are simultaneously targeting a demographic less concerned with hipster aesthetics: empty nesters. Many of the same things that attract young people to urban settings—low-maintenance apartment living, public transporta-
FEATURE
tion and a nearness to good restaurants and bars—also look pretty good to those deep into middle age and beyond. Mike McKeen, whose EPC Real Estate has built several big projects in Johnson County, is noncommittal about which demographic is drawing his new renters. The Domain and The District in Lenexa and Avenue 80 and Avenue 81 in Overland Park are a big chunk of the JOCO apartment building boom, and are filling up, he says. Whether they fill up with baby boomers or millennials depends on the locale and the price point. Avenue 80 is one example of a project that has had success with younger folks, though it still draws empty nesters, he says. Perhaps the biggest question is what appeals most to older millennials who want to get out of the apartment life and start families. In the past, of course, they’ve moved to the wide open spaces of the suburbs. Lyons believes that will continue, but the new wave of young parents will arrive with differThe Lenexa Public Market (exterior, top; interior, below), a food hall operated by the city, opened in 2017.
ZACH BAUMAN
ent preferences. Instead of moving to large homes spaced far apart on twisting streets, he says studies show they’ll want to live in tighter residential neighborhoods that are still within biking or walking distance of jobs and entertainment. That description puts single-family homes in northern Overland Park in a great position for the future, he says. Campbell, of the KC Downtown Neighborhood Association, sees that, too. But he also says he sees a lot of migration going to Brookside, Longfellow, Columbus Park, and other KCMO neighborhoods, rather than Johnson County. “I’ve seen more of that versus just fleeing across the state line, which is like what I used to see five, ten years ago,” Campbell says. McKeen thinks Johnson County is lagging behind on pulling people from KCMO
mostly because of jobs. Many jobs and company headquarters are located in downtown Kansas City, and if you live down there, you can easily bike or walk to them. JOCO is also at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to transportation. KCMO also has a fairly extensive and flexible public transportation system to get people to work, compared to Johnson County’s limited transit options, most of which don’t even run on weekends. “There’s tons of jobs in Johnson County,” McKeen says. “But right there in downtown Overland Park, there are not a lot of jobs. Yet.” •
•
•
Well—what do the youths think about all this? Alley Ulrich, 24, says she seriously con-
sidered a move to Lenexa’s City Center after deciding recently not to renew her lease in Westport. She’d become tired of the petty crime happening near her building. Her boyfriend’s car window was smashed recently—for a second time—so someone could steal a bag of change. Her sister, who lives nearby, frequently returns to her car to find it has been rummaged through when she’s forgotten to lock it. “That kind of stuff happens all the time around here,” Ulrich says. “I think people just walk down our street and try to open the door handle.” The Lenexa apartment complex had a gym, a pool, and balconies, and it was within Ulrich’s price range. “It [felt] like you’re getting a lot more for what you’re paying for,” she says. In the end, though, it was about more than the money. Many of Ulrich’s friends live in KCMO, and she likes to be close to the goings-on downtown as well as a variety of restaurants and food delivery. There’s also a culture issue, she says. “I think there is a more diverse group of people [in Kansas City]. I see more pride flags around here than I do in JOCO. So, I think it’s a little more inclusive of a community.” The suburbs may be safer at night, but they’re quiet. Maybe too quiet, she says. “I guess it’s just not my scene.” In the end, “We found a place on the Plaza that is pretty cool,” Ulrich says. Alyson McNaghten, 26, used to live in Brookside but is now living the dream in the River Market area, where the streetcar picks her up and drops her off near her downtown job. With everything going on downtown and at the market, she said she doesn’t really see Johnson County as competition. “I don’t know
ZACH BAUMAN
anyone living there,” McNaghten says. Emily Niemann, 24, considered JOCO as she finished lunch at the Lenexa Public Market, close by her office job. She said she likes the City Center area, but doesn’t know much about Johnson County. When she does eventually move out from her parents’ place in Gladstone, she’s thinking the Crossroads or the Plaza. On a recent Third Friday in downtown Overland Park, there are clusters of millennials out and about, many of them pushing strollers. Street musicians wearing old-timey costumes play banjos and zithers under the clock tower. All’s quiet at the new apartments a couple of blocks away, but the Peanut is doing decent business, and The Upper Crust, a pie shop, even has a line out the door. Even if you adjust for the late-evening rain forecast and imagine a few more people, though, it’s still light years away from the crowds that descend on First Fridays in downtown Kansas City. Ultimately, it remains an open question whether a younger crowd might actually choose JOCO over Kansas City. Many of the developments—the apartment complexes and the restaurants, bars, and shops that hope to serve their residents— are just too new. But Campbell, of the KC Downtown Neighborhood Association, sees a kind of original sin preventing the progress JOCO leaders crave. Kansas City was built for people. Johnson County was built to move vehicles around efficiently. “So as much as they try to focus on the walkability or pedestrian experience— or, to a lesser degree, the bicycle experience—that’s just not what Johnson County was designed for,” he says. “Whether or not they’re making strides, that could be argued. But will they ever overtake Kansas City? I will say no.” thepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
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PHOTO ESSAY
Ren Fest is its own wild, wild country.
Jerry and Linda Vest, decked out in their finest steampunk gear. Jerry used to sword-fight at the festival; he and Linda run a costume- and prop-rental business in Kansas City, Kansas, called Have Guns, Will Rent.
Left to right: Pirates Ellis, Llewyn, and Gideon Ward, spotted with their pup-beast near the petting zoo.
MEDIEVAL TIMES 16
THE PITCH | NOVEMBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com
AT THE 43RD ANNUAL KANSAS CITY RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL. PHOTOS AND WORDS BY CHASE CASTOR
PHOTO ESSAY
Dracula’s always on call; no weekends for vampires.
Left to right: Saturnino Hernandez, Jessica Hernandez, and Clair Sager.
Bracing for impact.
The Mud Show’s cheeky improv puts a rainy year to good use.
Every man dies; not every man really lives.
I was sitting in a hayfield-turned-parking lot in Bonner Springs in September, enjoying a few last seconds of air conditioning, when a Ford F-150 truck parked beside me. Out popped a half-dressed knight, an archer, and an off-with-their-heads member of some kind of royal court. The three companions—Saturnino Hernandez, Jessica Hernandez, and Claire Sager—were, like me, headed for the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. They’ve been attending the fest for years, often coming out multiple times during its six-week season. These characters were just the tip of the proverbial prop sword at RenFest 2019. Inside the festival gates, I’d encounter beer-stein bearing barbarians, gypsy dogs, and preposterously large turkey legs (as well as that fried mac-and-cheese aroma all great fairgrounds seem to have). I ended up going twice myself during this year’s run, which took place on weekends between August 31 and October 14. thepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
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CAFE
A light, savory sauce lets delicate lobster in the seafood mac shine. ZACH BAUMAN
HOT JAZZ SOIRÉE STEAK AND OYSTER HOUSE AUDITIONS ON 18TH AND VINE. BY LIZ COOK
The pianist was bored. His wide-brimmed hat bobbed in time with the music as he peered around the restaurant, looking everywhere but the keys. Every other eye in Soirée Steak and Oyster House was on vocalist Paula Sanders, who was scat-singing
over a strolling bass line with a voice like whipped butter. The pianist’s hands seemed to float across the keys, summoning splashy chords and intricate noodling from another plane, anywhere but here. It takes a lot of effort to look that ef-
Fried green tomatoes are sliced porterhouse-thick and topped with a chunky crawfish and red pepper sauce. ZACH BAUMAN
SOIRÉE STEAK & OYSTER HOUSE 1512 East 18th St (816) 214-5706, soireekc.com
Hours: Monday: 5–10 p.m. Tuesday: 5–11 p.m. Wednesday–Thursday: 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Friday–Saturday: 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Prices: Appetizers: $10–15 Entrées: $26–36 Cocktails: $9–12 Brunch plates: $11.50–27
Best bet: Come for a show, sip a cocktail (stiff: Slap Yo’ Daddy; sweet: Jazz Crush) and graze on fried green tomatoes and chargrilled oysters. If you’re here for brunch, order the shrimp po’boy.
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THE PITCH | NOVEMBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com
fortless. The musicians at Soirée Steak and Oyster House have mastered the trick. The restaurant employees could use a few more rehearsals. The six-month-old restaurant is full of good ideas and bright talents. Chef Anita Moore opened the original Soirée in Smithville in 2017 and quickly caught the eye of Kansas City developers who lured her to 18th and Vine. Where the Smithville restaurant focused on New Orleans cuisine, Soirée Steak and Oyster House pays more attention to the experience of dining: live jazz, stiff drinks, good vibes. Moore has brought along a few of those Cajun-inflected items— blackened chicken, shrimp po’boys—but there are more classic steakhouse options, too. The restaurant occupies a prime corner lot at the western gateway to 18th and Vine that once housed The Peachtree. The remodeled dining room is undeniably beautiful—sleek concrete floors, bold red accents, firework colors arcing from largescale paintings of jazz greats. At night, the warm neon lights of 18th and Vine twinkle festively through plate-glass windows. The acoustics are ideal, too: You can hold a conversation even as glasses clink and cocktail shakers rattle and drums sizzle and pop like fat on a fire. For an easy-drinking cocktail, try the Jazz Crush ($9), a sweet but not syrupy mash of bourbon and citrus poured over crushed ice into a sunrise gradient, color fading from a blazing crimson to a pale sherbet orange. My favorite from the list was the Slap Yo’ Daddy ($12), a stiff blend of Rittenhouse rye and caramel-toned sweet potato syrup. The garnish—a sticky and attractively brûléed housemade marshmallow—was half the fun. You can have a great night out here just sipping drinks and steeping in the air of more stylish people. On one visit, I watched a well-known community development executive kick off her patent-leather slingbacks and flex pantyhose-veiled toes in time with the music. Another night, I was seated next to Tech N9ne, who was looking less like a rap star and more like the guest of honor at a black-tie luau. But for a restaurant with steak and oysters in its name, Soiree Steak and Oyster House isn’t yet giving either of those foods the marquee treatment. Diners can choose one of three preparations for oysters—raw, chargrilled, or fried—and each phase of matter has its boons. I was surprised, though, to discover there was only one oyster variety when I ordered my first half-dozen raw ($9). Our server couldn’t tell us what they were. When she returned from a trip to the kitchen to
Pitch Cocktail Week 4.917 x5.667.qxp_Layout 1 10/17/19 2:09 PM Page 1
CAFE
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stop by for a morning latte, a freshly prepared quick lunch or toast the end-of- the -day with a cocktail, wine or beer.
