The Pitch April 2022: The 4/20 Issue by The Pitch KC

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April 2022 CONTENTS THEPITCHKC.COM

Photo by Cori Jo Hawkins

22 Film

Struggle Session BY ABBY OLCESE How long does it take to make a movie? For Trevor Hawkins, it took seven years for his debut feature, Lotawana, to come to life. Shot primarily on Lake Lotawana and Lake Jacomo, the film tracks the ebbs and flows of a new relationship on a lake setting. “We’re committing our lives to being Missouri filmmakers,” says Lotawana Assistant Director Nathan Kincaid.

28 Sex & Love

Keep Them Coming BY KRISTEN THOMAS “Yeah, just numb your pussy. You’ll be fine right?” Uh, no. Too many people with vaginas are prescribed lidocaine for penetrative or generalized pain when there’s a natural option that can actually heighten pleasure: cannabis. For this month’s installment of Keep Them Coming, Kristen Thomas talks with Ashley Manta, the certified CannaSexual, about how to (and how to not) integrate CBD and THC into bedroom time.

5 LETTER

14 SPORTS

24 MUSIC

6 FEATURE

20 FOOD & DRINK

26 EVENTS

Letter from the Editor Southland Tales is a trip in its own right BY BROCK WILBUR

Pipe Dreams Wandering Bud’s Riley Brain on smokeware and women in cannabis BY HANNAH STRADER

8 POLITICS

Harshing the Mellow The war on drugs may have chilled, but there’s still sectarian violence BY THOMAS WHITE

Runner’s High Professional sports wrestle with growing cannabis usage BY ELLIOTT LEE SCOTT

Live Más Taco Bell Cantina welcomes Westport to the Hoobastank of nightclubs BY LIZ COOK

21 Eat/Drink This Now: The Bread Sticks Fully Clothed at Buffalo State Pizza Co. & Fig-Mint of Your Imagination at Chicken N Pickle BY APRIL FLEMING

Photo by Nicole Bissey

Gaslight My Fire The Creepy Jingles take a High Dive on debut album BY NICK SPACEK

April Calendar For more events, visit thepitchkc.com/calendar BY MICHAEL CRIPE, FANTASIA WESLEY, THOMAS WHITE, ADAM WILBERS Cover design by Miroslav Pavlovic Photo by Lauren Pusateri Photography

THE PITCH | April 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

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April 2022 CONTENTS THEPITCHKC.COM

29 SEX & LOVE

Savage Love Dildo dilation and gråtrunka BY DAN SAVAGE

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Latinx Education Collaborative BY BETH LIPOFF Civic leaders, board members, and staff members cut the ribbon during the grand opening event for the Latinx Eduation Collaborative’s new office space in Kansas City. Photo by Beth Lipoff

Letter from the Editor SOUTHLAND TALES IS A TRIP IN ITS OWN RIGHT Welcome to The Pitch’s annual 4/20 issue, wherein we celebrate all things green, chill, and adjacent to green-chill. The sticky-icky has never particularly agreed with my brain chemistry. Yes, the idea of feeling calm (for once) is the most terrifying thing in the world to me. Next to a bat that’s also a spider. No spider-bats, no matter what the comic book franchises tell you. When I got to college, I was thrilled to have my then-girlfriend be the first person in the world to tell me to get high. We acquired the level of brownie-edible that a freshman should expect to acquire in Evanston, Illinois. As per a 2003 college student, we sat down to watch the film Donnie Darko and experienced no effects from our edible, until suddenly we very, very much did, and didn’t speak for a month. What I would like to offer up today is that, should you choose to get high for 4/20 (or at any other point) and seek a movie to blow your mind, you opt for Southland Tales. When Donnie Darko became the cult film of a generation, no one was sure what the then just-graduated USC student Richard Kelly had done to make it work. Rather than examine what an unlikely (accidental) miracle that low-budget movie was, this relative child was cut an exponentially larger check to make his follow-up while taking a step back and saying, “Whatever it was you did before…do it again. We clearly don’t understand, so just have at it.” A 30 year-old filmmaker, unsure of what made his work land last time, handed a major motion picture budget…yields exactly what you would dream and/or imagine. Southland Tales is a three-hour epic, cut down from an originally longer runtime that got booed on premiere at the Cannes Film

Festival. It incorporates a plot so spiraling that it required a comic book prequel series, that was in no way released before the film. It has become the stuff of Hollywood legend, where even attempts to describe it make you sound like a lunatic. Yet, it is perhaps my favorite film of all time. And certainly the one I advise you to watch if you’re looking to toke up around something new this April. The premise of Southland Tales is, as vaguely as I can pose it, as follows: A dirty bomb is detonated in Abilene, Texas around the time of 9/11. America’s war with the Middle East turns up to 11 while our war of self-policing at home reaches truly dystopian levels. This is merely the backdrop to why Justin Timberlake now mans a sniper post off Hermosa Beach—looking for pedestrians acting weird to assassinate. Boxer Santeros (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) is an action star with amnesia who winds up in a relationship with a porn star named Krysta Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and the two have written a screenplay about how the planet’s orbit will cause the apocalypse. Their actions are perhaps backed by a left-wing extremist movement hoping to offset the next election with stolen thumbs, as an impossibly perfect George Bush stand-in (Holmes Osborne) leads a voter suppression effort that threatens to destroy the country. Nora Dunn is there. Seann William Scott plays two different cops. Amy Poehler and the rest of early 2000s SNL is there—including Jon Lovitz as the bleached-blonde face of police oppression. Wallace Shawn plays an Elon Musk stand-in and has repeatedly confirmed to the press that he has no fucking clue what this film is about. This is about a third of the cast that you’ll recognize in this sprawling epic for no one. Timberlake does a Busby Berkeley musical dance number set to a song by The Killers while drenched in blood and Budweiser, surrounded by women in blonde wigs and nurse costumes. I don’t know what else you need for me to convince you to watch this. He’s got soul, but, I cannot stress this enough, he’s not a soldier. What Southland Tales brings to the

Editor-in-Chief Brock Wilbur President & Chief Operating Officer Andrew Miller Director of Strategy Lily Wulfemeyer Digital Editor & Staff Writer Savannah Hawley Director of Marketing & Promotions Jason Dockery Assistant Editor Steph Castor Community Manager Sarah Sipple Music Editor Nick Spacek Film Editor Abby Olcese Contributing Writers Emily Cox, Liz Cook, Barbara Shelly, April Fleming, Liz Goodwin, Justin Burnell, Hannah Strader, Beth Lipoff, Tyler Schneider, Kristen Thomas, Elliott Lee Scott 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 Jasmine Ye, Nidhi Shenoy, Megan Galey, Katelyn Betz, Shelby Phelps, Enrique Zabala Editorial Interns Michael Cripe, Fantasia Wesley, Thomas White, Adam Wilbers

VOICE MEDIA GROUP Boxer Santaros (Dwayne Johnson) realizes the police are bad. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

table is that it is the single most unhinged film I have ever seen. Three dozen celebs you know play against type, there’s a killer soundtrack, and if you tried to explain to anyone else why a man fires a rocket launcher from a flying ice-cream truck, you’d be institutionalized. Yet, as a thing written in 2001, it has come true on an annoying level. Shots of America’s tanks in the Middle East with “Hustler” branding are not far removed from a reality talk show hosted by pornstars sponsoring their own energy drink. One of the funniest moments in the film features an ad for an SUV where it sexually penetrates a weaker car—an ad campaign that I’m seeing for an HBO show while writing this now. It’s a bizarre satire about accidental prophecies that eventually became its own accidental prophecy, but you don’t need to appreciate it on that level to enjoy Zelda Rubinstein holding up a magic glowing box that plays Muse songs. Enjoy!(?)(!) Pitch in, and we’ll make it through.

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COPYRIGHT The contents of The Pitch are Copyright 2022 by The Pitch LLC. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without the express written permission of the publisher. The Pitch 3543 Broadway Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64111 For information or to share a story tip, email: tips@thepitchkc.com For advertising: andrew@thepitchkc.com or 816-218-6792

THE PITCH | April 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

P I P E The ceramic pieces created by Riley Brain, artist and owner of Wandering Bud, resemble funky statuettes and décor items. At first glance, one might not even realize that they’re fully functional smoking pipes. You might expect to find them on a side table holding a few stems of flowers or fitting in seamlessly on a shelf full of trinkets. Their signature bright, pearlescent hues and flecks of real 22-karat gold accentuate intricately carved or painted designs. Pieces come in a variety of unexpected shapes that fit every smoker’s need. The store has an assortment of one-hitters, pipes, bubblers, and even a full-scale ceramic bong. Wandering Bud began as a passion project out of Brain’s basement in 2016 after a trip to Portland. Cannabis had just been legalized in Oregon, and she was surprised to notice a lack of variety while browsing dispensary shelves for smokeware. She wanted to see something easier on the eye that could be displayed in the home. “Glass spoon pipes and the enormous glass bongs, aesthetically, never spoke to me,” says Brain. “Having a beautiful space is self-care for me, and I just want my surroundings to match. It’s like an extension of myself. So, having ugly pieces around felt like I was doing something wrong—like something I wanted to hide.” She began playing with pottery on the

THE PITCH | April 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

FEATURE

WANDERING BUD’S RILEY BRAIN ON SMOKEWARE AND WOMEN IN CANNABIS By Hannah Strader

weekends, purchasing a kiln from Craigslist and making a list of practical needs for her designs. Originally working as an elementary school music teacher, Brain was becoming disillusioned with her day job and began planning to make the transition to ceramics full-time. “I think my dad said something [at first] like, ‘As long as it doesn’t interfere with your real job,’” Brain recalls with a laugh. “I don’t think he realized at the time that I was wanting to leave teaching as badly as I was.” Brain’s mother Jeannie Shaw, also a teacher, understood the pressure her daughter was under. She doesn’t smoke, but after living through the 1970s, pipes and cannabis don’t really phase her. “I really respect [Riley] for the fact that she was brave enough to give up her teaching career and start out on her own in this business. It’s been a lot of hard work,” Shaw says, referring to the obstacles set in place for any cannabis-adjacent companies. Banks and payment processors generally don’t work with cannabis-related businesses due to the plant’s federal regulation. In modern marketing spaces like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, Wandering Bud is censored for “sensitive content.” While Wandering Bud’s Instagram account stands at 40.3k followers at the time of this writing, Brain is still experiencing a shadowban on content, which limits the number of people

the account reaches daily. Her original TikTok account was banned as well. The drop in views was drastic, but not all of Brain’s success comes from clever marketing and viral process videos. [Editorial Note: some sources have been granted partial or full anonymity.] “I always thought pipes were those grungy glass bowls that no one ever cleaned, so it was really refreshing to see a more beautiful and aesthetically pleasing take on that,” says Tessa, a loyal customer with a collection of over five different Wandering Bud pieces. “No one really knows it’s a pipe, it just looks like art.”

