The Pitch: February 2022 by The Pitch KC

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February 2022 CONTENTS THEPITCHKC.COM

Photo by Danny Caine

CULTURE

Taking Flight BY MICHAEL CRIPE Raven Book Store, Lawrence’s very own titan of the literary industry, is stretching its wings with the addition of seven long-term employees to its ownership team. By starting a new chapter, this champion of small, local business is hoping to tell its own story for decades to come.

MUSIC

Quilt by Association BY NICK SPACEK Budget record labels between the ‘50s and the ‘70s were known for releasing anything they could get their hands on. A local label has a complicated, eccentric history for lunatic musicians. Find out why this story has a twist that’ll spin you right round baby, right round.

5 LETTER

16 FOOD & DRINK

22 FILM

6 CULTURE

18 Eat/Drink This Now:

24 EVENTS

Letter from the Editor Making up for paper BY BROCK WILBUR

Thinking Through Portals Charlotte Street Fellows’ spatial reasoning BY EMILY COX

10 No More Heroes Zweihänder and Blackbirds are the dark engines driving tomorrow’s legends BY BROCK WILBUR

Spirits of Collaboration Corvino’s Hannah Jones believes in human mixology BY JUSTIN BURNELL

The Chocolate Cupcookie from McLain’s Bakery & Chartreuse Saloon’s Chartreuse Swizzle BY APRIL FLEMING

Spring Fling Coming (for now) to a theater near you BY ABBY OLCESE

February Events For more events, visit thepitchkc.com/calendar BY MICHAEL CRIPE, FANTASIA WESLEY, THOMAS WHITE, ADAM WILBERS

Cover photo by E.G. Schempf

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February 2022 CONTENTS THEPITCHKC.COM

28 SEX & LOVE

Keep Them Coming Men need sexy undies too BY KRISTEN THOMAS

Editor-in-Chief Brock Wilbur President & Chief Operating Officer Andrew Miller Director of Strategy Lily Wulfemeyer Digital Editor Savannah Hawley Director of Marketing & Promotions Jason Dockery Music Editor Nick Spacek Film Editor Abby Olcese Contributing Writers Emily Cox, Liz Cook, Barbara Shelly, April Fleming, Liz Goodwin, Justin Burnell, Beth Lipoff, Tyler Schneider, Kristen Thomas Little Village Creative Services Jordan Sellergren House Designer Miroslav Pavlovic Contributing Photographers Zach Bauman, Chase Castor, Travis Young, Jim Nimmo, Chris Ortiz Contributing Designers and Illustrators Nidhi Shenoy, Katelyn Betz, Shelby Phelps, Enrique Zabala Editorial Interns Michael Cripe, Fantasia Wesley, Thomas White, Adam Wilbers

29 Savage Love Draining cash and cum BY DAN SAVAGE

KC CARES

816 Bicycle Collective BY BETH LIPOFF Photo by Beth Lipoff

Letter from the Editor MAKING UP FOR PAPER Under normal circumstances, this space would likely be reserved for an overly-long political rant, or perhaps a deep dive into a piece of pop culture for which I express a fiery passion, despite no one else giving a fuck. The day this magazine hits stands across Kansas City is also my fifth wedding anniversary. Rather than fill Page Five with strong opinions on things that (mostly) don’t matter, today I’d just like to tell you about how I met my best friend. In 2014, I was living in Los Angeles and writing part-time at a pop-culture website. The opportunity was handed to me when a talented friend moved on from the gig and was asked to pick her own replacements. She brought up two names, whom she knew from wildly different parts of her life: Vivian Kane and Brock Wilbur. For a year, I wrote alongside Ms. Kane. Digitally, unfortunately, instead of in a shared physical space. I knew little to nothing about her. I had not seen a photo of her, I did not follow her social media, and I did not know where she lived. Yet, I fell head over heels. Each day, we opined in our lengthy columns about that which brought us joy, and that which brought us righteous indignation, and overwhelmingly, that which did both in equal measure. On more than one occasion, I described her prose to pals as “whip-smart.” As a feminist political journalist, she would self-identify as simply “being fun at parties.” While unsure if we would ever meet in person, each day that our bylines touched, I was increasingly falling in love with the idea

of a person—a wildly opinionated ghost in the machine, who took no shit. So I took my shot. My shot, in this case, was that I friended her on Facebook. I requested that if she ever visited Los Angeles, she carve out an evening to be the guest on my podcast. Yes, a pop-culture blogger sliding into a woman’s DMs to invite her on a podcast is the most straight, white meetcute imaginable. I’m not not exactly what you expect. Viv wrote me back. She was currently living in Los Angeles. In fact, her place was exactly a mile away from mine. On the same street. At the midpoint between us lived our favorite restaurant in the city. That night, she did my podcast. [Editor’s note: this sounds like a euphemism. It isn’t. We just talked into microphones.] First dates are pretty easy when you’ve spent the last year of your life casually pining for 10 minutes in someone’s presence. Night One went well, as did Afternoon Two, and Full Day Three. In 2016, we got engaged. At our favorite park in LA, I got down on a knee and asked Vivian the big question: “Are you a robot sent from the future to destroy me?” Technically, I’ve never asked her to marry me. She’s never committed with the traditional answer. We do worry that this could pose a legal problem someday. In 2017, we got hitched. Today’s story is not just about celebrating that anniversary, but the entirety of our journey is owed to those first few weeks. We were young, dumb, and fully convinced we were undeniably brilliant. For that very specific time, we were both writing for the most important audience in the world: each other. We just didn’t understand what the pay-off would become. Love in our home has always taken the form of one party trying to one-up the other. In the battle of affections, I lost hard on our “paper” anniversary. I bought her a gift. Us-

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Photo by Carol Roker

ing money—technically correct, if not fully in the spirit of the assignment. That day, she took my last name as her new middle name, and gifted me the paperwork from the official government identification change. Like I said: a clear victor was declared. This year is the “wood” anniversary. Many trees were sacrificed to scatter twenty-thousand copies of this note across the metro. Maybe I got it right this time around? [Editor’s note: I feel confident that I’ve ‘won’ this anniversary, but annoyingly, before she reads this she will have somehow nuked me from orbit yet again.] Vivian, thanks for giving this dumb experiment a shot. As messy as it can be, I would not change a single day of this—including the ones I assuredly should. Together, we’ve made a ruckus greater than either of us deserved. Here’s to another 365 days of being lunatics.

The Pitch distributes 20,000 copies a month and is available free throughout Greater Kansas City, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for $5 each, payable at The Pitch’s office in advance. The Pitch may be distributed only by The Pitch’s authorized independent contractors or authorized distributors. No person may, without prior written permission of The Pitch, take more than one copy of each week’s issue. Mail subscriptions: $22.50 for six months or $45 per year, payable in advance. Application to mail at second-class postage rates is pending at Kansas City, MO 64108.

COPYRIGHT The contents of The Pitch are Copyright 2021 by The Pitch LLC. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without the express written permission of the publisher. The Pitch 3543 Broadway Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64111 For information or to share a story tip, email tips@thepitchkc.com For advertising: andrew@thepitchkc.com or 816-218-6792

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CULTURE

THINKING THROUGH PORTALS

CHARLOTTE STREET FELLOWS’ SPATIAL REASONING By Emily Cox

wasn’t ready to travel into new dimensions on a Tuesday afternoon. But at the Nerman Museum the artworks of Charlotte Street Foundation fellows glyneisha, Cory Imig, and Kathy Liao created portals that shaped the space around me in new ways. Cory Imig’s abstract installations, glyneisha’s sacred spaces, and Kathy Liao’s massive drawings constitute the Portals show housed within the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at Johnson County Community College. While promoted as one exhibit, there are truly three separate ones. Each artist is given their own space in which to make unique statements to cast us into their idiosyncratic dimensions.

Entering the Void Cory Imig’s work is visible upon first walking into the museum, filling the lobby space. An open-frame geometric steel sculpture, “Volumetric Form VI,” is a dominating emptiness. Its angles and openness make it hard to grasp its shape or even presence. I walked in circles around it, trying to see where and what it is, even though it stood far taller than me. Down the hall, her curtains of blue ribbons stretch diagonally across the lobby space. “Linear Spaces (blue)” appears as a barrier, echoing the sort of trepidation we can experience in institutional buildings, but then upends that trepidation by being an opportunity for play. Imig invites the viewer to walk through the ribbons, to touch them, to be immersed and surrounded by them. The barrier dissolves into softness, lightness. I stood smiling in between the swaths of ribbons, feeling the joy of a kid in a blanket fort, delighted at the specialness of a temporary space constructed just for you. Our expectations of institutional space continue to be disrupted with Imig’s digital media work: a digital monitor hangs on the wall behind the museum’s information desk, displaying solid hues. There’s a presence in this absence. It feels like an information screen with the information missing. We may find ourselves waiting for something, and then realizing that the thing is already there.