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Kansas City Marriott Downtown 200 West 12th street Kansas City, MO 64105 816. 421.6800
The Slap Yo’ Daddy features sweet potato syrup and a toasted housemade marshmallow. ZACH BAUMAN
ask the chef, she offered only that they were “from the East Coast.” Those East Coast boys were large, briny, and meaty. They were fresh enough that I didn’t need the “pickled watermelon mignonette” the menu alluded to—which was
good, because it never arrived. I’ve had some great meals here, like the quietly brilliant seafood mac and cheese ($22) with generous hunks of lobster and shrimp and a slinky, briny sauce delicate enough to let them shine. Or a plate of char-
Chef Anita Moore opened Soirée after a stint in Smithville.
ZACH BAUMAN
locally owned. locally sourced. Kansas City, MO
BREAKFAST | BRUNCH | LUNCH KEEP KC UNIQUE.
S H O P LO C A L . E AT LO C A L .
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816.931.4401 | WWW.THECORNERKC.COM thepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
19
CAFE
The smoked bone-in pork chop is crisscrossed with grill marks and propped up by Mount Mash. ZACH BAUMAN
grilled oysters ($12) drunk on herb butter, their shells scorched ink-black with a primal perfume that wove its way into my hair the second I raised them to my lips. But I’ve also had expensive disappointments. The “blackened chicken breast” in the creole chicken and shrimp ($27) was dry with flabby skin, and the green beans were still crunchy (the shrimp, at least, were luscious and tender). The 14-ounce ribeye ($32) could have been in a commercial: it was cross-hatched with grill marks and slick-shined with butter. But I ordered the steak medium rare, and it arrived a chewy medium well. I focused my attention on the mound of rustic-textured mashed potatoes instead, which were garlicky and well-seasoned.
WHEN SOIRÉE ERRS, IT’S ALMOST NEVER IN INVENTION.
4010 Pennsylvania Avenue Suite D KCMO 64111 greenroomkc.com | 816-216-7682
THE PITCH | NOVEMBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com
Enormous windows peer out at onto the 18th and Vine district. ZACH BAUMAN
appetizer safe to share with blue cheese skeptics. When Soirée errs, it’s almost never in invention. Moore’s flavors are solid, and the menu is well-crafted for the space and vibe. But both the front and back of house seemed to struggle with consistency. Soirée’s hostess, it should be noted, is exceptional. On each visit, I was greeted with the warmth you might extend to a farflung relative arriving home for Christmas. But timing was a major issue across all three visits, a notable misstep at this price point. On two of my dinner visits, appetizers hit the table after the entrées. At a Sunday brunch, plates appeared seemingly at random. Three of my party of six received their entrees. Then the appetizers arrived. Minutes later, two more entrees sailed out.
Foo's is Thankful for:
$3 beers every day 20
The 14-ounce smoked Duroc pork chop ($28) was again overcooked to a chalky texture, though it, too, was a showpiece. The bone-in chop was the size of a shoe, striped with carbon and propped proudly against a mountain of smoked sweet potatoes soaking in a bourbon brown sugar glaze. The appetizers are more consistent. The crab cakes ($15) are exactly what you want them to be: all lump crab, no filler. The meat is sweet and soft and needs nothing beyond the zippy remoulade smeared attractively on the plate. I admired the novel preparation of the fried green tomatoes ($10), which were sliced as thick as a porterhouse but tender all the way through. The crumbly breading didn’t stay crisp long beneath a blanket of roasted red pepper and crawfish, but I didn’t need much incentive to eat them quickly. The promised “blue cheese crumbles” were actually a thin sauce, but the sauce dressed only two of the four tomatoes, making the
Art (& Art Teachers), Supportive Parents & Family Fried Chicken, People who genuinely love me, Education, Freedom & Independence, Pets, Belly Laughs, Sunshine, Kind customers, Good Friends, Teamwork, & Custard!
Be thankful too!
By this point, I was the only one left to be served, so I urged my tablemates to dig in, sure my shrimp po’boy was on its way. It arrived almost 15 minutes later, once most of my friends had finished their meals. When our server finally stopped by, it wasn’t to explain the delay or refill our long-empty water glasses but to ask how we wanted the check. The brunch menu listed a confusing carousel of prices, too—an $18 caesar salad, an $11.50 po’boy, $22 shrimp and grits. The restaurant seems to be working this out. When the bill for the shrimp and grits came, they were only $15; my crab cakes were $1 less expensive than listed, too. That’s good news, because some of the brunch plates are exceptional. I enjoyed those grits, which were gorged with Parmesan and flecked with andouille sausage. And I found a glossy-bunned hot chicken sandwich ($11.50) satisfying, if a bit sloppy and saucy. Even the po’boy was worth waiting
TICKETS
for. It arrived open-faced, laden with plump, juicy shrimp with a crisp, ethereal breading. The pickled red cabbage was a miscue, adding moisture without much zing. But I wouldn’t have traded the zig-zag of tangy remoulade that dribbled profanely from the sandwich with each bite. If you don’t mind getting your hands (and elbows) dirty, this sandwich is a can’t-miss mess. My chief gripe about Soirée is that it could be so much better. But despite a few less-than-stellar experiences, I still feel compelled to return. Maybe it’s that the space is genuinely pleasant to be in. Maybe it’s just hard to be upset when Paula Sanders is crooning Al Green songs to a room full of jaunty patterned sportcoats and bedazzled ankle boots. Maybe it’s that Moore’s cooking is suffused with thoughtful, creative touches, conceived—if not always executed—with care. Soirée has promise. What it needs is polish. For that, I’m willing to wait.
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FOOD
strings, fried chicken livers and gizzards, and, of course, pie. The ambiance alone is worth a stop in: The restaurant occupies the historic building’s rock-walled basement, and in the warm months you can drink and dine al fresco, right across from Independence Square. Salvatore’s 12801 East 40 Hwy Those who enjoy being drowned in garlic, marinara, breading, and mozzarella (hi!) will find much to love at Salvatore’s. The restaurant—named after the son of Alfio “Fred” Garozzo, cofounder of Garozzo’s; it was originally called Garozzo’s Due when it opened in 1991—serves many of the classic Garozzo’s dishes, including chicken spiedini, stuffed artichokes, veal parmigiano, and chicken marsala in an environment bursting with checkered vinyl tablecloths, string lights, and loads of artificial plants. APRIL FLEMING
THE CLASSICS WE’VE GOT A DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE FOR YOU: THE CITY IS FULL OF CHARMING PLACES TO EAT AND DRINK! BY APRIL FLEMING
People dump on Independence all the time. It’s the Florida of the Kansas City metro, the supposed meth capital of America. Etcetera. It ain’t right. Sure, it can get a little rough over there. But Independence is huge— 120,000 people, the fifth-largest city in Missouri—and brimming with fascinating history, not least of which is the fact that it’s the only city in the state that can claim a U.S. President. If you know where to look and are willing to make the drive (it’s not far), there’s plenty worth exploring in KC’s neighbor to the east. That extends to the food. You won’t find any James Beard Award winners here, but there are tons of wonderful (and affordable) places that hearken back to what used to typify Kansas City: burger joints, Italian red-sauce restaurants, old-fashioned ice cream parlors, even Southern seafood. Below, a by-no-means comprehensive (again: Independence is huge) breakdown of a few of our favorites. Sam’s Fish & Chicken 11701 West US Hwy 24 This no-frills former Burger King serves up classic Southern-style seafood. (An aside: We have a soft spot for restaurants operating in buildings still haunted by the design of a former tenant.) Though the menu at Sam’s is extensive, you’ll want to opt for a seafood or chicken platter, then add two sides. On the seafood end of things are generous baskets of cornmeal-crusted fried tilapia, jumbo shrimp, or crab and fish cakes. Chickenwise, go for whole fried wings, livers and gizzards, or giant fried tenders. Sam’s also specializes in stick-to-your-ribs red beans and rice, gumbo, macaroni and cheese, and fried okra. You won’t spend a lot, and you definitely won’t leave hungry. Clinton’s Soda Fountain 100 West Maple Avenue At Clinton’s Soda Fountain, history lies be-
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THE PITCH | NOVEMBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com
neath your feet. As a young lad, President Harry S. Truman worked in this building when it was a soda fountain and pharmacy. Later on, the building, which dates back to the 19th Century, hosted a variety of other retail pursuits. Today, though, it is once again a soda fountain (and the 100-yearold marble bar remains). Order a chocolate phosphate (an old-fashioned fizzy drink made with carbonated water, flavored syrup, and phosphoric acid) or just dive deep into a sugar coma with edible cookie dough, ice cream sundaes, cookies, cupcakes, or even just a Polly’s Pop—itself a proudly Independence-based soda company. Courthouse Exchange 113 West Lexington Avenue The original Courthouse Exchange in the heart of Independence opened in 1899, and though the ownership has changed, the goodwill lives on. The restaurant orig-
APRIL FLEMING
inally specialized in generous sandwiches, something it still offers (a KC-area diner wouldn’t be complete without a preposterously large pork tenderloin), but its menu has expanded over the years to offer more comforts, including chicken fried chicken, fried pickles, pot roast stroganoff, onion
Mugs Up 700 East 23rd Street South If you’re into Fifties-style retro burger joints, Mugs Up is a can’t-miss classic of the genre. This drive-in diner, open for more than 60 years, specializes in house-made root beer, “loose-meat” burgers, and chili.
FOOD
V’s Italiano Ristorante 10819 E Hwy 40 Opened in 1963, V’s is an Independence classic, and it still functions as a nightly gathering spot for lifelong residents, who gather over beer, wine, toasted ravioli, bigass slices of prime rib, and lasagna. (The patio, which boasts a giant fountain, is also worth a visit.) We recommend the veal scallopini, which is available as a special on Mondays. This veal steak is pounded thin, breaded, and deep fried, then baked in a slow-roasted tomato and pork sauce (sugo) and plated atop a nest of fresh angel hair pasta with bell peppers and sausage. Midwestern Italiana at its finest. 3 Trails Brewing Company 111 North Main Street This brewery and bar opened on Independence Square earlier this year and has quickly become one of Independence’s top hangouts. Though 3 Trails carries a wide
APRIL FLEMING
APRIL FLEMING
Give the real, live carhops $10, and they will bring you back a Whiz Burger (patty, bun, onions, pickles, and cheese); a deepfried burrito; onion rings; chicken nuggets; and a root beer—plus change. (Although you may also want to schedule a doctor’s appointment.)
Square Pizza 208 West Maple Avenue Major Eighties childhood vibes abound at Square Pizza. Located, as its name suggests, on Independence Square, the place is outfitted with arcade games, black-andwhite tiled floors, and red vinyl booths.