D R E A M S

Another simple secret to Wandering Bud’s appeal may be the unique perspective women bring to the industry. In a traditionally male market, Gen Z women are proving to be a powerful force, with a year-over-year sales growth of 151% in 2020. “I don’t want to speak for all women, but I think what I’m seeing is disillusionment with alcohol. People are tired of wasting their entire day hungover,” Brain says. “I also think that rates of anxiety and depression are much higher among millennials. Some people can smoke all day long and it’s totally medicinal for them. It brings them down to a productive level, whereas previ-

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Top Left: Dry pipes, one hitters, and break up trays made by Wandering Bud. Bottom Left: Riley Brain pours slip into a mold. Top Right: An assortment of ceramic bongs from Wandering Bud. Above: An assortment of ceramic bubblers from Wandering Bud. Photos by Chase Castor

ously, the anxiety was so out of control that they couldn’t manage or function.” Rachel, from Kansas City, first began smoking cannabis as a way to relieve pain and help her sleep after a repetitive stress injury. She had been prescribed sleeping aids and similar medications when a friend suggested trying cannabis instead. “I realized that not only was it helping me sleep and improving my mental health, but it was so much better for me than alcohol,” Rachel says. “I started really believing in the power of weed as a medicinal tool. That’s why I smoke and why I’ve encouraged my friends to try it.” The element of danger traditionally associated with obtaining cannabis products in an unregulated market is waning as these products are more widely accepted, with availability growing in legalized states. Meaning: women no longer have to fear meeting a strange man in a darkly lit corner of the city for illegal drugs. One source for this story reports having purchased a larger amount of weed than what they personally

needed in order to provide to friends, relieving the stress and fear that came with trying to locate it on their own. Now, women in cannabis are on the rise. “When I think of women in the cannabis industry, I’m thinking of people like Riley who are not only creating these pieces that fit within your home but also building a brand that supports minorities in cannabis and other overlooked groups,” Tessa says. Wandering Bud currently takes part in different efforts to offset the disproportionate effects of cannabis laws on people of color. The business is a member of the Floret Coalition, which was started by Broccoli Magazine in 2020 to support equity-oriented organizations on a rotating basis. With a studio located on Troost, Brain is hyper-aware of the division within the local community and allocates a portion of the company’s profits to Kansas City G.I.F.T., a local organization that grants funds to Black-owned businesses. Partnerships with other KC artists like Mackenzie Becker of MackBecks and Jess Macy of ColorbloKC allow the brands to cross-promote and grow their followings. It is this unique mixture of functional art and community involvement that helps Brain and Wandering Bud overcome deleted accounts, failed payment processors, and censored posts in pursuit of a more equitable—and chill—industry.

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POLITICS

THE WAR ON DRUGS MAY HAVE CHILLED, BUT THERE’S STILL SECTARIAN VIOLENCE. Story by Thomas White, Illustrations by Jasmine Ye Donte West pulled up to the wrong house, at the wrong time, in the wrong state. As a result, he nearly died in prison for a marijuana charge. In 2016, at just 23 years old, West took on the role of caretaker to his grandmother and two younger brothers in his native California. He dreamed of higher education but didn’t think it could be a reality for him given his finances and living situation. Still, his grandma encouraged him to pursue his college ambitions.

The Elegy of Donte West West says he was traveling to visit universities when he was arrested in Manhattan, Kansas. Twenty miles outside the college town, West was a passenger in a Hyundai pulled over in Junction City, Kansas. Police assumed the vehicle was a decoy car for drug distribution—on the highway the Hyundai was near a Lexus that they sus-

THE PITCH | April 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

pected contained drugs. During the police stop of the Hyundai, an officer saw a phone’s navigation app open with a Manhattan address. Later, the Hyundai pulled up to an apartment in Manhattan. Twenty minutes later, the Lexus showed up. A plain-clothes

of marijuana and meth, while the Hyundai had only trace amounts of cannabis. Everyone but West took a plea deal. West believed in his innocence and assumed that a fair trial would exonerate him. He had no prior record and felt he did nothing wrong. West faced four felony charges:

“I felt as if I was sentenced to death for a first-time marijuana offense.” Riley County Lieutenant Officer in an unmarked police car was waiting for them ever since he’d been tipped off by the officer that pulled the Hyundai over in Junction City. Police arrested everyone at the apartment. The Lexus contained large amounts

conspiracy to distribute marijuana, large possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. While awaiting trial, West couldn’t take

care of his family. His beloved grandmother passed away, leading to his two younger brothers getting placed in foster care: a jarring example of the cruel collateral damage in the War on Drugs. At trial, authorities coerced the apartment owner to say—without evidence— that West had sold him a pound of weed a week prior. Police testified that West was searched and found in possession of a flip phone, the type which is often used as a burner phone for drug distribution. Based on the apartment owner’s testimony, police testimony, and the flip phone (despite no evidence of drug activity on the phone) West was found guilty. West was sentenced to seven years and eight months in state prison, longer than anyone else arrested at the apartment, including three who fled the scene. The driver of the Lexus—with large amounts of both marijuana and meth—was sentenced to six

POLITICS

years. West appealed, saying his lawyer in the initial trial didn’t depose the other four men at the apartment—all of whom testified that West did not know about the drugs. The owner of the Lexus went as far to say that he and the Hyundai were on separate trips and that at no point did West know what was in the Lexus. Nonetheless, West’s first appeal failed. During West’s imprisonment at Lansing Correctional Facility, the pandemic began and quickly swept through the incarcerated population. With Draconian COVID-19 policies, like no access to sanitizer due to a fear that the inmates would use it to get drunk, West went to extremes to avoid catching the virus. Ultimately, he was infected. “I felt as if I was sentenced to death for a first-time marijuana offense,” says West. “I recovered, but five prisoners and two guards that were in the same facility died from COVID.” In Sept. 2019, West’s new lawyer, Chris Biggs, filed a writ of habeas corpus petition, which brought the truth of the case to a judge’s attention. The apartment owner who testified against West had flipped and provided testimony to save his own ass; the jury didn’t know that. They didn’t know that because police specifically testified that the apartment owner wasn’t an informant cooperating in the investigation. Given that the apartment owner wasn’t charged with anything, despite admitting to buying large amounts of marijuana and other crimes, the judge ruled that police had “inadvertently” misled the jury by concealing a cooperation agreement with the apartment owner. Since this violated West’s constitutional rights, his sentence was vacated and he was free in Oct. 2021—after spending more than five years behind bars. In a tale as old as time, West is Black while the apartment owner is white. One faced harsh consequences, while the other was left free.

Cash Rules Everything Around Me In the world surrounding a single small

plant, the system sees green while regular people see the inside of a jail cell. In 2018, while West was in prison in Kansas for allegedly selling a pound of weed, Missouri legalized medical marijuana. The mainstream coverage and conversation around the decision celebrated the billions of dollars in taxable income for the state that this growing industry offered. “What was criminal in Kansas is entrepreneurial in Missouri,” says West. As of February 2022, Missouri boasts over $268 million in cumulative medical marijuana revenue. The state has a special 4% tax on ganja, resulting in nearly $11 million in taxes collected, not counting sales tax. Jan. 8, 2022, in a moment that must have been surreal, West cut the ribbon for From the Earth located at 6200 Troost—one of the first medical marijuana dispensaries in Kansas City. In 2022, we are living through something of a cannabis renaissance: 17 states and D.C. have fully legalized, 37 states have medical marijuana, and more ballot measures are planned for November. Even Kansas saw the success of its neighbors—Missouri’s 161,032 medical MJ patients and Colorado’s $12 billion in reefer revenue—and has started to develop legislation that would allow medical marijuana. But, of course, conservative Kansas would do it weirdly. A proposed bill in the Kansas Senate would legalize medical marijuana for 20 conditions but make it illegal to smoke or vape cannabis—even for patients. Those with valid licenses would be able to partake in edibles, salves, patches, and oils. Kansas is one of only two states that have no access to marijuana, medical or otherwise, so any progress is welcome for cannabis advocates.

High in the Air, KC-MO In Kansas City, Missouri, prosecutor Jean Peters Baker says she will not prosecute low-level marijuana offenses. But the results of this shift in priorities have been THE PITCH | April 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

POLITICS

mixed. Baker declared a de-prioritization of cannabis offenses in late 2018, but since then, the KCPD has still arrested nearly 600 people for simple marijuana possession. KC is not alone. Nationally, there were more marijuana arrests in 2018 than for all violent crimes combined. The same year saw nearly 16,000 marijuana arrests across Missouri, which accounts for more than half of all drug arrests in the state, the overwhelming number of which are for smallscale possession. Public Defense Attorney Jeff Esparza notes that three months after Baker pledged not to prosecute possession of minute amounts of marijuana, he saw a small possession guilty plea in a court roll. “We have a faux-progressive prosecutor who says she doesn’t care about weed,” says Esparza. “But she also doesn’t care if KCPD arrests people for it, she doesn’t care if police use it for probable cause to search people, and she sure doesn’t mind revoking probation or parole for it.” Esparza says that while Jackson County has not outright put people in jail for possessing small amounts of pot, they often put people on probation, which is a privatized hellscape often leading to imprisonment, or at least an unending cycle of recidivism. “Roughly 60% of people fuck up on probation,” says Esparza. “Then they get a shock sentence, usually four months in jail, then come out and start probation all over again.” [Editor’s Note: Opinions expressed by

THE PITCH | April 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

Jeff Esparza are his own and not the view of the public defender’s office.]

From Probation to Prison for Paper Misdemeanor probation in Missouri is privatized and fully paid for by the person on probation. Missouri law says that probation can only cost $50 a month, but private companies have found workarounds to suit their profit motive. That spells bad news and more debt for the 43,000 on probation and 17,000 on parole in the state. Private misdemeanor probation companies have no state oversight in Missouri. The result is that probationers have more hoops to jump through, and companies will make all attempts to lengthen probation. Under misdemeanor probation, drug tests are administered bi-weekly and run $20 a pop. Offenders take classes at $50 a session and pay for their own ankle monitors, even if these devices have dubious relevance to recovery in the first place. One man on probation told a 2022 academic study* that he paid $800 above standard costs for an unrelated series of anger management classes and drug tests in Missouri.

