The Pitch, Pitch

OSHA orders reinstatement of Wolf Creek whistle-blower

Steve Vockrodt — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:36:00 -0500

There's more bad news this week surrounding the closest nuclear reactor to Kansas City after regulators determined that a contractor for the Wolf Creek Generating Station was fired in retaliation for calling out unsafe practices there.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on May 15 published an order to reinstate an unnamed employee for Enercon, a contractor for the nuclear power plant 80 miles away near Burlington, Kansas.…

Police leave Union Station after suspicious package found

Ben Palosaari — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:39:00 -0500

Police have cleared the scene at Union Station, where a suspicious package was discovered earlier today. The Star reports the package was found at 7:30 this morning.…

Which out-of-town restaurant would you lobby to bring to KC?

Jonathan Bender — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:52:00 -0500

Let's call this one the Powerball question. Should you luck into a pot of money and be able to convince a given restaurant to franchise or simply relocate, what eatery (be it chain or single shop) are you bringing in from out-of-town?…

Kanrocksas single-day tickets now on sale

David Hudnall — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:33:33 -0500

Kanrocksas is fast approaching, everyone. As of today, you can purchase single-day tickets to the music festival - held Friday, June 28, and Saturday, June 29, at the Kansas Speedway - for $99.…

Insane Clown Posse fans will be chugging Faygo in Lawrence tonight

David Hudnall — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:12:44 -0500

Are you down with the Clown? The FBI, which recently classified Insane Clown Posse as a criminal street gang, is not.…

The Gaf has closed in Waldo

Jonathan Bender — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:04:00 -0500

The Gaf (7122 Wornall) poured its last Guinness on Saturday. The Waldo pub and bar closed after eight years in the former Romanelli Grill space (Charles Ferruzza wrote about the spot's stylish upgrade back in 2005).…

Pitch Taste of KC beats the weather, draws 700 hungry people

Charles Ferruzza — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:57:00 -0500

The predicted torrential rains arrived in downtown Kansas City precisely as The Pitch's Taste of Kansas City was wrapping up for the evening. By then, though, the 700 people leaving the Live Block of the Power & Light District had been sated by a variety of victual vendors that had offered up cheeseburgers and phad Thai and macarons and petit fours and plenty of other good things.…

Giovanni's Deli goes big in the Northland

Jonathan Bender — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:10:30 -0500

Giovanni's Italian Deli & Pasta (6100 N.E. Antioch Road) is the rare place where you can get a ham sandwich and a pound of ham for when you're hungry three days later. The hoagies are done in the style of a classic Italian tradition.…

Boulevard's Saison-Brett hits store shelves and taps Tuesday

Jonathan Bender — Mon, 20 May 2013 08:14:00 -0500

With beer, absence simply makes you thirsty. On Tuesday, you have a chance to drink a beer that even Steven Pauwels, Boulevard's brewmaster, misses.…

Rob Schamberger shows his paintings and sells prints of wrestling champions tonight with 100 percent of proceeds going to Make-A-Wish

Justin Kendall — Mon, 20 May 2013 08:00:22 -0500

Before Raw at the Sprint Center (read our interview with Cody Rhodes here), Kansas City artist Rob Schamberger shows some of his bigger paintings of wrestling champions, including the Rock, Sheamus and Rey Mysterio, at the River Market Event Space (140 Walnut, 816-591-4346).

Schamberger is selling prints for $15 (or two for $25) with 100 percent of the proceeds going to WWE Champion John Cena's favorite charity, Make-A-Wish.…

Big Rip Brewing Co. opens to the world Sunday

Jonathan Bender — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:04:00 -0500

The Big Rip Brewing Co. is set to let it rip Sunday. The two-man microbrewery in North Kansas City (216 East Ninth Avenue) will be serving up samples to the participants in the Tour de Brew bike race as part of the official open of their Tap Room.…

Indios Carbonsitos and the Hangover III and other weekend possibilities

Jonathan Bender — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:30:37 -0500

Indios Carbonsitos, one of the city's original food trucks, is giving out free tortas on Saturday to help promote Hangover III. (The event kicks off at 10 a.m.; the free food starts at noon.)…

The Pitch's Taste of KC is ready for eaters this Sunday

Jonathan Bender — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:38:00 -0500