The from-scratch pizza is cooked to order in, yes, square pans; the crust is yeasty and the toppings are bountiful. We go classic in spots like these—pepperoni, baby—but the menu options are fully 2019, with a variety of toppings (pine nuts, feta cheese) and gluten-free and cauliflower crusts.
selection of local and national brands, we’d encourage you to try some of the beers made in-house. The Trail Dragger, a Russian imperial stout with hints of vanilla and cocoa nibs, is a smooth drinker despite coming in at a hearty 10.2 percent ABV. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we’re keen on the thepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
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APRIL FLEMING
Faded Reality, a bright kettle sour brewed with agave and pomegranate. No food here, but they’ll let you order in from nearby restaurants like Square Pizza and Courthouse Exchange. Fun House Pizza & Pub 13002 East 40 Highway We can’t not include Fun House on this list. Ostensibly a pizza party destination
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THE PITCH | NOVEMBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com
for children, the restaurant has opted not to make much in the way of upgrades since opening 51 years ago. As a result, it’s instead something of a kids’ nightmare factory: stern signage, dim lighting, ancient mechanical horsies, Looney Tunes-era wall art, and, uh, multiple bone-chilling clown images. But, hey, they’ve got damn good daily specials ($5.99 one-topping small pizzas on Tuesdays, and the small is like a medium),
the dough is still made from scratch every day, and the pies are cooked in those same original ovens. They’re still pretty good, too. Long live Fun House. HiBoy 924 West U.S. Hwy 24; 16721 E. Gudgell Roll in to this classic burger counter and start with the signature quarter-pound
“Hi Boy,” a damn-satisfying midcentury hamburger topped with cheese, pickles, onions, and Hi-Boy sauce (we think Thousand Island?). If you’re not the red meat type, go for the pork tenderloin, a fried fish sandwich with tartar sauce, fried pickles, stuffed tots, shakes, floats, limeades—you get the picture. There are two HiBoys in Independence; we’re partial to the 24 Highway location for its oldschool bona fides.
FOOD
grow n by h and
made by han d
ZACH BAUMAN
816. 22 1.7 55 9 | blue bi rdbi s tro. c om 17 00 Su mmi t Street
MKCRIB IS BACK HOGSHEAD’S ODE TO MCDONALD’S ICONIC SEASONAL SANDWICH STARTED AS A JOKE. NOW THE RESTAURANT IS SELLING 300 A WEEK. BY LIZ COOK
I grew up in a small town without many restaurants and learned to time my appetite with the change of seasons. I’m talking about McRib season, of course—that chimerical time of year when the lighted sign beneath the fool’s-gold arches blared a saucy promise: MCRIB IS BACK. Actually, now that I’m thinking of it, the sign probably said something like M R S ACK. Letters were always falling off that thing. Oh, how I longed to see Mr. Sack. The McRib is an unparalleled feat of engineering, a particle-board paste of mechanically separated pig molded into a rib-shaped patty and drowned in barbecue sauce like a rat in a bucket. To my youthful imagination, that sponge-y patty felt more real than a rack of ribs, much like Disney World felt more real than the adult world with all its inconvenient nuance. I have since put away childish things. Now, I drive to Hogshead on the Plaza, where chef-owner Clark Grant has crafted something much better and much less pronounceable: the mKCrib. The fast-food-inspired sandwich started as a joke. After a charity cook off, Grant wound up with three cases of ribs in his cooler and thought an upgraded McRib would be a goofy way to use them. The first day, he prepped enough ribs for 15 sandwiches. “We sold out of them by six o’ clock,” he says.
Now, the mKCrib is a permanent menu item. You can order it any time of day, though it’s not yet officially listed on the brunch menu. On a good week, Grant estimates he might sell 300. Hogshead’s answer to the McRib is a craftsman’s answer to IKEA furniture. Grant cold-smokes a half-rack of ribs for each sandwich, then braises them in pork broth until the meat is so tender, he can slide the rib bones out like a magician removing a tablecloth without disturbing the plates. The meat is swaddled but not swimming in a glossy, well-balanced sauce of Grant’s invention (you can buy a bottle for $9). The lightly toasted, buttery hoagie is pliable but firm enough to withstand the sauce. I made it through half of the sandwich before I needed to reach for a napkin. Even the toppings are an upgrade. Although the mKCrib, like its prototype, keeps it simple—just curls of raw white onion and slices of pickle layered like shingles—the latter are Kansas City Canning Co.’s Unfiltered Hoppy pickles. The slices are thicker and snappier, with a subtle sweetness and a fresh vinegar twang. The sandwich, it must be acknowledged, is pricy—$18 with a side—but it’s also enormous and easily feeds two. On Hogshead’s Facebook page, you can watch them drop their version on top of the original to the
HOGSHEAD KC
4743 Pennsylvania Ave (816) 321-2929 hogsheadkc.com tune of “The Final Countdown.” It flattens the McDonalds sandwich like an Acme-branded anvil, like a boxer punching three weight classes down. The top of the Hogshead hoagie bounces in slow motion, landing at a lewd, rakish angle. You feel like you should look away. During the Plaza Art Fair, Hogshead offered a cheaper, quarter-rack version of the sandwich, which I tried and preferred. It looks closer to the OG Rib, and it’s a better size for one. Grant tells me he’s contemplating adding that size to the restaurant’s fall menu, noting most of his guests aren’t finishing the half-rack version. For now, order the full size and split it with a friend. As I write this, I’m being inundated with advertisements for the resurrected McDonalds’ sandwich. Yes, the McRib is back, but it’s back like a bad ex-boyfriend, sliding into your DMs (and down your gullet) with oily overconfidence. The mKCrib never left, baby. It’s sturdy. It’s dependable. It doesn’t taste like a malnourished piglet was lured into an alcove by a vengeful amontillado dealer, packed in with papier mâché, and left to die. You’re older and wiser now. You know the right mKChoice. thepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
25
EAT
Eat ThisNow
The Georgian Soup Dumplings at the Antler Room
APRIL FLEMING
Since the Antler Room debuted three years ago, Georgian flavors—we’re talking here about the European republic, not the American state—have repeatedly crept onto the menu. Georgian cooking utilizes a lot of spices (the country is located at the end of the ancient silk road) and is rich in beef, pork, cheese, wine, and fresh herbs. Chef Nick Goellner, who grew up on this cuisine, says it’s his favorite style in the world, and he’s not alone: Earlier this year, The New Yorker called Georgian cooking “the next big thing” in food, and an influential hospitality trend forecaster declared Georgian food the “Cuisine of the Year.” This fall’s Antler Room menu features Georgian khinkali, or soup dumplings, and they are not to be missed. Developed by sous chef Kyle Sears, the dumplings contain an intensely flavorful meatball made with pork and beef, fenugreek, onion, garlic, and fermented fresno chiles. They’re plated with fresh chives and a spicy, housemade chili oil. Once they arrive at the table, customers are instructed to grab the dumplings by the top knot, bite a hole into the dumpling to slurp out the soup, then eat the rest. If this is the direction food culture is headed, we are 100 percent onboard. --April Fleming
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THE PITCH | NOVEMBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com
DRINK
Drink This Now The Plum Tree at Swordfish Tom’s
Jill Cockson of the Crossroads cocktail dungeon Swordfish Tom’s is one of the city’s brainiest bartenders, the type of operator who leads discussions about profitability and trends at industry conferences. Though she takes her work seriously, her drinks are consistently playful. Cockson’s fall menu includes a garden pepper cocktail that doubles as a tribute to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (“tart and spicy”) as well as a clever drink called the Turkey Dinner, which blends Wild Turkey Rye with a house-made orange cranberry cordial, fresh lemon, and green chartreuse-toasted rosemary. But the seasonal item we’re most juiced on is the Plum Tree. Combining Builder’s Gin, house plum-cardamom syrup, lemon, and lavender bitters, this drink was inspired, Cockson says, by the Japanese plum tree, which sometimes blossoms even in the dead of winter. Sipping on one of these provides a delicious taste of hope as we ponder the long, cold, dark Kansas City nights that lie ahead. --April Fleming
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thepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
27
Craft Cocktail Week
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KCCOCKTAILWEEK.COM
THE PITCH | NOVEMBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com
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Lemon juice, Nue vodka, clove cinnamon simple syrup, and a touch of Pimms.
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House-infused pineapple tequila, fresh jalapeño, club soda, and a splash of sour, with a cayenne pepper-salted rim.
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THE WELL Caramel Apple Mule
We take a classic mule and add a touch of fall with Vodka, caramel simple syrup, Louisburg apple cider, a dash of bitters and ginger beer. 7421 Broadway, Kansas City, MO 64114 waldowell.com | 816-361-1700
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thepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
29
ARTS
E.G. SCHEMPF
ART HISTORY AT THE KEMPER, HEW LOCKE INTERROGATES THE COMPLEX LEGACIES OF BRITISH IMPERIALISM. BY EMILY COX
We Americans are often guilty of seeing ourselves as the center of the story. Here’s the Thing, a comprehensive exhibit of the British artist Hew Locke’s work showing now through January at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, offers a chance to reflect on global tensions and the movement of power from another perspective. Or, rather, it offers that chance provided you are already knowledgeable about the history of British imperialism and the culture of the former British colony Guyana, which provide the backdrop of Locke’s work. If, like me (and I suspect many a Kansas Citian), you walk into Here’s the Thing less than fully confident in your ability to locate Guyana on a map, you may very well leave this show unsatisfied.
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THE PITCH | NOVEMBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com
Locke, who is black, was born to Guyanese parents who raised him in that South American country. Images of British royalty and ships course through his work in sculpture, works on paper, and installation. But who were these queens? What’s the story behind these ocean voyages? Alas, the curators have designed this exhibit in a way that offers little in the way of context or guidance. Notably absent are wall didactics—those helpful little placards that contain the artwork’s title, medium, and, often, a commentary on (or interpretation of) the piece. Here, you’re handed a laminated guide with the titles. For commentary, you’ll need to download an app to your smartphone. On my first visit, I didn’t even learn about the app until I was exiting the exhibit. This may sound like quibbling. But,
IF, LIKE ME (AND I SUSPECT MANY A KANSAS CITIAN), YOU WALK INTO HERE’S THE THING LESS THAN FULLY CONFIDENT IN YOUR ABILITY TO LOCATE GUYANA ON A MAP, YOU MAY VERY WELL LEAVE THIS SHOW UNSATISFIED.