The Brightest Timeline Upstairs, Kathy Liao’s massive painting “<liú nián>” (2021), translated as “fleeting time,” offers a slip in the multiverse. My breath caught as I was immediately pulled into this scene that is recognizable as a metro platform but also looks wholly belonging to another dimension—as if the metro platform were submerged in a pool of bright, swirling, pastel-colored paints. I found that I was standing just as the central figure in the painting was standing, their back to me as if one step ahead. As if I could take one step forward and be inside their shoes. As if I could take one step forward and be whole, inside the painting. Liao has created a portal. I recommend standing in front of it for a good long while. Let yourself be pulled into the portal and slowly notice your surroundings. A child is clinging to your leg. The man sitting over there watches us, his face unreadable. The despondent youth on the train, oblivious and lost in their own thoughts. Her other two works in the exhibit, “In Between the Lines” (2019) and “Without” (2018) also are staggering in

The Charlotte Street Fellows exhibits are on view now through April 24, 2022, at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, at Johnson County Community College (12345 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS 66210). The museum is free and open to the public. An artists’ lecture and closing reception will take place on Thursday, April 21 at 6 p.m.

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Above: glyneisha installation view from the exhibition Charlotte Street Foundation Fellows - 2020, Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas. Left: Kathy

I found that I was standing just as the central figure in the painting was standing, their back to me as if one step ahead. As if I could take one step forward and be inside their shoes. As if I could take one step forward and be whole, inside the painting.

Liao installation view from the exhibition Charlotte Street Foundation Fellows - 2020, Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas. Photo: EG Schempf

size, though they hold little color. “In Between the Lines” is a collage of airport scenes, with zig-zagging stanchions and airplanes looming overhead. The emptiness, the waiting, the never-ending lines, the stark grey and white skies above—these all create this sense of the stagnation and uncertainty, and staleness of traveling in airports.

Traveling Home Entering glyneisha’s multisensory exhibit Pack Li.gh.te, I was transported to a sacred space adorned with lush green walls. These are painted with organic forms and embraced by a soft deliberate soundscape that includes the background beat of Erykah Badu’s “Bag Lady,” selections from Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, and more. glyneisha’s artist statement speaks to the importance of space in her work: “Through her work, she honors traditions of Black domestic spaces as a source of refuge, healing, THE PITCH | February 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

CULTURE

Cory Imig installation view from the exhibition Charlotte Street Foundation Fellows - 2020, Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas. Photo: EG Schempf

and imagination. Though these spaces are familiar, the rebirth of these interiors within the traditional white wall gallery is also an act of resistance against the systemic racism that is embedded within museum settings.” Eradicating the white walls in this gallery and saturating them with the green of trees and broad-leafed plants immediately signals she is writing against institutional traditions and their inherent hierarchical oppression. The exhibit’s focal point is two altars that fill the walls with shelves holding clear glass jars containing a wide variety of contents: dried herbs, shells, candleholders, dried slices of citrus, turmeric powder, infused oils, lengths of hair, brightly colored fabric, carved mask icons, dried berries, flowers, and chunks of shea butter. Items that all are imbued with medicinal, spiritual, ritual value. In the exhibit’s wall text, independent curator Silvie Fortin writes, “Simultaneously referential and experiential, the multisensory work seeks to create a safe space, a space of healing, identification, affirmation, and celebration, especially for Black visitors, who may not feel welcome in museums.” Entering this smaller gallery tucked away from the larger open air space of the Nerman feels like entering a womb. A place to be safe, held, and fed. As with viewing any artwork, our lived experience provides a filter through which we understand

THE PITCH | February 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

and appreciate the work (or don’t). Pack Li.gh.te reverberated through me powerfully. At the same time, as a white woman, I know that the rituals, lineages, and lived experiences that glyneisha honors and elevates in her work are not mine—that I can never fully understand what it is to inhabit them. glyneisha’s graphite drawings and mixed media collages show domestic spaces. Relationships of warm connection, tense dissolution, and absence. The vividly textured collage “Oral Storytelling Traditions” lovingly renders two women on a stoop, one tending to the other’s hair. Both faces are calm, with attentions focused inward. They sit in the liminal space of a stoop, both public and private, at ease and fully themselves. They are at home, and they are extending that presence of home into public view. They are in a neighborhood of belonging. They are two Black women creating and owning their space in a world that does its best to dispossess them of it. Each of these artists makes us conscious of the space that we exist in and offers new perspectives on how we move through them. glyneisha, Imig, and Liao create portals to new dimensions of their own creation. Dimensions that are ready to teach us. Dimensions that tickle that part of our brain stuck in old patterns, and push us into new ones. They show us that new patterns, new movements, new visions are available. This is what good art does: shakes us out of our familiar dimensions, transports us, and rewrites the spaces we exist in.

As with viewing any artwork, our lived experience provides a filter through which we understand and appreciate the work (or don’t). Pack Li.gh.te reverberated through me powerfully. At the same time, as a white woman, I know that the rituals, lineages, and lived experiences that glyneisha honors and elevates in her work are not mine—that I can never fully understand what it is to inhabit them.

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NO MORE HEROES Zweihänder and Blackbirds are the dark engines driving future legends By Brock Wilbur

CULTURE

n 1971, a bunch of dudes got together for a role-playing game. They were ready to commit time and effort toward full immersion in an experience that promised high stakes and high rewards. They began crafting a story. Their characters would be honest, un-distilled representations of humanity. They would test the limits of their enemies and the limits of themselves. Yes, in 1971 Gary Gygax released Chainmail, a game that would later blossom into what the world knows at Dungeons & Dragons. But the introduction wasn’t about Gygax’s creation—that was an explainer of the Stanford prison experiment. Why draw the parallel between a tabletop game and an ethical crime in sociology? Because Blackbirds has the energy of both.

Grim & Perilous In 2017, Daniel D. Fox of Kansas City published Zweihänder Grim & Perilous RPG. The ENNIE Award-winning tabletop role-playing game (RPG) rocked the world of its genre—not just by being an incredibly fun time, but by running on a new game engine. “Over the years, I became disenchanted with D&D,” Fox says. “I wanted a dark mirror to the real world. I’m fascinated by this period of time during the Bosnia-Herzegovina conflict and the violence around that. I wanted the ability to tell stories that can reflect that, and D&D was not the vehicle to deliver on it. So, I set out to make an RPG.” Zweihänder is the tale of a nightmarish civilization and the horrific acts that it commits. As a game, it’s based on an ethos that mixes darkness with the brutality of mortality. This is not a wacky world for bards and wizards to faff about and inevitably stumble through solutions to their problems. Zweihänder’s baseline is that existence is unfair, and nothing will bail you out. Combat in Zweihänder allows human-level creatures and characters to absorb only two or three hits without receiving an injury that will maim, kill,

THE PITCH | February 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

CULTURE

or permanently injure a character. There are no regeneration or resurrection powers in Zweihänder, and only limited healing options. Fate Points, which represent a character’s fate or destiny, provide a limited number of opportunities to avoid maiming or killing results. Fortune Points allow a character to avoid some perilous situations. “How do you mechanically take the outcomes of the morally gray choices you have to make?” Fox asks. “In the traditional gaming situation, orcs attack a town and you need to murder all of them because otherwise, no one is safe. But the characters are rarely ever faced with the moral consequences of that. It never deals with the aftermath. In our game, your character goes into a tug-of-war internally, and it means that your failures are as important as your successes. Dealing with the mess

is what sets us apart, because how you respond drives where the world goes next.”

The Gygax Problem So, here’s the thing about Dungeons & Dragons. Gygax’s ‘70s game has evolved and sprawled into a world all its own. By this point, most tabletop RPGs are, on the inside, powered by D&D. The rules for how a tabletop experience functions are often couched within the framework of a specific variation of Gygax’s rulebook. That baseline allows creators to craft new worlds, themes, and experiences by grafting their creations onto a functional set of gamic principles. This is an excellent tool for storytellers who just want to tell their stories. Not everyone wants to sit down and do the math required to reinvent the wheel. It also means

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that a huge monolith in a genre of entertainment—RPGs—has a feeling that’s too familiar. Beyond the inherent experience limitation this creates, there’s also The Gygax Problem. The world of D&D has long been deemed by critics to be sexist, racist, and generally problematic. While the game’s publisher, Wizards of the Coast, has spent the better part of the last decade trying to diversify and update the game, adding non-binary pronouns to the character creation does not solve for the rot inherent in the walls. Gygax was what many have deemed “something of an asshat,” which is tidily summarized in an interview he did with Icon magazine. “[Gaming] in general is a male thing,” said Gygax. “Everybody who’s tried to design a game to interest a large female audi-

ence has failed. And I think that has to do with the different thinking processes of men and women.” His perspective on life should not be the lens through which all stories are told. Which is what puts the revolution in the Zweihänder gears. The game is a local solution to a cosmic problem. Andrews McMeel—a publishing house based in Kansas City—saw the potential in usurping the old guard of tabletop games in this weird, dark little Zweihänder package that Fox put together. Rather than simply publishing the game, they set Fox to the task of expanding his grim machinations into a scalable game engine—one that could give voice to a generation that craves something more. Now, Fox leads McMeel’s gaming division.

CULTURE

You Belong At...

The world of D&D has long been deemed by critics to be sexist, racist, and generally problematic. While the game’s publisher, Wizards of the Coast, has spent the better part of the last decade trying to diversify and update the game, adding nonbinary pronouns to the character creation does not solve for the rot inherent in the walls.