Eat your way across Kansas City's culinary landscape at The Pitch's Taste of Kansas City 2013 this Sunday at 5:30 p.m. in the KC Live Block of the Power & Light District. The annual local food-and-drink sampling party includes more than 20 restaurants (Clark's, BRGR, Los Alamos, KC Smokeburger, Thai Orchid and Poco's among them) and beer from Sam Adams.…

The Humdinger: Stand in line to get in, baby

Charles Ferruzza — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:09:00 -0500

This hot afternoon called for a cold milkshake. Not one of those bland boring (and probably chemical-laden) shakes at one of the conglomerate fast-food restaurants, but something a little more eccentric.…

KC Pride Festival 2013? Yes, it's still on

Charles Ferruzza — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:00:00 -0500

In 1984, Kansas City's Gay Pride Festival was little more than a halfhearted little carnival set up in the parking lot behind the since-razed Dover Fox saloon, at 43rd Street and Main. Over the past 29 years, the event has gotten much bigger, much grander - with the occasional financial scandal here and there.…

Jim Gaffigan, Dad Is Fat author, on his way to our fat town

Scott Wilson — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:21:00 -0500

"People keep bringing up wistfulness," Jim Gaffigan says. We're on the phone, talking about Dad Is Fat, the comedian and actor's first book.…

Steve Earle to play Crossroads KC at Grinders

David Hudnall — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:08:43 -0500

The rootsy summer lineup at Crossroads KC at Grinders just got a bit rootsier: The venue announced today that Steve Earle will grace the stage on Tuesday, July 9. Tickets on sale tomorrow, May 17, at 10 a.m.

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Friends of KCI take another crack at stalling new KCI terminal

Steve Vockrodt — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:45:00 -0500

Friends of KCI just announced plans to start an initiative petition to prevent the advancement of a new airport terminal without the approval of voters.

"We do not need to spend $1.5 billion on a new airport," reads Friends of KCI's statement.…

S.D. Strong Distilling is likely the country's only distillery in a cave

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 16 May 2013 09:30:50 -0500

While other suburban fathers in Parkville tend to their lawns on the weekends, Steve Strong is heading 65 feet below ground. The former rocker, most recently of Steve Strong and the Jackknife Truckers, and father of three has been toiling in the caves below Park University for the past two years.…

D'Bronx corned-beef sandwich is a deli stopgap

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:00:42 -0500

At d'Bronx (3904 Bell), I always walk in intending to get a grinder and I end up hearing myself order a slice of pizza and a chocolate-chip cookie (if they're recently out of the oven) before my brain can catch up with my mouth. But several weeks ago, armed with the mission of compiling a month's worth of sandwiches for this week's cover story, I was determined to walk away with a hoagie in hand.…

Tonight in Lawrence: Laura Stevenson at the Jackpot

David Hudnall — Thu, 16 May 2013 07:47:58 -0500

On her new record, Wheel, Laura Stevenson calls to mind Sharon Van Etten and Land of Talk's Elizabeth Powell - women singers who preside over expansive, soaring indie-rock songs. But I like Wheel better than anything those two have done, including, yes, Van Etten's Tramp.…

Watch Hospital Ships' kinda-gross new video for "Servants"

David Hudnall — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:44:00 -0500

In print this week, we chatted with Brad Shanks of Replay Records, and rounded up a few recent releases from the the Lawrence label. One of them was a split 7" with the Hips and Hospital Ships.…

Petro America: guilty verdicts all around

Steve Vockrodt — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:14:00 -0500

The jury in the Petro America case has returned guilty verdicts for all defendants in the Petro America trial.

The trial, which started April 17, went to the jury around noon Tuesday.…

Owen Hawkins tries to talk his way out of the Petro America mess

Steve Vockrodt — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:13:00 -0500

Paul Bax was asleep when he got the call. It was May 8, and he'd finished working his graveyard shift for the U.S. Postal Service.…

Darin Mason, convicted sex offender, found coaching basketball in Northland

Ben Palosaari — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:44:00 -0500

It's been a crappy spring for news about youth sports coaches. A few weeks back, soccer coach and popular party DJ Joel White was charged in federal court for allegedly taking nude photos of children.…