GET OUT
Hew Locke: Here’s the Thing Through January 19, 2020. Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art 4420 Warwick kemperart.org
particularly in this show, that extra information is essential to appreciating the art. The exhibition includes a 21-minute video called The Tourists, which slowly pans through a ship’s interiors, revealing mannequins dressed in masks. Sans context, it’s a dreamy trip through a mesmerizing otherworld: a baker slides bread into the oven while wearing a golden lace mask, four sailors build a replica boat adorned with pearls and flowers. Cool to look at. But what does it mean? Here are some things that would’ve been
thepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
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ARTS
KENNY JOHNSON
helpful to know before viewing that video: The ship in question is the HMS Belfast, currently afloat on the Thames River as a permanent component of the Imperial War Museum in London. It’s also the last ship that remains from the landing at Normandy on D-Day. Hew Locke was invited by the Imperial War Museum to do an exhibit on the HMS Belfast. It features mannequins demonstrating the life and work of the sailors, which Locke re-envisioned. On the ship’s final voyage, the sailors made a stop in Trinidad in 1962. Locke drew inspiration from that historical fact, dressing the mannequins in masks and props as though they were preparing for Carnival in Trinidad. It turns out that, rather than just a mysterious ship full of strange characters, The Tourists is an ironic take on military men participating in cultural tourism rather than doing the work of subjugating those they’ve colonized. But good luck piecing that together with what the Kemper gives you. Ships are a prominent theme in Locke’s work. The Armada, a collection of
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THE PITCH | NOVEMBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com
several dozen immensely detailed boats, ships, and rafts, dominates the exhibition. The scale is impressive, if at times overwhelming. Think of all the boats on the world’s waterways, right this minute: warships and dinghies, pleasure cruises and survival rafts. Now imagine Locke brought them all together and reimagined them in this miniature fleet as aligned and floating in the same direction. It’s difficult to digest it all—all those objects, styles, and symbols at play. Locke’s other dominant theme—British monarchs—feels as much like reverence as critique. Untitled (Orange Queen) is the familiar shape of Queen Elizabeth’s face, created from an exuberant collection of plastic trinkets, a nod to present-day global commerce. If it’s meant to condemn, plastic drawn from the great swaths of trash in the ocean, dripping with oil, might have been better suited to the task. Instead, these brightly colored objects (which include lots of butterflies) are beautiful in their own way. The light coming through the translucent plastic and the twisted, crownlike spires emanating from
the queen’s head suggest the radiance of a deity rather than the representation of something more pernicious. In his Souvenir series, Locke has adorned busts of famous British royalty with gold metal masks and crowns, chains, military medals, and more—a gaudy, overthe-top regalia. These busts were made as souvenirs for purchase at the Crystal Palace in London (hence the title). “Souvenir” also literally means “to remember” in French, and here Locke seems to be calling for remembrance of the burdens created by these monarchs. Queen Victoria, her son Albert Edward (later King Edward VII), and Princess Alexandra of Denmark (his wife and later Queen Consort) ruled over the British Empire at a time of relentless and wide-reaching war, slavery, genocide, famine, and more. Alongside gold metal and pearl decorations, the bust of Princess Alexandra features cowrie shells, notoriously used as currency in the slave trade. On his website, Locke describes the figures in this series. “They are weighed down by the literal burden of history,” he
writes, “and this goes back to my idea of how a nation creates itself, what stories it sells to itself and how this relates to ideas of Britain and its history that are weighing down the minds of people today.” While the British monarch’s individual power has been curbed over the last century, British royalty remain the embodiment of the country. As used by Locke, they represent not just the atrocities they are oversaw as individuals, but also stand in for the entirety of the empire and its legacy. Drawing an effective connective thread between the imagery of monarchs and the impact on those they colonized, Hinterland is based on a photograph of a statue of Queen Victoria in Georgetown, Guayana, displaced to the Botanical Gardens after the country’s independence in 1966. The photograph of the statue has been painted over with ephemeral figures, ghosts and skeletons playing instruments, animating a march of the dead around her. The Queen looms large, but she’s decaying. The dead surround her, persistent in their triumphant haunting.
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thepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
33
BOOKS
FUCK ‘FUCK CANCER’ POET ANNE BOYER’S LATEST IS A FIERCE MEMOIR FROM INSIDE AMERICA’S ROTTING MEDICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. BY DAN LYBARGER
Anne Boyer’s latest book, The Undying: Pain, Vulnerability, Mortality, Medicine, Art, Time, Dreams, Data, Exhaustion, Cancer and Care has earned her an excerpt in The New Yorker, a glowing review in The New York Times, a successful tour, and a rapidly growing new audience. But in many ways it’s a bittersweet kind of success. The book is a memoir documenting what may be the worst thing that has ever happened to her. Boyer was born in Topeka, raised in Salina, attended Kansas State University and Wichita State University, and is currently an associate professor at the Kansas City Art Institute. She’s been publishing poetry for more than a decade, but it was Boyer’s 2015 collection Garments Against Women that seemed to break through into the literary mainstream. Critical acclaim and prestigious awards—like the 2018 Whiting Award for poetry and nonfiction and, of course, The Pitch naming her the Best Writer in Kansas City in 2016—have followed. The Undying is an unflinching account of how Boyer has survived a diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer in 2014. It’s mostly memoir but also includes divergences into medicine and history, examining how the condition can be traced back as far as ancient Persia, how grueling both the surgery and chemotherapy can be, how many of the drugs to remedy it are environmentally dangerous, and how industrialization and corporate medicine are part of the problem. There’s a lot going on here, all of it worth your time. In early October, just a few weeks after the book was published, The Pitch met up with Boyer at her Waldo home, which she shares with a trio of cats. Boyer’s friend, the photographer Cara Lefebvre, who provided care to Boyer throughout her health struggles, also joined us. As you might discern from this abridged conversation, Boyer resents how the dangers and torments of cancer are often underestimated, but she also offers a vivid—and, at times, funny—perspective on how she has faced (and continues to confront) death.
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THE PITCH | NOVEMBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com
“There’s a way the story could have been framed as a heartwarming struggle of a single mother overcoming cancer,” Boyer says. “I don’t want to read that book.” CARA LEFEBVRE
The Pitch: One of the vivid things you point out in the book is that our medical system doesn’t do well for single people. Anne Boyer: No, it absolutely doesn’t. Remember, Cara, how we had to take off lunch, so I could get my official diagnosis? Cara Lefebvre: It was hard. We had to do a whole chart and everything and really plan
rides. That was a very basic thing, but to give you a ride anywhere had to be planned weeks in advance. Boyer: Because there was no person immediately available. If you have a family member who is sick, you can take time off and not be punished for it, but if you’re not married to somebody, if your mom’s not there or if you don’t have children who are old enough to take care of you, there’s nobody. We had
to patchwork this system together so that I could have care. We tried to figure out a way to distribute it across friends so that any one person wouldn’t be horribly burdened and could continue their lives as they also cared for me. I think it also says something about people whose primary caregiver is their romantic partner, in that the amount of work that those partners have to do is almost inhu-
BOOKS
man, too. There should probably be a way in which care is distributed socially, so that it doesn’t fall into the narrow confines of the family. And yet, as it’s organized, it really does. Usually the care falls on the women of the family, the daughters and the mothers and the sisters, so it has this unfair burden of gender on its structure. In The Undying, you describe how you had just had extensive surgery, but you were released from the hospital the day of your double mastectomy despite the fact that you were in no shape to drive or take care of yourself. Lefebvre: We were both dumbfounded and just in shock. “So, I guess, we’ll pack up?” It was insane. Boyer: I was barely awake. I couldn’t do anything. I was in extraordinary pain. Maybe this has changed in the last five years, but I don’t think it has. It was exceptional to stay overnight after a double mastectomy. You are just ejected into the world, heavily drugged. Remember the drainage, the packets of blood?
“THERE’S THIS INTENSE, BIZARRE, MEANINGLESS POSITIVITY ABOUT THE WORST HUMAN EXPERIENCES THAT BREAST CANCER CULTURE HAS ASKED OF US,” BOYER SAYS.
Lefebvre: They didn’t really tell you what to do, either. We’re all just in shock and kind of terrified. No one felt really comfortable. Boyer: I had friends who were there with me. But there are a lot of people who don’t have the kind of friends you need who can help you drain blood from your body. That requires a kind of intimacy. I did better than most people do after a double mastectomy, but I was worried about who was going to help me go to the bathroom if I can’t wipe myself? This is what hospitals help you with. Instead, I had to try to figure out who do I know enough for these deeply intimate and admittedly repulsive parts of having a body in distress. You structured The Undying like your poems. The incidents aren’t presented chronologically, and there’s a dreamlike narrative. Boyer: At first, I thought that I would make it more straightforward, and it was too difficult, so I decided to write it like a poet would write it, and that allowed it to be possible. I wanted it to hold a complex and difficult truth rather than an easy truth. There’s a way the story could have been framed as a heartwarming struggle of a single mother overcoming cancer. I don’t want to read that book.
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The difficulty of writing [about the worst parts of cancer] was feeling bad that if you write it, it’s going to expose this train of misery that others want to protect themselves thepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
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BOOKS
from. For caregivers, It’s hard enough to think in detail about what the person you love is suffering through. That’s difficult. For many people who survive cancer, they dissociate themselves and forget about it. But for me, I have to just go all in. I do sometimes worry about what will happen to readers, especially for those who have to relive those feelings. On the other hand, your fingernails fall off. We didn’t know this was going to happen. Remember how cavalier we were because we thought that breast cancer was not a big thing to worry about? Lefebvre: “There’s a cure for it, and we’ll just get over it.” Boyer: There’s this intense, bizarre, meaningless positivity about the worst human experiences that breast cancer culture has asked of us. It didn’t prepare us for what was gruesome. I didn’t have much time to think about what was to come.
posed to be friendly and nice, but then inside is the very thing itself, which is breast cancer culture, and being told that if you’re not positive you’ll die. It will be your own fault if you don’t get better. Go run a 5K, but don’t go Rambo [laughs]. It’s like gaslighting with a smile. You would think that cancer is the happiest, most cheerful thing you could have. Well, I am Rambo-ing. I still am. We should be outraged when outrages are done to us. Lefebvre: You can help without knowing how they’re feeling. You can just be of service for what they want done. I did a lot of cleaning because your house had to be impeccably clean for health reasons.
help you move; a good friend will help you move a dead body.” Boyer: [Both laugh] I learned so much about who my friends were because there were people who just skedaddled. Lefebvre: It was awesome to see how each friend contributed. One made you do reiki and drink Fiji water. Everyone had their own strength, and it came together beautifully. The book also deals with how there is a system that drives how we treat cancer, and how system exposes everyone to its dangers.
You can articulate your frustrations. A lot of people can’t.
Lefebvre: It was important that you still had your voice still.
Boyer: Women aren’t supposed to be angry like that. Imagine you’re a mother or a caregiver of vulnerable people. We’re sup-
Boyer: You allowed me to be weird.
Boyer: When you’re inside medicine, you’re not just inside medicine. Medicine relates to all these other systems, so there are issues of gender and issues of race—there are horrifying outcomes because of racial bias in medicine, and questions of class, and questions of marital status. All of these things impact medicine, so it’s not just the body, but all these systems that interact with each other. It shows epidemiologically in who dies and who lives.
On Car Talk, I once heard, “A friend will
If you have a life that’s already hard to be-
Boyer: You let me be me. If you treat them like a patient, it’s the worst feeling. The moments that felt the worst were the ones where people were talking about me like I wasn’t me.