Immortal Engines This year, McMeel will release Blackbirds, the first game “powered by Zweihänder.” This imaginative tabletop RPG, created by Ryan Verniere using Fox’s system, promises chaos, horrific creatures, death, and rebirth. Back in September, Blackbirds launched on Kickstarter and quickly became the most successful crowdsourced project in Andrews McMeel history. With a retail date now scheduled for Aug. 9, 2022, and a planned event for Gen Con 2022 in Indianapolis, this engine is rumbling around the corner very soon with its own brand of apocalypse. The game drags its players into a world ravaged by 12 years of war, where the gigantic battle to save the world was fought… and lost. Now, the lights of civilization are going out. Swells of refugees have taken to the roads, desperate to find homes far from all the suffering. Creatures of long-forgotten folklore once again stalk the countryside. It promises to stalk our imaginations as well, as a stand-alone experience set in a different universe from Zweihänder. How could it not, when it represents the foundation of a new gaming empire? But Verniere doesn’t want you to play it by his rules alone. “It’s a book of stories and rules, but I’m not here to say that you’re doing it wrong, no matter what you do,” Verniere says. “I don’t give a shit how you play your games; you should play your games in a way that’s right for you and your table. I’m just giving you my game and then you can do what you want.” It is a time of ill omens and unlikely heroes. There’s an excitement to be had in knowing that, however your story plays out, every decision matters—both in this universe and the one that sits on your kitchen table. That the boundaries of your perception are being defined by some guys in Kansas City remaking the world for the better? That’s just an added local bonus.

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TAKING FLIGHT RAVEN BOOK STORE’S EMPLOYEE CO-OWNERSHIP SOLIDIFIES A NEW FUTURE By Michael Cripe

aven Book Store’s next chapter starts with fresh leadership. Danny Caine, co-owner of the Lawrence bookstore, sold 49% of the company to seven of its employees, effectively splitting ownership with the individuals who help run it every day. The new co-owners are Kelly Barth, Mary Wahlmeier Bracciano, Jack Hawthorn, Nikita Imafidon, Chris Luxem, Hannah Reidell, and Sarah Young, and they are prime examples of the ideals Raven seeks to uphold. “These are the people who are at the core of the Raven,” Caine says. “They’re running a lot of the store on the management

level, or they’ve been here for a very, very long time. The eight of us have 70-plus years of experience at the Raven, so it’s just a lot of institutional wisdom, and that’s the heart of the store, right there. It’s not a building. It’s not a collection of books. It’s those people working for 70-plus years, cumulatively.” Caine says the team is a sound group to lead Raven Book Store into the future. He was inspired by a Cambridge, Massachusetts bookstore called Porter Square Books, which saw a similar leadership change a few years ago. With the framework for an employee-owned business already established, Caine felt he should follow that model to make both the Raven and Lawrence better.

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The sale was also done to diminish the notion that it’s okay for retail and bookstore workers to be exploited. “In retail in general—and also in bookselling—there’s this reputation that I don’t agree with: that you do it for the love,” Caine says. “It’s like, ‘You’re a bookseller; you’re never going to make much money. But it’s OK because you get free books, or you get to meet authors.’ I didn’t like that. It seemed like a way to exploit workers, and I wasn’t interested in doing that.” Luxem says the co-owner role is already leaving him with a more rewarding experience. Since Caine originally approached the team with the idea to create an employee-owned environment, the Raven crew has worked together to achieve the same outcome seen at Porter Square Books. “It was definitely inspiring to know that things can work this way, too,” Luxem says. “It doesn’t always have to be the hierarchy of one person on top and then everyone below. You can expand that out and bring in some equity to people. We all want

to make sure everyone is treated well here and has equitable experiences and access to everything.” Luxem adds that he wouldn’t mind seeing other stores in Lawrence follow suit. He says that the budding concept of employee ownership has room to grow but will only reach its full potential so long as other businesses are paying attention. The Raven’s potential butterfly effect remains to be seen, for now. While some effects of the Raven’s shift—such as projected positive trends in profits and worker motivation—won’t be felt for months or even years, there are some immediate changes to take notice of. Children’s Section Manager Bracciano can already feel the impact. “When I think about the choices that I make in my work and the people who I’m Below: Raven Book Store’s eight co-workers gather for a group photo. Photo by Adam Smith Top Left: The children’s section at the Raven. Photo by Danny Caine Top Right: The Raven’s Massachusetts Street storefront. Photo by Danny Caine

CULTURE

impacting, knowing that I can say, ‘Yeah, I’m an owner.’ It’s kind of cool,” Bracciano says. Pushing to make such a drastic structural at the Raven is quite the bold move, though those familiar with Caine’s work won’t be surprised to hear his stance. He published a book called How to Resist Amazon and Why in 2019, covering how consumers can push against Amazon’s dominance and instead support their local, small

businesses—all while platforming an open letter from Caine to Amazon founder and chairman Jeff Bezos. Effectively selling half of Raven Book Store to seven employees is a small step toward correcting a mindset instilled in generations of retail workers. These employees can have a future in bookselling thanks to the shift. Caine says five other stores have already reached out—and he hopes there will be more.

“If it creates a domino effect, that’s wonderful. I think, nationwide, workers should be getting more equity in where they work,” Caine says. “It should be easier to make a career in this industry. Working retail for a small business doesn’t need to be seen as a place where you’re not going to make money, or a dead-end job.” This team mentality is baked into the Raven’s structure, representing a stark change from the usual “lone wolf” mindset

found in many small businesses. Caine says he’s confident the Raven will have a place in Lawrence for a long time thanks to the flexibility the decision provides. “I believe a good bookstore can be the heart of a community,” Caine says. “Having a thriving and active bookstore in a community is really good at so many levels, from providing literary programming, to jobs, to donating books, to helping schools and libraries order books.”

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Hannah Jones. Photo by Zach Bauman

THE PITCH | February 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

FOOD & DRINK

SPIRITS of

COLLABORATION CORVINO’S HANNAH JONES BELIEVES IN HUMAN MIXOLOGY By Justin Burnell

Hannah Jones moves swiftly and unhurried behind the bar at Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room. She laughs with her bartenders. The backlit shelves of caramel, green, and red bottles gleam as she turns to her guests, who are chewing and drinking and talking at the volume of celebration. Jones commands the space with the smile of a new friend rather than the cliché brooding that looms large in the perception of the craft cocktail bar. Her generous energy permeates as she leads an all-black-clad crew of bartenders who make hundreds of cocktails each night. Jones takes her drinks seriously. She’s currently studying for her Level 2 sommelier exam, on top of doing the research and trend-following required of a top-flight bar program. Above all else, she wants her guests and coworkers to be happy and have fun. “I don’t feel like I’m in the game of guest education unless the guest is coming in search of that,” she told The Pitch over drinks at Harry’s Country Club. Despite her experience, Jones still sees herself as a server first and foremost during service—though she has more resonsibility since taking over Corvino’s bar two years ago. “I just feel like a bartender who has a lot of answers to questions,” Jones says. “People used to have no questions for me unless I was fucking up. Now people come to me like, ‘Oh I fucked up, what do I do.’” Her career started in Manhattan, Kansas, where she studied economics at Kansas State University and poured drinks at Kathouse, whose name rightly implies a more rambunctious scene than Corvino. One night, Jones made drinks from atop the door guy. “I was bartending from his back, riding piggyback, pouring from on top of him. It was very fun. It felt illegal; it could have been,” says Jones. “He was like 6’6”. We all deserve those moments in our goofy little careers.” Now, Jones wakes up to text messages about supply shortages, reservations, and how to perfect the finer details of great service. Next, she moves on to spreadsheets and sales data before answering emails.

Then she’s prepping the syrups, infusions, and foams for the night. “But once service starts, almost nothing else in the world exists,” she says with a grin. Service, for Jones, is all-consuming. A full bar of guests to water and feed. Tickets printing out two, three, four, seven drinks for tables. A guest asks for the nuances of Jamaican rum versus rhum agricole. A server rushes in to fix a mistake on a drink you’ve already half-built or explain a convoluted custom cocktail request. Friends

“It’s like a fun little obsession that makes me money. And sometimes the more I think about it, the more money I make.”

arrive who you don’t have the time to chat with. You still find the time to chat with them about Cynar over Averna in the new Manhattan Riff. All this is immediate and all of it must be done with a laugh and a smile as if, like everyone seated, you are having the time of your life. Sometimes, you are. This chaos is the best-case scenario. The building blocks are those hours Jones spends working before the doors open, but the foundation is an intentional and studied approach to food and beverage. “It’s like a fun little obsession that makes me money. And sometimes the more I think about it, the more money I make,” she says.

Because customers are always eating and drinking, finding unadulterated downtime is a challenge. “All my friends are in the service industry, and the industry is alive and moving and changing,” says Jones. There’s the on-the-clock job, but there are also the long post-shift debates on which cognac is best and retellings of the night’s horror stories. For Jones, this bleeds into home life. Her partner, Jeff Workman, is the Executive Sous Chef at Corvino—which is mostly a blessing. “Having one of the best chefs in the city at my disposal is super useful,” she laughs. But 2022 is Jones’ year of setting boundaries. She told me it’s too easy to let the industry fill their conversations, but they’re working to fight the urge. “If one of us calls it on work talk for the day, we’re good about respecting that as a boundary,” Jones says. Those 3 a.m. fights over the best overproof rum are in the spirit of collaboration. Shared ideas and synergy are the wirings of Jones’ ethos. “I think all good cocktails come from collaboration,” she says. “I have the most talented bartenders behind my bar, and for every one thing I know, there’s 10 I don’t.” For Jones, collaboration is a practice of openness and caring that extends across the bar. She embraces each customer as a unique palate and singular history. Her favorite moments in service come when she’s able to cater an experience tailored to that unique palate and singular history. “Cocktails are personal. The martini is my favorite cocktail. But it’s personal. If you want a martini, I need to have a conversation with you. Like, okay, vodka? Gin? What’s your mother’s maiden name? Where’d you grow up? I need to know a little about you, you know?” Jones says. “When I can craft the experience, that’s my favorite, because I get to give somebody something special. They get to have something no one else has.” That spirit of generosity and exploration shimmers through Jones in all her interactions and elevates Corvino from a place to get a great cocktail to a rejuvenating respite from a troubled world.