Violation of the terms of parole or probation can be as minute as not having enough money to pay for drug tests and ankle monitors or missing a required class or meeting, which, in effect. criminalizes poverty. “I’m a public defender, so my average client lives off of $500 a month,” says Esparza. “People in those circumstances have had a few things not go their way. On probation, everything must go right and line up or it’s jail, so jail is what often happens.” T o make matters worse, the private probation companies receive payment from the state for reporting non-compliance, meaning these companies are financially incentivized with bonuses to ensure the failure of probation completion. The state of affairs led one Missouri attorney to tell the authors of a 2022 academic study looking at probation in the state* that it’s clearly better to be on felony probation rather than misdemeanor probation because felony probation is state-run and structurally incentivized to have the offender finish and stay out of prison.

Heinously Harsh Felony Cannabis Charges In Missouri, felony possession of marijuana is any amount over 35 grams. For perspective, a felony amount of marijuana weighs less than the amount of ranch you’ve been putting on your side salad. A medical marijuana patient in Missouri can legally purchase three times the felony possession amount every month their card is valid. Esparza says those with felony possession charges are often awarded the same sentence as aggravated rape, robbery, and attempted murder while a person is in the home. If the individual had any prior record, large-scale cannabis possession carries the same sentence as raping someone under 14 years old. It’s worth reiterating: these sentences are for having 1.24 ounces of a dried plant. Those convicted of a felony can’t vote while serving their sentence or parole, own a gun, or live near certain schools and churches. Further, a felony makes individuals ineligible for student loans and any job or apartment that conducts a thorough background check. Sometimes the felony charge alone can be enough to ruin someone’s life. If arrested for cannabis possession—or anything for that matter—you can be strip-searched and held without bond for up to 48 hours while waiting to see a judge. “If you’re held for two days in jail, you can lose your job, then finding a new one is near impossible given your pending felo-

POLITICS

THE PITCH’S SCAVENGER HUNT IS BACK

ny,” says Esparza. “You can’t get a job; you can’t get an apartment, and that’s just with a charge. You could be innocent, but it takes a year and a half to two years to get that charge cleared.” Innocent until proven guilty only applies to the courts. The opinions of the public, potential employers, and housing agents aren’t bound to the same rules.

Drug Court Reforms It’s not all abysmal. Esparza says the drug courts in Jackson County could be considered nation-leading. Those with no prior offenses may get assigned to drug court at their prosecutor’s discretion. Once in drug court, defendants must test clean for six months and attend classes. Upon completion, the drug charge is wiped completely clean from their record.

marijuana enforcement being used as a tool for police to target and disrupt communities of color despite the relaxing of laws. Sadly, West’s story is not unique. In Jackson County, a Black person is 4.5 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana than their white counterparts. It’s worse in Saline, Lafayette, Lincoln, and Johnson Counties on the Missouri side; Black people are 10 times more likely to be arrested for possession. In Johnson County, Kansas, Black people are 8.4 times more likely. Esparza says that the smell of marijuana, let alone the presence, is used to conduct probable cause searches. “They have a drug dog or even just say they smell weed to find any infraction to get you in trouble,” says Esparza. “Probable cause hearings are a sham; the police can give just about any reason. Then, if you

“Whether you are jailed or arrested for weed comes down to geography and race.”

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Unlike probation, the drug court’s focus is rehabilitation, and addiction treatment is available free of charge to the individual. “For a lot of people, getting arrested and sent to drug court is the only way they can afford treatment,” says Esparza. This system is considered nation-leading but still requires getting arrested before drug treatment is accessible and affordable, which says nothing good about our country or its stance on addiction. Since being released from prison, West has been working with the Last Prisoner Project—a nonprofit which seeks to get all non-violent marijuana offenders out of the incarceration system—as a Legacy Fellow. His current project is to raise enough money to fund a drug court in Riley County, Kansas, where he was initially arrested. The hope is to establish a system that mirrors the success of the Jackson County, Missouri, drug court model. County officials are currently undertaking a thorough assessment to determine the cost. As you read this, there are 40,000 non-violent marijuana offenders imprisoned nationwide. In Missouri, non-violent marijuana offenders represent 200 out of 5,100 people behind bars.

had an expired tag, no insurance card, any priors, a warrant, anything, you’re getting arrested.” Missouri processes 128,000 people through their jail system a year, and a disproportionate number are people of color and/or marijuana offenders. The War on Drugs is not and has never been about personal safety. A key figure in President Nixon’s administration admitted that this all began as a way for drug enforcement to be wielded like a cudgel to disrupt communities of color and leftists by way of imprisonment. Over 50 years later, the original systematic sin of racist marijuana enforcement remains. When asked how the system should change, Public Defender Esparza put it curtly: “We should immediately expunge all non-violent marijuana convictions.” He says we should also make it illegal to search and/or seize a person for suspicion of possessing marijuana, with exceptions for driving while intoxicated and other limited situations. “Under the code of law going forward, we should treat marijuana the same as alcohol,” says Esparza.

Because Structural Racism

*The 2022 academic study referenced in “From Probation to Prison for Paper” is entitled “Private Probation Costs, Compliance, and the Proportionality of Punishment: Evidence from Georgia and Missouri” from The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences.

“Whether you are jailed or arrested for weed comes down to geography and race,” says Esparza. Metric after metric illustrates that the judicial system and policing writ large is subject to inherent racial bias resulting in

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APRIL 30, 2022

Theis Park - Kansas City, MO

Registration: 8 am Welcoming Ceremonies: 9:00 am Walkers will leave Theis Park onto Emanual Cleaver II Blvd going West, then take an immediate Right on to Oak St. and proceed North on Oak St to 45th. At 45th Walkers will go to the right on 45th, in back of The Nelson Atkins Art Gallery, and walk East on the street to Rockhill. Volunteers will start directing walkers on to the North side sidewalk to prepare for the turn onto Rockhill Rd. Cleaver II needs to be closed at Oak and Cleaver II and Oak St. will be closed from Cleaver II to 45th Street and 45th St. to Rockhill. Unless KCPD disagrees, this should be the full extent of complete closures of streets as the crowd will have thinned out on 45th St. and only intermittent control will be required at following intersections where crossings will be made.

Then at 10 am - We Walk!

Walkers will proceed forward across Volker, veering to the left to continue on Rockhill using the West sidewalk to 51st Street. Walkers will turn right/West on 51st, using the North sidewalk to Cherry St. They will cross Cherry and go South/left on Cherry. At 52nd, the route turns west, utilizing the north sidewalk, to Oak Street. The course turns right on Oak and walkers, on the east sidewalk, will once again cross Volker and enter Theis Park, just north of Brush Creek, where the course ends.

From 45th St. they will turn right/South on Rockhill, using the West sidewalk to Volker Boulevard.

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SPORTS

Runner’s High PROFESSIONAL SPORTS WRESTLE WITH GROWING CANNABIS USAGE By Elliott Lee Scott Last year, writer Josiah Hesse made waves with the release of his book Runner’s High: How A Movement of Cannabis-Fueled Athletes is Changing the Science of Sports, a deep dive into the dizzying world of cannabis usage in professional and amateur sports, especially running. Since Hesse, a pro-cannabis investigative journalist, released Runner’s High in September 2021, the debate about whether cannabis should be a banned substance for elite athletes or a holistic alternative to opioids and other pain management medications has only intensified. In July 2021, U.S. sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson made headlines for a positive cannabis test. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) ultimately suspended her from the Summer Games in Tokyo. Only a few weeks ago, Richardson made headlines once again, as she called attention to the inconsistencies in her treatment versus that of Kamila Valieva, a young Russian figure skater. Although Valieva tested positive for a banned heart medication, she was allowed to compete in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and never received a suspension. In some ways, Runner’s High has never felt more timely; helping us break down the history of race and cannabis, and suggesting a way forward for athletes’ relationships to the substance. For example, Hesse references anecdotal evidence from retired or former professional athletes that suggest your favorite NFL or NBA star has used cannabis in some capacity—mostly for recovery and to avoid opioids. However, the book succeeds most when identifying the underlying political and societal factors that have brought us to this hotly contested topic. Harry Anslinger—an anti-drug crusader who was appointed the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in 1930—is arguably the reason cannabis remains a federally designated Schedule I drug, according to Hesse. His work, later championed by Presidents Nixon and Reagan, weaponized the issue for political power. The stigmatization of cannabis began as an anti-immigrant scare tactic, one which would grow to include the Black community and anti-war leftists in the 1960s and 1970s. Ad companies fueled the flames with the lazy stoner stereotype while cashing large checks from the tobacco and alcohol industries for decades.

THE PITCH | April 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

At first, I found it hard to believe the government would vilify or lionize a substance without any credible medical evidence. Then I remembered the hellscape we’re currently living in: a country steeped in systemic racism where a previous president promotes hydroxychloroquine and other government representatives seem open to using animal dewormers instead of an FDA-approved vaccine. It’s clear that demonizing cannabis and its users is the rule, not the exception. The racist and xenophobic claims of anti-cannabis campaigns have continued to shape policy and perception not only in our local neighborhoods but at the highest levels of athletics. For example, look at the drug guidelines of two leagues with a high number of white players: the NHL and MLB. In professional hockey, there’s no punishment for a positive test. High THC levels only result in treatment recommendations consistent with any substance abuse, like alcoholism. As of 2019, cannabis was removed from baseball’s list of banned items, putting it in the same category as alcohol. Conversely, the NFL and NBA, which traditionally have a higher percentage of Black players, have had some of the most stringent cannabis policies in professional sports. Only within the last year has the NFL made a significant change to its protocols, a result of the recent collective bargaining agreement between players and ownership. Although cannabis is still banned by the NBA, the league agreed to stop doing random drug tests in 2020. While this is hailed as progress by players and cannabis advocates, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) still considers cannabis an illegal performance-enhancing substance. Per their website, “WADA’s primary role is to develop, harmonize, and coordinate anti-doping rules and policies across all sports and countries.” Currently, they maintain multiple anti-doping partners, including dozens of sports and countries-specific federations involved in setting standards for the Olympics and Paralympics. It’s safe to say that until WADA reconsiders the role of cannabis in sports, athletes will continue to risk suspensions in international competitions like the Olympics. Runner’s High is passionate and insightful in its defense of cannabis and the

athletes who medically benefit from its use. The book also makes clear that the plant and its derivatives aren’t just for hippie ultrarunners living the “vanlife.” But the question Hesse can’t answer is also the one keeping the medical community wary. At this time, no double-blind placebo trials have been conducted in the United States. Without those studies, many doctors won’t speak to whether the rewards The author running in a race. Photo courtesy of Elliott Lee Scott

outweigh the risks of cannabis usage—especially the high-THC strains sold legally in some states. As more and more people utilize cannabis for its anti-inflammatory properties, the need for empirical, well-designed studies and expanded medical knowledge becomes increasingly urgent.