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THE PITCH | NOVEMBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com
gin with, or if you don’t have much money or are racially discriminated against, cancer hits you harder, too. I tried to address this in the book without yelling how wrong the world is. Because of the book, you do have a platform that previous survivors who’ve lived through this haven’t. Boyer: I had success as a poet, but it doesn’t always translate to a larger population because poetry is published by small presses, and it’s a relatively small community. People read poetry internationally, so you can be known in that world, but that doesn’t translate to newspaper coverage. My poetry was reviewed in The New York Times, too, but that was exceptional. It was an unanticipated success for a poet. When I wanted to write this book, I wanted to reach as many people as possible. I found an agent, a manager, and this team who could help me. I would never have anticipated that’s how my career would go. That’s such an unfamiliar terrain. What’s interesting to me is that, with this book, I have no idea where my writing belongs anymore. It’s a new adventure in what I’m doing.
GET OUT Check out more events at
thepitchkc.com/calendar
Concerts are held in Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
(816) 471-0400 / kcsymphony.org
SO MUCH MUSIC, SO MUCH FUN!
The Music of a True Rock Legend
Classical Concert
Thanksgiving Weekend
Brent Havens, guest conductor Tony Vincent, vocals
Friday & Saturday, Nov. 22-23 at 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24 at 2 p.m.
The Kansas City Symphony pays homage to the life and success of legendary musician Tom Petty. Enjoy “I Won’t Back Down,” “American Girl,” “Free Fallin” and “Learning to Fly.” Join your Kansas City Symphony as we honor this rock and roll icon. Tickets from $40.
Michael Stern, conductor Joyce Yang, piano
Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30 at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1 at 3 p.m.
A TRIBUTE TO TOM PETTY Saturday, Nov. 16 at 8 p.m.
Symphony Family Concert
YOUNG PERSON’S GUIDE to the ORCHESTRA Sunday, Nov. 10 at 2 p.m.
Tickets start at $25 for adults and $10 for children.
ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA WITH MAHLER and LESHNOFF
MAHLER “Adagio” from Symphony No. 10 JONATHAN LESHNOFF Piano Concerto
Kansas City Symphony commission, world premiere, underwritten by the Miller Nichols Charitable Foundation
R. STRAUSS Also sprach Zarathustra Tickets from $25.
Sponsors include the Kansas City Symphony Guild
MARY POPPINS in CONCERT LIVE to FILM
Susie Benchasil Seiter, guest conductor Don’t miss the music of this beloved Disney classic performed live to picture by the Kansas City Symphony. Enjoy favorites like “A Spoonful of Sugar” and “Chim Chim Cher-ee.” Tickets start at $40 for adults and $25 for children. Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts. © All rights reserved. Supported by the Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund. Sponsors include:
thepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
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THEATER
NEXT STAGE
“I WORK WITH A LOT OF CROSSOVER ARTISTS THAT ARE BOTH BANDS AND THEATER ARTISTS,” CARDEN SAYS. “YOU CAN EXPECT A HIGH DEGREE OF MUSICIANSHIP ON OUR STAGE IN THE FUTURE.”
NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR STUART CARDEN’S PLANS FOR THE KC REP: MORE MUSICIANSHIP, MORE NEW WORKS, AND MORE ‘IN-THEROOMNESS.’ BY LIZ COOK
Starting this fall, Kansas City Repertory Theatre audiences began seeing a new face beneath the house lights. Stuart Carden has joined the Rep as artistic director—and he’s committed himself to being at every performance of the first two shows this season to greet the community. Carden, 46, previously worked as associate artistic director of Writers Theatre in Chicago and City Theatre in Pittsburgh. Since 2015, he’s worked as a freelance director and producer based in Chicago. Carden is sailing into the Rep at an unusual time. The company’s previous artistic director, Eric Rosen, decamped for New York over a year ago. The Rep’s 2019–20 season was set by Jason Chanos, who served as interim artistic director during the search and will stay on with the company as associate artistic director. Although Carden isn’t directing this year, he has plenty to do. We caught up with the new AD by phone to see how he was settling in. COURTESY OF THE KC REP
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THE PITCH | NOVEMBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com
THEATER
Keeping theater professionals in Kansas City can be challenging with Chicago so close. You’re reversing the usual migration pattern. What drew you to a smaller market? You know, for me—I was raised outside of Louisville, Kentucky, in a rural farming community. My first interactions with the arts were with Actors Theatre in Louisville, and a city that’s sizewise around what Kansas City is. And the thing that the arts did for me was give me a window to the world. Honestly, I’ve always felt like I wanted to be a part of a theater in this scale of city—where you can really wrap your brain and arms around the city and know the other cultural leaders by first name and get to know your neighbors in meaningful ways that allow you to think about programming to their interests. I’ve got young twins that are seven and a half, and we were happily raising them in Chicago, but I also want to create a situation for them where they can really be connected to the neighborhood in which they live. My wife is a contemporary art curator—she’s the executive director of the Wabash Arts Corridor in Chicago, and she has a particular intersection with public art monuments and social justice. And so another factor was that there’s such a strong, vibrant visual arts scene here. And the city feels progressive, too, and inclusive, and all of those things are important to us as humans and also as parents. You’ve got an already planned-out season ahead of you, and no imminent directing gigs. Where do you plan to focus your energies this year? This will be the longest I have ever not directed, and I may go insane. But I’m going to spend this year getting to know the institution and then building from there and seeing where we want to make changes. This year is also going to give me an opportunity to go out and meet people who maybe think theater isn’t for them, or that KC Rep isn’t for them, or that a theater on a university campus isn’t
for them, and understand how KC Rep can serve those communities better. And it’s going to give me an opportunity to understand all of the changes that UMKC is going through with the Department of Theatre being incorporated into the Conservatory. Those conversations are very, very early, but it was made clear to me during the interview process that both the university and the theater are interested in re-setting the table in terms of how they partner together, and I’ve got this year to do that and let all those conversations inform how I program next season. What can audiences expect from you when it comes to future seasons? I’ve been putting the KC Rep faithful at ease by saying you can expect an evolution to the work and not a revolution. But I’ll speak to a couple impulses and qualities that reflect who I am as both an artist and also an artistic leader who programs theater, which is: I work to activate what I call “in-the-roomness” in the experience of theater. And what I mean by that is that I strive to break down that artificial barrier between stage and audience and create an environment where the audience experiences rather than just witnesses. The other thing I think you can look for in future work is—I’m one of about a half-dozen directors across the country that’s really interested in concert-theatrical storytelling hybrids. I work with a lot of crossover artists that are both bands and theater artists. And so you can expect a high degree of musicianship on our stage in the future. In its last few seasons, the Rep had increasingly brought in performers and designers from out of state. Do you have a sense of where you’d like the balance of local versus imported contractors to be? Yes, definitely. It’s really crucial to me to center our work here in Kansas City while keeping a dynamic interplay
between national artists and local artists. And I also believe that when you’ve got local artists on your stage and designing your work, that they are natural bridge builders to the community and really anchor your theater within that community. That doesn’t mean there’s not going to be artists coming in from out of town at all—there absolutely will be—and sometimes there are specific needs of casting or craft that maybe aren’t represented currently in the local artist pool. Diversity and inclusion in theater are referenced prominently on your website. Can you talk about what diversity in theater means to you in practice and what you’ll do as artistic director to work toward that goal? I think it is the work of a not-for-profit theater to reflect, both on stage and off stage, the community it serves. I believe very strongly that representation matters and is powerful, and it’s something that’s important to me in terms of how we think about this organization reflecting fully this community. I want to work with the executive director, Angela Gieras, and the staff to really holistically think about how we are pursuing our work in equity, diversity, and inclusion. And that is going to take some time. But this feels like a good moment for KC Rep to take leadership in this area. That’s going to manifest itself in lots of big and small ways throughout the organization, but we need to do the good work of thinking big picture and philosophically first. So all of that is very early to be honest, and I’m just beginning those conversations—but that is where I want to help lead the organization. The past year has been a somewhat tumultuous time for theater in Kansas City, with actors and techs speaking out about sexual harassment, union violations, and unsafe working conditions more broadly. Similar conversations are happening in theaters across the country. What do you plan to do to encourage a safe and supportive work-
ing environment at the Rep? The Not In Our House movement is something that has been hugely, hugely impactful not only in Chicago but around the country in the past couple years. And there has been nationally, as there was in Chicago, quite a bit of bad behavior—whether that behavior was sexual harassment, or bullying, or unsafe working conditions, or not respecting the balance of life and work for artists. I think there is a generational shift happening right now with artistic leadership, and I very much identify with this new wave of artistic leaders that think of themselves as in service of the mission of the theater and the artists that create the work that fulfills that mission. We’re going to build on the work that is already happening at KC Rep to develop and institute a values and culture approach that everyone at the organization can believe in. And that, for me, is everything from having at first rehearsal a very clear statement of how harassment is reported to having protocols in place for artists to feel that they have the voice and power to speak up when they are experiencing something that’s not right. I see the benefits so profoundly at institutions that have already begun integrating these types of practices. The Kansas City Rep’s Origin KC: New Works festival turns five this year. Do you plan to keep that momentum going when it comes to new play development? I am a new-play animal. My entire career has been primarily about developing new works. That’s my jam. And honestly, it’s the reason that I came here. A lot of regional theaters don’t have a dedicated festival and a new works program already up and running, and the fact that the foundations of a really good program are already in the works was very, very attractive to me in coming here. So I am doubling down on the Origin KC festival. I also deeply believe that new works speaking to this moment in theatrically adventurous ways are how you connect with younger audiences.