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FOOD & DRINK

Eat This Now:

The Chocolate Cupc upcookie

from McLain’s Bakery By April Fleming

Opened in 1945, the original McLain’s Bakery in Waldo is a bona fide Kansas City institution. One not-at-all-small reason for that longevity is a humble cupcookie. They don’t appear in the display cases alongside McLain’s glitzy, camera-ready cakes and cupcakes or even with their big, pillowy cookie cousins. Rather, you’ll need to make a beeline for a stack of white boxes with clear cellophane lids, right next to the register at the check-out counter. If you haven’t been initiated, I’m here to tell you now: HEY YOU. BUY THAT BOX. These shortbread-style cookies start with a pecan sandy base and are peppered with nuts. They look a bit old-fashioned, like something you’d see in a ‘50s cookbook next to spritz and molasses cookies. The humble cupcookie would be lovely on its own, but some McLain in the postwar era figured it all out, and the bakery has been using the same recipe ever since. These little sandies are topped with a

THE PITCH | February 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

swirl of what could be the world’s greatest icing—customers can choose between chocolate fudge or white buttercream— ensuring a flavor-texture lottery win. The end result is a crunchy, buttery, and nutty bite that is perfected by silky icing on top. For just $.99 for one cookie or $10 a dozen, they’re definitely worth your while. My first exposure to them was several years ago when my then-70-year-old mother brought a dozen to our house— further confirmation of their old-fashioned appeal. I popped one in my mouth and did that thing that you see in commercials, where someone’s eyes become cartoonishly enlarged and they need a moment to recover from the surprise. Over the next few days, I ate most of them. Since then, I’ve regularly brought home those boxes and given them as gifts. If it’s not the best single sweet bite in Kansas City, then I don’t know what is.

Drink This Now:

A Chartreuse Swizzle at the

Chartreuse Saloon By April Fleming

Any bar run by the James Beard Award-nominated entrepreneur and bartender Jill Cockson is bound to have great cocktails. At her newest Crossroads pool hall, Chartreuse Saloon, she keeps it simple: billiards, checkers, nachos, and beer, all in a vivid chartreuse space. But Cockson hasn’t strayed too far from her deep cocktail roots. So rest assured that the Chartreuse Saloon also features a drinks menu with several surefire crowd-pleasers. The offerings include a Gold Rush made with Four Roses, a Chandelier boasting an electric dust rim, and a Bloody Mary made with pico-infused Tom’s Town vodka and a tajin-dusted rim. No bad choices. Then there’s the namesake cocktail, the Chartreuse Swizzle. It starts with the vivid, Kermit-green chartreuse, along with Genepy de Alps (an almond liqueur), fresh pineapple, and lime. It’s topped with an orange foam made with Amaro Montenegro and is served in a tall, slim glass jar. The Chartreuse Swizzle is far too easy to drink—it smells citrusy and tastes pleasantly tart. Best of all: at the Chartreuse Saloon, Cockson aims to offer a good experience and drinks at an atypically affordable price point: $10. For the ingredients and the hospitality, that’s hard to beat.

Thurs - Sun 4pm-11pm-ish

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F QUILT BY ASSOCIATION INVESTIGATING THE SECRET WORLD OF AN ENIGMATIC RECORD LABEL By Nick Spacek

MUSIC

rom the ‘50s through the ‘70s, some of America’s “budget” record labels gained notoriety for seemingly random output. They released what they could afford to release and, as such, created a connective thread between musicians and styles that otherwise could not be more disparate. Few encompassed this scattershot set of sounds quite like Quilt Records. A scan through their catalog is to see the tympanist stylings of Mrs. Helen Marf; the “spirited, lazy blues walks” of Jumbo Puny O’Dainty; Clyle Davenport’s incidental music from cult British television series Efron’s Flight; and the surfrock of Sparta, Minnesota’s The Dumpster Lads. A random smattering of acts, still somehow cut from the same cloth. It’s a fascinating legacy. Even the most encyclopedic music historian would probably be stumped when it comes to Quilt’s three decades of releases. That’s because Quilt Records isn’t real. All of the music from Quilt’s diverse portfolio of artists is the product of a single Kansas City musician: Jason Beers. Those familiar with Beers’ musical output under his own name—as part of The Brannock Device, Dead Voices, and Wild Chipmunk & the Cuddly Poos—won’t be surprised. Beers is exactly the musician you’d expect to develop his own fictional musical universe in which to play God. It all began with the July 2010 release of A Small Collection of Gargantuan Hits By the Many Pseudonyms of Jumbo Puny O’Dainty. Dropped on Beers’ Bandcamp page, it purports to be a compilation of songs

recorded by the man born Melvin O’Dainty in Wooly Bully, Nebraska “from 1952 until his death in 1959 due to complications from wounds received during a gig at McGonigle’s Happy Times Pub.” How did one eccentric release spawn an entire alternate multi-era musical roster? “It started out as a goofy pun for the Big Tiny Little albums–the guy from Lawrence Welk,” explains Beers. “There are other albums that he did under different pseudonyms. I always thought that was kind of hilarious. One night I wrote out all these different things: ‘big and tiny,’ ‘big tiny little,’ and combined them all.” Beers’ initial thought was that this would be a hilarious album, mostly for himself. The names of the various labels within the Jumbo Puny O’Dainty liner notes, such as Valvotrix, Happy Tunes, and Mighty Mite, were the inspiration for Quilt’s eventual cadre of artists—with Quilt Records being the label for which O’Dainty recorded the song “All Broke Down” in 1952. “The fun was coming up with these weird record label names,” Beers says, acknowledging that they’re not too outrageous to be believable for the era. So why not keep trying to branch off from the initial Jumbo Puny O’Dainty stuff? Mrs. Helen Marf came in to assist on Tympani Blues (At Last), a mind-boggling conjunction of piano blues stroll and massive, rolling timpani drums. It sounds as though it came straight from some low-level trickster demon, with the mission to blow minds and confound listeners. Diving the bargain bins at any Goodwill will uncover two distinct genres of “forgotten” music from a time period. You’ve got

Jason Beers’ Quilt Records output, along with his own solo work, can be found at jasonbeers.bandcamp.com.

THE PITCH | February 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

MUSIC

the gigging musicians who thought they were going to make it big, but flopped. Then you’ve got The Others. It’s a universe of outsider art made by people who just had an unceasing impulse to get an idea out of their head and onto wax for others to hear. Folks that would go make 45s just to share what they thought about the death of JFK Jr. or a mine disaster. The stories of how these songs come to exist at all are often just as fascinating—or more engaging— than the tunes themselves. “That’s the thing I liked about all those old budget records from the ‘50s and ‘60s,” says Beers. “It seems like anything goes. There’s a timpani record, or something that’s just bongos and flute and guitar. Sure! That was the thing. I played it out in the whole Quilt Records scenario. Why not have a bassoon dentist player’s vanity album? It just kept going on.” In addition to his Quilt Records output, Beers records albums under his own name. But on his Bandcamp page, his entire “personal” and pseudonymous discography exists side by side. As the musician puts it, disorientation is central to his sense of fun. “I like that people get confused, ‘cause I think it keeps them on their toes,” Beers says with a laugh. “If they’re just skimming through and it’s like, ‘Oh, here’s the banjo album,’ and then it’s like, ‘Holy shit! Here’s scary theatrical pipe organ music.’ I like it all, so it makes sense to me.” Providing guidance for those coming to the world of Quilt Records for the first time, Beers’ liner notes for each release allow him to go further into the lore of his universe. “I’ve tried to create these characters with a singular vision,” Beers says of his creations like Marf, O’Dainty, and “farmer, lover of nature, and patriot” Garth Dohlie. While story often comes before music for Beers, Quilt’s most pro-

“There’s always one person where you’re just like, ‘I have never heard of them, but evidently they are very important to this town.’”

lific musician, Helen Marf, has a different process. The creator simply wanted to hear weird timpani music. That was it, until the tracks inspired their own whole series of backstories. “Ater two or three songs—or even maybe the first one—it’s like, ‘Why am I even doing this?’ I gotta figure out the ‘why.’ Why would this be? Why would this music exist?” “Why would this music exist?” serves as a story prompt and inciting incident for everything that Beers tackles. These lives, born of a blend of influences ranging from MAD

Magazine to apocryphal tales of real musicians, become a deft experiment in world-building. “Going through old records, you see these old things from motels: autographed pictures of lounge acts and stuff,” Beers says. “I always wondered what the backstory is like. These are the people you don’t hear about. They’re not forgotten, but they’re essentially in the rubbish bin of thrift stores, if they exist at all, not remembered by anyone other than their immediate family. They had their weird, skewered shot at fame.” Beers finds everyday motivation to join that pantheon of scrambled nothingness. “When you drive through these places such as Sikeston, Missouri enough, you’ll be sitting in a cafe, eating lunch, and as you look out the window, and begin wondering, “What happened here? What was going on at this place?” “There’s always a fascinating story,” Beers says. “If you look through Wikipedia, there’s always something that surprises. There’s always one person where you’re just like, ‘I have never heard of them, but evidently they are very important to this town.’” There is something glorious about dedicating your life’s work to exist in, not just the thrift bin of history, but the thrift bin of an imaginary world. And Quilt Records, an amalgamation of sincere approaches to longlost musical frameworks, rises to a level more memorable than mere pastiche. For future listeners that don’t know the full context of what they’ve stumbled upon, the world of Quilt Records might appear to be less homage, less parody, and more… real. We envy anyone who might occupy a reality where it seems plausible that—somewhere out there—Helen Marf is still delighted by hammering away on her timpani.

