KC scream club is loud, weird and kind of perfect
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Inspired by a viral video, Kansas Citians are gathering by the Missouri River to scream into the void together.
The big picture: Thea Brannon and Ashleigh Foster, who met for the first time just last Wednesday, founded Scream Club Kansas City as a creative way to cope with stress, build community and give Kansas Citians a space to let it all out.
- They connected over TikTok after seeing Scream Club Chicago highlighted on CNN's page.
- Brannon created a Facebook group and within days they were co-hosting their first scream session at Berkley Riverfront.
What they're saying: "We all have stuff to get off our chest," Brannon tells Axios. "Not everyone has access to therapy. This is free. It's loud. It's fun."
- Foster added, "It started as a joke, but people really needed it. You could feel the release."
Behind the scenes: Port KC allowed the first scream event without a permit but clarified that future events would require one.
- The founders posted that they got the green light for one more scream at Berkley Riverfront, but they'll need to find a new location after that
- "A lot of people think this is a public place. We understand the mistake," Port KC's communications director told organizers in an email reviewed by Axios.
By the numbers: More than 50 people showed up at 6:45pm Sunday to scream.
- The Facebook group has grown to 300-plus members.
- Brannon's TikTok about the event had more than 17,000 views and 200 reposts in a matter of days.
What's next: After Brannon and Foster find a new location for the scream, they say they want to add community resource drives and collaborations with local mental health organizations.
What they're saying: The event received overwhelmingly positive feedback on the group's Facebook page, with attendees thanking organizers and asking when the next scream would be.
- "Please tell me there will be another one," another pleaded.
Abbey's thought bubble: If I wasn't there to report on it, I would have absolutely been screaming my head off.
The bottom line: Screaming into the void is more fun when you're not the only one doing it.