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Live Más TACO BELL CANTINA WELCOMES WESTPORT TO THE HOOBASTANK OF NIGHTCLUBS By Liz Cook In the abstract, there is nothing much wrong with the Taco Bell Cantina. Diversified Restaurant Group (DRG) opened the metro’s first edition of the popular Taco Bell spin-off this March with a clear value proposition: in addition to the standard Taco Bell menu, the Cantina would serve beer, wine, and alcoholic slushies. It would serve them until 3 a.m. every night of the week. It would not have a drive-through, because its upscale, clubby environment would encourage diners to linger. If Starbucks had reinvented the “third place,” the Taco Bell Cantina would represent the fourth—a place where every meal could be FourthMeal. As always, it’s in the concrete particulars where things go off the rails. Start with the location—the new Westley luxury apartment building at the corner of Westport and Broadway—which made the Cantina an instant flashpoint for debates about the changing character of Westport. It’s true that there’s not much “old” left in “Old Westport” these days. The Westley building is like every other “luxury apartment” complex constructed in the past five years, which is to say: ugly and named after a rich woman’s dog. The neighborhood has become a revolving door of hyper-specialized restaurants accelerated by encroaching regional (and national) chains, but I doubt we’ll ever stop eulogizing the Westport That Was. Sixty years from now, my robot grandchildren will be bitching about how the neighborhood used to be cool, and they will be talking about Johnny Kaw’s. My (seasoned) beef with the Taco Bell

THE PITCH | April 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

Cantina isn’t really about real estate. It’s that it’s just not much fun. The frozen drinks ($3.69; $8 with alcohol) come closest to delivering on the restaurant’s promise. Right now, the Cantina serves only two flavors of Twisted Freeze—Baja Blast and Margarita—but a Beach Berry Sangria machine is on the way. You can order either of the flavors with rum, tequila, or vodka, and they’re both pretty good; sweet, but not cloying. The worst thing about them is the color, which is designed to look good in a single state of matter. As my margarita slush melted, it transformed from a pleasant pale green to an unsettlingly saturated olive drab. Unfortunately, the restaurant isn’t a very welcoming place to drink them. The Cantina is loosely sports-themed, which means the bartenders are dressed like referees and the restaurant is lit up like a stadium. Cold LED screens—TVs, electronic menus, self-serve ordering kiosks—are tucked in every corner. The VIP booths, which any plebeian can sit in, are decorated with murals of football and baseball players that gesture toward the Royals and the Chiefs in Legally Distinct colors. Although designed by Taco Bell corporate, the murals were hand-painted by local artists Whitney Kerr, Mike Trujillo, Quinn Vraspier, and Chase Hunter. DRG Area Coach Sean McGuire tells me you can pay to reserve one of those VIP booths if you call ahead; you can even order bottle service. But does anyone really want to play nightclub at a fast food restaurant with worse mood lighting than the dressing room at Kohl’s? For all its modern touches, the Can-

tina seems designed to appeal to the cultural and political sensibilities of someone who entered a cryogenic chamber in 2005 and has only just woken up. On any given night, the dining room speakers might blare Hoobastank, Chris Brown, or Smash Mouth. The bar serves glitter shots on the weekends and advertised Irish Car Bombs for St. Patrick’s Day, unaware (or perhaps just unbothered) by the international controversy around the name, which gestures far too uncomfortably to the Troubles. The Cantina’s grand opening was “après-ski themed.” I don’t know what that means, either. The food, of course, is exactly what you’d expect: it’s Taco Bell. The only Cantina-exclusive menu item is just a super-sized version of an old one: the Grande Nachos ($6.49). You may be asking, “Does she mean Nachos Bell Grande?” I do not. I sneer, now, at the wan, baby-sized Nachos Bell Grande. The Grande Nachos are sized for lovers. According to a television screen over the register, they feature “twice the amount of seasoned beef.” The beef is very important. I tried to order my nachos with steak for an upcharge, but the kitchen ignored my request. The nachos arrived with seasoned beef—twice the amount. The Cantina knows best. Be forewarned: you can’t order the Grande Nachos online or (as of this writing) at the self-serve kiosk. Only the regular Nachos Bell Grande, with its Insufficient Beef. If you want the real thing, you’ll have to talk to someone at the front register. You can order alcohol there, too, but only if the person is wearing a referee shirt. You can also order alcohol at the kiosks, but it doesn’t seem to do anything; the bar doesn’t see the tickets. Are you confused yet? I am, too. On my first visit, I used the touch screen to pay for my meal as well as a Baja Blast Twisted Freeze. My food came out quickly, but my drink never arrived. After several minutes of waiting, I asked a bartender where I was supposed to pick it up. “What did you order?” she asked, then

TACO BELL CANTINA 4101 Broadway Blvd. (816) 648-0992 tacobell.com HOURS: Monday–Sunday 8-3 a.m. poured it for me without question. On my next visit, I paid for a cheap beer at the kiosk, and the same thing happened. I realized too late that I could have told her I had ordered anything. The key advantage of the self-service kiosks seems to be surfacing overlooked menu items and making customizations easier. On a touch screen, it’s easy to nix the sour cream or add a side of avocado ranch. That doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to get what you ordered. On one visit, I paid an extra $1.80 (a 100% upcharge) to sub in chicken on a taco that arrived with regular ol’ beef. Taco Bell seems very, very invested in getting me to eat more seasoned beef. On that same trip, a lactose intolerant friend ordered a taco without cheese and received one with it. Order mix-ups aren’t surprising in fast food, but the Taco Bell Cantina isn’t always fast. I waited 30 minutes for my food on that visit, even though several tables in the dining room were empty. That kind of wait would be forgivable at a full-service restaurant. Here, it feels like a prank. The food carries a slight upcharge relative to other Tacos Bell, and the margins are unpredictable. Some items, like the Crunchy Taco, are $0.20 more expensive at the Cantina; others, like the Cheesy Gordita Crunch, will cost you an extra $0.40. Call it a vibe tax. The vibe is, in fact, taxing. In an attempt to experience the Cantina in its fullest expression, I wandered in at midnight on a Saturday. DJ Ray Peña was spinning re-

Crowd favorite Taco Bell delicacies with plenty of seasoned beef. Photos by Zach Bauman

FOOD & DRINK

EAT THIS NOW | DRINK THIS NOW

The sports-themed mural on the interior of the Taco

The Bread Sticks Fully Clothed

Bell Cantina. Photo by Zach Bauman

cords, wearing a t-shirt that read “sarcasm: just one of many services I offer.” His music choices, like the Cantina itself, seemed tailored to millennial nostalgia: Nelly’s “Country Grammar,” Lou Bega’s “Mambo No. 5.” A policeman named “Officer Sprinkle” idled in the corner. The lights hadn’t dimmed; the restaurant still looked like the inside of a tanning bed. A couple customers were dancing, but most people just looked bored. I weaved my way toward the back of the restaurant to observe a line that had formed outside of the single-stall men’s restroom. Minutes passed, and the line grew restless. Eventually, three women emerged, unapologetic and reeking of marijuana. I liked them immediately. They alone seemed to understand what Taco Bell was for. For once, my food came out right away. The $2 Chipotle Ranch Grilled Chicken Burrito (from the Cravings Value Menu) was the best thing I ate across all of my visits (and the same price here as any Taco Bell). The tortilla was nicely browned, the burrito held its shape, and the chipotle ranch drizzle swaddled the filling in a sin-eating blanket of fat and heat. I could eat 100 more of these—especially if the employees let me smoke a joint in the bathroom. I doubt I’ll have trouble meeting my goal. DRG has 67 metro Tacos Bell in their portfolio; they can’t throw me out of all of them. Plus, McGuire tells me Westport might not be the only KC Cantina for long. “We are actively looking at sites to potentially open a second Cantina,” he says. The company’s always expanding; a rolling stone gathers no más. Wherever that second Cantina winds up, it’s likely to succeed. For all my complaints about the restaurant’s execution, it’s undeniably popular. As for what it’s adding to Westport? A 3 a.m. bar for Mondays, I suppose. That, and a Taco Bell.

THEPITCHKC.COM

at Buffalo State Pizza Co.

BY APRIL FLEMING

g ro wn b y h a n d

Buffalo State Pizza Co. 1815 Wyandotte St., Kansas City, MO 64108, (816) 442-7441 Buffalo State Pizza Co. 7901 Santa Fe Dr., Overland Park, KS 66204, (913) 648-1313

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than one person, it feels like you’ve stumbled on a secret or found a glitch in the matrix. It’s even harder to find things like this in the Crossroads, where a couple of tacos cost as much as I would spend on food in a week when I was in college. One such deal can be found at the highly underrated Buffalo State Pizza Co.—the friendlier, we-like-to-pay-our-staff incarnation of Papa Keno’s. Their “fully clothed” breadsticks consist of three large helpings topped with roasted garlic and mozzarella cheese that are then served with a generous cup of their house-made marinara. These aren’t just any breadsticks, because what you get for $6.50 is basically a fluffy 12-inch pizza. What’s more—if you show up during happy hour, it’s half price. Meaning, if you time it right, you can get a pizza and beer for less than you would have paid 20 years ago. It feels like cheating time itself, and we thank Buffalo State Pizza Co. for letting us step out like that.