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FILM

he’s always been an iconoclastic character actor trapped in a leading man’s body. We weren’t sure about including this: it’s just the kind of film we’re all going to see, whether we want to or not, right?

MAR. 11

SPRING FLING COMING (FOR NOW) TO A THEATER NEAR YOU By Abby Olcese It’s hard to craft “most anticipated” lists without a little trepidation these days. As we’ve learned over and over the last two years, reality can turn on a dime. With the Omicron surge ongoing, all movie release dates seem borderline optimistic. Some of the biggest names in early 2022 films are refugees from nearly two full years ago (I’m looking at you, Morbius). Big festivals like Sundance—which planned for an in-person event until early January—migrated completely online, prompting a domino effect of further schedule changes. With fingers firmly crossed, here are the highlights we eagerly anticipate hitting this spring, and a few with uncertain dates

that we can look forward to… soon. Hopefully.

FEBRUARY FEB. 10

Kimi

RELEASE DATE: FEB. 10 Steven Soderbergh’s HBO Max releases over the last two years (Let Them All Talk and No Sudden Move) were pleasantly heightened streaming surprises, just when we needed a bit of art-house tension in our homes. Based on its trailer, Soderbergh’s Kimi looks like it might continue that trend, combining elements of Rear Window and Blow Out—alongside the

director’s 2018 psychological thriller Unsane—with some virtual assistant paranoia thrown in for good measure.

FEB. 11

The Sky Is Everywhere

RELEASE DATE: FEB. 11 Director Josephine Decker is an experienced hand at plumbing the psychological depths of creative women in original, complicated ways—a troubled teenage drama student in Madeline’s Madeline, author Shirley Jackson in Shirley. Her latest is an adaptation of the YA novel The Sky Is Everywhere, scripted by its author, Jandy Nelson. The story, about a 17-year-old musical prodigy navigating grief and love after her sister’s death, sounds more straightforward than Decker’s previous work. It’ll be interesting to see how she brings her flair for interiority and magical realism to the project.

RELEASE DATE: FEB. 18 This “spiritual sequel” to Tobe Hooper’s iconic masterwork of the same name isn’t without its doubters. While director David Blue Garcia is still a fairly unknown quantity, the movie boasts a producing and script credit by Evil Dead remake mastermind Fede Alvarez. If anyone has the literal guts to tackle this, it’s Alvarez. FEB. Another intriguing highlight? Eighth 18 Grade star Elsie Fisher, in her first major role since the Stephen King Hulu series Castle Rock.

MAR. 4

The Batman

RELEASE DATE: MARCH 4 Director Matt Reeves’ take on the caped crusader has got Robert Pattinson as an emo Batman, Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as what promises to be a spectacularly unhinged Riddler, and Colin Farrell under lots of prosthetics as the Penguin—proving once again that THE PITCH | February 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

RELEASE DATE: MARCH 11 Disney will release Pixar’s newest film straight to Disney+ in March, as it did Luca last summer. Given how beloved director Domee Shi’s Oscar-winning short Bao was in 2018, and how intensely viewers have been pushing Pixar to diversify their directing slate, this distribution punt is highly disappointing. Turning Red follows an awkward Asian-American teen who turns into a giant red panda when she gets too excited. It looks adorable. Make it a priority to stream this on release day, as a surge of interest is the only way Disney will know that these new creative voices deserve more support.

MAR. 18

RELEASE DATE: MARCH 18 Indie horror fans know and love Ti West, who first slashed his way onto the scene with the slow-burn Satanic panic tale The House of the Devil. West hasn’t directed a movie since his 2016 western In a Valley of Violence. A ‘70s-set slasher about an amateur adult film crew with O.G. Texas Chainsaw Massacre overtones (and released by A24, no less!) sounds like an eagerly embraced return to form.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre

MARCH

Turning Red

Everything Everywhere All at Once

MAR. 25

RELEASE DATE: MARCH 25 Swiss Army Man proved Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (known collectively as Daniels) could do amazing things with a bizarre premise, no matter how bizarre. Yes, that’s the film where Daniel Radcliffe’s corpse farts its way to another man’s survival. Everything Everywhere All at Once looks delightful, in a different but equally boundary-pushing approach to standard genre fare. This time we’ve got Michelle Yeoh showing off her well-established stunt chops, as her multitude of other multiverse personas are called upon to save the world.

FILM

ALSO COMING IN 2022 Outside of the already-slated releases for the first half of the year, we’ve also been promised several exciting movies that don’t yet have set dates. Margaret Qualley and Robert Pattinson star in Claire Denis’ adaptation of the novel The Stars at Noon, set in Nicaragua during the Sandinista Revolution.

APRIL APR. 8

Ambulance

RELEASE DATE: APRIL 8 The rise of actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has been one of the few consistent delights of the last few years. As our editor Brock has noted, however, several of Abdul-Mateen’s most prominent roles have been franchise-related. In Watchmen, Candyman, and The Matrix Resurrections, Abdul-Mateen proved he could give iconic yet entrenched characters fresh charm. In Michael Bay’s forthcoming Ambulance, he’s graduating to a full-on non-franchise action lead actor—initiating a high-stakes bank heist alongside Jake Gyllenhaal. Early trailers show the passionate thespian bringing his signature intensity to the role. Plus, blowing stuff up is always nifty. Nothing to dislike here.

APR. 22

The Northman

RELEASE DATE: APRIL 22 In 2015, Robert Eggers ushered in a new era of arthouse horror with The Witch. In 2019, The Lighthouse gave us another freaky New England folktale, swapping Satan’s promises of delicious living for Willem Dafoe and his lobster cookery. The Northman, Eggers’ third film, looks like a total departure. A star-studded cast (Ethan Hawke! Alexander Skarsgård! Nicole Kidman!) is set to act out a strippeddown, grimy Viking epic. Will there be ominous animals? Supernatural temptations? Easily offended home chefs? Difficult-to-explain violence? We cannot wait to find out.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent RELEASE DATE: APRIL 22 Nicolas Cage, like Keanu Reeves, is APR. a living meme unto himself. We love 22 seeing him succeed, and we love seeing him go meta. The Unbearable Weight

of Massive Talent—in which Cage (as himself ) goes undercover for the CIA to appear at a drug kingpin’s birthday party—has arrived to capitalize on the character actor’s heightened moment in the spotlight. Given the comedic skill of other cast members involved (Pedro Pascal, Neil Patrick Harris, Tiffany Haddish, Ike Barinholtz), it could be legitimately great. Few films offer the promise of such a simple surefire win, à la observing Cage and Pascal play off each other’s weirdo energy.

MAY MAY 6

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

RELEASE DATE: MAY 6 If you’ve been up on Marvel releases of late, you know that many of the MCU’s storylines—both cinematic and televised—have been leading up to this movie. Multiverse of Madness picks up on the consequences of Stephen Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) actions in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which presumably have implications for other individual Marvel

tales we’ve gotten recently. Those impacted include WandaVision, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and perhaps Venom: Let There Be Carnage. The directorial involvement of Sam Raimi, the creator of Evil Dead and the original Spider-Man trilogy, is of interest to genre fans, though the production’s extensive reshoots could suggest there’s cause for concern.

JUNE JUN. 24

The Black Phone

RELEASE DATE: JUNE 24 Scott Derrickson’s adaptation of Joe Hill’s short story was initially slated to come out in early spring, but Blumhouse Productions upgraded it to a summer release, showing confidence in this tale of a 13-year-old boy abducted by a serial killer (Ethan Hawke), who tries to escape via clues delivered on a supernatural phone. The Black Phone picked up a crop of ardent fans at its Fantastic Fest premiere last fall. All signs suggest we’re in for a memorable outing.