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MUSIC
JAKE CARDWELL
SMELL THAT SMELL THE WHIFFS RETURN WITH A FRESH BOUQUET OF BASEMENT POWER-POP. BY NICK SPACEK
A passing glance at the members of the Whiffs gives little in the way of context clues about what style of music they might play. Oi!? Slade covers? Ramones-core? “This guy bought a record at one of our shows recently and was like, ‘Do you all plan this?’ says bassist and vocalist Zach Campbell, sitting at the Port Fonda bar in early October. “He was like, ‘Your drummer’s a normal guy, one of you looks like a punk, one of you looks like a Beatle, and then your guitarist looks like this big, crazy, monster.’ He just kind of nailed it on the head without
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even trying.” In fact, the Whiffs are a power-pop quartet, though its members are known for other sounds in the KC and Lawrence scenes. Campbell (presumably the punk) has anchored the garage-pop Rooftop Vigilantes and the more hardcore-infused Mouthbreathers. Guitarist Rory Cameron (the Beatle) fronted the Conquerors, which trafficked in hazy psych-rock and Sixties janglers. Jake Cardwell (the supposedly normal guy) builds nationally renowned kits at C&C Drum Co. and has handled percussion
“WE REALIZED THAT OUR FAVORITE MUSIC IS ALL ESSENTIALLY THE SAME BANDS,” CAMPBELL SAYS. “THE BEATLES, THE KINKS, THE STONES, THE EXPLODING HEARTS, BADFINGER, BIG STAR, THE NERVES.”
in all kinds of groups over the years, from the Caves to the Belles to the Conquerors. The “big, crazy monster”—guitarist and vocalist Joey Montanaro, who’s actually just a very tall guy—is a newcomer to the band; he arrived in KC from Chicago about a year ago and replaced the Whiffs’ original second guitarist, Nic Allred (who moved to upstate New York). “Me and Rory started hanging out and talking about music,” Campbell says of the band’s origins. “We realized that our favorite music is all essentially the same bands. I think I get a little deeper into the heavier side of punk, but for the most part, it’s like: the Beatles, the Kinks, the Stones, the Exploding Hearts, Badfinger, Big Star, the Nerves. And that was kind of, like, the catalyst for us starting this whole thing.” The Whiffs released their first LP, Take a Whiff!, in 2017. It’s a bouncy, fast-paced affair, stacked with two- and three-part harmonies. The follow-up, Another Whiff, comes out December 6. Campbell describes it as “less Ramones worship, and more playing on the Big Star-Badfinger-Byrds kind of influences.” Montanaro—who has a solo recording project called the Rubs (the Whiffs have previously served as his backing band)—might also be considered an influence on the new record. Campbell describes the guitarist as someone who “writes constantly, constantly, constantly,” and regularly shows up armed with songs “better than the song I was really pumped on bringing to practice.” “We now have three songwriters, and even though we’re all coming from the same [power-pop] place, we have a different take on it,” Campbell says. “It’s like a good mixtape.” The new album was recorded in Cameron’s basement, which is also where the band practices. (They call it Electric Babyland.) They Frankensteined a recording rig with mostly secondhand gear and ended up with something more immediate and raw than the Whiffs’ more polished debut. Some tracks, like “On the Boulevard,” call to mind ‘80s obscurities like 4 Out of 5 Doctors and The Know. “For rock ‘n’ roll, I do prefer it erring on the side of the lo-fi sound, rather than the hi-fi side,” Montanaro says. “My process with recording is, like, ‘Just do it.’ I don’t futz around or fret about the details. If it sounds good, let’s do it. I don’t like to make the same painting over and over again.” In mid-November, the Whiffs will take their new show on the road, opening up for the Get Up Kids on a 10-date West Coast jaunt. “They’ve still got it, and they are some of the most humble people that I’ve met,” Campbell says of the emo legends. “The 16-year-old is me pumped. But the 36-yearold in me is also super pumped.”
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thepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
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MUSIC
From left: Matt Liefer, Andrew Stinson, Brett Jackson, Nate Nall, Ryan Heinlein, Andrew Ouelette, and Adam Schlozman of The Project H. PHOTO COURTESY OF RYAN HEINLEIN
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION RYAN HEINLEIN WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE RECORDING ACADEMY... BY LIBBY HANSSEN
Ryan Heinlein’s latest album with his jazz-centric group The Project H, Everyday, Forever, didn’t win a Grammy Award. That wasn’t too much of a surprise, given that it wasn’t nominated for one. But Heinlein was there for the awards ceremony. “It was awesome,” Heinlein says, taking a break from plugging away on his laptop at Broadway Cafe. “It was celebrity overload. You’d turn around and recognize people constantly.” Brandi Carlisle performed, as did Kasey Musgrave. Michelle Obama spoke. He spotted Patton Oswald and “Weird Al” Yankovic in the crowd. Heinlein throws his hands in the air, still a little starstruck all these many months later. In 2017, Heinlein was looking for new avenues to promote his music. Touring, the traditional route, was out of the question— he’s an associate professor at Johnson County Community College and has two young kids. Heinlein had a few contacts that were already members of the Recording Academy, a membership organization for performers, songwriters, engineers, producers, and other music professionals. The Recording Academy also happens to be the entity behind the Grammy Awards. Heinlein decided to apply to join the organization. It took a couple tries. Heinlein grew up in Wichita, and he’s spent nearly his entire life and career in the Midwest. Yes, he’s
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performed hundreds of shows all over the region, recorded multiple albums, formed a handful of bands, kept a residency at The Black Dolphin, played a ton of festivals, and was named The Pitch’s “Best Jazz Ensemble” in 2014. But that wasn’t enough for the Recording Academy. “They said, ‘We want to see what you’ve done outside of Kansas and Missouri,’” Heinlein says, rubbing his temple. “They literally don’t care how much you play here. It kind of shows you the value they put in this area of the country.” So Heinlein tracked down every reference he could find to shows he’d played in places like Chicago, New York, New Orleans. Every write-up in any blog, press release, old event calendar—every little blurb and blip. Apparently, that was enough. They let him in. For Heinlein, one of the advantages of joining the Recording Academy is connecting with other musicians outside his immediate circle, both locally and nationally. (The Recording Academy has about a dozen satellite chapters, and because Kansas City doesn’t have enough representatives in the organization to form its own, most members belong to the Chicago chapter.) Have people given him shit for being part of the big, bad music machine? He shrugs. “Play the game or don’t.”
GET OUT The Project H with Strings. Sunday November 17, at 8 p.m. RecordBar, 1520 Grand $10
Discussing dynamics in the local scene, Heinlein is refreshingly candid. He laments the lack of music-centric venues in town, which often leads to audiences not being charged at the door, which he’s not a fan of: “Having a cover is like having an unspoken social contract—you paid to see the music,” he says. “The music means more.” Heinlein is also discouraged by the dysfunction and infighting at many local organizations that purportedly exist to promote Kansas City jazz. “They all do one little specific thing— it’s like getting pecked to death by ducks,” he says. On the other hand, you can make a relatively comfortable living as a jazz musician in KC without going on the road. “There are a ton of really good musicians moving here,
so we are doing something right,” Heinlein says. Many of those musicians released albums last year. Logan Richardson made one, Boogaloo 7 made one, Peter Schlamb made one. Making Movies submitted theirs for a Grammy, as did Blair Bryant, Julian Vaughn, and Marcus Lewis. Producer Justin Wilson submitted saxophonist Stephen Martin’s album for consideration. “I remember thinking about Bill Brownlee’s Best Of list [for the blog Plastic Sax], like, Man, I’m OK with the fact we have the fifth or sixth best record of the year,” Heinlein says. “Just because there were a ton of great records.” Everyday, Forever was actually third on that list. It’s The Project H’s fourth album, and on it the band mustered a fusion of styles, largely jazz-based, that are laced with prog-driven grooves. Heinlein plays trombone, and is joined by Brett Jackson (woodwinds), Nate Nall (trumpet), Matt Leifer (drums), Andrew Oullette (keys), Andrew Stinson (bass), and Adam Schlozman (guitar), plus a few other guests, including a string quartet. Ironically, this homegrown album was written in Florida, on an Escape to Create grant. Heinlein had intended to do a bigband album with strings. But everything he was coming up with just sounded like Project H, so he embraced it. He says he was inspired by sounds like Maurice Ravel’s string quartet, the string sections on Motown albums, and the 2013 collaboration between Norwegian group Jaga Jazzist and England’s Britten Sinfonia. The album hit #7 on the iTunes Jazz Charts when it was released in March 2018 and was cheered by the local jazz community. But an upcoming show at RecordBar, on November 17, will be the first time the band has performed the record in full with the string section. (The Project H doesn’t play as often as it once did—usually just every other month or so. “I’m in a spot where I’d rather hang with my kids,” Heinlein admits.) Heinlein has also been hard at work on a different kind of publishing: He released his first book this past summer. Called Timing is Everything, it teaches improvisation based on swing rhythms. “There’s plenty of creativity in teaching and pedagogical thought,” Heinlein says. He adds that it might be another year before The Project H makes it back into the studio; he’s still kicking around some ideas for another book. In the meantime, the Grammy grind looms. Voting for next year’s awards just opened, and Heinlein’s inbox is filling up with “For Your Consideration” requests. Decisions, decisions.
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Song of Solomon is a high-water mark for recent local hip-hop. AARON RHODES
BIBLE VERSES
SOLOMON’S DEBUT IS WISE BEYOND THE KANSAS CITY RAPPER’S YEARS. BY AARON RHODES
Picture a young rapper that has risen to fame in the last few years, and somebody like Solomon comes to mind: face and neck tattoos, brightly dyed dreadlocks, a predilection for melody-driven bars and wild, booming beats. But how many of those trendy kids chasing rap careers got their stage name, as Solomon (born Jeremiah Roland) did, from church? “I’m not gonna lie, I used to be saved,” the 21-year-old tells The Pitch. “I thought I was saved! I went to school, I was tryna be preaching and everything, like: ‘I’m saved, I ain’t gonna do no bad stuff!” His family’s church was intense, the
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type of place where it wasn’t uncommon for members of the congregation to speak in tongues during worship services. Eventually, Solomon drifted away from organized religion, though he says he still attends church every now and then and appreciates the conversations he has with his grandmother about faith. These days, his religion is rap, and his debut album, Song Of Solomon, is a high-water mark for recent local hip-hop. The record is the culmination of several years of restless creative activity. Solomon released his first rap project during his junior year of high school at the Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts. Despite its
“EVEN IN MY HYPE SONGS, IT’S SOMETHING SERIOUS. EVEN IF YOU DON’T CATCH IT, IT’S SOMETHING SERIOUS IN THERE.”
lo-fi nature, the album— appropriately titled My First Words—reveals a teenage lyricist with a steady handle on earworm melodies and emotional vulnerability. Two songs explore the tough topic of the miscarriage of his daughter. “Even in my hype songs, it’s something serious,” Solomon says. “Even if you don’t catch it, it’s something serious in there.” After My First Words came The Serious EP, a strong follow-up, thanks in part to a newfound partnership with the Caviart collective. The mentorship of Kansas City hiphop veteran and Caviart leader Gee Watts pushed Solomon lyrically, and in-house production from [Walt] and slick visual elements courtesy of Kendu The Stampede and Armon Boyd lent the release a more professional sheen. Two years later, Song Of Solomon has arrived. The album is a testament to the melodic intuition, storytelling chops, and disarming, star-power X factor—you kinda have to see him live or at least watch a video to fully get it—of this still-quite-young emcee. “Cold Baby” and “No More” have much in common with the work of auto-tuned party-rap master Travis Scott, but arguably contain more emotional depth than you’ll find in the Houston superstar’s discography. “Like That” is a hard-as-bricks ode to Solomon’s brothers; it features a percussive flow, inspired partially by late Chicago drill star Young Pappy. In an ideal world, Lil Uzi Vert (perhaps Solo’s most apparent artistic peer) would issue a remix of the infectious “Speed Racer”—shoulder shrugs, eye rolls, and all. But despite this range of influences, Song of Solomon somehow achieves a middle ground, a territory belonging only to Solomon. One of the album’s most traditional and unassuming moments, “Dirt,” is, like a lot on Song of Solomon, an East Kansas City coming-of-ages story. Produced by Kye Colors, it packs several of Solomon’s most painful moments (miscarriages, girl problems, growing up poor, friends betraying him) and some of his loftiest dreams (riches, arena concerts) into two minutes of heartfelt rhymes over a soul beat. The lyrics also mention that Solomon dropped out of high school and now smokes weed with his stepfather. Rather than functioning as a weird flex or cartoon punchline, the moment is one of the most wholesome on the record. “Back in the day, they used to take my weed when I was selling a little weed on the low or something,” Solomon says of his folks. “So now it’s funny that I can just sit down and chill and smoke with him.” His stepfather knows Solomon’s his own man now. So does Solomon. Song Of Solomon is streaming now on all the usual platforms.