Fig-Mint of Your Imagination

at Chicken N Pickle BY APRIL FLEMING

Chicken N Pickle 1761 Burlington St., North Kansas City, MO 64116, (816) 537-1400 Chicken N Pickle 5901 W. 135th St., Overland Park, KS, (913) 703-5950

For a place whose square footage is occupied as

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much with pickleball courts and giant Jenga as it is with seating, the food at Chicken N Pickle is far better than it has any right (or need) to be. If you’ve tried its open-fire roasted whole chickens—made with locally and ethically raised chickens and served on Yoli tortillas with fresh salsas—you know what I mean. The same also goes for the cocktails. The place feels like one where you’d be perfectly at home with a Bud Heavy. You can be if you like, but the staff at Chicken N Pickle offers a wide variety of daily fresh-squeezed juice in their cocktails, in addition to garnishes and ingredients you might not expect. Try the Fig-Mint of Your Imagination cocktail. In a glass rimmed with tangy Tajín (a heaven-sent blend of chili, lime, and salt), a delightfully smooth and spicy sip awaits with a kiss of sweetness from fresh pineapple. Prior to being poured into the glass, the cocktail is shaken to a froth. The resulting drink is balanced with the Una Vida CNP, Domaine de Canton, and fruity mixers wonderfully integrated. But the real star of the cocktail is the mint, which recieves a few “slaps,” more akin to a spanking, at the hand of the bartender in order to activate the leaf’s flavor and aroma before being stirred in. You get a drink and a show for just $11, which is extra sweet to us. THE PITCH | April 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

FILM

Struggle Session AFTER SEVEN YEARS IN PRODUCTION, LOTAWANA FINALLY HITS SCREENS By Abby Olcese “How long does it take to make a movie?” Trevor Hawkins says he was 28 years old when he asked his wife, Cori Jo, that fateful question. “When I was in my 20s, I decided I wanted to be in production on my first feature by 30,” he explains. Hawkins had been working in video production for a few years in the Kansas City area and decided the time was right to get started on his own project. All he needed was a script. And a cast. And a production team. And everything else. So, how long does it take to make a movie? In the case of Hawkins’ debut feature, Lotawana, the answer is seven years. Seven years, three lead actresses, a shoestring budget funded by the Hawkins’ second mortgage, and a bare-bones group of dedicated filmmakers. That group includes Hawkins’ filmmaking partner, Nathan Kincaid, who has an assistant director credit on the movie, as well as Cori Jo as a co-producer. “He pitched me the idea first of all,” Kincaid recalls. “It was on the upper level of City Market Coffeehouse. He had this idea of showing the roller coaster ride of a new romantic relationship. He wanted to track the ebbs and flows, and put it in a lake setting.” Kincaid’s first piece of advice was to

write a script. “He told me, ‘Okay genius, if you want to make a movie, the first thing you need is a script,’” Hawkins remembers. “I Googled ‘how to write a script,’ presented it to Nathan and said, ‘All right, here we go.’ Then we were off to the races.” Shot primarily on Lake Lotawana and Lake Jacomo, Lotawana tells the story of

Forrest (Todd Blubaugh), an idealistic Thoreau-type who lives on his boat year-round in an effort to disconnect from the rat race. Eventually, Forrest meets the free-spirited Everly (Nicola Collie), and the two fall in love. Everly joins Forrest on the boat, but the pressures of the real world gradually threaten the idyllic life they’ve created. Hawkins says one of his goals was to

showcase a side of the state that most studio-produced TV shows and films don’t capture. “Missouri, in movies, is often portrayed as an armpit of the United States, where it’s got a rural, scuzzy vibe,” Hawkins says. “I know that’s not true for most of us who live here. It honestly felt like a privilege to be able to show Missouri in a beautiful, natural light that exists here for us all the time.” Another inspiration, immediately noticeable from Lotawana’s gorgeous, naturally-lit cinematography, is Terrence Malick—the director behind Days of Heaven and The Tree of Life. “You could say Lotawana is, stylistically, either a love letter to Malick or a straight ripoff of Malick,” Hawkins says. Like Malick, Hawkins prioritized shooting the film with as little artificial light as possible—partly to capture the beauty of the setting and partly, he says, to save money. “There were maybe two or three scenes where we shot at night, and we used a little extra light to give us some pop in the dark,” he says. That move was the right one to create Lotawana’s dreamy atmosphere, but it also took a lot of planning and time to execute. Kincaid says that to schedule scenes around the light he and Hawkins created a color-coded board, where each scene was

FILM Left: Trevor Hawkins filming and Ryan Pinkston running sound on Todd Bluagh and Nicola Collie Photo by Nathan Kincaid. Bottom Left: Some of the cast and crew for Lotawana’s winter scenes. Photo by Matthew Lloyd. Right: Lotawana’s cast and crew doing a Q&A. Photo by Joshua Hoffine

“It honestly felt like a privilege to be able to show Missouri in a beautiful, natural light that exists here for us all the time.”

designated by the necessary sunlight and time of year. “There wasn’t a single day of shooting where we didn’t shoot at sunset,” Kincaid says. “If the weather was giving us a different kind of day, we’d shuffle stuff around to better capture what nature was providing.” Another issue the scattered shooting schedule created was actor availability. Hawkins, Kincaid, and their crew went through two different lead actresses before lead actor Blubaugh suggested Collie, who he’d interacted with online. “I’d say she took a chance on us more than we took a chance on her,” Kincaid says. “She was legitimately the best that auditioned, but she had to take a risk by coming here from New York and not knowing any of us.” Neither Collie nor Blubaugh had much acting experience prior to making Lotawana, but their performances feel natural and lived-in. It helps that the pair had actual chemistry. They’d never met before but fell in love while making the film and later married. “That’s why it works—because they were really into each other,” Hawkins says, laughing. “As you watch them fall in love onscreen, you’re seeing them fall in love in real-time.” Kincaid says the leads’ offscreen romance wasn’t the only hidden blessing in Lotawana’s long production. Between the start of filming and the movie’s eventual release, shifting distribution models meant the finished product could more easily be shared with audiences. “When we started, streaming wasn’t a viable option. Now we’re seeing a distribution revolution,” Kincaid says. Currently, Lotawana is available to

stream on Amazon, Google Play, Apple TV, and Vudu. Kincaid notes, however, that some of their audiences are still hitting up theaters to watch the film. “We had someone with a sailing club call up Screenland Armour and ask if they could rent out the theater to watch Lotawana,” he says. Hawkins describes the whole experience as “essentially my film school,” from learning how to write a script, to planning scenes, to the editing and post-production process. “I’d never made a movie this long before,” he says. “I had no idea how to pace out a story that wouldn’t be incredibly boring.” The initial cut of Lotawana was four hours, and Hawkins says he spent an agonizing amount of time whittling the movie down to its current 97-minute runtime. “I think this is the most efficient version of the movie there’s been yet. It took me years to learn all that,” Hawkins says. “What I thought was interesting wasn’t always interesting. I had all these scenes about lake life that didn’t really progress the story at all. I had to learn to kill some darlings.” Wherever their careers take them next, Hawkins and Kincaid say they both plan to keep working locally, with the support

of the Kansas City audiences and the film community. “We’re committing our lives to being Missouri filmmakers,” Kincaid says. “Based on how Lotawana performs, it’ll help us make the next movie. We want as many people as possible to see it, and have people in Kansas City know that this is something they can get behind.” Hawkins and Kincaid are already in development on their next film, currently named Lunker, which they say is a significant departure from Lotawana’s natural lyricism. “It’s a dark comedy horror film set within the competitive largemouth bass fishing culture of the 1970s,” Hawkins explains. “It’s gonna be like a 90-minute ‘70s beer commercial,” Kincaid adds. It’s been a long road to realize the dream of Lotawana, but Kincaid says he’s proud of what he, Hawkins, and their collaborators have created. “In the movie, Forrest talks about having a life worth living that you struggle for, and that’s us,” Kincaid says. “We all made personal and career sacrifices to make this movie. I loved being able to step back and realize that we communicated some of ourselves through the movie.”

STOP WONDERING. GET YOURSELF TESTED. Schedule online for STD testing and treatment: ppgreatplains.org THE PITCH | April 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

MUSIC

Gaslight My Fire THE CREEPY JINGLES TAKE A HIGH DIVE ON DEBUT ALBUM By Nick Spacek Three years ago, Kansas City garage rockers The Creepy Jingles released its self-titled debut EP with local label High Dive Records. In the intervening time, the band has become a staple of live shows around the region, playing on bills with artists as disparate as rapper Cuee and country singer-songwriter Jenna Rae. They even opened the release show for Frogpond’s comeback album, TimeThief. Now, The Creepy Jingles have put out its debut full-length album, entitled Take Me at My Wordplay, also on High Dive, and it’s a massive step forward from the band’s first recordings. Both the band—Nick Robertson on drums, Travis McKenzie on guitar, and Andrew Woody on bass guitar—and frontwoman singer-songwriter Jocelyn Olivia Nixon’s music and lyrics sound bigger and more confident. It’s a fascinating release, and as suits such a big step forward, dipping into full-blown psychedelia and country-tinged songs when the mood suits them. We reached out to Nixon to do a track-by-track breakdown of Take Me at My Wordplay.

The Pitch: Your song titles show off your love of portmanteaus. Is also making the album title a portmanteau your way of letting people know what they’re in for right from the start? Jocelyn Olivia Nixon: It’s a meta joke about how people get hung up on my song titles and sometimes miss the actual words in the songs. I’m poking fun at perspective and perception in general by arguing that, depending on where you are standing, you might only see things from one particular angle. Sometimes it’s sincerity and sometimes it’s satire. I’d hate to really define anything because that doesn’t leave much room for someone else’s opinion—or even my own to change. If we are being honest about the nature of truth, it has a very fluid quality to it. We all have our own definitions for these words, but they are constantly shifting, evolving, and becoming. What was pain in my past is now comedy. What was once weakness is now strength. People, places, and things I once thought true now look like immature bullshit to me. The album, in general, is an effort to evolve, show more of what we can do, and keep people guessing. The album starts with pop songs and grows progressively darker, weirder, and more eclectic as you go on.

Conundrum and Bass Using this as the album opener really

shows that The Creepy Jingles have grown since the release of the selftitled EP, but it’s catchy and loaded with harmonies, just like always. Have you been frustrated with the perception of your band? Don’t judge a book by its cover lest ye be

THE PITCH | April 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

judged. It’s only frustrating in the sense of being limited or confined as just a rock/punk band. I’ve always thought of us as a pop band who can be a little noisy from time to time. People have to classify things in order to explain them and when we have limited information, we use association. However someone defines it, I just hope they dig it. The first EP was intended to be lo-fi and very from the hip. We did it in 3-4 days. It was always a plan to start smaller to give us someplace to go in time. I definitely am wanting to build towards a bigger story with the band as a whole. I’m a songwriter first and foremost, and I’ve been honing my craft for nearly two decades—writing whatever strikes my fancy, genre and/or theme-wise. My creative process is left to whimsy, so I’m not consciously trying to do one particular sound. This song kicking off the record is a proclamation of what’s to come, and a nice bridge from the rock and roll of the verses into something a bit grander and nuanced.

Trojan Horse Girl Putting this out as the first single seems very appropriate. It feels as though the lyrical content is intensely personal, but also accompanied by a monster-movie video. What made you want “Trojan Horse Girl” to be the first thing folks heard off Take Me at My Wordplay? Is it a kind of Trojan horse in and of itself?