Fans of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and Killing Them Softly can look forward to director Andrew Dominik’s adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’ Blonde, starring Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe. De Armas’ Knives Out co-star Daniel Craig will reprise his role as Detective Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson’s highly anticipated Knives Out 2, a film which also stars (checks notes) everyone in Hollywood. Supposedly this year will also bring us Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorcese’s buzzed-about adaptation of David Grann’s hit book about the Osage murders. Also keep an eye open for Havoc, an action thriller from The Raid: Redemption’s Gareth Evans starring Tom Hardy and Timothy Olyphant. Beloved Hollywood power couple Stephanie Allynne and Tig Notaro co-directed the Sundance film Am I Ok?, about a woman (Dakota Johnson) who falls in love with her lifelong best friend (Sonoya Mizuno). It also features a soundtrack by St. Vincent, just in case the hipster in you wasn’t fully sold on it. Rising talent Karen Maine—if you haven’t seen Yes, God, Yes, do so immediately—directs Rosaline, a comic interpretation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet from the perspective of Romeo’s ex, played by Kaitlyn Dever. Finally, Cartoon Saloon, the Irish animation studio behind the gorgeous Wolfwalkers and The Secret of Kells, is releasing My Father’s Dragon from The Breadwinner director Nora Twomey. Watching a young boy run away to steal a baby dragon offers the escapism we all crave—of a time when leaving the house felt dangerous for more interesting reasons. Like dragons. February 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

EVENTS CALENDAR February 2022 THEPITCHKC.COM/CALENDAR

February CALENDAR

Feb. 1 - 28

Sunday Bingo, Boulevard Beer Hall

Phantom of the Universe: The Hunt for Dark Matter, Gottlieb Planetarium

Feb. 1, 8, 15, & 22

By Michael Cripe, Fantasia Wesley, Thomas White, Adam Wilbers

Ongoing Events

Feb. 6, 13, 20 & 27 (Every Sunday)

Tarot Workshop Series, KC Public Library Online

Feb. 11-12

Feb. 10 - 12 & 16-19

Feb. 18-20 & 24-27

STOMP, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Barbecue: A play, Just off Broadway Theatre

KC Ballet Presents Dracula, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Feb. 19-20

Feb. 1 - 28

Feb. 4-5

Border Wars Archery Tournament, Overland Park Convention Center

Natalie Frank: Unbound Exhibition, Kemper Museum

Feb. 5 & 6, 12 & 13, 19 & 20, 26 & 27 (Every Saturday & Sunday)

Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23 (Every Wednesday)

The Bird Comedy Show, The Bird Comedy Theater

Laugh Lab: Open Mic, The Rino KC

Feb. 25-27

DL Hughley, The Improv

Pinners Conference, Overland Park Convention Center

Feb. 4-6 KC Symphony Presents: Prokofiev’s Fifth, Tchaikovsky’s Rocco Variations, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Feb. 10-13

Feb. 18 - 20

Kansas City Golf Show, Overland Park Convention Center

Feb. 11-13

Sky Station Live - Seasonal Star Tour, Gottlieb Planetarium

Feb. 3, 10, 17, & 24 Standup Comedy Open Mic, The Comedy Club of Kansas City

Single Day Events Feb. 3 Gabriel Iglesias Back on Tour, Cable Dahmer Arena Guitar Elation, Green Lady Lounge Nace Brothers Acoustic Trio, Mike Kelly’s Westsider

Feb. 4 Hembree, The Truman

Mid-Winter Art Fair, Ward Parkway Center

Return of the Jedi: Film + Orchestra, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Courtesy Jim Nimmo

BPU/Wyandotte County Lake Park

Feb. 1 - 28

Feb. 1-20 & 22-28

20th Anniversary Eagle Days Schlagle Library Wyandotte County Lake Park is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the annual Eagle Days event. February features pictures from nature photographer Ron Tilman and includes activities for the whole family. “There will be live birds of prey, including a bald eagle, take-home crafts for kids, birdwatching on the lake, binocular checkout, activity stations on the trail, tons of photo-ops, and much more,” says the organizer. Schlagle Library’s pandemic-conscious Eagle Days event runs through the end of the month and is free to attend.

THE PITCH | February 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

Feb. 5 & 6, 12 & 13, 19 & 20, 26 & 27

Penguin March Kansas City Zoo

Every Saturday and Sunday through Feb. 27, visitors of the Kansas City Zoo will be able to view the penguin march. Zoo care specialists will guide the facility’s penguins around the plaza for three laps—amounting to a roughly 15-minute march. The staff recommends an early arrival to better your odds of seeing the birds up close and personal. All are welcome to meet the penguins and photography is encouraged. However, the zoo asks that guests do not touch the penguins. The Kansas City Zoo is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with free parking available. Admission is $8.50-10 for Jackson and Clay County residents and $17-20 for the general public. Tickets can be purchased online.

EVENTS CALENDAR February 2022 THEPITCHKC.COM/CALENDAR

Alive After Five - For the Love of Chocolate, Leavenworth Main Street Galactic, Knuckleheads Saloon

A Night to Laugh: Honoring Derrick Thomas, The Improv

Feb. 5

Winter Stroll Through the Woods, Schlagle Library The Beach Boys, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Harlem Globetrotters, Cable Dahmer Arena

Murder Mystery Dinner, Belvoir Winery Cupid’s Gems Artisan Jewelry Show, Thompson Barn Event Space Nuestro Legado (Our Legacy), JE Dunn Construction Theater Dan Jones & the Squids, Vedettes, The Shebangs, Replay Lounge Modern (Dance) Night, The Gem Theater The Sound of Music Sing-Along, KC Bier Co

Feb. 6 Lily B Moonflower and Jake Keegan Duo, Border Brewing Company

Feb. 7 Brian Baggett Trio, Green Lady Lounge

Feb. 8

Feb. 10 Barclay Brothers, Mike Kelly’s Westsider Sean McDonnell Band, B.B.’s Lawnside BarB-Q

Feb. 15

Sleigh Bells, The Truman Anat Cohen, The Folly Theater Karen Neal Artist Demonstration, Nelson-Atkins Museum Love is A.R.T., Gem Theater The Dinner Detective - Valentine’s Weekend Show, Crowne Plaza Kansas City Valentine’s Skate Night w/ DJ Flove, The Rink at Zona Rosa “Pal”entine’s Bingo, Hamburger Mary’s 5th Annual Onesie Bar Crawl, The Brick Harlem Globetrotters, T-Mobile Center

Hot Tuna, Knuckleheads Saloon Erasure, Uptown Theater The Kid LAROI, Arvest Bank Theatre Pershing Lecture Series: Irish Revolutionary Strategy, Liberty Memorial

Feb. 16 Full Moon Night Hike & Stargazing, Schlagle Library Reckless Wednesday: Hosted by PopSkull Rebels, Knuckleheads Alaturka, The Ship

Feb. 13 Paris in the Rain, Pinot’s Palette Super Bowl Party, Overland Park Convention Center

Feb. 11 Todd Barry, recordBar Grand Marquis, The Ship Good Time Charley & Endless Plains, Replay Lounge Lee Brice, Ameristar Casino Vladimir Feltsman, pianist, The Folly Theater

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

Feb. 14 Backseat Lovers, The Truman Adults-Only Valentine’s Day Comedy + Vendors, Upside Bungee West Bottoms

Warner Music

Kansas City Automotive Museum

Devotchka, recordBar

Feb. 9

Feb. 12

Feb. 5

Cars & Coffee

The Wombats

The Underground

The Truman

Cars & Coffee is a celebration of exactly that. The beverage and boast gathering will be held the first Saturday of the month at The Underground, with the site selected for their constant appreciation of cars and their preservation of automotive history. “We are excited to expand our offerings and look forward to seeing you soon,” says The Underground. Entry will be free for this sip and share function, with future events being held at various locations around town every other Saturday over the next few months.

The Liverpool trio is back on a worldwide tour in promotion of their brand new album, Fix Yourself, Not the World. Tracks from the latest LP are a perfect extension of the band’s career-spanning knack for taking bleak subject matter, twisting it with a sense of irony, and marrying it to dance-inducing indie rock. The English lads that gifted us classics like “Here Comes the Anxiety” and “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” are the same twisted voices that you want to hear craft uplifting sing-alongs about how royally screwed the last two years have been. If you’re on the fence about this one, we know you’ll be convinced by their latest single, “Everything I Love Is Going to Die.” See? They know fun. The opening act is Clubhouse from Columbus, Ohio. General admission tickets for the 7 p.m. Feb. 5 show start at $25 per person. VIP seating is available for $50. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required for entry. THE PITCH | February 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

EVENTS CALENDAR February 2022 THEPITCHKC.COM/CALENDAR

Feb. 21 Machine Girl at The Bottleneck, The Bottleneck Art of Illusion Photography Exhibition Challenges Adage ‘Seeing is Believing’ The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art Queer Movie Night, Kansas City Center for Inclusion KC Mavericks vs. Idaho Steelheads Hockey Game, Cable Dahmer Arena

Feb. 22 Beach House, Arvest Bank Theatre

Feb. 23

Crowne Plaza

Free Symphony Happy Hour Concert, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts A Place to Bury Strangers, The Bottleneck Ghost & Volbeat, Cable Dahmer Arena

Feb. 14

The Dinner Detective Valentine’s Day Show The Dinner Detective is a murder mystery dining experience that plops attendees into the middle of an unsolved crime. Everyone at the party is a participant, but only one person is responsible for the deed. “Anyone in the room can end up being a part of the show, and the action happens throughout the entire room. Throughout the night, a crime will occur, hidden clues will be revealed, and our Detectives will help everyone try to crack the case,” the theater promises. Expect theatrics like prop guns and lightning blackouts to play a part in The Dinner Detective, as the experience advertises a night without the cheesy dialogue and old-fashioned outfits found at other similar events. Though the most attentive detectives can earn a prize pack by the end of the night, all who purchase a ticket to The Dinner Detective are treated to a four-course meal that includes items such as chicken piccata, herb encrusted salmon, pasta, dessert, and more. General admission tickets for the 7 p.m. Feb. 14 show start at $74.95 per person. Attendees also have the option to add to the experience by purchasing the Suspect Package for $19.95.

