Rainbow Kitten Surprise @ Ascend Amphitheater

What a killer night it ’twas with Rainbow Kitten Surprise at Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville, TN on October 19th, 2024.

Rainbow Kitten Surprise

RKS formed in an Appalachian State dorm room in 2013 by singer Ela Melo and guitarist Darrick “Bozzy” Keller. The duo recorded and self-released their first acoustic EP, Mary, before recruiting additional members Ethan Goodpaster (guitar), Charlie Holt(bass), and Jess Haney (drums) to complete the lineup. The expansion resulted in the bigger, more energetic sound heard on their debut album, Seven. This later repackaged with their EP in a release called Seven + Mary. Their second LP, RKS, arrived in 2015 on hometown label Split Rail. Along with this came the increasing viral success of their single “Devil Like Me” (from Seven).

In 2017, the band appeared at festivals including Bonnaroo, Firefly, and Austin City Limits, and they signed with Elektra Records for their third album. Recorded at Nashville’s Neon Cross Studio, How To: Friend, Love, Freefall released in 2018. A rigorous support tour followed, including a sold-out stop at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre and a series of shows in Athens, Georgia, which later compiled into the concert album RKS! Live from Athens Georgia. Prior to its release, Rainbow Kitten Surprise issued the 2019 stand-alone single “Our Song,” with the live album finally appearing in 2021.

The band started 2022 with the poignant “Work Out,” an ebullient single about navigating complicated relationships. The equally effervescent “Drop Stop Roll,” a fan favorite, arrived in 2023. In March 2024, Rainbow Kitten Surprise parted ways with bassist Charlie Holt. Immediately following was the release of “Superstar,” the lead single from their third album, Love Hate Music Box. It released in May and was co-produced by Daniel Tashian, Konrad Snyder, and Melo. The adventurous 22-song double album marked the band’s first new LP in six years. It also featured a duet with Kacey Musgraves on the track “Overtime.”

pulled from AllMusic