Yes, very much so—get you in the house and lock the door. The video mirrored that theme, as in what appears sweet and innocent is actually pretty sinister. Lyrically, it definitely came from a personal experience about being deeply hurt by someone I loved and trusted. It was an agonizing and eye-opening experience—having the carpet pulled right out from underneath you.

LISTEN UP

The Creepy Jingles’ debut fulllength, Take Me at My Wordplay, is out now on vinyl and available digitally from High Dive Records.

The Creepy Jingles. Standing (L to R): Travis McKenzie, Andrew Woody, and Nick Robertson. Seated: Jocelyn Olivia Nixon. Photo by Quinn Hernandez

Working through it all, I began to recognize and examine the hypocrisy within myself, and the pain that I had caused others with my own actions. We are all on our own path and have our own unique set of circumstances and challenges to learn from and overcome. There’s no wrong way to eat a Reese’s and all that. Musically, it was a defining moment for us as a group. For me in terms of identifying how to write a “Creepy Jingles Song” by keeping in mind space for the guys, and leaning into everyone’s strengths. I think we all individually and collectively shine here, smashing the champagne over the bow on our new vessel and setting sail towards the new adventure.

Nicotine Mom This is one of those songs where even

the guitars feel like they’re playing percussion. Was the idea for the song to mimic the stop-and-start, lurching nature of a bad relationship? I do believe my feelings work their way into influencing how I’m composing a melody and accompanying myself with guitar or piano on a subconscious level. I did know what this song was from the jump. It’s about loving someone that can’t love you back. I had a bad habit in the past of falling for unavailable people and acting stupidly surprised when it didn’t work out—just wasting my time trying to fix people who didn’t want help. They just needed someone to take advantage of. It definitely smartened me up as to what I felt I deserved out of myself and relationships with others, and how to navigate those moving forward.

Working Class Clown This song is about a relationship of different sorts: Capitalism. How has balancing musical goals and day jobs impacted the band over the last few years? Juggling these two opposing worlds seems to remain a constant, unfortunately—working a full-time job to take care of my individual needs all while trying to continuously create and lead the band forward somehow. I end up getting worn out and run down at times because I always throw all of myself fully into whatever I’m doing. This song is about trying to balance all these spinning plates within life, career, love, and finance, and attempting to find some sort of harmony with it all. It’s about growing up, knowing your value, and demanding some fucking respect for what you bring to the table.

Fall of the Cabal Cardinal Gaslight My Fire You said earlier, “The album starts with Game Cinnabon pop songs and grows progressively What is it like to write a legit protest What about recording this album allowed darker, weirder, and more eclectic as you song?

I have an endless wellspring of venom for bureaucrats and the few making decisions for the many. The majority of us are disenfranchised by a system that was built to fail us. Being a trans woman, I’m angry and disgusted by far-right-wing conservatives who are exploiting their power and pushing their hateful rhetoric. They spread ignorance with the agenda of misinformation and fear, from the mouths of paid-off political pundits, to create legislation designed to control women’s bodies, harm our LGBTQIA/ trans youth, punish the families that support them and the doctors who are trying to save their lives—all in an attempt to weaponize identity and profit off destroying lives. It really gets me seething, so this gives me an opportunity to fight back and get a few of my own licks in against the bullies.

Breaking the Fourth Walmart This is full “psychedelic, baby!” and there are lyrics about the devil. As much as The Creepy Jingles have been called a garage band, this is a full-on ‘60s moment. What were you drawing from here?

I had the tune for a while but hadn’t really tried to tackle the words until one morning, a friend called and told me about this crazy dream he had about teenagers drawing magic sigils that opened portals. My friend seemed pretty shaken up as he was relaying these bizarre images to me. I felt possessed by it, as well—almost like a virus that was being spread by word of mouth. It really got stuck in my crawl space. I started drawing parallels between the rise of meme culture with myths, legend, and folklore. I believe it was also heavily influenced by Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles, so it ended up having this occult graphic novel backdrop. There’s keen patience and thoughtfulness with how Nick and Andrew are slowly building to the climax while Travis came up with the radical tornado sound from him experimenting with his rainbow machine pedal. We kept egging him on to make it crazier and I think it’s the perfect landscape for the weirdest song on the record.

you all to branch out and add in these extra touches, like the piano hidden in the background of this track?

This song was actually written on piano from the start. I just started doing this tumbling, rolling thunder thing, hammering on the keys. I was trying my hand at a song with the full-throttled intensity of something in the vein of “Helter Skelter,” and this is what came out. We wanted a bigger sound to match a bigger goal and we’ve grown tremendously as a live band over the last few years together. We wanted to continue to challenge ourselves and raise that bar. Then, throw in the fact that we were working with a brilliant audio engineer in Zack Hames, who understood what we were going for. He was kind enough to drag his whole studio to a lake house cabin we rented in the Ozarks during a frozen November. These things naturally coalesced into the perfect atmosphere which freed us up to feel comfortable experimenting with new ideas, which led us to create something special together.

Enochian Hymn and Her The title and the lyrics are very much

of “one perspective” here. What was your religious upbringing, and how has it contributed to the music you’ve made? The whole “love and light from the sun” part could easily be an actual choral piece. Growing up, my parents were elders at a Christian non-denominational church. I stopped going around my sophomore year of high school for a variety of reasons. I just felt like I wasn’t one of them. At that age, I was still burying who I was and I felt very at odds with the [sterility] of the environment. I didn’t understand the tithing, tax breaks, and shame associated with religion. I think the biggest takeaway from that experience, and the influence on my art, was from the Biblical horror imagery spun in the Book of Revelation. It spooked me and kept me riveted in curious terror. So, I found it to be insane that this conclusion of the New Testament was so radically different in tone from everything else in the Bible. What a strange way to end a story. I still find it to be quite fascinating to this day. Because of it, I rally against the peer pressure of touching hot stoves. I won’t do it, so don’t bother burning your dare.

go on.” A song that starts off with “Lacey where’s your vape pen?” seems to prove that. This feels like a real-life event turned into song. That line in particular was just me blocking out the first words that came to mind. But I liked the flow of it and it ended up sticking. It kind of informed where I could go with the idea of lamenting with a friend about a world that troubles you, and wanting to escape it. When the fast part of the song slams in, it’s about what’s driving that stress— which, again, touches on all the huddled bullies out there who drag the reputation of the individual simply because they stand out from the crowd or have a dissenting opinion/perspective from the rest of the flock. It’s a narrative about the black sheep and how being unique is seen as dangerous and threatening to those who can’t help but blend into the crowd.

Tabooed Out of the Building There’s a theory we’ve long held that

every local band, regardless of genre, has one good twangy song in them. Given the longtime conservatism of country music the last 30 years or so, how satisfying is it to make it a little weird again? I’m probably not the first person you’d think of when it comes to country music, but I’m earnestly trying to honor and pay homage towards the legacy of great songwriters such as Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, and Johnny Cash. Artists like Lil Nas X and Orville Peck have already smashed that glass ceiling when it comes to tackling the genre, so I’m appreciative that they’ve paved the way for other queer creators to be accepted by that audience.

Saved by The Bell Jar This title might be the most ironic piece

of portmanteau on the whole album, but it seems like you’re more of a Dorothy Parker fan than Sylvia Plath. What are your literary influences? Dorothy Parker is definitely more my speed, but I would say my favorite writers are Dante Alighieri, H.P. Lovecraft, Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll, Rimbaud, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Bob Dylan, Jack Handey, Steve Martin, Douglas Adams, and John Kennedy Toole. THE PITCH | April 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

Courtesy 21st Century Artists

Iliza Shlesinger. Photo courtesy of Netflix

April 8

Iliza Shlesinger Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland

Months away from taping her sixth Netflix comedy special, comedian, actor, writer, author, and producer Iliza Shlesinger is bringing a night of laughs to Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland April 8. Shlesinger has more than comedy specials under her belt—an actress and an author, she’s funny on every form of media. Her comedy night at Arvest Bank Theatre will be the latest stop in her Back in Action tour. The show kicks off at 7:00 p.m., with tickets starting at $35.

APRIL CALENDAR

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

Ongoing Events April 1-3, 6-10 Stevie: Signed, Sealed, and Delivered, Musical Theater Heritage

April 6 Trivia Blitz, Flying Horse Taproom MINISTRY’s the Industrial Strength Tour, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland

April 7

April 12-14

ABBA: The Concert— A Tribute To ABBA Helzberg Hall

Arguably the closest you’ll ever get to an actual ABBA show, ABBA: The Concert—A Tribute to ABBA comes to Kansas City to perform the everlasting pop hits of the 1974 Eurovision-winning band. Over the course of three nights visitors of the show can expect to sing and dance along to the Swedish band’s sensational hits including “Dancing Queen,” “Chiqiquita,” “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme,” and more. “Mamma Mia,” this event “Waterloo”ks to be a night to remember!

April 9

April 13

The Greeting Committee, Uptown Theater Eat Local and Organic Expo, Johnson County Community College Girl Talk with Hugh Augustine, The Truman IGE Presents: Steddy P w/ Winner’s Circle, Cuee, Jet Morgan, and Guests, The Bottleneck

HEELS with Tina Jane Rojas, The Crossroads Hotel Erin Coburn, Knuckleheads Saloon

April 10

Single Day Events

Book Munch After Hours, Red Crow Brewing Company Royals Home Opener Tailgate with KC Crew, Kauffman Stadium Alaturka, The Ship Kenny Wayne Shepher, Uptown Theater

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Kauffman Performing Arts Center Trapped in Wonderland, Tim Murphy Art Gallery Vox Vineyards Wine Run, Vox Vineyards Claudia Oshry: Not Like Other Girls, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland

April 4

April 8

April 11

Jeff Shirley Organ Trio, The Green Lady Lounge Extreme Music Bingo, Bar K Dog Bar

Neil Berg’s 50 Years of Rock ‘N’ Roll, Midwest Trust Center Mixology Class - Build Your Own Sangria, Weston Wine Company Patio Goofs, The Mockingbird Lounge

Ata Kak, The Bottleneck Electric Six and Wonderfuzz, recordBar Ata Kek, The Bottleneck

April 12-17 An Officer and a Gentleman, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

April 5 Nature Roars Back with Bob Pool, Wildlife Filmmaker, Kauffman Center for Performing Arts Struggle Jennings, The Bottleneck The Talbott Brothers and Evan Bartels, recordBar

THE PITCH | April 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

April 12 Joyce Didonato’s Eden, The Folly Theater Pedro the Lion, recordBar EST Gee, The Granada Kyle: I Miss U Tour, The Bottleneck

April 14 The House Rockers, Knuckleheads Saloon Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Midwest Trust Center Wade Bowen, The Granada Aly & AJ, The Truman

April 15 Killer Queen and The Jack, A Queen Tribute, Aztec Shawnee Theater Guy Torry, Improv Comedy Club Friday Night Sound Bites, Lenexa Public Market

April 16 Testicle Festival, Weston Burley House Inc. “Game Over” Dinner Detective Party, Crowne Plaza The GRAMMY-winning Kansas City Chorale: Spring Song, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art An Evening with Eliane Elias, The Folly Theater

Graphic courtesy of RAW Storytelling

Pinegrove. Photo courtesy of the band

April 19

April 25

Pinegrove

RAW Storytelling

New Jersey rock foursome Pinegrove is Kansas City-bound, plotting to bring a mixture of chill grooves and fast-paced anthems to The Granada. Lead singer Evan Stephens Hall’s vocals ride a fine line between country and punk rock, making for a sound that complements the group’s desire to jump between speeds. Tracks like “Alaska” are sure to turn up the heat with heart-pounding bass drum kicks, while fan favorites like “Old Friends” will let the Granada crowd breathe. Of course, Pinegrove will surely save more than enough time to highlight their January 2022 record, 11:11. Tickets to the rock show start at $22. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. with the band beginning at 8:00 p.m.