Feb. 17

Feb. 19

Iceman Special, Replay Lounge Manchester Orchestra, Uptown Theater Modernist Book Exchange & Happy Hour, Mean Mule Distillery The Vincents, Mike Kelly’s Westsider Jeff Hardy Meet & Greet + Acoustic Tour, recordBar John Keck, The Folly Theater

The Dream Police (Cheap Trick tribute) and Just What I Needed (Cars tribute), Knuckleheads Saloon Whitney Cummings, Arvest Bank Theatre Tyler, the Creator, Cable Dahmer Arena Lucy Dacus, Liberty Hall Keys N Krates, Aura KC The Weekend, T-Mobile Center The Science & Art of West African Dance, Schlagle Library

Feb. 18 Danny Embrey Trio, Green Lady Lounge Deshtet, The Ship The Republic Tigers, recordBar Viking, The Tool Shed Lounge Anime Dance Night, Sidekicks Saloon

Feb. 20 Kansas City Engaged Wedding Show, Overland Park Convention Center

THE PITCH | February 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

Courtesy the band

Crowne Plaza Kansas City

Feb. 26

The Kansas City Bear Fighters Border Brewing Company A folksy favorite founded in the winter of 2007, The Kansas City Bear Fighters are performing live at the Border Brewing Company Feb. 26. The musical group that was originally known as “The Denver Broncos” began as man’s homage to music, as a salve for the soul. The rowdy rascals perform songs such as “You’re in Kansas,” “My Old Lady,” and “Touch You Creepy.” The crooners play regularly throughout the Midwest.

EVENTS CALENDAR February 2022 THEPITCHKC.COM/CALENDAR

Feb. 24

Feb. 26

David Archuleta, Knuckleheads Saloon Teague Hayes Presents: Kailee Karr and More!, The RINO Marty Bush, Johnny Lawhorn, Tyler Gregory, Replay Lounge

Louis Tomlinson, Uptown Theater Mardi Gras Party, KC Live! KCFAA’s Tyrone Aiken Presents: I Want to Testify, Nelson-Atkins Museum Art is Essential Auction, El Torreon KC Event Space Mike Epps: No Remorse Comedy Tour, Municipal Auditorium

Feb. 25

Feb. 27 David Luther, Border Brewing Company

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

FunHouse Entertainment

Slash, Arvest Bank Theatre Allied Saints, Mike Kelly’s Westsider Soul Jazz with KC Green, The Ship Carl Allen: UMKC Jazz Studies Benefit, Grand Street Cafe Tunes for TARA: Musicians Unite for Homeless Pets, Boulevard Brewing Company The Randy Rogers Band, The Uptown Theater

Feb. 19

An Evening with Bruce Dickinson Uptown Theater Yes, the Bruce Dickinson is coming to Kansas City. The former Iron Maiden rocker will put his pants on one leg at a time before talking about making Gold records. Classic SNL-sketch jokes aside, Dickinson is considered one of the world’s most storied musicians. Decades spent delivering high-octane performances with his largerthan-life persona in Iron Maiden and an extraordinary off-stage existence lend to an entertaining night of story-telling. Look for a peppering of anecdotes encompassing the giddy heights and the extreme lows of rock stardom. It’s always possible this chat may occasionally erupt into song. The evening concludes with a Q&A session with the audience. No word on just how much cowbell will be present. THE PITCH | February 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

THE PITCH SEX & LOVE KEEP THEM COMING

Photo by Nicole Bissey. Illustrations by Shelby Phelp

City a fashion hub once more. Could that goal include men’s undergarments? Turns out, thanks to Wilson, indeed it could. Wilson is launching Bespoke Underneath in March, and partnering with Rightfully Sewn to bring locally produced and sustainably sourced men’s underwear to the scene. The first items to hit the market will be a boxer brief and tank top. The goal is to use fabric produced from fibers grown and spun in the U.S., such as bamboo and hemp, while employing locally for manufacturing the final product. When I ask Wilson what makes men’s undies sexy, he says plainly: “The fit.” Sometimes feeling sexy won’t involve lace or leather or funky patterns, but it certainly must include a good cut, fabrics that feel soft to the touch, and seams that are in the right places. His plan is to begin with sales in boutiques and online, eventually expanding the line to include more cuts, and adding personal care products such as cologne and body wash.

MEN NEED SEXY UNDIES TOO “I took your advice, Kristen.” “Oh yeah? On what?” “I finally bought some non-cotton, non-boring underwear and wore them for my date. I felt sexy, and it put me in a different mindset for the date!” I give this advice to all my friends of all genders. This particular conversation happened with a fella who had just worn new boxer briefs he liked his butt in. I’m a firm believer in wearing undergarments that aren’t your boring same old, same old when you want a little something “extra” for the day. Maybe they have a little flair, they feel and look like new, and you feel comfortable and sexy in them. When I discuss the notion of wearing sexy undies to shift one’s attitude—it’s fairly normalized amongst femmes. However, my male friends and clients… some of them have looked at me like I have two heads when I asked if they have underwear they feel hot as fuck in. Many of them also tell me they have no idea where to shop, especially if they wear anything bigger than an XL.

Say it with me: one size does NOT fit all Opportunities to go to a KC storefront to see and touch underwear for men are limited. Fortunately, we have our very own mens-

wear aficionado running around who’s looking to change that: Steve Wilson, Jr. Wilson had tried to utilize the subscription model for paired men’s socks, ties, and underwear via local menswear shop, Innovative Menswear Co. However, he found that trying to source sizes that were consistent across cultures with fabrics that were high quality was difficult. “A medium isn’t a medium everywhere,” says Wilson. Wilson realized that different manufacturers, Italian and Indonesian brands, for example, have starkly different sizing. And men who wear sizes bigger than XL are often left out altogether. All of these factors, including that fabrics did not feel as good to the touch as many photos led him to believe. You can get plus size undies at Duluth Trading Co, but those have very little sex appeal and often don’t fit well. Baggy bottoms = diaper butt. Ordering online, especially from manufacturers in Asia, will often result in a 2XL fitting like a Large. In the age old tradition of if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself, Wilson began to look around the Kansas City community for opportunities. In his time as the Digital Media Strategist at the Kansas City Star, he had come across Rightfully Sewn, whose goal is to make Kansas

THE PITCH | February 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

Not in the mood to hang out in a (banana) hammock? I went to a local store to check out a selection of Andrew Christian underwear in person. This label is known for male briefs with amusing patterns and colors, and seems to be focused on a particular look—banana hammocks. There’s not much available if you’re not into that. Last month over brunch with my hubs and two other friends, a gay couple, I brought up this quandry. “No one in town can tell me where to go buy a sexy pair of underwear for my partner that isn’t a banana hammock!” One of the pair, Jay, said he LOVES fancy underwear and have been hosting underwear parties over the course of the pandemic. I, of course, leaned in and said, “Tell me more!” Some men collect watches, or ties, or hats. Jay collects underwear. The parties were an idea he came up with to cut through

“No one in town can tell me where to go buy a sexy pair of underwear for my partner that isn’t a banana hammock!”

the boredom of the pandemic. Thanks to online shopping and having a ton of time on his hands, he vastly grew his collection. He began inviting a small group of friends over to do mini fashion shows for one another as people got vaccinated. There are two rules for the underwear fashion shows: everyone is affirming, and everyone has to be fully willing to try on Jay’s entire underwear repertoire. He ensures that there’s a variety of patterns, cuts, fits, and fabrics. There’s lace, nice stretchy soft blends, leather, and sometimes as an accessory, there are wings. Many times, his friends end up buying pairs they never would have tried on without encouragement and opportunity. It’s hard to order something outside your comfort zone online to simply send it to the landfill if you don’t like it or it doesn’t fit— trying on a friend’s (clean) pair before is a completely nontraditional solution. Jay also confirmed that our market is severely limited for male undergarments. While, as a woman, I have my choice of fast fashion to couture in Kansas City, men have Hanes at big box stores and Andrew Christian at sex shops. “[Sex shop underwear is] the kind of shit you put on for 20 seconds and it gets ripped off!” Jay says. (As a lingerie owner, I’m actually quite familiar with that trope.) Instead, he recommends brands such as C-IN², Marco Marco, and 2EROS.

Anytime, underwear A few years ago, I was picking out some lingerie. I worried out loud that it wouldn’t get much wear, that I was just buying it for a boudoir shoot and the shopgal said something like, “Honey, you don’t have to just wear it for someone else. Wear it for you.” After wearing a set for the first time in a boardroom under my very professional work attire, I decided I was gonna wear them whenever I damn well pleased because I felt so good. I challenge you, regardless of your gender, to buy some new underwear that is nothing like what you have in the drawer at the moment. Sometimes you don’t know what will look sexy until you try it. Don’t just wear them when you have a date or are on the prowl—wear them when you have an important call that day. Wear them on a day you need a little more swagger. Wear them whenever you damn well please.

