Arts & Entertainment
Folly Tunes Up for Return to Live Music This October
The Folly Theater is gingerly tuning up to re-enter the world of live music this fall with its 38th Jazz Series! When singer Karrin Allyson takes the stage of the historic theater at 12th and Central on Oct. 17, it will be the Folly’s first sponsored event since March 7, when health restrictions prompted by…
KC Live! Reopening Soon; P&L District Covid Losses Total ‘Tens of Millions’
By Kevin Collison The Kansas City Live! Block is returning to life next week after being dormant since mid-March, but with a more low-key vibe compared to the raucous times of the Chief’s Super Bowl run earlier this year. For the time being, the canopied space at the heart of the KC Power & Light…
Historic Board of Ed Building Coming Down, Home for Kraft Murals Sought
By Kevin Collison Demolition of the historic former Board of Education building at 1211 McGee is expected to begin soon, although its owner remains open to finding a new home for the colorful mosaic murals adorning it by the late Arthur Kraft. Developer Jon Copaken of Copaken Brooks, which purchased the property last September, said…
Webster House Closing, but Helzberg has No Plans to Walk Away
By Kevin Collison Faced with a pandemic shut-down and the likelihood its important patron, the Kauffman Center, may remain dark until at least fall, Shirley Helzberg had no choice but to close her labor of love, the Webster House, permanently. “The Kauffman Center isn’t opening until at least fall and the symphony and other arts…
Port KC Issues Creative Challenge for Derelict Riverfront Wharf
By Kevin Collison When things got tough for artists during the Depression, Washington hired many to paint murals and take photographs through the New Deal’s Public Works of Arts Project. Now, Jon Stephens, president and CEO of Port KC, is pursuing a similar idea, albeit on a much smaller scale. He’s inviting local artists struggling…
New Garment District Concert Series Planned–After Virus Fears Calm
A new monthly concert series at Garment District Place that will feature local musicians and students from the Crossroads Preparatory Academy is in the works once the all-clear is given for public health restrictions prompted by the coronavirus endemic. Organizers of the “Garment District Grooves” concert series had hoped to begin in April, but the…
Sinkers Lounge Putting Soon in P&L District
By Kevin Collison The founder of Blade & Timber has aimed his axe at the space next door in the Power & Light District and plans to open Sinker’s Lounge, a new mini-golf meets cocktail lounge concept, this summer. Matt Baysinger said his new Sinkers Lounge is a continuation of the entertainment formula that’s made…
P&L District Hosting Downtown BBQ Street Festival in Late May
Some of Kansas City’s top barbecue joints will be joined by several great barbecue places from St. Louis and the South at the first annual Kansas City BBQ Festival, or KC Q, in downtown May 30-31. The new street festival event is co-sponsored by the KC Power & Light District and will be held on…
Nationally-Renowned Ballpark Author Says Timing Right to Bring Royals Downtown
By Kevin Collison Kansas City was “lucky” 15 years ago not to build a downtown ballpark when the Royals lease was last up, but that’s all changed now, according to Paul Goldberger, author of the new book “Ballpark: Baseball in the American City.” The Pulitzer Prize-winning architectural critic who wrote for the New York Times, the…
Downtown on Track for Red-Hot Super Bowl Weekend
By Kevin Collison Downtown will be revved-up for the Chiefs Super Bowl this weekend starting Friday with a special Red Friday Ride and Red Kingdom Rally featuring Tech N9ne at Kansas City Live!, and an all-day watch party at the entertainment district Sunday. “It will be just a huge party in a really dynamic environment,”…