Everybody can take the stage to tell any story they think is worth sharing at RAW Storytelling. The Black Box is hosting the series for seasoned storytellers and newbies alike, promising open-mindedness as people share their seven-minute stories. Even the shyest of storytellers will be welcome in this environment—those stories are usually the best anyway. RAW Storytelling is a free, 21+ event. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

The Granada

Black Box Theater

April 17

April 22

April 26

Easter Sunday Service with A.J. Gaither, Border Brewing Company The Matchsellers 4-Piece, Stockyards Brewing Tarot Card Readings, Weston Wine Company

LP and Nick Leng, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland Johnny Swim and Katelyn Tarver, The Truman Together Pangea, The Bottleneck Deann w/ Special Musical Guests, Knuckleheads Saloon

Amos Lee with Jenson McRae, Uptown Theater Luna Luna, The Bottleneck Marcott and Lauren Scott, recordBar

April 18 Open Studio Night, Images Art Gallery Local H, recordBar

Disclosure and DJ Boring, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland The Queen’s Cartoonists, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Beast in Black, The Granada

KU Percussion Group with Jason Treuting, Lied Center Lorna Kay’s One Night Stand, The Ship

Kathleen Madigan, Do You Have Any Ranch Tour, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland Chelsea Handler, Vaccinated and Horny, Uptown Theater Lil Tecca, The Granada No Cap Comedy Tour, Cable Dahmer Arena

April 20

April 24

April 29

Noe Palma, Iron Horse Bar and Grill Igor and the Red Elvises, Knuckleheads Saloon

Chelsea Handler 2nd Night, Vaccinated and Horny, Uptown Theater Key Glock, The Granada The Black Creatures / Saving Miles Lemon / North by North / Quite Frankly, recordBar Ashlynne Grey, Broder Brewing Company

Don McLean, Uptown Theater Alec Benjamin and Sara Kays, The Truman Club Eat, The Bottleneck Nicki White, Strang Hall

April 19

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

April 23

April 27

April 21 My Brother, My Brother and Me, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland The Drowsy Chaperone, The Goppert Theatre at Avila University Josh Abbott Band, The Granada Black Tiger Sex Machine, The Truman

April 25 Stevie Stone, recordBar 5 Course Dinner Curated by Chef Brett Dehart, Strang Hall

April 28 Johnny Goth, Uptown Theater Ohgeesy, The Bottleneck

April 30 Leon Bridges, Uptown Theater Girls Gotta Eat, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland Tosca, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

THE PITCH | April 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

Photo by Nicole Bissey. Illustrations by Shelby Phelps

THE PITCH SEX & LOVE KEEP THEM COMING

I SMELL SEX AND CANNABIS WITH ASHLEY MANTA, THE CANNASEXUAL The medical accuracy of this article has been confirmed by Dr. Jenny Wilkerson, a cannabinoid expert and Assistant Professor at Texas Tech. Always get proper medical advice before beginning a cannabis regimen.

In my 20s, I found that cannabis made sex more erotic for me—definitely a pleasant discovery. I was able to get out of my head, simply focus on the experience I was having, and unleash my orgasm way easier. By the time I was around 35, I had a group of friends whose consensus was that sex is often better when paired with cannabis. There’s even research from the National Library of Medicine showing that women have two times higher odds of reporting a satisfactory orgasm if they use cannabis before sex. As a coach, I’ve been advocating for weed lubes to my clients for a few years. It wasn’t until 2020 that I started taking my own advice, as I had my own medical issue that created this sensation of “hitting a brick wall” where I felt so tight during penetration that it caused pain. I immediately got my partner and myself two kinds of CBD lube: one water-based and one coconut oil-based. I was lucky I knew of potential remedies because of my work, but I only had a rudimentary understanding of why these reme-

THE PITCH | April 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

dies did the trick. I wanted more answers, so I reached out to Ashley Manta, better known as The CannaSexual. Manta wrote a book called Merry Jane’s The CBD Solution: Sex: How Cannabis, CBD, and Other Plant Allies Can Improve Your Everyday Life in 2020. She also co-founded the Sex and Cannabis Professional Alliance, a group dedicated to education and destigmatization of the pairing. Manta has been a Sex Educator for over 15 years. When she moved to California and had access to medical cannabis, it was surprisingly helpful for her on several levels. “I personally am a trauma survivor, and I’ve had pain with penetration my entire adult life. No one was ever able to help me. Most doctors kind of shrugged. The quasi-helpful ones were like, ‘Well, you know, lots of foreplay.’ One actually suggested lidocaine. I was like, wow, that’s horrifying,” says Manta. “Yeah, just numb your pussy. You’ll be fine, right?” I quipped. “You don’t need to feel anything,” she chimed in sarcastically. Manta and I chuckled sadly together, knowing all too well this doctor is not the only one making such a suggestion. In 2014, Manta used a coconut oil-based lube infused with THC for the first time. “I tried it and had a remarkable experi-

ence of not experiencing pain with penetration for the first time in my adult life. And I was like, holy shit!” She knew she needed to educate others about its benefits. When Manta started advocating for pairing cannabis with sex, she received plenty of pushback. “[A lot of people told me,] ‘No, one’s going to take you seriously if you talk about weed,’” she recalled. While we know some people don’t agree with us openly advocating for THC’s use during sex, the tides are clearly turning: 37 states have legalized medical use of cannabis, and 18 have legalized recreational use. Manta says that cannabis can help people who feel disconnected from their bodies. “[It’s good for people who are] not able to discern sensations easily, because we all walk around dissociated most of the time, because we live in a capitalist Hellscape,” she says. Agreed. “We live in this hustle culture, so having something that physiologically and psychologically slows you down, so you can go, ‘Oh, that’s right. I do have a body. Huh? What does that body want and need right now?’ That’s really the miracle of cannabis in my opinion.” So how does this all work? “THC and CBD are both cannabinoids that are compounds that exist in the plant,” says Manta. “CBD is what my friend Chelsea [one of the SCPA co-founders] calls a ‘slutty cannabinoid’. It has weak action at a number of superficial receptors.” Manta says she finds it humorous how popular CBD got simply because of state law loopholes. If you’re in a state where THC is not legal (sorry, Kansas), you can certainly use CBD alone. But Manta will tell you that THC in combination with CBD is even better. I was curious about the science behind this, so I reached out to Dr. Jenny Wilkerson, a cannabinoid scientist and Assistant Professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. She confirmed that cannabinoids working in concert with one another is a process called the “entourage effect.” “The therapeutic dosing of a cannabinoid may be enhanced by combining it with other cannabinoids, while also decreasing any side effect profile,” says Wilkerson. She also explained THC is a vasodilator that increases blood flow and, lo and behold, you need increased blood flow to your genitals to experience pleasure. THC also has anti-inflammatory effects and blocks pain receptors, allowing more pleasure-based receptors to activate. The first medical dispensary opened in Missouri October 2020. A lot of residents are still learning about cannabis’ use as medicine. Others are simply ecstatic their favorite plant is more accessible with less legal worries. No matter what kind of cannabis consumer you are, most people still don’t know

how to use it to enhance sexual pleasure. As Manta explained, part of the whole CannaSexual ethos is mindfully combining sex and cannabis. This includes having conversations about consent with your partner(s) before you consume, where you discuss what’s on the table or not—aka establishing boundaries. “You can’t just smoke some mystery joint and hope for the best,” she says. Adding cannabis to your sex life takes intentionality. Manta gave some basics for the newbies: First, more THC is not better. “Really, for sex especially, you want to stay between 10 and 20% THC, right around 15% as a solid sweet spot,” says Manta. She recommended ratios of five THC to two CBD for folks wanting a more subtle relaxation effect: “That’s going to work out well for people who are newer, who don’t want to get stoned off their asses.” Manta also had some words of wisdom when it comes to selecting your strain, the two main cannabis plants being sativas and indicas. “Do not buy into the idea that sativas are buzzy and indicas are sleepy. It is not only false, that would be like saying red wine makes you hyper and white wine makes you sleepy. Like, that’s not how that works.” If you want to figure out what works for you, purchase a gram or a pre-rolled joint, and smoke a little bit. Wait for it to kick in, then masturbate and see how you feel. “See what goes on in your body, then write it down,” Manta advised. “‘Cause THC is terrible for short-term memories. So you’re not going to remember shit.” Also, don’t focus on the strain name as much as the grower or dispensary. Blue Dream from one dispensary won’t be the exact same as it is from another retailer—or even your own plants. When you log what you smoked, note where you got it, too. Basically, you’ve got to find what works for your own body. “I get it all the time from journalists asking, ‘What’s the best strain for sex?’ I’m like, I don’t know. What’s the best sex toy to get off?” Manta says. And there it is. One strain won’t work for all people and all purposes. What makes me relaxed and ready to receive pleasure may make someone else feel the opposite. I’m looking forward to running an experiment by buying different strains from different dispensaries and then having pleasure sessions. It’s such a hard way to spend my time, just getting high and cumming to figure out what weed works best for me. It’s no longer procrastibating if you’re doing it for science, right? You can find Kristen @OpenTheDoorsKC on Twitter or openthedoorscoaching.com. Check out her podcast Keep Them Coming.