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

THE PITCH SEX & LOVE SAVAGE LOVE

DRAINING CASH AND CUM Trigger warning: this article contains conversations around and usage of an anti-gay slur. Dear Dan: I’m a gay man in his forties. I very much love my husband, but two years ago we acknowledged that our desire for each other sexually just wasn’t there anymore. Thanks in part to reading your column for many years, we were able to have a calm conversation about whether we wanted to remain together in a companionate marriage or split up. We decided to stay together and I’m glad we did. Sex was the thing we fought about most, and our relationship improved when we took that conflict off the table. My husband has a couple of fuckbuddies that he sees while I do most of my playing online. (We had this conversation at the start of the pandemic and playing online feels safer.) One of things I’ve able to explore in the last year is FinDom [or financial domination]. I really get off on sending money that we can spare to younger, hotter guys and being degraded for my pains. Thing is, almost all the guys doing FinDom are straight. It’s often a part of their persona they play up: they’re hot straight guys demanding cash tributes from “pathetic fags” that they would never touch in real life. As much as I like having my wallet drained by a hot young straight guy calling me a fag, I would so much rather give my money to a hot and dominant young gay man. Why do so few gay young men get into this? Do young gay men realize how much money they’re leaving on the table? Could you please tell them? —Chances Are Some Hot FinDoms Are Gay

Dear CASHFAG: “I don’t know why there ar-

en’t more gay FinDoms out there,” says Master AJ, “but I’m certainly not the only one.” AJ is a 23-year-old sexually dominant gay man who lives, works, and drains gay subs all over the world from his home base in the Pacific Northwest. He first stumbled across the FinDom scene on Twitter when he was a kinky gay college student struggling to pay his rent. “I was working two jobs, and while I wasn’t desperate, I was thinking about money a lot,” says AJ. “So, the idea of being in control—which I was already really into—and dominating someone by demanding cash from him that he’d earned? It was a huge rush.” Most male FinDoms go to such great lengths to emphasize how straight they are that AJ sometimes wonders. “There are no male Doms I’ve seen draining cisgender women,” says Master AJ. “So, if these guys really are straight, they would have to stumble on the gay FinDom scene or have the idea to start targeting a community they weren’t a part of in order to establish themselves.” And having seen how much pleasure so many straight-identified male FinDoms get out of dominating gay men, AJ adds, “It seems possible that at least some of these guys aren’t being completely truthful about their sexualities.” Why would a gay or bi male FinDom claim to be straight? Because, as AJ points out, it’s going to make him more appealing to a significant segment of the gay finsub community. “There are a lot of gay men who fetishize being bullied by straight men,” says AJ. “And a lot of gay subs enjoy the idea that they are tributing to someone who will never be attracted to them. Which I find kind of laughable because being gay doesn’t necessarily mean a guy has a chance with me.” There’s also the issue of anti-gay slurs in FinDom play and how those slurs land. “Slurs get used a lot in the FinDom/ kink scenes,” says AJ, “and they really can sound and feel different depending on the sexuality of the speaker.” Meaning, for some gay men being called a fag by a straight guy in a safe, controlled, and consensual way—like during a cash draining session—feels more degrading (in a sexy way) than being called a fag by another fag ever could. “But other gay men prefer gay FinDoms because they don’t like hearing slurs from straight men,” says AJ. Zooming out for a second… While it may be the case that a small handful of gay FinDoms pretend to be straight to attract gay subs, CASHFAG, I think something else is going on here. Namely, financial domination and other forms of online sex work have so lowered the “gay for pay” bar that the kind of straight man who wouldn’t have been able to profit

off gay male lust 20 years ago—because he wouldn’t have sex with other men on camera for money—is now posting photos of his feet on Twitter, flipping off the camera, and ordering his gay followers to pay “fag tax” for the privilege of looking at him. Just as straight gay-for-pay porn stars managed (and still manage) to get off doing gay porn, there are straight male FinDoms getting off on what they do. “I know I enjoy draining cash from men I find unattractive,” says AJ. “Being dominant turns me on even if I’m not into the person. So, there could be straight male FinDoms out there who get some sort of sexual satisfaction from draining gay men but are still straight.” It’s easy to see why a straight male FinDom who got a little turned on during an online draining session with a gay male sub might make a point of emphasizing his straightness—not just to rub his sub’s nose in it, CASHFAG, but to reassure himself. Still, even though there are more straight FinDoms out there than gay ones, AJ’s bank account and spotlessly clean bathroom proves you don’t have to be a hot straight guy to be a successful FinDom. He’s always been very open about being gay, CASHFAG, and not only do gay male subs

208 Westport Rd Kansas City, MO 64111

all over the world send him cash, but local gay male subs clean his apartment and run errands for him. “I’ve had a good experience with this,” says AJ. “It’s been both profitable and enjoyable, and I’ve made great connections with so many people, including other gay Doms. I’ve always really liked talking to other gay men—whether they are submissive and into FinDom or not or just intrigued by my profile.” And if you really want to attract other gay men like him to the FinDom scene, CASHFAG, AJ suggests making an effort to find gay FinDoms who are already online, diligently promoting their content with likes and retweets, and—of course—sending your favorite FinDom(s) all the money you can reasonably spare. “Because when you think about it,” says AJ, “tributing to a gay FinDom is like supporting a small queer business, and that’s something we should all be doing.” Follow Master AJ on Twitter @cashmasteraj1. Question for Dan? Email him at mail@ savagelove.net Follow Dan on Twitter @ FakeDanSavage. Check out his new website at Savage.Love!

816-561-6397

Mon-Thurs 11-7pm Friday & Saturday 11-9pm Sunday 12-6pm

www.EmCityKC.com THE PITCH | February 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

KC CARES Volunteer Andrew Killen helps Stephano, 17, work on his bike at the Collective. Photo by Beth Lipoff

816 BICYCLE COLLECTIVE by Beth Lipoff Want to fix that busted chain on your bike? Learn how to perform maintenance yourself for the next time something breaks? Or perhaps get rid of a bicycle that’s just been cluttering up your garage for years? The 816 Bicycle Collective is ready for you. The non-profit, located at 518 E. 31st Street in Kansas City, works toward making bikes a sustainable primary mode of transportation that’s easy on the environment and people’s budgets. That can mean teaching people about bike repairs and bike maintenance, fixing up donated bikes to sell at a reduced rate, or distributing free bikes to people who truly need them. Founded by Suzanne Hogan, Sean Eagan, and a few of their friends about 15 years ago, the group runs completely on volunteer power. Going in, Hogan had experience with a community bike shop in Santa Fe, N.M., and Eagan wanted to learn more about fixing bikes. “What we basically started trying to do was help get people bikes and redistribute the existing stock of unused bikes, and also teach people how to maintain them so that they have something that is personally sustainable as transportation,” Eagan says. Just like your teachers at school, they won’t do the work for you. It’s all about helping you figure out how to do it. “If you’re trying to keep your bike

afloat, and you want to learn to do it yourself or even if you know how to do it but maybe don’t have the resources, we’re the place for that. You can come, donate money, and use our facilities,” Eagan says. Inside the shop are rows and rows of bikes that volunteers have fixed up and are ready to go. It’s an informal space with tools and small parts sorted and ready in plastic bins and coffee cans, in cabinets and on tables. Need to hoist your bike up on a stand? They’ve got frames for that too. Light streams in from the large windows, making it easier to find that screw you might have dropped mid-repair. Bare wood floors and peeling paint just mean that every spare dollar goes into what they do, not how fancy the room aesthetics are. The money they get from selling donated bikes they fix up all goes toward keeping the doors open, but they’ll work with people who can’t necessarily pay the suggested purchase price. “If you don’t have any money, and you really need a bike because you don’t have anything, we’re going to get you a bike,” Eagan says. “There’s a spectrum of ways you can get a bike at the bike collective.” You might show up with a damaged bike and learn how to fix it up, with help and materials at the collective. If you can’t find one on your own, they have damaged bikes that people have donated that need a little

THE PITCH | February 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

love. They want you to put in the work, but the volunteers are there every step of the way to teach, coach and help. If someone’s desperate for a bike to commute to work but can’t afford one, they’ll find one the person can have. It might not be the nicest one they’re selling, but it’ll do the job. Altogether, Eagan says that they’ve distributed at least 1,000 bikes in the last seven

years, but he thinks the actual number is a lot higher than that. Recently, 17-year-old Stefano Merced came by the collective with his teacher, Andrew Killen, who volunteers with the collective. Killen has a bike club for students at East High School and has encouraged his students to use the collective as a resource. “You’re surrounded by all this stuff you like. I’ve never seen anything like this,” Merced says. You don’t have to have any experience with bikes to volunteer. And it’s totally fine if you come needing help and don’t know even the most basic bike maintenance. “Anyone can come to us. There is no threshold of knowledge one must have,” Eagan says. Since the pandemic started, they’ve gotten five new regular volunteers, including local pastry chef Nichole Taylor. “Learning that it’s relatively easy to repair simple issues yourself—it’s very empowering to know this machine you’re riding, you know the parts, and you know how to fix it if any issues arise,” Taylor says. The 816 Bicycle Collective’s clientele encompasses a spectrum of locals. One client might have access to more expensive forms of transportation but prefers to bike. Another might live on the street. But everyone gets the same access to help. Often, those with greater means will donate money or materials to the shop. Materials you donate can be new or used. “We’re like the stop of last resort for a bike. If the bike’s going to end up in the scrapyard, and we also believe it should end up in the scrapyard, we’ll at least take off what on the bike is usable still,” Eagan says. “There are so many different opportunities to help at our shop, and one of those things is tearing down bikes.”

Stephano, 17, works on his bike at the 816 Bicycle Collective. Photo by Beth Lipoff

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The Pitch: February 2022

Articles inside

Coming (For Now) To A Theater Near You

Corvino's Hannah Jones Believes in Human Mixology

Letter From The Editor

Men Need Sexy Undies Too

Quilt By Association

Raven Book Store's Employee Co-Ownership Solidifies A New Future

No More Heroes

Charlotte Street Fellows' Spatial Reasoning