pop culture

Roan belted out “Casual,” “Good Luck, Babe!” and other favorites for a sold-out crowd of 30,000 on the lawn of the National WWI Museum and Memorial.

For anyone who wants to get “knee-deep in the passenger seat” this weekend, you’ll have a hard time finding where to park in Kansas City. Two sold-out concerts by Missouri's own Chappell Roan, KC Oktoberfest and First Friday are all happening simultaneously.

Fans and artists around Kansas City are embracing the excitement around Missouri-born Chappell Roan, who will perform two sold-out concerts this weekend. Two local drag performers, Karmella Uchawi and Minti Varieties, were tapped to help open the shows.

Kansas City is one of just three cities on the U.S. leg of Chappell Roan’s “Visions of Damsels and Other Dangerous Things” tour — and it's something of a homecoming for the Missouri-born pop star. Ahead of this weekend’s shows, local businesses are celebrating with parties, special drinks and menus, and a “Pink Pony Express" streetcar.

The little round balls may seem a bit outdated compared to some current games, but there’s a community of collectors, artists and kids keeping marble culture alive. In this store and studio just outside Kansas City, visitors can watch marbles being made.

"Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder' by Rachel McCarthy James traces the foundational and violent role of the axe from prehistoric times to the present. And — yes — the infamous Lizzie Borden case does get a chapter, as do a pair of relatively recent Kansas City murders.

Die-hard "Star Wars" fans celebrate the fourth day of May this weekend, while the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures highlights action figures from the famous movies. For one super-fan, it's a chance to show off the 5,000-square-foot private museum of memorabilia next to his Northland home.

"A Match Made in Heaven" pairs looks by Kansas City-born fashion designer Jeremy Scott with paintings by St. Louis-born artist Katherine Bernhardt. The exhibit runs Feb. 7 through Aug. 3 at Johnson County's Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.

Wichita businessman Chock Chapple got engaged to "Golden Bachlorette" Joan Vassos. The one sticky part? Joan lives in Maryland.

Born in Willard, Missouri, Roan began uploading music to YouTube as a teenager before winning — and losing — a record deal. But the rising pop star is now inescapable, from TikTok feeds to performances at Coachella to the Billboard Hot 100.

A slate of superstars will appear in Kansas City this month, including Bad Bunny, Drake, Sleater-Kinney and Jenny Lewis. Easter Sunday features a performance by R&B evangelist Anthony Hamilton to end the month on a high note.

An uptick in this February concert calendar’s momentousness is the first sign that spring shows will be here before you know it. For now, performances from world-renowned artists like Ricky Martin, Enrique Iqlesias, Marty Stuart and Delfeayo Marsalis will have to suffice.