THE PITCH SEX & LOVE SAVAGE LOVE

DILDO DILATION AND GRÅTRUNKA Dear Dan: I have a problem. (How’s that for an opener?) I’m a 60-something cis woman with a 30-something cis man lover. The problem is my vagina is extremely tight. Also, sometimes I bleed a little bit after PIV [penis in vagina sex], and then urinating burns, but only briefly. We are only able to hook-up about every other week, so frequency isn’t going to “stretch me out.” I had previously been diagnosed with vaginal atrophy, which for many women can result in pain during PIV intercourse. We’ve been using Uberlube with silicone, which has helped, but it still gets painful. Any suggestions? I’ve been on an estradiol vaginal insert for three months, which helps my overall dryness, but not PIV so much, although he has said I feel softer inside. I could really use some help because as much as I love having sex with him, I’m going to have to pause PIV altogether due to my discomfort. I also will say that before him it had been 17 years since I’d had sex. I find this embarrassing to admit, but it may be information that will help you answer my questions. —Age-Gap Enhancing Intense Sexual Treats Dear AGEIST: “Vaginal atrophy is very common in women and people with vaginas, and it can make not just PIV, but any type of penetration painful,” said Dr. Lori Brotto, a clinical psychologist, author, and sex researcher at the University of British Columbia. “And while Uberlube is a fantastic external lubricant that makes sex more comfortable, it does nothing to moisturize the vagina.” Dr. Brotto says your hunch—that more frequent penetration might help—is correct, but you don’t have to wait for your lover to return to experience it. “There are well-known advantages to regular vaginal dilation for people who have not had penetration in a long time,” said Dr. Brotto. “So, I would recommend that in be-

tween the times AGEIST has sex with her partner, she uses a dilator—or uses a dildo— to engage in solo vaginal penetration. She should do it at least once per week, with copious amounts of lubricant, and use it while fantasizing or enjoying erotica to stimulate her mind’s arousal.” You don’t have to simulate fucking with a dilator or a dildo; instead, gently insert the lubed-up dilator, remember to breathe, and then—once it’s all the way in—read some erotica or watch some porn. If you’re feeling it, masturbate to climax. When you’re with your lover, do the same but with his dick. Get his P in your V without it being about his pleasure. It’s about yours. When you do feel ready to let him fuck you, don’t feel obligated to endure it until he finishes. Only let him fuck you for as long as it feels comfortable and/or good for you, and then pivot to something else you both enjoy if he hasn’t finished. Dr. Brotto also suggested that you talk to your gynecologist about switching to a different vaginal estrogen delivery system. There are tablets, creams, and rings in addition to the inserts you’re using—while at the same time adjusting your dose. “She also might also consider seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist in case some of the discomfort is arising from pelvic floor tightness,” said Dr. Brotto. “Pelvic floor physiotherapists have very effective exercises to deal with vaginal pain. Additionally, some positions can create more pain in an already painful vagina, so AGEIST and her lover should try different positions. Since the length and girth of a partner’s penis can also be a contributing factor, some couples use OhNut (www.ohnut.co), which are a series of rings that can be placed at the base of the shaft of the penis to reduce the length.” It’s also important that you’re feeling aroused—not feeling dread—when your lover is on his way over. Knowing you can look forward to what works for you and makes you feel good, and knowing that he doesn’t expect you to grin and bear what doesn’t (even if that means taking PIV off the menu for now), will not only be the best way to make sure you feel relaxed and aroused, but it’s also the quickest way to get PIV back on the menu. Good luck. Follow Dr. Lorri Brotto on Twitter @ DrLoriBrotto. And you can see Dr. Brotto in the new Netflix docuseries, The Principles of Pleasure, which premiered March 22. (The first episode focuses on the erogenous parts of a woman’s anatomy, AGEIST, and Dr. Brotto suggests you watch it with your partner!)

and a half and re-reading our old sexts and thinking about the last time we were together has been turning me on. But I feel all sorts of torn up about masturbating to the thought of him. I want to do it, but I haven’t. We had a trip planned at the end of March that I am still planning on taking where he was telling me we were going to fall in love. I was looking forward to having the best sex of my life with him (we really connected in bed) while on a tropical island. Now, I will be going alone. Is it healthy for me to masturbate about him? I mean, I know he’d love the thought, but it also makes me feel so devastatingly sad. Thoughts? —Too Heartbroken For Witty Acronyms

Dear THFWA: First and most importantly, THFWA, I’m so sorry for your loss—the loss of your friend and lover, and the loss of the future you might have had with him. My heart goes out to you. As for your specific question… Back in my younger days, when I first started writing this column, I advised people against masturbating about the dead. Being a gay man who came out just as the AIDS crisis was starting, I would go on to lose friends and boyfriends during that pandemic, including the first man I ever truly loved. Looking back, I gave the advice I did—don’t masturbate

about the dead—not because it was good advice for everyone, THFWA, but because sex was so closely associated with death for me that I personally couldn’t bear the thought of doing anything that would make that association any stronger. When I was in my 20s and early 30s, I could only masturbate about things that were still possible in the future I hoped to have, and not about the people and possibilities I’d already lost. Anyway, THFWA, what I can see now is that we all grieve in our own ways. If the thought of masturbating about your lover gives you a feeling of peace or pleasure or makes you feel connected to him—you should do it. But brace yourself for the very real possibility that you’ll be overwhelmed by feelings of loss after you climax. While fantasies have the power to lift us out of the moment, our refractory periods have a way of throwing us back down to Earth. You’ll rub one out, then you’ll cry it out. And if that’s what you need— if that helps you feel his presence and not just his loss, well…there’s more than one way someone’s memory can be a blessing. Question for Dan? Email him at mail@savagelove.net Follow Dan on Twitter @FakeDanSavage. Check out his new website at Savage.Love!

Dear Dan: I lost my lover unexpectedly last weekend. He was a long-time friend and periodic hook-up, and things were finally starting to turn as serious as I’d always secretly wanted them to be. I’m writing because I don’t know what to do with my desire for him, because that certainly didn’t die with him. He’s the only person I’ve been with in the past year THE PITCH | April 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

KC CARES

Rep. Ingrid Burnett, Rebecca Koop, Isaac Tapia and Rodrigo “Rico” Alvarez chat during the grand opening event for the Latinx Education Collaborative’s new office space. Photo by Beth Lipoff

s e r a C C K

Latinx Education Collaborative

By Beth Lipoff

Being a teacher isn’t easy. When you’re the only Latinx person working in a school, chances are you’re dealing with more strenuous responsibilities than just serving as an educator. “We’re overworked and overloaded,” says Marta Silva, who teaches Spanish at a Kansas high school. “It’s not only teaching your subject, but being a counselor that helps families and students navigate the system—a system that is not built to support them. That’s exhausting; but for those who have a community of teachers who look like you, that burden can be shared.” That’s why Edgar Palacios started the nonprofit Latinx Education Collaborative. After working with local educators as a consultant with the Kauffman Foundation in 2016, he saw the effect our city’s cultural divide was having on Latinx educators—in some cases, driving them out of the profession entirely. In the metro area, only about 1% of educators identify as Latinx, but the number of Latinx students is significantly higher, and growing. “For every Latino teacher, there are

THE PITCH | April 2022 | THEPITCHKC.COM

200 Latino students in the [educational] system,” Palacios says. “Latino students are rarely going to encounter a Latino teacher along their educational journey. We know that when they see themselves reflected in their teachers, they’re going to have better educational outcomes.” In addition to the everyday pressures of teaching, many educators are expected to speak for and represent their entire community as the only Latinx teacher in their school. “You become the de facto chief ‘Latino officer’ of the school,” says Palacious. “You’re handling all communication with families in Spanish. You’re doing additional work that may not be your own work, and you’re not getting compensated for it, in addition to navigating the difference of culture.” He gets emails all the time from educators who find themselves buckling under the weight of those extra duties, on top of the already-strenuous work of teaching. Recently, a peer reached out to him saying that they don’t want to quit teaching without a fight, but they’re already thinking of leaving

at the end of the school year. Silva agrees that it’s a widespread experience—not just in Kansas City, but all over the country. “I think I can speak for a lot of my colleagues who are also teachers of Hispanic backgrounds, where we had to listen to just very emotional, very traumatizing experiences from our students,” Silva says. Even after connecting students with school counselors and psychologists, the strain of having been the translator for traumatic situations doesn’t go away. “You keep that burden. You keep those stories; you keep that pain with you. It’s very, very tiring,” Silva says. According to Palacios, Latinx educators are entering teaching at high rates but also leaving at high rates because they feel isolated or like they don’t belong. Palacios and the Collaborative hope to curb that exodus. Acknowledging the cultural divide helps teachers realize they aren’t strange or out of touch just because their methods are a little different than those around them. It’s all about having that safe, professional

space. “I’m from a culture where we’re very direct in our way of speaking. In the Midwest, that can be seen as aggressive or rude,” Silva says. “When I take leadership classes within the district, and it’s all white people and me, I have to adjust my way of speaking, my way of conveying my message. But when I took this leadership class with [Palacios], my straightforwardness was seen as an asset and not a deficit.” Silva thinks Latinx students likely encounter the same issues with communication in school. Palacios is not just supporting current teachers, but also looking to the future. “I don’t think we actually have the pipelines necessary for building Latino educators,” Palacios says. One way the collaborative is trying to help is by talking with students in middle school and up to get them interested in teaching. “Representation matters. Those kids look for adults that can be role models, the same as I looked for educators for role models for me that I can share culture [with, where] I don’t have to over-explain myself and my cultural views and experiences. Students do the same,” Silva says. To find out more about the Latinx Education Collaborative, take part in their programming, or get in touch with their team, visit latinxedco.org to get more information. While much of the collaborative’s programming has been virtual because of the pandemic, they just opened a new office and meeting space at 2203 Lexington Avenue in Kansas City, MO.

Edgar Palacios, founder and CEO of the Latinx Education Collaborative, waits for people to arrive for the opening of the Collaborative’s new office space. Photo by Beth Lipoff

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The Pitch April 2022: The 4/20 Issue

Articles inside

KC Cares: Latinx Education Collaborative

Savage Love

Keep Them Coming: I smell sex and cannabis

Gaslight My Fire: The Creepy Jingles take a High Dive on debut album

After seven years in production, "Lotawana" finally hits screens

Live Más: Taco Bell Cantina welcomes Westport to the Hoobastank of nightclubs

Professional sports wrestle with growing cannabis usage

The war on drugs may have chilled, but there's still sectarian violence

Wandering Bud's Riley Brain on smokeware and women in cannabis

Letter from the Editor: "Southland Tales" is a trip in its own right