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thepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
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MUSIC
PHOTO COURTESY OF SEAN MAWHIRTER
CULTURAL TRANSMISSION THE FIRST-EVER KC LATIN MUSIC SUMMIT IS ALSO A TESTAMENT TO THE VIRTUES OF COMMUNITY RADIO. BY NICK SPACEK
This month marks the second time KKFI has put on a concert for its “sustainers,” the monthly donors keeping the community radio station afloat. About half of them turned up for last year’s event, featuring Cubanisms and The Sextet at RecordBar. KKFI is going bigger this time around, though. The show—which is open to the public and free for sustainers—is organized by Sean Mahirter of the Afro-Caribbean act Mundo Nouvo and is being billed as the KC Latin Music Summit. Held at Knuckleheads, it’ll feature Mundo Nouvo as the house band, with 12 different artists sliding in as the night goes on. “It starts out with the Caribbean stuff
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that we do, then as it goes on, it moves to other parts of Latin America,” Mawhirter says. “It’s going to coalesce with a big ending and everybody on stage.” Mahwhirter had been trying for a while to secure grant funding for a Latin Music Summit, but things weren’t panning out. So he reached out to KKFI, thinking the talent he could assemble might make for a solid fundraising opportunity. Bill Sundahl, KKFI’s development director, saw Mawhirter’s idea as a natural fit with the radio station’s ethos. “Everything we do, we try to think of our mission first: sharing the news and views and music and information of the under-
served communities of our area,” Sundahl says. “And when Sean laid it all out—with Son Venezuela and Mundo Nouvo and folks from Maria the Mexican and Cubanisms—I was like, ‘We play that music all the time!’” “I think it’s a good idea that he’s [Mawhirter] trying to pull together some different groups or organizations that work in similar fields,” says Bird Fleming, a percussionist and artistic director for Traditional Music Society, which performs folkloric music and dances with West African, Caribbean, and South American influences. “A lot of times, these groups don’t see one another, because they’re always in the wings. I think it’s a good thing when people can see
GET OUT KC Latin Music Summit Saturday, November 9 Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester. $20
all these musicians come together and collaborate on one particular project.” The summit will feature everything from the Nuyorican-Puerto Rican salsa of the 1970s to Amade Espinoza’s Bolivian folk to Argentine tangos to members of the rock act Maria the Mexican performing alongside the highbrow sophisticates of Ensemble Ibérica. “I think this [summit] highlights what is already happening in the Kansas City Latin music scene,” Mawhirter says, “just in one location and on one night.”
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ESTEBAN GALICIA
MOVING PICTURES THE NEW NETFLIX SERIES LIVING UNDOCUMENTED FEATURES A KANSAS CITY IMMIGRANT FAMILY’S EXPERIENCE. BY TRACI ANGEL
The last time The Pitch checked in with Kenia Bautista-Mayorga and Luis Alfredo Diaz Inestroza, they were saying goodbye. ICE officials were deporting a pregnant Kenia and her young son to Honduras. It happened very late one evening in late June 2018. The event included ICE agents shoving one of Kenia’s attorneys, Andrea Martinez, to the ground, injuring her. We reported the story, but also there to capture the scene was a Netflix film crew. In October, Netflix released Living Undocumented, a documentary series in which eight families share their experiences of whiplash policies, dangerous political rhetoric, and increasing intolerance in the broken American
immigration system. Kenia and Luis’ story is among those woven in. “[The documentary] was an opportunity to raise awareness of immigration in the U.S.—what it means to be undocumented, as well as the different ways that people enter the U.S.,” says director Anna Chai. The series offers useful historical context about how the modern immigration system came to be and includes footage of speeches from Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Under Donald Trump, of course, there has been a shift to a “zero tolerance” policy where the threat of deportation has grown beyond dangerous criminals and now includes anyone without documentation.
The first episode opens with Luis caring for Noah as Kenia is detained. Filmmakers follow Luis’ long drive up from Texas (where he was working construction) to Kansas City, to be with his child and the mother of his child before they are deported. Through subtitles, we hear Luis in his own words talk about his love for Kenia, his close relationship to Noah, and hopeful reassurances that they will be together again. “It was very emotional and difficult to watch,” says Kansas City attorney Megan Galicia, who worked with Martinez on the case. “One thing we like about it was that throughout the episodes there is commentary from immigration lawyers not affiliated
with them [the immigrants featured]. That running commentary is really helpful in understanding what is going on.” Kenia has since given birth to the couple’s baby girl and rejoined Luis. She made another arduous trip, with toddler Noah, through Mexico to the border, where she was allowed to re-enter the United States after explaining her fears and seeking protection from persistent danger she faced in Honduras. “It was absolutely terrifying what she had to go through to come back,” Galicia says. But new federal policies in place as of this summer (Kenia returned prior to the summer) make the protection of asylum nearly non-existent; anyone requesting asylum in the U.S. must request asylum at the first country they enter. “Kenia would probably not be back here if this [new policy] had happened a few months [earlier],” Galicia said. “We have essentially shut down the process for people who are like Luis and Kenia.” Living Undocumented is now streaming on Netflix. thepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
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SAVAGE LOVE
BAD GUYS A SEND-NUDES “CONTRACT”; FEAR OF THE WORD “VAGINA”; A SEX ENEMA OBSESSION. BY DAN SAVAGE
Dear Dan: I met a guy right around the time my boyfriend dumped me. I met him on a dating site, but he was really only interested in my boobs and me giving him head. I really like having him in my life and he’s very attractive, but he won’t do anything with me other than let me give him head while he watches porn. I’m very insecure, so I feel like part of the reason this has been going on for so long is because I’ve never had someone so attractive be into me. He asked me to sign a “contract” that requires me to drop everything and send him pictures whenever he asks. I’m not allowed to have a boyfriend, but he can have as many girls as he likes. I do a lot of stuff for him, and he doesn’t do a single thing for me. I should have said no, but I was feeling very shitty about myself and thought I had nothing to lose. Currently he lives a two-hour bus ride away and he won’t pick me up. He’s also only available on weekdays. He keeps telling me to come out to see him, but I can’t justify a twohour bus ride with nothing in it for me. I almost cut him out completely after an older coworker touched my butt—I confided in this guy, and he told me it would be hot if I showed my coworker a photo of my boobs. That he would say something like that makes my blood boil, yet I still haven’t cut him off. Maybe I’m just overreacting and expecting too much of him, as he’s told me multiple times that he doesn’t like sex and he never wants to see my lower half. Don’t Understand My Behavior Dear DUMB: Stop seeing this guy—or stop servicing this asshole, I should say. This piece of shit swooped in when you were obviously feeling vulnerable (right after your boyfriend dumped you), and he’s been leveraging his good looks against you ever since. And it’s not just head he’s after, DUMB. He gets off on seeing you debase and degrade yourself—he wants to watch as you feed your self-esteem into a shredder—maybe because it affirms how attractive he is or maybe because he’s just
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that sadistic an asshole. And while you may think you have nothing to lose, this asshole clearly sees what you have to lose: your self-esteem, which he is disassembling bit by bit. I know people with similar blow-andgo arrangements; they provide what’s called “no recip” oral to selfish and sometimes sadistic tops. But they do it for the right reason—they do it because it turns them on. If being this guy’s on-call cocksucker turned you on and got you off, DUMB, if this was a thrilling adventure for you and a break from your regular routine, a brief/erotic escape from the person you knew yourself to be (sexy, attractive, valued, etc.), this could be a healthy and playful release. The guys I know who do this—and they’re all guys—don’t have any illusions about the men they’re servicing catching feelings for them. And most importantly, they get off on it. It turns them on to be treated this way, to play this role, to have this kind of cocksucker-on-call arrangement with someone who plays the role of the selfish, domineering top. But this doesn’t turn you on, DUMB, it makes you feel terrible about yourself. And I can tell you where this is headed: This guy’s assholery is going to escalate over time. Cut this guy off now. Dear Dan: I’m a 26-year-old woman in a twoyear relationship with a 32-year-old man. I love him and we live together. He recently revealed that he thinks the word “vagina” is disgusting. He likes the word “pussy,” but “vagina” turns him off and he hates when he hears the word. I think this is ridiculous, immature, and, honestly, a bit insulting. I am proud of my vagina—I love it, and I love what we do with it together. I don’t have a hang-up with names for parts. He assures me he loves my pussy, but vagina is a word that grosses him out. Am I crazy to be a bit upset about this terminology conflict? Vaginas Always Love Useful Erections
Dear VALUE: “First of all, VALUE is correct,” said Dr. Jen Gunter, an ob-gyn and author. “There is nothing disgusting about the word vagina. However, to many people, the word vagina has this connection because telling people that vaginas are dirty or gross or disgusting is a core tenet of the patriarchy. Vulva and clitoris have sadly been along for this societal shame-driven ride. I can see how a heterosexual man might have trouble with the word vagina because he has received that messaging since birth.” But just because we can see how your boyfriend might have developed a problem with the word, VALUE, doesn’t make your boyfriend actually having a problem with the word OK. “There’s an issue when a grown man finds the word vagina disgusting,” said Dr. Gunter “I am curious if her boyfriend’s inability to say vagina is a ‘bedroom-only’ phenomenon or an ‘everywhere’ phenomenon. If it’s bedroom-only, maybe she can help him work up to using the word by introducing it more. Exposure therapy! However, if his disgust at the word is an ‘everywhere’ phenomenon, then I can appreciate how that is a sticking point for VALUE. I wrote a whole book, The Vagina Bible, for this very reason. If he read it and appreciated how not saying the word vagina has been oppressive for women, maybe it might help? Again, exposure therapy!” (Follow Dr. Jen Gunter on Twitter @DrJenGunter. The Vagina Bible is on sale now—and on the New York Times best-seller list! Congrats, Dr. Gunter!) Dear Dan: My husband likes to give and receive enemas during sex. I was very inexperienced sexually when we met in our early 20s and very much in love. He introduced me to enemas, and I went along at first and almost enjoyed the novelty. But in time, it started to feel less appealing. After we had kids, there was less opportunity for this sort of thing, and I eventually realized I didn’t like anal play. The enemas began to feel physically and psychologically violating. He introduced anal plugs as an alternative, but I still
felt violated and frightened whenever he put one in me. I went to a sex counselor who told me I had the right to say no. My husband began pursuing his anal interests alone. Now we’re both 68. My sexual drive has waned, but his has not. I don’t want to give up on the experience of PIV intercourse, but he doesn’t seem to understand that at this stage of life, sex for me is more about closeness and feeling loved and being held than about intense sexual pleasure. He is disappointed that I am not receptive to his need for anal stimulation. I have told him he is free to find people online who will do this, or if it is so important to him to have a partner who does this, we can separate. He would prefer that I be more accommodating. Absolutely No Anal Love Dear ANAL: You can and you should continue to say no to any and all sex play—anal or otherwise—that leaves you feeling violated and frightened, ANAL. You can also say, “I’d like a divorce,” to a man who has proven himself incapable of taking “no” for an answer decade after miserable decade. And while your offer to allow him to find anal playmates online falls under the “perfectly reasonable accommodation” header, ANAL, I’m more concerned with your unmet need for love and tenderness than I am with your husband’s unmet needs. To that end, I think you should go find a tender lover—right after you find yourself a kick-ass divorce lawyer. Question for Dan? E-mail him at mail@savagelove.net. On Twitter at @fakedansavage.
month
1/2-PRICED SPECIALTY BRUNCH ITEMS AT RESTAURANTS ACROSS KC
WEEKENDS IN DECEMBER
RESTAURANTS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!
