Sen. Greg Razer leaves big shoes to fill in his District 7 seat after he was appointed to the Tax Commission by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson last April—rendering his Senate seat vacant and opening the floodgates for MO’s most diverse political…

Kansas City Ballet Company Dancer Cameron Thomas as Mr. Hyde in Val Caniparoli’s Jekyll & Hyde. // photo by Brett Pruitt & East Market Studios It’s fitting that KC Ballet began its 66th season on a Friday the 13th in October with Val Caniparoli’s…

Courtesy image Drag queen Daisy Buckët (aka Spencer Brown) has played a big part in the LGBTQ+ scene in Kansas City for over 15 years, winning “Best Drag Queen” in 2019, 2021, and 2022 in The Pitch—not to mention receiving coverage in national…

Photo courtesy of Katie McCoy Art has been a part of Katie Lee’s life from a young age. An art teacher, painter, and designer, she’s best known for the murals she’s been painting around KC for the past decade. Her work is capable of brightening up…

photo by Leah Evans Photography Self-described as a librarian by day and a candlemaker by night, Logan Isaman runs Cursed Candle Co., a candle company specializing in black-dyed candles, from their home in Lawrence. Candlemaking started as just a…

Photo courtesy of Crossroads Hotel A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Aaron Cross Wells-Morgan worked in fine dining establishments all over the country and learned from Michelin-star chefs. In Kansas City, he’s been the executive chef…

The Used // photo by Anthony Tran The Used has been a big name in the emo world for over 20 years, entering the charts back in 2002 with hits “Blue and Yellow” and “The Taste of Ink.” Now, they’re hitting the road this month with Sleeping with Sirens…

Jess Reyes has loved creating with her hands and making art all her life—from crafting beaded lizards in sixth grade to making felt flowers to graphic design. Reyes was first exposed to beading as a child, as her mother beaded, but she took up…

Points and Thorns // Peregrine Honig Peregrine Honig has worn a lot of hats over the years, from being the artistic director of the West 18th Street Fashion Show for 20 years, to co-owning Birdies lingerie, to writing the film Summer in Hindsight—the…

The River Quay location of Thou Mayest is both a coffee shop and a bar in one, offering a lengthy list of herbal and caffeinated beverages, beer, wine, and cocktails, along with a small selection of snacks and baked goods. It’s a small, cozy café…

Civic Saint wins National LGBT Biz Pitch // photo courtesy of Godfrey Riddle Kansas City entrepreneur and philanthropist Godfrey Riddle’s latest venture with Civic Saint is just getting started, but it’s already winning prizes and making strides.…

KCeMO at Power & Light // photo by Matthew Jack Kansas City’s first and (so far) only emo cover band, cleverly named KCeMO as a blend of the KCMO acronym and “emo,” kicked off with a Craigslist ad a year and a half ago, and the rest has been a…

Brinklee Wynn as young Amy in They Wait In The Dark. // Courtesy of Meagan Flynn They Wait In The Dark, released in Feb. 2023, is a unique haunted house film comprising a cast and local KC crew that keeps you on your toes until the end. Directed by…

Still from It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This. // Courtesy the filmmakers Rachel Kempf and Nick Toti moved to Kirksville, MO from LA in the wake of COVID, with a dream of continuing to pursue their film careers in the Midwest. They’ve already…

Omaha-based rapper King Iso, who’s worked with Tech N9ne and is signed to his KC-based record label Strange Music, just dropped his latest album Oct. 27. iLLdren was entirely produced or co-produced by him and is his most personal endeavor so far.…

Jenay Manley at a KC Tenants rally // photo by Adrian Herrera The efforts of KC Tenants received national attention in Isabel Evans’ documentary, Evans, a documentary filmmaker based in New York, initially wanted to get into print journalism. But…

Courtesy of Janell Banks The first Black Comedy Fest KC, BCFKC, will bring together an array of Black creatives to the historic 18th & Vine District from April 25-28, at three locations: Gem Theater, Black Archives of Mid-America, and Mutual…

Story of the Year at Liberty Hall // photo by Emily Jacobs However, taking the forefront for this tour was Story of the Year’s debut album, Page Avenue, which celebrated its 20-year anniversary this year. Page Avenue kickstarted the band’s career,…

Singer Mat Kerekes // photo by Emily Jacobs Citizen blew up ten years ago with their debut album, Youth, and Sunday night’s sold-out show at recordBar was proof they haven’t lost that momentum. The show was part of their tour of their new album,…

Mario and Monte, the couple featured from Nebraska // courtesy of Cindy Naber is a crucial addition to the discourse surrounding LGBTQ+ communities that documents the stories of queer families in several small towns around the Midwest—busting a…