EVENTS
NOVEMBER EVENTS
Christmas Party
For more events, visit thepitchkc.com/calendar.
NOVEMBER 1 John Cusack plus Say Anything, Arvest Bank Theater at the Midland JAY GRABIEC
Loud Luxury, The Truman Zoso (The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience), Crossroads KC
NOVEMBER 1- 2
NOVEMBER 2
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf, Copaken Stage
A Conversation with Amber Tamblyn and Roxane Gay, InterContinental Kansas City At this Planned Parenthood Great Plains fundraiser, Roxane Gay—professor, culture critic, and author, most notably, of the book Bad Feminist—will sit alongside actress and activist Amber Tamblyn, who also recently released her own book, Era of Ignition: Coming of Age in a Time of Rage and Revolution. Among other topics, they’ll discuss the complexities of feminism in divisive times, and their books will be available to purchase for signing. --Hannah Strader
Jurassic Quest, Bartle Hall Wind in the Pines, KCAI Crossroads Gallery
NOVEMBER 2 A Conversation with Amber Tamblyn and Roxane Gay, InterContinental on the Plaza The Great Pumpkin Smash, Kansas City Zoo The Medical Arts Symphony of Kansas City Fall Concert, The University of Kansas Medical Center Student Center Queeraoke, Union Library
Playmates and soul mates...
Wicked Wine Walk 2019, Power & Light District
NOVEMBER 3 Day of the Dead Festival, NelsonAtkins Museum of Art Hope on the Hill KC 5K, Liberty Memorial The Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Roadshow, Screenland Armour
Kansas City:
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18+ MegaMates.com
Kansas City Bridal & Wedding Expo, Bartle Hall
EVENTS
NOVEMBER 4
NOVEMBER 9
Climate Change Theatre Action, Unicorn Theatre
Hanson, Voodoo Lounge
Com Truise, RecordBar ‘Que for a Cause, The Abbott
Hippo Campus, Granada Pig & Swig, Power & Light District Thundergong! 2019, Uptown Theater
NOVEMBER 5-6 Ray LaMontagne, Uptown Theater
AARON RHODES
Spamilton, Cohen Community Stage House
NOVEMBER 5 Grün Wasser, miniBar Rumors of Fleetwood Mac, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland Safe Spaces: Creating A Welcoming Space for All, Union Station
NOVEMBER 6 Drink-to-Donate Fundraiser, KC Bier Co. Luthi, The Riot Room Matt Maeson, Recordbar Sasha Velour, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
NOVEMBER 7 The Charlie Daniels Band, Missouri Theater Kris Kristofferson & The Strangers, Uptown Theater Lettuce, The Truman
NOVEMBER 8 Cannibal Corpse, The Truman David Hogg, Lied Center The KC Comedy Improv Show, Kick Comedy Theater
NOVEMBER 9 Thundergong!, Uptown Theater Hometown-boy-made-good Jason Sudeikis returns to KC for this annual party for the Steps of Faith Foundation, which raises money to support amputees unable to afford prosthetic care. Big names on the bill include Sudeikis’ fellow Saturday Night Live alums Will Forte and Fred Armisen, as well as Wynonna Judd, Sam Richardson, and local emo legends the Get Up Kids. Expect a great deal of comedy, karaoke, and good vibes. --Hannah Strader
NOVEMBER 10 Angel Olsen, Granada Anthony Hamilton, Sprint Center Bishop Briggs, The Truman Harlem 100, Yardley Hall Rick Crandall, Rainy Day Books The Spill Canvas, RecordBar
NOVEMBER 11-17 Craft Cocktail Week, various venues
KVC’s Gala at the Abbott, The Abbott The M80s, Knuckleheads thepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
51
LIVE MUSIC
FRI 11/1 JEFF PORTER SAT 11/2 BLOODY MARY BREAKFAST W SKY SMEED 10AM HOLMES STREET 7PM WED 11/6 JEFF NORM JIMMY & DAVE THURS 11/7 FRED WICKHAM CARAVAN W JAMES LEBLANC & THE WINCHESTERS FRI 11/8 OLD SOUND & THE JOHN BROWN BOYS SAT 11/9 OUT ON THE WEEKEND - A NEIL YOUNG BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION MON 11/11 NICK SCHNEBELEN BAND 9:30PM TUES 11/12 ALAN WHITE WED 11/13 JNJD THURS 11/14 BROTHERS BARCLAY FRI 11/15 STRINGS & STEEL 7PM SAT 11/16 WOMEN ON THE RISE LADIES MIC 3PM ALL STARS 7PM WED 11/20 JNJD THURS 11/21 NICK SCHNEBLEN 7PM FRI 11/22 ALLIED SAINTS 8PM SAT 11/23 TOE JAM MON 11/25 NICK SCHNEBELEN BAND 9:30PM WED 11/27
REDBALL JETS 7PM FRI 11/29 KC BONES
SAT 11/30 TBA
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EVENTS
Stop Making Sense Movie Party, Alamo Drafthouse Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Record Bar The Wood Brothers, The Truman
NOVEMBER 11 Big Freedia, RecordBar In addition to turning twerking into art, Big Freedia has ushered New Orleans bounce music into the mainstream, collaborating along the way with established personalities (RuPaul, Beyonce) and up-andcomers superstars like Lizzo. Freedia’s high-energy hip-hop shows are best enjoyed in small clubs, making this RecordBar set a must-see affair. --Hannah Strader
NOVEMBER 11 Big Freedia, RecordBar Gobbler Grind, 9401 Indian Creek Pkwy Overland Park Holiday Paint Your Pet Party, Bar K Dog Bar
NOVEMBER 12 Climate Craft Beer Festival, Bier Station Lunafest KC, Strange Days Brewing Co.
Book your holiday party with us today and get 15% off all bowling packages. Book online at
The Score, Record Bar Simple Plan, The Truman Terror Tuesday: The Slumber Party Massacre, Alamo Drafthouse
NOVEMBER 13 Caroline, or Change, Spinning Tree Theatre at Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center
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THE PITCH | NOVEMBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com
NOVEMBER 15 The Chainsmokers & 5 Seconds of Summer, Sprint Center Overland Park Mayor’s Christmas Lighting, Downtown Overland Park Rock The Red Kettle, KC Live! Block
NOVEMBER 16 Allstate Hot Chocolate Run, Arrowhead Stadium Big Wild, The Truman Dubsgiving, The Warehouse KC
NOVEMBER 11-17 Craft Cocktail Week Get a head start on the upcoming boozy holiday season with The Pitch’s Craft Cocktail Week, featuring specialty $5 drinks at Bar Central, Charlie Hoopers, The Drum Room, The Homesteader Cafe, Jax Fish House, Lew’s Grill and Bar, Reserve at the Ambassador, Old Shawnee Pizza at Repeal 18th, Smitty’s Garage, Streetcar Grille and Tavern, Webster House, and The Well. Among the offerings: the Caramel Apple Mule (vodka, caramel simple syrup, Louisburg apple cider, bitters, and ginger beer) from The Well and the Me Oh My, Apple Pie (bacon-infused bourbon, apple pie syrup, and Dashfire spiced apple bitters) at Jax. Visit kccocktailweek.com for more info. --Hannah Strader
NOVEMBER 14
Margarita Crawl, various venues The Neighbourhood, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
NOVEMBER 17 Chon, The Truman Wilco, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
NOVEMBER 18 SYML, Record Bar
NOVEMBER 19 Indigo Girls, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Misterwives, The Truman Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
KC’s Got Talent, Boulevard Brewing Company
NOVEMBER 20
Lana Del Rey, Uptown Theater
Artsgiving, Hello Big Idea
Midwest Poet Series featuring Donika Kelly, Arrupe Hall Auditorium, Rockhurst University
Deck The Hallmark, The Truman Illenium, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
EVENTS
PHOTO COURTESY OF WILCO
NOVEMBER 25 Ohmme, RecordBar Olivia Fox, Kauffman Center for Performing Arts Schoolboy Q, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
NOVEMBER 17
NOVEMBER 26
Wilco, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland Wilco’s new studio album Ode to Joy is the eleventh of the Chicago rock act’s career. It’s a gentle record—quietly experimental, anchored in folk, and studded with occasional pop hooks. It sounds like Wilco. --Hannah Strader
Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Theatre For Young America
NOVEMBER 21 Chelsea Handler, Uptown Theater Shrine Circus, Silverstein Eye Centers Arena Shuttlecock Presents The Big Gig 2, RecordBar
NOVEMBER 22 Emo Nite, The Riot Room Tommy Newport, Uptown Theater
NOVEMBER 23
Dreamers, RecordBar Hall of Fame Classic, Sprint Center
NOVEMBER 27 Beirut, Uptown Theater Christmas In The Sky, Longview Lake Marina Kansas City Symphony Presents Mary Poppins, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
NOVEMBER 28 Pilgrim Run 5K, Hyde Park Plaza Lighting Ceremony, Country Club Plaza Thanksgiving with The Schwag, Uptown Theater
NOVEMBER 29
Hobo Johnson & The Lovemakers, The Truman
Herobust, The Truman
Winterfest, Worlds of Fun
Jurassic World Live Tour, Sprint Center
NOVEMBER 24 A Christmas Carol, Spencer Theatre Depeche Mode: Spirits in the Forest, Alamo Drafthouse Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Free Tastings Every Friday Evening
Potted Potter, Folly Theater
Phone | 816-531-5900
The Rainmakers, Recordbar
Address | 4500 Belleview Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64111
NOVEMBER 30 KBEQ Jingle Bell Bash, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
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Onesie Bar Crawl, KC Live! Block
Sloan, The Riot Room thepitchkc.com | NOVEMBER 2019 | THE PITCH
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